On the Journal of Nuclear Physics, Steven Karels voiced a concern to Andrea Rossi about the possible use of the E-Cat reaction in weapons:
My greatest fear for eCat technology is that a way will be found to weaponize it. Not just put it in a pressure cooker and generate heat until the container explodes.
My greatest fear would be finding that a truly nuclear type explosion would result from using a purified or enriched Nickel isotope (i.e., weapons-grade) or a replacement for Hydrogen and a geometry that would cause a reaction like U-235 in a nuclear weapon detonation. Or some other combination of possible events or controls that could cause a very rapid increase in energy output before the constitient parts melt or are destroyed.
For now, I will continue to believe this is not possible. But someone will eventually make the claim and you (AR) must be able to address it.
Rossi responded:
The Rossi Effect is intrinsecally too slow to be used for that kind of things.
In demonstrations it has taken hours of heating the reactor before the reaction kicks into high gear — so Rossi’s claim is plausible here — but you never know where this technology might go in the future. Even if E-Cat bombs are not made in the future, this technology could certainly be advantageous to militaries which need energy to function. Any way to cut energy costs, and keep their machinery running for longer without the need to refuel will be very desirable.
Also, I think today is the first time that I have heard Rossi use the phrase, the “Rossi Effect”. I wonder if that is the new designation that Rossi and Co. have come up with.
