Peter L. Hagelstein is a principal investigator in the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) and an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received a bachelor of science and a master of science degree in 1976, then a Doctor of Philosophy degree in electrical engineering in 1981, from MIT. He was a staff member of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 1981 to 1985 before joining the MIT faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1986.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L._Hagelstein
[long introduction summing up the recent MIT demo and the Rossi story]
Melis: So what do you think about this?
Hagelstein: In the literature, the first experiments with a Ni-H system were made in the 90′s by the Piantelli group, of which Focardi was part of. Their papers were very interesting and taught us much about the phenomenon. From reading their papers I have come to the conclusion that we’re talking about a phenomenon that’s very similar to D/Pd reactions. Everything suggests this: the way the experiments responds to stimulation, the behavior of the system, etc. Personally I’m convinced that high energy gains were first obtained by the Piantelli group at that time. As for Rossi, we’re talking about a technology which is of enormous economical value but at the same time very difficult to patent. The result is that Rossi and his colleagues have never given precise information as to what’s inside the e-cat. We do not have reliable reports of the tests that have been conducted either. So in practice we do not have technical information that would allow us to assess the device.
Melis: And what do you think of Rossi?
Hagelstein: I believe that the e-cat is derived from Piantelli’s device. If true then we roughly know what it is. My theories that were developed for D/Pd systems also seem to predict the effects that can be observed in in Ni-H systems. From my point of view, in D/Pd systems it is the deuterium atoms that are fused and create helium, whereas in Ni-H experiments it is hydrogen and deuterium that are fused and create helium-3. The difference between the two is that in the second process, the nickel takes part in the reaction and disintegrates. The end result is that nickel is consumed whereas this doesn’t happen with the palladium. I also believe that it’s possible to control the reaction so that this doesn’t happen, that the nickel is preserved, which results in a cleaner and more efficient reaction.
Melis: Do you believe that we’re going towards a time in which, first, it will finally be established that cold fusion is a real phenomenon, and that, second, it will be possible to use it on an industrial scale for energy production?
Hagelstein: I have been convinced for many years that this phenomenon is of extreme importance and that most likely it will bring us new technology to produce energy. My hope is that with the diffusion of these first experiments it will become clear, even this year, that there is a new frontier of great interest in front of us. Personally I’m very optimistic, from what I know the Piantelli group has also received funds to build a commercial device. It is a very exciting time.
Melis: how long do you think will it take to see the first practical applications for cold fusion? Are we talking about months, years or decades?
Hagelstein: there are several groups around the world that have declared to have developed the technology enough to allow for the first industrial applications. Certainly these devices will have to face the issue of safety, like any other commercial device. All the necessary tests will have to be made to ensure that there is no harmful radiation, that the small hydrogen tank doesn’t explode. So it’s about making sure that these devices conform to the regulations. This may take some time, but I don’t see why next year there couldn’t be the first cold fusion devices on the market. We are of course talking about the first generation of these devices, but I think we’ll even see them in homes producing heat and electrical energy for all our benefit.
http://ecatnews.com/?p=2087 by AB
