Andrea Rossi will go down in history as either the biggest LENR fraud or the most persistent LENR advocate ever. His own tenacity has placed him on this slippery slope. After years of failed promises, most faithful LERN followers have given up listening to Rossi altogether — but he has a gift for getting attention.
What keeps drawing me to Rossi’s claims is that they keep escalating. Yes, he continues to delay providing proof that his technology works. But we keep hearing about more progress and new customers. So here’s the latest news from Rossi.
LENR ECat Progress
The latest report from Rossi on his ECat technology is that it’s able to produce temperatures in excess of 600 Celsius – plenty for generating electricity. As recently as May 19, 2012, Rossi made this public statement:
“Today, Saturday May 19th,right now, 6.10 p.m. in Miami, I am working at 600 Celsius with the new E-Cat”
This is more than 500 degrees hotter than necessary to boil water, which can be used to drive a turbine and produce electricity. The excess temperature is important, because steam-generated electricity is not very efficient. If this claim holds to be true, the ECat is more than capable of generating electricity and still functioning as a heating element.
ECat Customers
One of the claims that continue to be a point of frustration for those who want proof of Rossi’s ECat is his list of current customers. Namely, Rossi claims to have installed a working 1 MW version of his ECat in a military installation in the U.S.A. This from Rossi:
“The 1 MW plant has been delivered and is working in a military concern. It has been made in the USA, after the October test of the prototype made in Italy; such prototype will be delivered, with the modifications which we will complete based on what we learnt from the model at work, to a European Customer in July.”
Because this ECat is purportedly installed at an undisclosed military installation, his claims cannot be verified. But the mere mention of a U.S. military customer immediately adds credibility (or concern) for his ECat claims.
The good news is that Rossi has agreed to release a list of licensees in October of 2012. These are firms who have apparently seen the ECat in action and have committed to license the technology from Rossi.
Other Points to Ponder
Dr. Brian Josephson, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, interviewed Rossi in early May of 2012 and came away with the impression that Rossi was genuine, albeit a bit paranoid and unconventional. This interview was very convincing for me. I’ve personally gone from raging skeptic to fervent believer. Part of me just hopes it works and can go to market within the next few years.
Rossi’s concerns of losing his technology are legitimate. So are his frustrations with the patent process. And even his attitude concerning letting the market decide whether or not his invention works is fine by me. What’s difficult is waiting. We all want results today.
But wouldn’t we do exactly what Rossi’s doing if we had his philosophy? He’s generating a ton of press, staying in the spotlight. If he does produce a working LENR device, he’ll be positioned to take the lead in the marketplace because there is already a great deal of information about him all over the Internet. It may be just me, but I find the plan pretty smart, which makes me think all the more we can hope for the best.
For now, I’m a hopeful skeptic. In the end, Rossi will be a hero or a villain. Based on the interviews and statements he’s released, I’m guessing he wouldn’t have it any other way.
