Progress in Thin-film Lenr Research at the University of Illinois

The research described here includes work on fabrication techniques for reproducible thin-film electrodes. Runs with these electrodes in a newly fabricated high sensitivity calorimetry bank is shown to provide added support for earlier excess heat production observed with ultra-high proton loadings in thin film electrodes. In addition, new in-situ radiation emission studies have discovered MeV alpha-proton emission, supporting earlier reaction product evidence of the nuclear origin of the excess heat. Recent experiments and lattice simulation studies have provided added insight into highly loaded thin film phenomena, including possible Heffects associated with anomalous resistivity effects at ultra-high loadings. Research is continuing to study optimization of materials for maximum excess heat, lifetime, and minimum costs. Concepts have been devised to scale the present single electrode experiments up to specific powers of ~1W/cc cell-vol., using replication of electrodes in a closely packed multi-electrode configuration. The ultimate objective is to achieve 100-W to 20-kW units for distributed power network applications.