Editing Cold fusion (section)

====Calorimetry errors====
The calculation of excess heat in electrochemical cells involves certain assumptions.<ref>{{harvnb|Biberian|2007}} "Input power is calculated by multiplying current and voltage, and output power is deduced from the measurement of the temperature of the cell and that of the bath"</ref> Errors in these assumptions have been offered as non-nuclear explanations for excess heat.

One assumption made by Fleischmann and Pons is that the efficiency of electrolysis is nearly 100%, meaning nearly all the electricity applied to the cell resulted in electrolysis of water, with negligible [[Joule heating|resistive heating]] and substantially all the electrolysis product leaving the cell unchanged.{{sfn|ps=|Fleischmann|Pons|Anderson|Li|1990}} This assumption gives the amount of energy expended converting liquid D<sub>2</sub>O into gaseous D<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub>.{{sfn|ps=|Fleischmann|Pons|Anderson|Li|1990|loc=Appendix}} The efficiency of electrolysis is less than one if hydrogen and oxygen recombine to a significant extent within the calorimeter. Several researchers have described potential mechanisms by which this process could occur and thereby account for excess heat in electrolysis experiments.{{sfn|ps=|Shkedi|McDonald|Breen|Maguire|1995}}{{sfn|ps=|Jones|Hansen|Jones|Shelton|1995|p=1}}{{sfn|ps=|Shanahan|2002}}

Another assumption is that heat loss from the calorimeter maintains the same relationship with measured temperature as found when calibrating the calorimeter.{{sfn|ps=|Fleischmann|Pons|Anderson|Li|1990}} This assumption ceases to be accurate if the temperature distribution within the cell becomes significantly altered from the condition under which calibration measurements were made.<ref>{{harvnb|Biberian|2007}} "Almost all the heat is dissipated by radiation and follows the temperature fourth power law. The cell is calibrated ..."</ref> This can happen, for example, if fluid circulation within the cell becomes significantly altered.{{sfn|ps=|Browne|1989|loc=para. 16}}{{sfn|ps=|Wilson|Bray|Kosky|Vakil|1992}} Recombination of hydrogen and oxygen within the calorimeter would also alter the heat distribution and invalidate the calibration.{{sfn|ps=|Shanahan|2002}}{{sfn|ps=|Shanahan|2005}}{{sfn|ps=|Shanahan|2006}}