Yet another set of astonishing claims is being made for yet another “low energy nuclear reactions” (LENR) technology.

A Californian outfit called Solar Hydrogen Trends is claiming to have a highly efficient process using solar energy to produce hydrogen from water. Specifically, in this release the company claims to turn one barrel of water into 200 kg of hydrogen.

If the SHT barrel was equivalent to a 159 litre oil barrel, the starting water had only around 18 kg of hydrogen and 141 kg of oxygen (so how did it yield 200 kg of anything?).

Ignoring that issue, SHT says the shortfall between the original amount of hydrogen and the output is down to its LENR claims. The company says it's got a low-energy transmutation going on: “Oxygen content in the gas mixture on the exit of Symphony 7A [its test rig – El Reg] was twice lowered to 1.34 per cent, indicating that the process of transmutation of oxygen into hydrogen in the last test was more active” (emphasis added).

It then says this: “the external energy needed to make these 208,678 litres of pure hydrogen ... averaged at 414 watt hour = 4.6 volts x 90 amps.”

Hang on: SHT seems here to say that 200,000 litres of hydrogen weighs 200 kg. Is that right? It seems not. If we take the standard measurement as a guideline, a litre of hydrogen has a mass of about .09 grams – 200,000 litres should weigh 18 kg.

None of this is stopping LENR advocates getting excited, but it seems to Vulture South that SHT might at least have double-checked the arithmetic in its media release. ®