Rossi Reveals the Use of Rechargeable Battery in E-Cat NGU

There has been a lot of discussion over the last couple of days on the Journal of Nucelar Physics regarding a revelation from Andrea Rossi that they are now using a battery within the E-Cat NGU.

Rossi has stated that the battery runs for a few seconds only to establish the SSM (self-sustaining mode) of the E-Cat. Apparently once the SSM is established, the battery is no longer needed, but any time the E-Cat is turned off, the battery needs to be engaged to restart the E-Cat.

He has said this is a rechargeable battery and they are currently using a type D size battery which he said costs $4 on Amazon.

In a comment on the JONP Rossi wrote: “I think it will last the lifespan of the Ecat, but its duration depends on how many times per day the user switches on and off the Ecat; anyway there is a battery housing easy to access”

So it sounds like it will be easy for people to change the battery on their own.

Ernesto Seligardi made a comment in another thread raising questions about what he feels might be some potential problems with the use of the battery, wondering if this could be safe.

Steven Karels, on the JONP asked some questions on the same topic:

Steven Nicholes Karels
January 18, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Dear Andrea Rossi,

A battery in the NGU is an issue. Some Questions:

1. Is the battery only required when you manually turn the On/Off switch to the On position?
2. If the On/Off switch is in the On position, and the NGU unit stops working, say vibration or shock causes a loss of performance, will the NGU unit restart assuming the battery is functional?
3. Is battery terminal corrosion as issue?
4. Is a Battery Management System (BMS) incorporated into the NGU, so as to not overcharge the battery.

Rossi’s reply:

Andrea Rossi
January 18, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Steven Nicholes Karels:
1. only when you turn on the Ecat , for few seconds
2. the battery works only when the Ecat is turned on
3. no
4. yes
Warm Regards,
A.R.

To me, this sounds analogous to other devices with rechargeable batteries. For example, mobile phones and laptop computers. We all have experienced rechargeable batteries losing their energy storage capacity over time, and sometimes those batteries need to be replaced.

With some devices it is easy to switch batteries in and out, with others it is more complicated, especially when the manufacturer prefers you to just buy a whole new device. A ‘D’ size battery replacement in an E-Cat doesn’t sound very complicated or expensive to me.