Energy Crisis Solved?

[DrkSnpr14]

Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan | Video | Reuters.com

If you ask me, this is HUGE news! This could seriously change the world economy, and improve the human race as a whole

[Ryltar]

Interesting.

The issues now will be the cost of the technology and stability of it. The little article and video didn't mention anything of the sort.

[Minou]

New Fuel Cell System 'Generates Electricity with Only Water, Air' -- Tech-On!

Hydrogen cannot be 'produced' out of water without very large amounts of energy.
Unless GENEPAX has found a new method of catalyzing without putting energy into it, I don't believe that it might work.

Though the company did not reveal the details, it "succeeded in adopting a well-known process to produce hydrogen from water to the MEA,"

hmm...

[Mask]

I find this hard to believe. Water stores almost no chemical energy, so it is not usable as a fuel. I caution against buying this company's stocks

Also see Genepax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Vaell]

However credible this could be, remember science fiction precedes science fact. Things start with an intangible idea before they come into being, and not without much refinement.

How long before this technology is bought by the major oil companies in order for it *not* to be developed?

Sadly, brilliant, world changing developments like this potentially is, is seen as a threat. Same with the pharmaceutical industry: why cure cancer when they can make more money treating it?

/conspiracy face

[abady911]

Originally Posted by Vaell

However credible this could be, remember science fiction precedes science fact. Things start with an intangible idea before they come into being, and not without much refinement.

How long before this technology is bought by the major oil companies in order for it *not* to be developed?

Sadly, brilliant, world changing developments like this potentially is, is seen as a threat. Same with the pharmaceutical industry: why cure cancer when they can make more money treating it?

/conspiracy face

You can't blame oil industry for the world's failuares. First off you should blame political leaderships...greedy corporations and then yourself. No matter... people growth rate will bring it all to an end anyway

Oil countries (and companies):

1. they dont want to produce high volumes - the stuff will run out too quick!
2. they dont want crazy high prices... it drives motiviation to use other technologies... which in turn.. will screw them even before oil runs out.

[Rizob]

Originally Posted by Vaell

However credible this could be, remember science fiction precedes science fact. Things start with an intangible idea before they come into being, and not without much refinement.

How long before this technology is bought by the major oil companies in order for it *not* to be developed?

Sadly, brilliant, world changing developments like this potentially is, is seen as a threat. Same with the pharmaceutical industry: why cure cancer when they can make more money treating it?

/conspiracy face

You can not violate the laws of thermodynamics. Water can not be the only fuel for the car because water will not spontaneously break down into hydrogen and oxygen without inputting energy (2H2+O2 <--> 2H2O + energy). Catalysts can increase the speed of a reaction but they will not change the direction.

As mentioned in the wiki article, if a metal hydride is used to react with the water to produce hydrogen, then the metal hydride is part of the fuel necessary for the car.


Also, cancer is a very complex disease that is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There are also many varieties that require different methods to treat. Pharmaceutical companies are not sitting on a 'cure' just so they can sell you pain killers.

[Khaf]

Originally Posted by Vaell

How long before this technology is bought by the major oil companies in order for it *not* to be developed?

As far as I knew, the water car has been around for a very long time, and this situation you present already happened.

Honda has been releasing commercials about their own water car too now. Insert water, and the exhaust is just water vapor. I hope they enter mass production and become available as soon as possible.

[fresnosmokey]

UM, no. Honda has released commercials about their new fuel-cell car. It doesn't crack water for hydrogen you have to fuel the cell with hydrogen which is then released and burned in the engine. The reaction produces only heat and water vapor as waste by products. For now, far as I can tell they're only releasing a few for lease (not for sale) in Hollywood, CA (at least in the USA).

I wish that they'd mass market the thing and get some energy company (doesn't have to be an oil company, could be your local utility company) to start building a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. We are going to have to switch to something besides oil sooner or later anyway. Might as well be now while people are worried about supply, prices, pollution, and global warming. In fact, it might be easier just for those reasons.

[Vaell]

Ah, it's late, I'm in a bit of a silly mood so bear with me. I'll be going to bed once I've posted. Heh

Originally Posted by abady911

You can't blame oil industry for the world's failuares. First off you should blame political leaderships...greedy corporations and then yourself. No matter... people growth rate will bring it all to an end anyway

No way! 3rd on the list after political leaderships and greedy corporations! My work as an evil warlock is far from done!

Taking things literally aside, I wasn't really blaming the oil industry for the "world's failures". It's a long jump from that to simply casting the notion that companies, in this case oil companies would try to limit anything which would directly compete with them. As is the nature of business. They are in a continuum of influence with other things, like governments and the public which we already knew.

Originally Posted by Khaf

As far as I knew, the water car has been around for a very long time, and this situation you present already happened.

*nods* I didn't really want to stick my neck out but then I realised that the following type of cloak and dagger maneuver happens frequently in business and it's no big secret:

An ex employee of a major oil firm (that may or may not be known to me) was asked to sign a statement that prevents them from disclosing certain practices, e.g. buying new technology so that they don't have to worry about a competitor using it. Water based fuel was specifically mentioned.

Originally Posted by Rizob

You can not violate the laws of thermodynamics.

Then I shall not try!

Originally Posted by Rizob

Water can not be the only fuel for the car because water will not spontaneously break down into hydrogen and oxygen without inputting energy (2H2+O2 <--> 2H2O + energy). Catalysts can increase the speed of a reaction but they will not change the direction.

As mentioned in the wiki article, if a metal hydride is used to react with the water to produce hydrogen, then the metal hydride is part of the fuel necessary for the car.

This could constitute the "much refinement" I referred to:

Originally Posted by Vaell

However credible this could be, remember science fiction precedes science fact. Things start with an intangible idea before they come into being, and not without much refinement.

I'm not a scientist so I'm not going to be able to continue the discussion on a technical level.

Originally Posted by Rizob

Also, cancer is a very complex disease that is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There are also many varieties that require different methods to treat. Pharmaceutical companies are not sitting on a 'cure' just so they can sell you pain killers.

Every day is a school day hehe... I was hypothesizing with that. I cannot be 100% sure they don't have a cure. I don't think many people could, except perhaps the leaders in the field of research. It's not my business to know either.*if* (note if) they developed a cure (despite the well documented complexity of the disease) could you imagine the bidding war to market it? They would understandably keep it from the public until they were certain of it's effectiveness. I'm under no illusion that even with something like human health at the core, a business is still a business.

All that said, all the treatments available at present can in some cases go as far as preventing it from returning so it's a moot point. It's just not in one handy cure all pill...

I guess getting back on topic, the people that developed the idea for the new fuel didn't rule things out as impossible, and I tend to be with them on that.

I hope it benefits mankind and not just the coffers of the industry that owns it.

Sorry if it was semi Hijack, Drk.

*steps out of the thread goes to bed*