Explaining Cold Fusion

Cold fusion (aka LENR) has been difficult for many people to accept and a challenge to explain. Many attempts have been made to a varying depth, using a variety of different assumptions, while arriving at a variety of different conclusions. Most efforts either conflict with what is known in materials science and/or do not explain all behavior of the phenomenon. As yet, no explanation provides a clear path to achieving reproducible behavior or a method to create a high level of power production. In addition, many of the obvious variables that control the process are not included in the models. This paper will review what is known about cold fusion needing an explanation, summarize the major attempts at proposing an explanation, and provide a model that reduces many of the present limitations of present theory.