Wayne, here's the headline...Crystal power Palmtop Nuclear Fusion Device Invented By Michael Schirber LiveScience Staff Writer posted: 27 April 2005 01:00 pm ET The nuclear reaction that powers the Sun has been reproduced in a pocket-sized device, scientists announced today. Researchers have for years tried to harness nuclear fusion to power the world. But its cousin, nuclear fission -- the breaking apart of atoms -- is the only method so far commercially viable. The latest invention is not in the same league as efforts to build complex commercial reactors. The new device creates a relatively small number of reactions, and requires more energy to operate than it produces. The Real Deal (AP) - Previous claims of tabletop fusion have been met with skepticism and even derision by physicists. In one of the most notable cases, Dr. B. Stanley Pons of the University of Utah and Martin Fleischmann of Southampton University in England shocked the world in 1989 when they announced that they had achieved so-called cold fusion at room temperature. Their work was discredited after repeated attempts to reproduce it failed. Fusion experts noted that the new UCLA experiment is credible because, unlike the 1989 work, it did not violate basic principles of physics. "This doesn't have any controversy in it because they're using a tried and true method,'' said David Ruzic, professor of nuclear and plasma engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "There's no mystery in terms of the physics.'' -- Associated Press But the configuration is so small and simple that its creators think it may inspire unforeseen applications. "I certainly find it interesting that you can heat a cubic centimeter crystal in your hand, then plunge it in cold water and it will cause nuclear fusion," Seth Putterman from the University of California Los Angeles told LiveScience. Putterman's lay description greatly oversimplifies how the compact apparatus works. Specifically, Putterman and collaborators heat a pyroelectric crystal, lithium tantalite, from minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit to plus 45 in a matter of minutes. This generates an electrical charge -- 100,000 volts -- across the tiny crystal, which is housed in a chamber filled with deuterium gas, a heavy form of hydrogen. The high voltage is focused onto a needle-thin tip, which strips electrons from nearby deuterium nuclei and then accelerates them at a solid target containing deuterium. When two deuterium nuclei collide together at high speed, they fuse to form helium. The Sun also fuses atoms in thermonuclear reactions that create light and heat. The byproduct of the newly discovered lab reaction is a particle called the neutron. The scientists detect about 1,000 neutrons per second. Because neutrons are so penetrating, Putterman said that a hand-held neutron source might one-day be used to do geologic surveys or to look into cargo containers for nuclear devices. "Current neutron generators are extremely cumbersome," Putterman said. "They are about as big as a dentists X-ray machine, so you canÂt carry them into the field." Pyroelectric crystals could also provide a beam of ions for use as a microthruster in a miniature spacecraft. The research is described in the April 28 issue of the journal Nature.

yes, i did that and it worked fine. Now the motor froze up and the only thing it will do is make clicking noise in the box and you can see sparks. I know it's the motor because I tested it and it is froze up. Ok, Where is the best place on prices to replace whole oil furnace. It's 17 years old and I am just going to buy a new one and get it over with. I need one that all I have to do is run my hots to it and plum it and turn it own. I want one with aquastat and motor allready attached ready to run other than the minor details of plumbing and main feed. thanks all for help.

Before I added an electric water heater to my oil fired boiler I had to manually adjust the shower cold water valve to a trickle in order to sustain hot showers or bath. The advantage to the water heater is that in another month I can unplug my oil furnace, and let it sleep until fall. Also my amount of hot water has gone way up and I can now reopen the cold water taps to get full flow. My wife also no longer complains about the amount of hot water to the kitchen sink. That does not mean she doesn't complain about something else.

Any time a boiler leaks and oxygenated water is added through the fill valve, the boiler's life is shortened. Fix the coil leak. How far apart are the aquastat and temp. gauge? If one is located on the rear and the other in the front, it's possible to have a different reading. We have a large coal boiler at work and there is a 30 degree difference between the front and rear of the boiler, so my high limit is set at 190 and the temp. gauge reads 220, where it lingers much of the daylight hours. If the gauges are closer together, you may need to calibrate the aquastat. Assuming both aquastat and gauge are 100% accurate, you dial back the high limit knob to match the temp gauge reading. You'll hear it click on the older Honeywells. The overheating has nothing to do with the coil. In rare cases, the high limit function fails, but the Honeywells are pretty reliable in that area. If you have your auto-fill valve shut off, you could be low on water and are creating steam from low water and lack of boiler pressure. What is the pressure? Is the boiler filled to the top with water?