Bubble Fusion Burst Back

[erich]

Could Sonoluminesence be back as a true low energy nuclear reaction?

New Evidence Supports Claim of Bubble Fusion Discoverer Rusi Taleyarkhan

http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2006/9/11/03239/6438


Erich

[CraigD]

The controversy around Taleyarkhan personal character and research was and continues to be interesting.

On the positive side, the idea that very small fluid cavities – bubbles – can be used to practically conditions in which H->He fusion occurs is intriguing, and while difficult to explore theoretically, not in obvious violation of known physics. If the phenomenon Taleyarkhan and others describe is real, it can potentially be used to generate many times more energy than current technologies, using very abundant fuel (H) and releasing nearly no polluting by-products.

On the negative side, the work of Taleyakhan and some others on bubble fusion is disturbingly tainted by what is at best poor experimental technique, record keeping, and proofreading, and at worst intentional fraud. Even if Talenyakhan’s intentions are unselfish and good-intentioned, there’s reasonable evidence to support a suspicion that he has distorted and fabricated experimental results in order to secure funds to support his research.

Whether bubble fusion is real or not is independent of the ethical integrity of scientists and technologists with opinions for or against it. The progress of research on the subject, however, depends very much on such human factors.

Even if real it’s not certain that a practical power-generating technology can be engineered from the phenomenon. It’s informative to note that best claims currently require a device massing a couple of kg and occupying about an equivalent volume of water to generate less than 1 W of power. Assuming that mass-production could bring the cost of the technology down to a few $US per kg, this would make the technology about as costly as photovoltaic solar (currently about $4/W), a proven technology that has not enjoyed widespread use in large part due to its cost.

This remains a “wait and see” subject for me. I wish it were less fraught with controversy, personal acrimony, and fringe science, but it is what it is.