I asked the public, general purpose ChatGPT the same questions about Miles that I asked the LENR-CANR.org version. The general purpose answers were better. This could be because that is Version 4 and the LENR-CANR one is Version 3. I was surprised to see the general purpose one has access to so much information about cold fusion. Here is the exchange:
ME: In his research at China Lake, Melvin Miles used a copper sheath in one of his calorimeters. Describe this.
ChatBot: Melvin Miles used a copper sheath in one of his calorimeters to help improve the accuracy of his experiments on cold fusion. A calorimeter is an instrument used to measure the amount of heat released or absorbed during a chemical reaction or physical process.
The copper sheath in Miles' calorimeter served as a container for the electrolytic cell where the cold fusion reaction was taking place. The sheath was made of high-purity copper to minimize any interference with the reaction, and it was designed to provide good thermal contact between the cell and the calorimeter.
The calorimeter itself was a double-walled vessel, with the outer wall filled with water and the inner wall containing the copper sheath and the electrolytic cell. This design allowed for accurate measurement of the heat produced by the reaction, since any heat generated by the cell would be transferred to the water in the outer wall of the calorimeter.
The copper sheath also helped to reduce any potential sources of error in Miles' experiments, such as heat loss due to conduction or radiation. Overall, the use of a copper sheath in Miles' calorimeter helped to improve the accuracy and reliability of his measurements of cold fusion reactions.
ME: Why did he use a sheath instead of temperature sensors in the electrolyte?
ChatBot: Melvin Miles used a copper sheath in his calorimeter instead of relying solely on temperature sensors in the electrolyte because temperature measurements alone are not sufficient to accurately measure the amount of heat produced by a chemical reaction or physical process.
[NOT QUITE RIGHT, I think. There were no sensors in the electrolyte.]
While temperature sensors can provide useful information about the temperature changes occurring in the electrolyte, they do not account for all the heat generated by the reaction. For example, heat can be lost due to conduction, convection, or radiation, and these losses can significantly affect the accuracy of temperature measurements.
By using a copper sheath, Miles was able to provide a more accurate measurement of the total amount of heat produced by the reaction, as the sheath acted as a heat sink, absorbing any heat generated by the reaction and preventing it from being lost to the surrounding environment. This allowed him to more accurately determine the energy output of the cold fusion reaction.
In addition, using a copper sheath also helped to reduce potential sources of error, such as thermal gradients in the electrolyte or changes in the thermal conductivity of the electrolyte over time. Overall, the use of a copper sheath in Miles' calorimeter allowed him to obtain more accurate and reliable measurements of cold fusion reactions than would have been possible with temperature sensors alone.