Information on Water-Powered Cars
Although vehicles powered by alternative fuels have been developed by major automakers, water-powered cars have yet to come on the market. Surprisingly, water-powered cars were invented decades ago in the 1970s. Several people claim to have invented the water-powered car.
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Electrolysis
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Gasoline engines produce heat, while electrolysis-powered engines do not. Electrolysis is a process that produces hydrogen gas from water. According to the Water Powered Car website, heat from a gasoline engine is unnecessary because with "On Board Electrolysis" or hydrogen tanks, there is no heat. Strong combustion is needed to start an engine, and "Hydrogen has 2 1/2 times more combustion power than gasoline, with less heat! "
History
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The hydrogen car uses energy from hydrogen made by electrolysis. The resulting hydrogen is then either burned in the car's engine or merged with oxygen to create water via a fuel cell. The car ultimately receives its energy from the power plant, with the hydrogen acting as an energy carrier, according to Academic Dictionaries and encyclopedias. Critics argue that inventor Stan Meyer's water-fueled car violates "the laws of thermodynamics" due to his insistence that his dune buggy ran without energy from any source of power other than water.
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Inventor
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In 1996, Meyer converted his dune buggy to hydrogen and oxygen fuel, which powered an ice motor. The ice engine was used to create water for the fuel cell. Electrolysis makes hydrogen gas, which is then converted to electricity using a fuel cell. But Meyer's invention was later examined by three expert witnesses in court who found that it was just conventional electrolysis, so the court found Meyer guilty of "gross and egregious fraud" and ordered him to repay the two investors, according to Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedia.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit water drop is falling down and impact with water surface image by Alexander Potapov from Fotolia.com engine image by goce risteski from Fotolia.com