An India-based startup has unveiled its cold fusion technology, successfully demonstrating its clean-energy solution at a live event.
As reported by Interesting Engineering, Hylenr's patented Low Energy Nuclear Reactor (LENR, aka cold fusion) technology produced 1.5 times the heat amplification from a 100-watt electrical input, and the company believes that it can achieve as much as 2.5 times that result.
"The patent for the product validates the inventiveness of the technology, and the viability of integrating LENR with existing power generation systems to enhance efficiency and reduce reliance on traditional energy sources," CEO Siddhartha Durairajan said in a company press release shared by Technology For You.
Hylenr isn't the only company searching for clean-energy solutions as the world aims to transition away from expensive, health-harming, and environmentally damaging dirty fuels. Solar and wind power are some of the most well-known and widely used affordable renewables, both individually and commercially, and new battery storage solutions are helping to ensure these sources are reliably available.
However, researchers have been intrigued by the possibility of wide-scale fusion solutions. Advancements in reaction containment and existing technologies are among the indications that the power that fuels stars (which needs extreme temperatures) could eventually be within reach to produce abundant carbon-free electricity without the radiation that comes with nuclear fission.
Many have seen cold fusion as a pipe dream since chemists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann said they created a reaction at room temperature in 1989, per the Understanding Science team at the University of California, Berkeley. In theory, a successful cold fusion project could provide non-polluting power to vast numbers of people, though there remains a great deal of skepticism about its viability.
At the demonstration, Durairajan explained that the Hyderabad startup's device has a stainless steel vacuum chamber, "nanoparticle-like nickel mesh," and palladium.
"What we are facilitating is two hydrogen atoms that come, generate fusion that creates Helium 3, which is still unstable. And then another hydrogen atom comes, fuses, creates Helium 4, which is stable. The release of this excess hydrogen is what is generating heat," he said.
Hylenr also believes its technology could support valuable scientific endeavors, improving safety for teams going into space.
"Hylenr LENR devices eliminate the need for radioactive materials like plutonium-238, drastically decreasing the risk profile for space missions," the company wrote on its website, noting that the lightweight tech could also cut launch costs and open room for "more powerful onboard systems" to support longer missions.
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