Cold fusion device

Abstract

To provide a cold fusion device which offers a practical output level.SOLUTION: A hydrogen-containing metal serving as a cold fusion target is irradiated with β-rays or γ-rays with an energy level of 0.78 MeV or greater to promote nuclear fusion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cold nuclear fusion device that promotes nuclear fusion reactions using β-rays or γ-rays of 0.78 MeV or more. [Background technology]

[0002] Cold fusion was reported by Professors Fleischmann and Pons in 1989. According to Non-Patent Document 1, the electrolysis of heavy water using a Pd cathode generates excess heat that cannot be obtained by normal electrolysis, and in some cases the Pd cathode melts (Pd melting point 1555°C), and gamma rays are also detected, suggesting a nuclear fusion reaction. However, poor reproducibility led to negative opinions, making it a difficult phenomenon to evaluate. Since then, as a result of research by many researchers, the existence of cold fusion has been recognized, but its principles have not yet been clearly defined, and research is still being carried out by trial and error.

[0003] Researchers at NASA's Glenn Research Center (Non-Patent Document 2) have achieved nuclear fusion using an electron accelerator, hydrogen, and metals. Specifically, electrons accelerated by an accelerator are irradiated onto tungsten to generate gamma rays. They succeeded in nuclear fusion by irradiating the gamma rays onto Ti or Er that has absorbed deuterium. They explain that the gamma rays break down heavy water into protons and neutrons, resulting in the production of helium and the conversion of metal elements. They claim that this phenomenon is not cold nuclear fusion but hot fusion, and that it is a new method of nuclear fusion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6548102 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] J. Electroanal. Chem., Vol. 261, No. 301 (1989). [Non-Patent Document 2] Article by Michael Koziol published in IEEE Spectrum on August 5, 2020 [Non-Patent Document 3] Chemistry and Education, Vol. 49, No. 688 (2001). Non-Patent 4 Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, JAERI-M, 89-132 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The first thing that needs to be clarified is the principle of cold fusion. The theory that the probability of collisions between atomic nuclei and protons (including deuterons) increases dramatically due to the Coulomb shielding effect, which is assumed by many people, was rejected in the early 1990s, and the involvement of voids and impurities was suspected. However, considering the inelastic scattering collision cross section, the involvement of neutrons is more likely, and although some researchers point this out, it does not seem to have become mainstream.

[0007] The inventor supports the involvement of neutrons, and first, atomic nuclei are excited by external energy such as cosmic rays. Since gamma rays are difficult to produce in cold nuclear fusion as experimental evidence, the excitation energy of excited atoms in solids is internally converted and used to generate heat or neutrons by fusing nearby hydrogen nuclei with electrons. Neutrons can also be generated by fusing hydrogen nuclei directly irradiated with gamma rays with electrons. Since neutrons are difficult to detect as experimental evidence, the generated neutrons also fuse with other nuclei with a high probability to become excited nuclei, and the chain reaction of nuclear fusion, heat generation by internal conversion, and neutron generation proceeds. The energy generated by one neutron is extremely small, even if it is said to be 10,000 times that of a chemical reaction, and it is only after the above chain reaction has progressed that it can be observed as a heat generation phenomenon. Then, when the hydrogen source, which is the neutron source, is lost, the cold nuclear fusion reaction and heat generation stop.

[0008] Considering the above, the method from NASA's Glenn Research Center in Non-Patent Document 2 can be said to be a method that uses the principles of cold fusion.

[0009] Also, the paper on the discovery of cold fusion in Non-Patent Document 1 also has evidence of the involvement of neutrons. First, the measured gamma rays had a peak of 2.2 MeV, which corresponds to the energy generated when protons and neutrons combine to become deuterons, and indicates the presence of a large amount of neutrons and protons due to the progress of nuclear fission of deuterium. According to Non-Patent Document 3, the inventor presumes that the experiment date of Non-Patent Document 1 was between March 6, 1989, when the University of Utah and Brigham Young University promised to simultaneously submit a paper on cold fusion to Nature magazine on March 24, and March 11, the date of submission, but this period was the best condition in history for cold fusion. That is, a huge solar flare of X15.0 occurred on March 6, and a coronal mass ejection occurred on the sun on March 9, which resulted in a serious geomagnetic storm on the earth on March 13, and the sun was so active that it caused a major blackout in Quebec, Canada. The inventors believe that under such conditions, when a large amount of radiation was pouring down on the Earth, a cold nuclear fusion reaction occurred strong enough to melt the Pd cathode.

[0010] If the timing of Professor Fleischmann and Professor Pons' experiments was as expected by the inventor, then the poor reproducibility of the subsequent follow-up tests was natural. The follow-up tests by others were conducted after some time had passed, so there was no way that the aforementioned large amount of radiation was pouring in from the sun, and cold fusion with an abnormal output was not obtained, and as a result, Professor Fleischmann and his colleagues were called frauds. This discovery was made at a miraculous time in history, and if they had lost this opportunity, there is no way to know when the cold fusion phenomenon would have attracted attention, so the inventor believes that their discovery should be praised as a miraculous achievement. Here, we would also like to emphasize that cosmic rays, especially those from the sun, were an important factor in cold fusion.

[0011] At the time, some pointed out cosmic rays as the cause of cold fusion, but as Non-Patent Document 4 indicates, the cosmic ray origin theory was ultimately rejected because only muons were considered as cosmic rays. At the time, muon-mediated fusion was the leading candidate for cold fusion, so muons were the first to be considered as cosmic rays, and other cosmic rays such as gamma rays were discarded from consideration when examining various hypotheses, which is thought to be the reason why the principle of cold fusion could not be identified. In fact, Professor Jones, who competed with Professor Fleischmann and others to discover cold fusion, went to the trouble of conducting cold fusion experiments deep underground at Kamiokande, where cosmic rays are blocked, and reported that no neutrons were generated at all, so the relationship between cold fusion and cosmic rays was not taken into consideration at the time.

[0012] Considering the above, it is possible that there are stars where cold nuclear fusion is commonplace depending on the state of environmental radiation, and Jupiter is a concrete example. More than twice the heat generated inside Jupiter is the heat generated by radiation from the sun, and conventional wisdom has been that nuclear fusion does not occur, so various absurd theories have been used to explain the heat generated. However, it seems that nuclear fusion is possible even at low temperatures with radiation and hydrogen, so it is likely that space astronomy will be revised in the future. Also, even in magnetic confinement nuclear fusion, if light hydrogen is used, nuclear fusion can be expected through the generation of neutrons by the fusion of protons and electrons, so it is possible that the conditions for nuclear fusion can be greatly relaxed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The key to increasing the power output of cold fusion is to convert a large amount of hydrogen (including isotopes) into neutrons by exposing solids containing hydrogen (including isotopes) to cosmic rays, i.e., high-energy particles, from the outside. Among cosmic rays, beta rays and gamma rays are the basic radiation, which are easy to obtain and use. + +e - The energy required for →n is 0.78 MeV. The energy required to break down deuterium into protons and neutrons, as described in Non-Patent Document 2, is approximately 2.2 MeV. Furthermore, it is expected that deuterium will be converted into two free neutrons by gamma rays of 3 MeV or more, and it is expected that the output of cold fusion will be improved by a more chain-like fusion reaction.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. A hydrogen-containing metal 1 is irradiated with β-rays or γ-rays 7 from a β-ray or γ-ray generator 6. As a γ-ray generator, for example, a device that irradiates a metal target such as W with high-energy electrons from an accelerator to emit γ-rays, as described in Non-Patent Document 2, can be mentioned. Alternatively, a device that emits 1.25 MeV γ-rays can be used. 60 A radioactive material such as Co may be used as the radiation source, and a shutter will control the gamma rays on and off. 60 Co radiation sources are used for medical purposes and are characterized by their ease of acquisition. Another readily available gamma ray source is radium-226. Although a 0.83 MeV gamma ray with a half-life of 1600 years is desirable, it is hazardous to health and safety as it is released as radon-222 as a nuclear transmutation product. - Isotopes with a radiation source energy of 0.78 MeV or more and a half-life of more than one year include cesium-134 (2.059 MeV, 2.07 years), cesium-137 (1.174 MeV, 30.1 years), and ruthenium-106 (1.98-3.54 MeV, 374 days). - In the case of rays, i.e., high-energy electrons, it is necessary to evacuate the material to a vacuum to prevent energy loss when the material reaches the hydrogen-containing metal 1, and this makes them more difficult to handle than gamma rays.

[0015] In order to consider the operation of a cold fusion device, we consider the state of hydrogen solid solution inside a metal. The hydrogen solid solution concentration in the thermal equilibrium state inside a metal is n H teeth

[0016]

number

[0017] where P H2 is the hydrogen pressure, k Bis the Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature, E is the activation energy of hydrogen solid solution, E<0, which indicates that hydrogen solid solution in general metals is an endothermic reaction. In the case of Ti, TiH2 is a chemically stable exothermic reaction, E>0, so Equation 1 is measured as the concentration of chemical change to TiH2, not the solid solution of hydrogen.

[0018] To increase the power output of cold fusion, H From the viewpoint of kinetics, it is required that P H2 It is important that the temperature is high. Even if the temperature reaches 1000°C and cold fusion progresses, the nuclear reaction cannot be influenced by the thermal energy of only 0.1 eV at 1000°C, and this is simply due to the increase in the hydrogen concentration in the metal.

[0019] When a nuclear fusion reaction is taking place inside the hydrogen-containing metal 1, hydrogen is basically supplied by diffusion, so the supply of hydrogen cannot keep up and the nuclear fusion reaction slows down, eventually concentrating the nuclear fusion reaction near the surface, and the output of the nuclear fusion reaction is controlled by the hydrogen pressure. At this time, it is also important to measure the surface temperature with an infrared thermometer or the like to prevent the surface from melting.

[0020] When considering cold fusion reactions, the hydrogen solid solution concentration in hydrogen-containing metal 1 is less than 1% of the metal element at 1 atmosphere of hydrogen pressure and a temperature of 1000°C, at most about 0.1%. Even if a hydrogen nucleus (proton) is converted into a neutron under these circumstances, the most likely reaction is that it will collide with a metal nucleus to form an isotope with a mass number one higher, and there is a small probability that it will fuse with a hydrogen nucleus to become a deuteron. If the nucleus whose mass number has increased by fusion is stable, it will remain that way unless there is a new nuclear fusion, but if the nucleus is unstable, it will either undergo beta decay to become an element with an atomic number one higher, or the nucleus will capture an electron and be converted into an element with an atomic number one lower.

[0021] Consider the case where Ni and Cu are used as the hydrogen-containing metal 1 as in Patent Document 1. Since Ni is a stable isotope up to a mass number of 64, it is expected that in the cold nuclear fusion of the present invention, the mass number of the Ni element will increase, the mass number will reach 65, and then it will undergo beta decay with a half-life of 2.5 hours to become copper with a mass number of 65. Therefore, in the nuclear fusion of Ni according to the present invention, it is difficult to detect the nuclear fusion reaction by elemental analysis, and mass number analysis is necessary.

[0022] When the hydrogen-containing metal 1 is Cu, the nuclear reaction of the isotope with mass number 64 is unknown, but the isotope with mass number 66 is expected to be converted to Zn by beta decay with a half-life of 5 minutes. The boiling point of Zn is 907°C at 1 atmosphere, and it is thought that Zn will evaporate from the hydrogen-containing metal 1 if cold fusion of Cu is performed at a temperature above the boiling point of Zn. If this evaporation phenomenon can be used effectively, new copper elements will be constantly exposed on the surface of the hydrogen-containing metal 1, and as a result, the hydrogen-containing metal 1 can be efficiently consumed from the surface, making it possible to effectively use the hydrogen-containing metal 1 to the end. Note that the boiling point of Zn decreases as the atmospheric pressure decreases, but if the maximum atmospheric pressure of the cold fusion device is 1 atmosphere, the evaporation of Zn can be reliably achieved by using the boiling point at 1 atmosphere as a guide.

[0023] For the above purpose, the invention shown in Fig. 2 was designed to increase the hydrogen concentration on the surface of the hydrogen-containing metal 1, concentrate the cold fusion reaction on the surface, and consume the hydrogen-containing metal 1 from the surface. In a hydrogen gas atmosphere, a positive voltage is applied to the counter electrode 2 to generate a gas discharge between the hydrogen-containing metal 1 and the hydrogen-containing metal 1, and the hydrogen-containing metal 1 is irradiated with hydrogen ions. When the hydrogen pressure is P and the distance between the electrodes is d, the operating voltage of the gas discharge is about 300V to 500V when the Pd product is 1 Pa·m or more, and the energy of the hydrogen ions is lower than that, so the penetration depth can be considered to be about 10nm at most. If Zn is produced by nuclear fusion at such a depth, it will be easier for Zn to evaporate from the surface of the hydrogen-containing metal 1, and it will have useful properties as a fuel.

[0024] Hydrogen ion irradiation has two other features. The first is the control of cold fusion output by ion current. The gas discharge pressure is almost in the intermediate flow region, which is extremely low compared to atmospheric pressure, and the hydrogen solid solution concentration at thermal equilibrium in Equation 1 is zero compared to the value at atmospheric pressure, so it becomes possible to control cold fusion reactions with hydrogen ion injection current. If 100% of the injected hydrogen ions undergo nuclear fusion, the gain in nuclear fusion reaction output compared to hydrogen gas discharge would exceed 1000 times, and extremely excellent characteristics could be expected.

[0025] Another feature is the oxidation prevention function by applying a negative voltage to the hydrogen-containing metal 1, which is a well-known method known as cathodic protection. Residual gases exist even in a vacuum, but water molecules are particularly troublesome. Water molecules are difficult to eliminate even at high temperatures and act as an oxidizer at high temperatures, so when the metal is heated to several hundred degrees Celsius or higher as in this invention, in the worst case scenario, the water molecules will oxidize the surface. Preventing this makes it possible to operate the device stably for a long period of time.

[0026] In this case, it is preferable to keep the temperature of the counter electrode 2 low enough to precipitate Zn, and then precipitate and collect it on the counter electrode 2. In this case, a heat shield is not necessary for the counter electrode 2, and if there is one, it should be limited to one. A similar evaporation phenomenon can be expected for Cd and Hg, which are below Zn in the periodic table, but since the element is toxic to humans, it is most suitable to use Zn. Effect of the Invention

[0027] A high-power room temperature nuclear fusion device is provided using beta or gamma radiation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cold fusion promotion mechanism according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment having a mechanism for promoting nuclear fusion by irradiation with β-rays or γ-rays and for injecting hydrogen ions into the hydrogen-containing metal 1 by DC gas discharge, as shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the cold fusion device of FIG. 1 is applied to a boiler. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the cold fusion device of FIG. 2 is applied to a boiler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which the cold fusion promotion mechanism shown in Figure 1 is applied to a boiler. A backing plate 8 to which a hydrogen-containing metal 1 is bonded is attached to a boiler section 14. A water supply line 16 and a steam extraction line 17 are provided in the boiler section. The inside is filled with water 15, and the heat generated by cold fusion is thermally conducted through the backing plate to heat the water 15, turning it into hot water and steam, which is then used for power generation and the like through the steam extraction line 17. If the hydrogen-containing metal 1 and the backing plate 8 are integrated, higher heat extraction efficiency can be expected.

[0030] In addition to the role of the heat shield 9 in preventing the radiant heat generated by the hydrogen-containing metal 1 during cold fusion from flowing to the outer wall 13 of the fusion reactor, when used for zinc precipitation recovery, the number of heat shields 9 should be limited to one to keep the temperature of the heat shield 9 low.

[0031] The hydrogen supply line 11 introduces hydrogen into the reactor, and a mass flow controller is used to introduce hydrogen up to a specified pressure. The vacuum pump 12 is a pump for creating a vacuum inside the reactor, and a turbomolecular pump / diaphragm pump is recommended for its oil-free and simple structure. The heater 10 serves to bake during evacuation and to preheat before cold fusion.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the cold fusion boiler of FIG. 3 is supplemented with the counter electrode 2 and DC power supply 19 of FIG. 2 so that the hydrogen-containing metal 1 is irradiated with hydrogen ions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Hydrogen-containing metals 2 Counter electrode 6. Beta or gamma ray generating devices 7 Beta or gamma rays 8 Backing Plate 9. Heat Shield 10. Heater 11 Hydrogen supply line 12 Vacuum Pump 13 Furnace outer wall 14 Boiler section 15 Water (boiling water) 16 Water Supply Line 17 Steam extraction line 19 DC power supply

Claims

1. A nuclear fusion device characterized by irradiating hydrogen-containing metals, including heavy water, with β-rays or γ-rays having an energy of 0.78 MeV or more.

2. 2. A nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, wherein said gamma rays are emitted from cobalt 60, radium 226 and their nuclear transmutations.

3. 2. The nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, wherein the beta rays are emitted from cesium 134, cesium 137, ruthenium 106 and their nuclear transmutations.

4. 2. A nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, wherein gas discharge is performed in a hydrogen atmosphere using the hydrogen-containing metal as a negative electrode.

5. 2. A nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, wherein zinc produced from said hydrogen-containing metal is evaporated by raising the surface temperature of said hydrogen-containing metal to a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of zinc.

6. A boiler device equipped with the nuclear fusion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. 7. A boiler system according to claim 6, wherein the heat generated by the hydrogen-containing metal is conducted from a backing plate on the back side of the hydrogen-containing metal to heat water in the boiler.

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