Gary M. Sandquist

Cold fusion reaction products and their measurement

The major reaction products that have been possibly associated with cold fusion reactions are neutrons, protons, tritium, He-3, He-4, internal conversion electrons, and gamma radiation. The branching ratios and relative reaction rates for these products are examined for consistency with cold fusion experiments. Both theoretical calculations and experimental data are examined and presented. The He-4 plus internal conversion reaction has been proposed to explain the absence of neutrons or gamma rays in successful cold fusion experiments. However, this reaction is not favored, even in a deuterium-palladium system. Measurement of these reactions must be made carefully owing to the presence in the background of 2.2-MeV gamma rays, background tritium in heavy water, and neutrons from the photodisintegration of the deuterium from background radiation. These problems confronting cold fusion experiments are addressed.

Isotopic hydrogen fusion in metals

Nuclear fusion between deuterons under ambient conditions has been observed in the metal cathode of an electrolysis cell with an electrolyte of heavy water. The evidence for the fusion reaction is derived primarily from the detection of a low level of 2.45-MeV neutrons presumably from the neutron branch of the deuterium fusion reactions. However, the estimated fusion energy yield associated with the neutron output is insufficient to account for the majority of the reported energy gain if the neutron-proton branch of the deuterium fusion reaction remains about equal to ambient conditions. The excess energy gain may arise from an unobserved chemical reaction or an unfamiliar nuclear reaction. Reported evidence of an excess of /sup 4/He in the vicinity of the cathode may indicate that a /sup 4/He branch from the deuterium fusion reaction reaction may proceed at ambient conditions through internal electron conversion without a large release of gamma rays. These issues are explored, and attempts are made to provide physical mechanisms and explanations for the cold fusion experimental observations.

Irradiation Damage Assessment of Electronics

A university research reactor is employed to irradiate electronic components to assess radiation induced damage. The reactor facility, irradiation procedure and dosimetry are described. Semiconductor devices are irradiated following guidance set forth in military standards (MIL-STD-883C). Electrical properties of irradiated components are characterized and compared with pre-irradiation performance parameters to assess the degradation of critical parameters as a function of neutron fluence. Future experiments will investigate real-time irradiation damage effects as functions of dose rate and fluence.

Is Nuclear Power Also the Key to Economically Clean Coal Gasification

Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere is a major goal and an imperative need for most of the world’s nations, even for those nations such as the USA who are not Kyoto Treaty signatories. A response by the current USA administration is to develop a national transportation economy for automobiles based upon efficient, environmentally sound fuel cells. However, hydrogen is a secondary fuel requiring a primary energy source for production. Nuclear power (or renewables such as hydroelectric, wind or solar) must be the source of the primary energy required to produce hydrogen from water, if the overall energy system is to be free of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. The dissociation of water leaves oxygen as a major byproduct. Currently, there are no existing commercial markets for the large quantities of oxygen that would result from a US transportation economy based upon hydrogen fuel cells. However, Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants operating on pure oxygen for both gasification and combustion produce no greenhouse gas releases. This highly desirable feature results from the combustion output being only water and carbon dioxide. Pure CO2 can be relatively easily captured and delivered to a sequestration site. Also, hazardous trace metal compounds (e.g., Hg, As, Pb, Sn, Sb, Se, U, Th, etc.) that would ordinarily be emitted to the atmosphere could be captured as solids, for environmentally acceptable disposal.Copyright

A comprehensive elementary model of the mammalian circulatory system.

Beginning with a set of simplifying assumptions and the statements for the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic processes involved, a comprehensive mathematical model for the mammalian circulatory system is developed and evaluated. Analytical relationships are derived and examined for the circulatory component pressures, flow rates, blood volumes, flow resistances, pumping power and pumping rate. The essential circulatory model parameters are identified and inspected for their influence upon circulatory behavior. A complete and consistent set of circulatory model parameters is given for the adult human male and the model response is examined. In general, agreement of the model predictions for man with experimental data is good.

Comparative Study of Government Subsidization of U.S. Electrical Energy Sources

Perception that U.S. government energy subsidies have favored nuclear energy at expense of renewables (hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal) is not supported by facts. Largest beneficiaries between 1950 and 2006 from federal energy subsidies have been oil and gas receiving more than half of all federal incentives. Primary subsidy for nuclear energy has been R&D. Evaluating the actual electrical energy produced resulting from government subsidy support shows that wind and solar have cost taxpayers 355mils/kWh, coal 1.53 mils/kWh, nuclear 3.8 mils/kWh and hydro at 5.88 mils/kWh. Average cost of U.S. electrical energy in 2006 was 91 mils/kWh so renewables were subsidized at four times the average cost of electricity. Subsidy for Solar Photovoltaic to produce 0.01% of U.S. electricity as of 2006 was

High‐temperature, radiation‐hard electronic technology

4.43/kWh.Copyright

Enhancement of cold fusion reaction rates

We report on two novel high temperature and potentially highly neutron and gamma radiation resistant electronc technologies that are suitable for nuclear and space applications. The operational effects on these technologies from gamma radiation doses up to 10 megarads and 1‐MeV equivalent neutron fluences up to 1014 neutrons/cm2 are examined using a calibrated (to appropriate ASTM standards) irradiation chamber in the University of Utah TRIGA Nuclear Reactor. The first high temperature, harsh environment technology is based on microminiature vacuum (MTV) devices. The second high temperature technology is gallium arsenide (GaAs) metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET)‐based devices and circuits that can operate at temperatures up to 350 °C. This MESFET‐based technology also allows a wide range of control with respect to the MESFET’s enhanced resistance to breakdown at elevated temperatures. The MESFET‐based technology has general applicability and works equally well with both enhancement and d...

Deuterium concentration and cold fusion; Rate distributions in palladium

Although major controversy still remains as to the source of the excess thermal power output reported from diverse successful cold fusion calorimetry experiments, considerable independent evidence does exist that low-level, deuterium fueled, cold fusion reactions can occur based upon reported neutron and tritium measurements. Because the specific fusion power output may be very low in present cold fusion experiments, there are numerous features and conditions associated with cold fusion experiments which might enhance fusion reaction rates.The principal focus of attention in enhancing cold fusion reactions occurring in an electrolytic cell is the palladium cathode where deuterium is preferentially absorbed into the cathode. The cathodes physical, metallurgical, and chemical characteristics such as purity, lattice cell size and orientation, chemical and hydrodynamic properties, and its electrical surface conditions and prevailing reactions are known to be important for maximizing deuterium loading. Even the geometrical size and configuration of the cathode and the crystalline grain size and conditioning are apparently important. The composition, pH, flow of the electrolyte, electrolysis employing rapidly time varying electrical potential and current and very high pressure and low temperature operation may also enhance fusion reaction rates.

Low-Level Health Effects of Radiation: Nuclear Engineering Obligations

Cold fusion reactions and excess heat production have been reported in the electrolysis of heavy water with a palladium metal cathode. Solution of the standard diffusion equation for deuterium without fusion indicates that the deuterium concentration distribution rapidly becomes constant in the palladium lattice. Solution of the nonlinear diffusion equation for deuterium undergoing fusion also gives constant deuterium concentrations, suggesting that any fusion occurs uniformly throughout the palladium lattice. The hypothesis that fusion reactions occur predominantly at the palladium surface is shown to be inconsistent with experimental data.