The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA the US government’s space agency has apparently filed a patent application for a low energy nuclear reaction (LENR) energy source. Joe Zawodny a Senior Research Scientist at the agency’s Langley Research Center made that revelation in a blog entry dated January 14.
Zawodny is the scientist seen in what appears to be an official NASA video promoting what is described as “NASA’s method for Enhancement of Surface Plasmon Polaritrons to Initiate and Sustain LENR in Metal Hydride Solutions a clean nuclear energy for your power operated technology.” These are the words used by a NASA announcer.
In his private blog Zawodny stated that the video was produced in conjunction with a patent application via NASA. Zawodny does mention the patent name or number in his blog.
Here’s what Zawodny wrote:
“If a patent application is filed, a video may be produced to inform the general public of the nature of the invention or innovation. It may be a non-technical piece that communicates what this invention is about and why people might care. Such is the case of the recent video on Surface Plasmon Polaritons.”
So he’s confirming that NASA has filed a patent application and feels confident enough to inform the public about it. It should be noted that the video presents no evidence whatsoever that NASA has a working LENR device. It only mentions a process so it is hard to see what the agency is patenting. Yet there is a patent application.
US application 20110255645 dated October 20, 2011, lists Joseph M. Zawodny as the inventor of something called the “Method for Producing Heavy Electrons.” It lists the patent assignee as “USA as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” In other words Uncle Sam is applying for this patent.
The patent application mentions low energy nuclear reactions and the Widom Larsen theory. It also states that the purpose of the device is energy generation.
The process described in the video appears to a Low Energy Nuclear Reaction similar to Andrea Rossi’s e-cat and other devices labeled cold fusion. In the video Zawodny describes how it can be used for home heating and water heating purposes and for electricity production. It is interesting to note that this application was filed in March 2011 shortly after Rossi and Sergio Focardi held their first e-cat press conference in January.
Zawodny does not mention Andrea Rossi or e-cat in the video or promote them in anyway. In the blog he mentions Rossi but seems to state that he has seen no evidence to verify Rossi’s claims.
So a US respected US government agency has applied for an LENR patent and has admitted that it is doing LENR research. That certainly makes for some interesting speculation.
One possibility is that NASA is planning to patent this device and commercialize it. Another is that the agency is hoping to get funding from Congress for LENR research. It should be noted that NASA’s budget has been cut in recent years.
The agency could be trying to get energy research funds away from the Department of Energy. The department is not very popular with the Republican Party which controls the US House of Representatives the lower house of Congress. Under the American system the House of Representative not President Obama writes the federal budget. So there are some interesting politics involved here.
It is also interesting to note that Zawodny is not taking any comments on his blog and has claimed he won’t respond to e-mails about the subject. That could mean that his bosses at NASA may have muzzled him.
Another strong possibility is that Zawodny is planning to leave NASA and go to work in the private sector where he could make huge amounts of money peddling his services as an LENR expert. Especially if LENR devices like Rossi’s e-cat start hitting the market.
In the United States unlike Europe it is common for self proclaimed civil servants to move back and forth between the public and sectors. The direction of the movement is usually dictated by the size of the salaries being offered.
I think it is funny that NASA makes Zawodny “clarify” his previous statement indicating that it is only his opinion and not NASA’s, then NASA issues a patent on this technology. NASA is scared to have an opinion but still want to cash in if possible.
NASA cannot issue patents the patent office can. NASA has applied for patent. You’re right they want to cash in so it’s pretty obvious they believe in it. My guess is they won’t be the only ones. I wonder if the Russians have patented it ye or not.
It’s pretty obvious that if the e-cat is released to the general market, there will be a patent fight. NASA could be taking a stand here with a US owned patent. If I recall correctly, there is a predicate US patent that has been filed based on the Widom Larsen theory that could potentially become a blocker for Rossi. Could this patent be expanded WW, leaving it in the hands of a US governmental institute to control the spreading of this new technology over the next 20 years?
Hard to say. That will up to the courts. I seriously doubt the US government would control it. What would probably happen is that politicians would sell it to big business to line their pockets.
Why isn’t this national news? Is this not a huge breakthrough in clean power? Oh, right…. LENR-powered UAV bombers first, THEN clean power for everyone. I hope Gene Roddenbery is stored in a cryo tube somewhere, so we can warm him up and make him run for Supreme Earth Leader!
That’s a good question. My guess is that reporters want to see more proof from Rossi. Note Gene Roddenberry was apparently a Communist so I’m not sure that putting him in charge of anything is a good idea. I also heard he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in space. It’s Walt Disney who’s stored away in cryogenic suspension somewhere. Note most military inventions get out to the public pretty quickly. Especially when somebody wants to make money from them. Gene Roddenberry would hate Rossi and ecat because the capitalist system he loathed is what is going to make this technology available to everybody.
While I do work for NASA, I do not speak for them.
As for what people are trying to read into this video, specifically my use of the word “demonstrated”, it is my professional opinion that the production of excess energy has been demonstrated when the results of the last 20+ years of experimentation are evaluated.
I did not say, reliable, useful, commercially viable, or controllable. If any of those other terms were applicable I would have used them instead. If anything, it is the lack of a single clear demonstration of reliable, useful, and controllable production of excess power that has held LENR research back.
There have been many attempts to twist the release of this video into NASA’s support for LENR or as proof that Rossi’s e-cat really works.
In my scientific opinion, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I find a distinct absence of the latter. So let me be very clear here. While I personally find sufficient demonstration that LENR effects warrant further investigation, I remain skeptical. Furthermore, I am unaware of any clear and convincing demonstrations of any viable commercial device producing useful amounts of net energy.
Every attempted demonstration of a LENR device that I am aware of has failed to meet one or more of these criteria.
Joe Zawodny
how do you jump to the conclusion that NASA made him say that?
What if – just if – that was a true statement?
despite what you read on all these anonymous websites (80+)
that is the state of lenr canr cf research. It is promising yet no one has an economical device that produces enough excess heat to be useful.
The only ones actually claiming to have such a device that is ready now
are Defkalion and Rossi. We are still waiting for a Device from them. thats
the deal you are all trying to validate them by tieing it to NASA,SPAWAR,Bruillion energy etc.
be honest quit hiding behind conspiracy theories.
If there is such a device it seems we may know soon enough!
I am not trying to hide behind conspiracy theories. The statement came on an official NASA video and he partially retracted it something is going on. The only conspiracy I see is a Middle Aged public servant is scared that his comfortable government job with large pension might soon be going away so he’s looking for some way to peddle his services to the private sector. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of good NASA employees doing that in the near future particularly with a $16 trillion national debt in the US and Presidential candidates openly attacking the agency on the campaign trail.
Attractive component of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to claim that I acquire actually loved account your weblog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds or even I fulfillment you get right of entry to persistently rapidly.