As the world strives towards a sustainable future, the transportation sector plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It may really sound a little Sci-fi, but hydroenergy can be used in electric engines with a great advantage – zero pollution. Imagine being able to drive for hours on end only by using the energy harnessed through nature.
However, while this sounds like the perfect alternative, there are still studies to be made about the feasibility of this approach, ensuring that the process is safe and usable under any condition.
First of all, let me tell you why this is an alternative worth taking into consideration: it offers an opportunity to enhance the performance of electric cars, addressing one of the key challenges hindering their widespread adoption and hydropower presents a reliable and abundant source of renewable energy, making it an attractive option for sustainable transportation solutions.
How does it work?
It uses the basic notion of electrolysis. Basically, water, H2O, is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, giving out quite a powerful blast which would ‘feed’ the engine. Then, the substance recombines and it becomes a full circle of integration and disintegration.
Here are a few examples of previous research carried out in this field:
First of all, there is the Garrett electrolytic carburetor, who has to thank Charles H. Garrett for having created it. He allegedly demonstrated a water-fuelled car "for several minutes", which was reported on September 8, 1935, in The Dallas Morning News. He too used electrolysis, a process which can be observed in its patent image, issued that same year. It illustrates drawings of a carburetor similar to an ordinary float-type one, but with electrolysis plates in the lower portion, where the float is used to maintain the level of the water.
Another worthy mention would be Stanley Meyer's water fuel cell. In the 1980s, he claimed that he had built a ‘dune buggy’ that ran on water. Unfortunately, Meyer's claims could not be verified, thus in ‘96 he was found guilty of "gross and egregious fraud".
Dennis Klein was an important person in this field. Approximately 20 years ago, Hydrogen Technology Applications patented an electrolyser design and trademarked the term "Aquygen", referring to the H2-O2 mixture produced by the device. Originally developed as an alternative to ‘oxyacetylene welding’, the company stated that they could run a machine on water only, via the production of "Aquygen", and invoked an unproven state of matter called "magnegases" and a discredited theory about magnecules to explain their results. At present, the company no longer claims it can run a car exclusively on water, and is instead marketing "Aquygen" production as a technique to increase fuel efficiency, thus making it Hydrogen fuel enhancement rather than a water-fuelled car.
There still is a lot to be discovered in this field, but the mere thought of this step would revolutionize the science world as we once knew it. Interesting, isn’t it?
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