Protocol V1.2: The Steady State Comparative Experiment [UPDATE#1 - The wire phoenix]

I wanted to take advantage of my out-of-the-lab vacation that will last until the end of ICCF. I quickly came up with a new experiment that would complete the current protocol and test again the results that Celani was showing last year at ICCF and NI week.

In principle, this protocol allows a direct comparison of two identical cells in the same environment under the same pressure. First the two cells are identical in geometry and instrumentations. Secondly, they are in the same physical environment but only one is equipped with one wire, the other is using nichrome. Thirdly, the valves between the two are open to let them be at the same pressure all the time!

In order to support any claim, the two cells are set to 20W, then 30W under vacuum. The measured values of the thermocouple placed outside the cells are then verified to be identical under such power input. These value are given in the logbook.

This also intend to complete protocol V2, and verify the wire placed in the cell B all this time sees the same resistance drop as it should; despite the fact that a mistake in the configuration of the system turned it into a lightbulb filament for few seconds, potentially melting the nano particles on its surface.

Nevermind, if it doesn't work tonight I still have tomorrow to do one cell with nichrome only and stuff the other with some spare wire I have here.  ;)

Of course, it would be better to have calibrations of the cells using only nichrome wires but the amount of time that I have left is too short to do that, and actually, this can be done LIVE, hold you breath.
On the graph of Cell EU1.3: Protocol V1.2, the values of T_ext1 and T_ext2 are subtracted to the ambient temperature, then averaged together, then subtracted between cells. By doing ups and down in power we will be able, first to define the power vs temperature curve using the dummy cell, but also the evolution of this excess power as we increase/decrease in power input.

Super simple experiment, is it?

The duration of such test depends on the tightness of the cells to hydrogen leakage. Now, we just have to cross fingers   ;)

UPDATE#1- The wire phoenix

So the wire we thought had been toasted, well, it seams to be loading very well! So, this along with a leak, probably means the multi-wire test will have to wait until after ICCF18 - in the meantime, now that cell A has the Nichrome wires installed, we are left with doing a steady state with what we thought was a dud wire. See the loading graph here, interestingly, while the power remains constant, as the resistance changes, the volts and current have to adjust to maintain same power, only when the current moves up does the wire suddenly drop in resistance. Cell temperatures seam to be creeping up.