Rossi: Self Sustain Mode ‘By Far the Main Mode of Operation’ in 1 MW E-Cat Plant [Update #2: ‘ 2 hour’ run in SSM]

There’s another interesting Q&A on the Journal of Nuclear Physics today regarding the mode of operation in the 1 MW plant that Andrea Rossi reports is taking all of his attention at Industrial Heat these days.

Curiosone

In the 1MW plant operating in the factory of Industrial Heat’s customer will be the self sustaining mode important, or it will not be used, as in the Lugano test of the Hot Cat?
W.G.

Andrea Rossi

Curiosone:
The ssm should result to be by far the main mode of operation of the 1MW E-Cat. This thanks to the new control system and this also is the reason of most of the difficulties we have to overcome. Honestly, our Team is making a masterpiece, among many difficulties.
Warm Regards,
A.R.

If self-sustain mode (where the electrical input is turned off) is to be ‘by far’ the main mode of operation, as Rossi says here, it would imply that COP could be much higher than the 3.2-3.6 that was measured in the Lugano test when self-sustain mode was not used at all. We must remember, however, that the reactors in the plant are low temperature E-Cats, not the high temperature ‘Hot Cats’ used in the Lugano test, so the performance could be different.

Rossi has said that in order the plant to be accepted by the customer (and for IH to get payment) it must meet certain contractual performance levels; also that it must be profitable for the customer. We don’t know what those required performance levels are, but if self-sustain mode is going to be used most of the time, it might mean that the customer is wanting the E-Cat plant to use a quite minimal level of input power to save them the maximum amount of money.

UPDATE:

When you say “the ssm should result to be by far the main mode of operation of the 1MW E-Cat” does this mean that for the great majority of the time the input power is turned off?
If so, this should result in tremendous energy savings for the customer, shouldn’t it?

Many thanks,
Frank Acland

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Frank Acland:
We are aiming at that.
Warm Regards,
A.R.

UPDATE #2

There has been some discussion regarding the acronym ‘ssm’ which I asked Rossi about. According to what he said, it can mean both ‘self-sustain mode’ and ‘start-stop mode’, and according to Rossi’s comments on the JONP today, both modes are employed in the E-Cat. The start-stop mode is when the drive is turned on and off at frequent intervals, apparently to help control the E-Cat and prevent thermal runaway from destroying the reactor.

Self-sustain mode is when the reactor is able to maintain a constant temperature for prolonged periods of time without any electrical input applies

Hank Mills today asked Rossi about the use of self-sustain mode with the 1 MW plant they are working on.

In tests of the individual reactors that compose the plant, how long is the period of self sustain (in which the reactor maintains a constant or increasing temperature without input) that has been deemed to be safe for use with minimal risk of thermal runaway

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Hank Mills:
The longest period of ssm we got so far with the E-Cats is 2 hours, but only after the end of the test period of the 1 MW plant in the factory of the Customer we will have reliable numbers.
Warm Regards,
A.R.

In response to another question on the same topic, Rossi said that the control system that is being used in the 1 MW plant decided which of the two ssm control mechanisms are used with the reactors.