E-cat question

If E-cat isn't fusion, what is it?

It isn't fission, is it?

It appears that it is beta plus decay, so that isn't fission. With fission, the nucleus comes apart. With fusion, the final product has an atomic number that is higher because it has at least one more proton. The second requirement is an increase in atomic mass because you are adding at least 1 proton to the nucleus. If it beta plus decays into a neutron, it has virtually the same mass.

It isn't beta minus decay, because in that case, there is no increase in mass. By the way, I hope I am not getting these mixed up. Beta decay, as I understand it, means a neutron becoming a proton and vice versa. In any case, if a proton becomes a neutron, there is no mass gain on the order of a gain of a proton, you see.

What I'm trying to get my mind around is these conversions. How do you not call it a fusion when it gains a proton, and it can't gain it any other place but outside of the nucleus? So, when there are protons hanging around, as in hydrogen atoms, or deuterium atoms, how can these protons come from any place but from there? And how do you call it anything else but fusion?

But that is not my main question. If the amount of energy going into the reaction is only 1% of what comes back out, it seems to indicate to me the possibility of a chain reaction, as in the case of fission. Once you get these reactions going, they'll keep going until they run out of fuel. Or the energy level falls to the level that won't support fusion. Hard to see this unless you run out of fuel. If there's plenty of fuel, the fusion should proceed vigorously.

So, what stops the fusion when it starts? That is assuming that there is fusion. What is the nature of these reactions? If they aren't fusion reactions, then what are they?

Puzzling.