Energy Generation

The production of energy is done at various physical levels, and hence size scales.  Solar energy falling on large areas can produce thermal or electrical energy. The capture of macroscopic kinetic energy is the basis of wind energy. Large scale exploitation of the gravitational potential energy of water results in hydropower.

Most energy in today’s world is generated at the atomic (molecular) level by burning of fossil fuels, gas, oil and coal, as well as biomaterials.  Production of greenhouse gases and the resultant climate change are major problems with chemical burning to produce energy.  Energy from nuclei, released by fission, is also a major source of modern power despite its significant dangers, notably environmental contamination and radioactive waste.  Now in the U. S., over 90% of energy production is based on gas, oil, coal and fission.   Some alternative energy sources are growing rapidly, especially solar photovoltaic and wind technologies.  Nonetheless,  new energy sources are still urgently needed, especially if they are safe, clean and versatile, and also cost effective.  New sources should be relatively small, so that they can be distributed.

In the past three decades, many experiments have shown that a combination of nuclear and atomic levels might result in very promising new energy sources.  These will be based on what was poorly called “cold fusion”, and is now termed Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR).  Such sources can be safe, and will produce neither greenhouse gases nor radioactive waste.  Various power levels for diverse applications can be generated by the new heat sources.   The production of electricity, as well as heat, is expected to be possible.  LENR power sources might be small and, hence,  distributed.  Dependence on large central power plants, and the expensive and vulnerable grid, may be avoidable. Currently, LENR energy sources are the main interest of NUCAT Energy LLC.  The company name derives from the words NUClear and ATomic.

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