Calorimetric measurements of a Yang-Koldamasov device

• Main Author: Novosad, Jennifer
• Other Authors: Peter Hagelstein.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2008
• Subjects: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/41547

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2007. === This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. === Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-139). === Due to the finite supply of oil, energy availability and price are issues facing the world. Among the possible approaches to this problem is research of new physical effects which may produce energy in novel ways. The Yang-Koldamasov device was reported to produce excess heat by iESi by pumping oil through a thin nozzle; however, the theoretical mechanism for this effect is at the present unknown. The subject of this thesis is an attempt at independent confirmation of the effect at MIT and FRC. To perform calorimetry on this device, there are several issues involved, such as thermocouple offset errors, RF noise, and erroneous readings due to fluid flow conditions. Methods for handling these issues are discussed in application to two independent measurements of energy gain in the system, differential calorimetry over the cell, and flow calorimetry via a heat exchanger. The differential calorimetry has been improved compared to what was earlier available on Yang-Koldamasov devices, and the flow calorimetry is new to the device. Data was collected on several tests After analysis, the data was found consistent with a null result. However, over the course of the runs the behavior of the device was very different than the behavior at earlier demonstrations where excess heat was observed. For example, earlier demonstrations exhibited electrical arcing perpendicular to the flow of oil, while the current device shows only arcing in the direction of oil flow. Future work is being conducted by FRC to identify the reasons that the current apparatus behaves differently. === by Jennifer Novosad. === M.Eng.