Absolute agreement on his lack of an enabling disclosure. My point is, if you read it, he doesn't try to hide the fact that he's discussing cold fusion. I've seen some applicants who bend over backwards to avoid saying anything of the sort, and go out of their way to use obfuscating terminology to conceal what it is they really think they're doing.
Following up on this, I've just run across a really good example of an issued patent, where we can ask the question: Is it cold fusion, or not?
US Patent 7 556 783 Hydrogen isotope fuel cell
Abstract:
An energy conversion cell for converting electric power into heat. The cell includes a non-conductive housing formed of spaced, preferably glass outer plates sealed along common perimeters thereof to define a closed interior volume or chamber. At least two catalytic plates are held spaced apart in the interior volume, preferably separated by a dielectric plate. The catalytic plates are preferably formed of very thin palladium plate material. A gas passage in gas communication with the interior volume is connectable to a source of pressurized hydrogen (H.sub.2) or deuterium (D.sub.2) gas deliverable into said interior volume. A high voltage a.c. electric power source is connectable through a high voltage step-up transformer between each of the catalytic plates whereby, when a.c. electric current flows through the catalytic plates and across the dielectric plate, the interior volume, being filled with hydrogen or deuterium gas, heat is produced within the interior volume for external use.
This patent describes what is, physically, a classic cold fusion device, but it never once mentions cold fusion, fusion, or any "LENR"-type reactions. They dress it up as a purely chemical reaction, and in fact, it's classified in B01J-19/08:
B01J 19/00 Chemical, physical, or physico-chemical processes in general
B01J 19/08 · Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor (application of shock waves B01J 3/08; generating or handling plasma H05H 1/00) [3]
This is what I meant when I said Rossi was actually being much more honest in his application, in that he was up front about what it was he was claiming to have accomplished. These guys have gone out of their way to hide their true intent, and engineered their application so it would be examined by someone who might not be familiar with the "cold fusion" claims, and who might then allow their patent to issue.
Also of interest is that I found this as a result of a version of this other application showing up in my work queue:
(WO/2009/137271) ELECTROLYTIC CELL AND METHOD OF REDUCING GAMMA RAY EMISSIONS
An electrolytic cell and a method for accelerating the reduction of gamma ray emissions from a radioactive substance. The cell includes a non-conductive housing and a conductive end member sealingly positioned in and extending from each open end of the housing. Gamma ray emitting material such as powder, granules or gases in an admixture with palladium black powder or particles are closely packed into the chamber. A longitudinal gas passage extends through each end member in gas communication with the chamber. Each gas passage is sealably closeable, one gas passage being connectable to a source of pressurized hydrogen or deuterium gas deliverable under pressure into the chamber to charge the catalytic particles. A distal end of each end member is connected to an electric power source wherein, when electric current flows through the chamber, the gamma ray emission count decays at an abnormally high rate.
Near as I can tell, they've taken a common objection to cold fusion claims (the lack of gamma radiation output), and decided that means they've found some great new way to shield against gamma rays.
That's like pseudo-scientific Judo, that.
