HIVER* Electrochemistry Energy Project Update *(2H-Pd-Li Versatile-modeling & Evaluation of Results)

Summary

This briefing presented to the ARPA-E LENR Workshop details the progress of the HIVER electrochemistry project investigating low energy nuclear reactions (LENR). It discusses nuclear particle detection methodologies utilizing CR-39 track detectors and neutron counters, comparison against environmental backgrounds, radiation transport modeling, and theoretical quantum mechanical DFT roadmaps for deuterium loading and screening in palladium lattices.

Title / Page 1

NAVSEA WARFARE CENTERS DARPA

Presented to: ARPA-E LENR Workshop Presented by: Oliver Barham, PhD, Project Manager Carl Gotzmer, ST (SES Tier 1), Senior Scientist Ken Conley, Business Development Lead Lou DeChiaro, PhD, Lead Physicist Employees of NSWC Indian Head Division

21/22 Oct 2021 - Distribution A (21-171): Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

LENR Field Issues & Potential Solutions / Page 2

LENR Field Issues & Potential Solutions

• Lack of acceptance of thermal (heat) results – Many calorimeter designs – Need academics from top research universities • Lack of acceptance of nuclear (particle) results – Additional detection schemes – Multiple, redundant, detectors • Lack of acceptance of RF coupling to heat/particles – Wider listening band – Rigorous hypotheses / potential causes • Lack of transparency by researchers – Every group has limitations: even our own presentation today – Get patents if necessary; then publish results – Openly discuss alternate (prosaic) explanations for anomalies • No need to cherry-pick results • Until this field is an accepted research area, no one group will succeed – Rising tide of scientific merit will lift all boats

Team Overview / Page 3

Team Overview

*Indian Head Roles • Conducted experiments and coordinated results from all performers • Present results to entire team for internal review • Present team’s results and conclusions to DARPA

Experiments:

Indian Head*
Dahlgren
ARL
USNA

Material Science:

Dahlgren
ARL
USNA
NIST
Industry/Academia

Theory/Analysis:

Indian Head
ARL
Industry/Academia
Industry/Academia

Review Results connecting all domains.

Navy IP: Basis for Experimentation / Page 4

Navy IP: Basis for Experimentation

United States Patent US 8,419,919 B1 (Apr. 16, 2013) - Boss et al., SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING PARTICLES

Includes micrograph figures of tracks and surface features (FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B).

Background: CR-39 Solid-State Nuclear Particle Detector / Page 5

Background: CR-39 Solid-State Nuclear Particle Detector

• Solid-state integrating nuclear track detector – CR-39 = Polyallyl diglycol carbonate (plastic) – C12H18O7 • Sensitivity & Efficiency – Protons (p), 3He, Alphas (α) • 0.1 MeV – 10+ MeV, ~100% [1] – Neutrons (n) • Secondary scattering only, <0.1% [1] • Scanning – Automated or manual

References: [1] Seguin, F. H., et al, “Spectrometry of charged particles from inertial-confinement-fusion plasmas”, Rev. of Sci. Instr., 74, 2, (2003): 975-995 Palfalvi, et al., “Evaluation of solid state nuclear track detector stacks exposed on the international space station,” Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2004;110(1-4):393-7 Philips, et al., “Neutron spectrometry using CR-39 track etch detectors,” Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2006;120(1-4):457-60

CR-39 Accuracy in Electrochemical Environments? / Page 6

CR-39 Accuracy in Electrochemical Environments?

• Typical environments – In air – Ambient conditions • Sources for material damage / pitting during electrochemistry – Heat? – Ion bombardment? • Control experiments? – CR-39 in hot electrochemical experiments (next slide) – 230Th 4.7 MeV α source in air (below)

Sample CR-39 Results / Page 7

Sample CR-39 Results

• Industry/academic partners analyzed CR-39 chips post-experiment • Two partners working independently found tracks across multiple separate experimental runs (a)-(c); a relative lack of nuclear tracks on control runs (d)

CR-39 Comparison w/Literature / Page 8

CR-39 Comparison w/Literature

• Difficulties – Etch conditions? – Qualitative comparison: morphology – Quantitative comparison: measured diameter/depth

Comparison images with Seguin et al. [1] literature benchmarks for charged particle pits (3.3-MeV p, 3.3-MeV α, 1.1-MeV T).

α-Particle Transport Through Matter / Page 9

α-Particle Transport Through Matter

Simulations using TRIM / SRIM for α-particle range:

Ion Distribution: Ion = He (5. MeV)
Total Displacements: Depth vs. Y-Axis

α-Particle Transport: Energy | D2O | CR-39 1 MeV | 6 µm | 4 µm 5 MeV | 37 µm| 29 µm

[1] Keiji ODA, et al. , Application of CR-39 Track Detector to Neutron Spectrum Measurement , Journal of Nuclear Sci & Tech, 28[7], pp. 608-617 (July 1991).

Neutron Detector Results / Page 10

Neutron Detector Results

Data comparison between experimental runs and background counts:

October 2020:

Background Count: x̄ = 5.89, n = 2861
Run 27: x̄ = 5.91, n = 692
Run 28: x̄ = 6.33, n = 695 (3.9σ, p ~= .00005, < 1/20,000 chance)
Background Count: x̄ = 5.90, n = 2407
Run 30: x̄ = 6.14, n = 693 (2.3σ)

January 2021:

Background Count: x̄ = 6.00, n = 3511
Run 32: x̄ = 6.12, n = 1814
Background Count: x̄ = 6.38, n = 3206
Background Count: x̄ = 6.12, n = 3624
Run 33: x̄ = 6.87, n = 2401 (10.9σ)

Statistical test formula used: Z = ((x̄1 - x̄2) - (μ1 - μ2)) / sqrt(σ1²/n1 + σ2²/n2)

Neutron Results vs. NJ Background / Page 11

Neutron Results vs. NJ Background

Comparison of January 2021 neutron count runs against high-resolution cosmic neutron background monitor data (NEWK uncorrected data from NMDB database, www.nmdb.eu, FP7 contract no. 213007), showing Run 33 elevated at 10.9σ relative to background baseline trends.

2.45 MeV n and H(n,γ)D Modeling / Page 12

2.45 MeV n and H(n,γ)D Modeling

Figure 1: Simulation geometry (cm scale): lucite filled D2O chamber (1) with 3He detector (2) surrounded by HDPE (3) and NaI gamma detector (5).
Figure 2: Energy deposited (MeV/g) in materials: (a) Neutron energy deposited in D2O and HDPE (C2H4) surrounding 3He detector. Neutrons also reach the NaI behind HDPE; (b) Gamma energy isotropically emitted from HDPE and deposited in NaI detector and D2O.
Figure 3: Energy spectrum of neutron flux (#/cm²) in 3He detector per 2.45 MeV neutron emitted from Pd wire. ~30,000 2.45 MeV neutrons must be emitted in order to trigger one thermal 3He count.
Figure 4: Energy spectrum of gamma flux (#/cm²) into NaI detector, per 2.45 MeV neutron emitted from Pd wire. 45kV resolution. ~7,700,000 2.45 MeV neutrons must be emitted in order to read one NaI count.

Theoretical Roadmap / Page 13

Theoretical Roadmap

System Modeled with QM DFT: Hψ = Eψ
Electrochemically Plated Lattice Structure w/ Vacancies (Metal Atoms & Vacancies)
Electrochemical Deuterium Loading in Lattice (D2, D)
Deuterium Parametric Pumping Through Applied DC Current
D-D Reaction Cross-Section Calculated based on DC Pumping and Electron Screening (at ~10^-12 m scale)
Exothermic Energy/Particle Release

Conclusion / Page 14

Conclusion

• Overall team conclusions presented to DARPA – This work should continue; much interesting science left to be done – Results do not yet rise to level publishable in peer-reviewed nuclear physics journal • More work needed on additional nuclear detection schemes • What’s next? – Submission of results to peer-reviewed chemistry journal – Outside replication studies to determine whether results are repeatable – Follow-on work with multiple additional & redundant nuclear detectors • Mechanisms for collaborating with our team – U.S. government: • Replication studies by interested labs – Non-government entities: • Navy Cooperative R&D Agreement (CRADA) • POC: Public Affairs Office U.S. Navy, NSWC Indian Head Division [email protected]