The inventor is an Italian named Andrea Rossi. Rossi responds to questions daily on his blog The Journal Of Nuclear Physics.

eCat is short for “energy catalyzer”. The eCat is a revolutionary new energy technology which uses tiny amounts of inexpensive fuel to generate massive amounts of energy.

Nickel powder of a particular grain size and purity is placed on a metal tray inside the reactor vessel and a tiny amount of pressurized hydrogen is fed into the device. Power is passed through electrical resistors to increase the temperature inside. Once a particular temperature has been reached the reaction will start. This reaction is able to self-sustain for long periods of time producing vast amounts of energy in the form of heat.

The eCat produces vast amounts of cheap, clean, energy which could revolutionize the entire world and the way in which we do almost everything.

The eCat uses tiny amounts of powdered nickel, pressurized hydrogen and an as yet undisclosed catalyst. It is claimed that some 18 Kgs of nickel is all that is required to run a 1 Megawatt facility 24 hrs a day for 6 months. 90% of the used nickel fuel can then be recycled again.

No radioactivity or toxic elements are produced as a result of the reaction. The only by-product are small traces of copper which is claimed are formed by transmutation of Nickel during the reaction.

According to mainstream science, the low energy nuclear reactions taking place inside the eCat are not supposed to happen. The eCat also produces trace amounts of copper as part of the nuclear reaction. This transmutation of elements is also difficult for mainstream science to accept despite similar reported findings from other researchers.

Without doubt, the eCat could end our reliance on traditional polluting energy sources such as oil, coal, gas and nuclear. Rossi has indicated several times that he expects this technology to run concurrently with traditional energy technologies, although in reality it would be hard to continue to justify using polluting exhaustible forms of energy.

No. Cold Fusion is a misnomer. Proper fusion can only take place at extremely high temperatures and in conditions similar to those taking place on the sun. A more accurate term for the technology is LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reaction).

The ECAT 1 MW Plant is available for pre-ordering now with an estimated delivery time of 3 months. The first generation of ECAT Home products will be available in 2013.

A fusor is the collective label for any apparatus that enables nuclear reactions whereby elements fuse together to form new elements  - producing excess energy in the process. The ECAT- or Rossi-fusor, is the first commercial fusor to hit the market. Contrary to the bulk of all previous attempts at commercial fusors, the Rossi-fusor is based on low energy nuclear reactions and is often referred to as a cold fusion device.

As of Feb 2012, Rossi has indicated it will likely be in the region of $600 – $800