The hope of clean limitless power
You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
Martin Luther King, Jr
I will be a year constructing and modifying a Model A to run on fusion power.
I am a 62 year old retiring physics prof who has been working on “cold fusion” for 24 years. I am ready to stop turning knobs and actually try putting it to the test. I am not getting any younger. Now is time to dream big and “go for it”. It is bold. It is daring. It is crazy but I have to try. I have a few “hot” samples and I have a ’28 Model A Ford that I will use for a standalone test of the concept. It will take about $25,000 to get fancy Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, steam engine, a generator, mechanical and electrical items. I need to raise $20,000 for it. (questions- check out https://www.facebook.com/dennis.fusioncar.5 )
I will be scaling up an existing experiment involving electric stimulation of a deuterium containing metal lattice system for higher levels of heat. I will be using “Cold Fusion” (also known by its current "politically correct term" as LENR) to generate heat to boil water** to drive a steam engine ** and turn an electric generator. I don’t expect to have enough power to run the car directly but I hope to “trickle charge” some batteries enough to run the car after very long charging times. I am hoping for about 5 Watts of net electrical energy. I am close. The heating should scale with volume/mass and my losses will scale just as surface area. I even have a few samples that have been “self heating”.
It is a long shot. I cannot promise success but I definitely will give it my best effort. Please spread the word to friends and those you think would be interested. I will post updates as I go via https://www.facebook.com/dennis.fusioncar.5
See I told you it was bold and daring but after 24 year of seeing so much hope for a better world in the bottom of a test tube, I need to see if I can make it work. Researchers have amassed a lot of data but it sits mostly ignored and or disbelieved. (see http://lenr-canr.org/ and specifically see my paper there: http://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/CravensDtheenablin.pdf ) If I can demonstrate a credible application of “cold fusion”, it will change the entire world.
What Happens If I Surpass My Goal?
I would opt for 1) +$20K, the more efficient and powerful Stirling generator from WhisperGen instead of the steam engine 2) +$10K, larger batteries and better current control for more range 3). +$10K, Scale up samples for higher thermal output levels and shorter charging times 4). +$5K, have some special parts machined.
If underfunded
If I get less than half, I will not have enough for the car project. However, I would try for a scaled down demo. Perhaps a simple LED and a small “toy” ¼ W Stirling.
Nerd stuff in rough numbers:
Model A because: 1) exempt from state inspection restrictions, 2) can move with just 1 to 2 HP, 3) high gas tank can be used for gravity feed water to steam system, 4) keeps fusion system as focus, 5) easy access to system, 6) and the mystique – people smile at a slow old Model A; Steam because: 1) Peltiers only get me 2% efficiency, steam about 8% conversion, 2) Stirlings at this level are very costly; Target power levels: 1) COP 20, 2) 100 W thermal, 3) net electrical output 6 W, 4) drive motor at 2 kW ave, 4) charge to run time ratio 333 hours(2 weeks) charge for 1 hour drive time. Battery storage: 1) Lithium Iron Phosphate 2) >80 AH, 3) 72 Volt array; Fusion approach: electric stimulation of D and Pd loaded Carbon mesopore powder spiked with rare earths and thorium.
Fusion? I will leave it to theorists to debate if it is really fusion, virtual neutron fusion, or something else- strong nuclear force or weak nuclear force events. I just want to take it out of the lab and use it.
Note: this is part 2 since "they" terminateded it early. I had $360 pledge the first time- hence this is only for $19640.
