Research Update - The Peltier Force Effect

N.A. Reiter

15 March 2001

As of 15 March, we have acquired a substantial body of further experimental evidence supporting the notion that we have observed a truly unique mechanical force effect with Peltier thermo-electric devices. For ease of documentation, we well recount events in a chronological order.

REPLICATIONS:

During the last week of February, initial results and a link to our primary report document were posted on-line. A flurry of discussion was generated among members of two non-reviewed amateur science discussion groups. From this discussion, several independent replications of the basic effect resulted. One of these was a test for force or thrust on a suspended Peltier module. The claim arising from this experiment was that a thrust or force did manifest, and was in the thermal flow related direction of our original observations.

Another initially positive replication was provided by the team of Mr. Scott Little and Dr. Hal Puthoff, of EarthTech in Austin, Texas. Scott’s primary objective was to isolate potential lead wire torque artifacts. It was reported by EarthTech that when extremely thin (.0005") copper foil ribbon was used to connect to the Peltier, the weight change effect went away.

At the same time as EarthTech was investigating the effect, we were able to confirm another potentially valuable facet - scaling with multiple Peltier devices. Three of the CP1.0 - 71 - 6L 14 watt Peltiers were connected in electrical series. These were positioned in both a triangular side-by-side horizontal fashion between thin copper discs of an envelope, and in a stacked hot to cold face arrangement. (Also placed in a copper foil envelope) When powered to an equivalent current, both arrangements seemed to produce an enhanced weight change effect, ranging between 9 and 12 mg for both directions.

We also performed a variation of our earlier power resistor substitution experiment to attempt another means of eliminating a geomagnetic torque artifact. With our standard Peltier - sheath arrangement showing typical results on the balance pan, we drop a lightweight wire shunt across the soldered joints at the Peltier device edge. Comparable currents were applied. However, with the Peltier shunted out of the circuit, no weight change effect was seen.

Due in part to these observations, and continued examining of different lead wire configurations of our own, we were surprised at EarthTech’s null results with the thin foil leads. Scott Little graciously supplied us with a pair of the thin foil leads, for our own replication of the effect nulling. On 7th March, we received these, and connected them per EarthTech’s specifications to one of our Peltiers in a copper foil sheath. A number of trials were run, and we found that contrary to EarthTech’s observations, the weight change effect remained robust! (See photo)

Contacts have been made at both the University of Toledo and Case Western Reserve to solicit interest in further replications of the effect.

CHARACTERIZATION:

By attrition and burn-out, we rapidly depleted the small stock of original Melcor Peltiers at our disposal. A new supply was procured from Melcor, however we went up a bit in size and power; going to a 25 watt model at 3 amperes, CP1.0-127-6L.

Several of these were tried out, and we were surprised to find that their performance, when provided with comparable thermal shunting, was variable. Several devices showed an enhanced, consistent effect that suggested a magnitude of weight change scaled with the increase in size and power over the original smaller models. However, at least three others from among the batch of 8 ordered were quite poor, barely demonstrating an effect noticeable with our balance.

Empirically, we have established that there are two closely factors that may be de-stabilizing or attenuating to the weight change effect. First, we find that due to the larger planar area of device couples, there is much more of a propensity for immediate overheating, even at lower currents, due to heat being reflected back down the Bi2Te3 couple elements by the ceramic end faces. Secondly, it is clear that these higher-powered devices are meant to be heat sunk in an exquisite fashion, and as before, with "thermal choking" the weight change effect vanishes. Stacking of these larger devices with the end purpose of trying to generate a greater delta T with a longer transport length seems nearly impossible; the whole stack becomes destructively hot almost instantly.

We speculate now that a preferable approach to scaling up the effect may actually lie with using a greater number of individually thermally shunted small area devices of high current rating.

In general, we have also found that rapidity of thermal conduction to and away from the Peltier module region seems to be a strong factor. We have found much better and more consistent results using copper foil or sheet envelopes, than aluminum, even aluminum of much greater thickness or mass.

REMOTE CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS:

As discussed in our primary paper, one approach toward finally dispensing with any possibility of artifact by lead wire torque was the proposed infrared remote controlled experiment package. This was conceptually intended to be an experiment payload consisting of a remote controlled receiver, relay, battery pack, and Peltier device. The package would weigh less than the 200 gram maximum limit of our balance, and would dimensionally fit on our balance pan.

An infrared remote controlled circuit was procured, and built into the intended experiment package. For power, we used three 9 volt alkaline batteries; one for the receiver and relay driver, the other two in series for providing short current pulses through the Peltier. On the bench, it was confirmed ahead of time that fresh alkaline 9 volt batteries could provide modest operation of one of the CP1.0-71-6L smaller size units, putting about 2.5 amps through it for a few short duration "shots".

Our experiment was first tried out on 13 March. Several minor technical difficulties arose, however we did manage two actuations that appeared to provide a positive result - a reversible weight change.

On 14 March, we rebuilt the circuit and isolated the batteries for powering the Peltier. The experiment was repeated. This time, we managed to confirm, with witnesses in good standing present, repeated weight change cycles of a modest 2 mg magnitude. Reversal of the sign of the weight change was accomplished by simply flipping the Peltier module over, between cycles. (See photo)

DISCUSSION:

As of 15 March, 2001, we would establish the following:

1. The Peltier weight change / force effect has been replicated in a limited and non-reviewed way by independent researchers.
2. One of these replications suggests that the effect is a directed net force, as opposed to an alteration of actual weight.
3. We have observed that the effect is scaleable, with multiple Peltier modules or couples.
4. We have continued to accrue evidence that the effect depends highly on un-impeded thermal transfer.
5. We have established that commercially designed and available larger area, higher-powered Peltier modules may be more problematic for use, due primarily to reasons established in item #4.
6. We established that the effect survives the use of very fine foil lead wires for torque artifact removal.
7. We establish that a remote controlled version of our basic experiment, with no electro-mechanical connection to the outside world, demonstrated positive results.

With the advent of the remote controlled experiment results, we turn next to some of the more esoteric artifact possibilities. Among these might be subtle convective effects, air density effects, out-gassing effects, etc.

In one sense, we suspect that highly insulated experiment packages, or experiments performed under vacuum would eliminate many of these. However, another approach may lie in the on-going quest to scale the total magnitude of the effect up to a level where the influences of the aforementioned possible artifacts become moot! We speculate that such a level might occur at weight change magnitudes over 100 mg or so.

Obviously, another primary consideration will be the open disclosure of results in an attempt to encourage as much diligent replication work as possible. University or college engineering and physics groups will be primarily targeted for contact.

THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Because the observed effect originated easily more from within the realm of discovery, as opposed to development, we have yet refrained from even rudimentary theoretical modeling. However, as the effect survives on-going artifact removal, we do find ourselves beginning to speculate.

Much of this will be facilitated by the ultimate determination as to whether the effect is truly a net force on a body, as opposed to a weight change (as thus far hinted). Should the effect be found to be a direction dependent alteration of weight, then we would most likely be led into the realm of the modification of gravity / space in the region of the thermoelectric effect. If we confirm the effect is a force, then perhaps the following list of potential explanations might be a place to start:

1. Some component of the Peltier thermo-electric effect is developing a reaction force against space itself; implying a physical or aether based character of space.
2. The effect might conceivably be an atomic level embodiment of inertial anisotropy, or a cohered force of aggregate lattice vibrations.
3. There does exist some admittedly esoteric Russian work from the 1960’s and 70’s by N. Kozyrev that claims thermal transport or temperature gradients in mass give rise to local distortions of time itself. (Physical time theory)

Despite these initial musings, the effect, if eventually validated beyond all doubt, may simply be the result of a completely unsuspected principle or property of matter and space. Only diligent effort and learning will pave the way.

As previously stated, if the effect disclosed proves to be a net force effect, then we are left with a discovery that could indeed meet the definition of a "space drive"; a means of propulsion into deep space that is not limited by being dependent on the near-earth space flow giving rise to the local force of gravity.

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