The Third International Conference on Cold Fusion

Most of the laboratories involved with the question of excess enthalpy in Pd-D2O electrolysis experiments have employed isoperibolic calorimetric techniques. A careful re-examination of earlier results from several laboratories (California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harwell Laboratory) is needed in terms of our present understanding of electrochemical calorimetry. Error sources in their experiments are discussed. There is possible evidence for excess power production in the Pd-D2O electrolysis experiments at one of these laboratories. A significant experimental problem in many isoperibolic calorimetric studies is the fact that the decrease in the electrolyte level due to electrolysis produces a significant decrease in the calorimetric cell constant if the temperature is measured in the electrolyte of the electrochemical cell. Furthermore, heat conduction pathways out of the top of the cell can produce large errors, especially at low power levels. There is no steady state in electrochemical calorimetry, hence accurate results require the evaluation of all terms in the differential equation governing the calorimeter.