Got a problem with gas prices? Here's the solution.

[f2akid]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1395288/japanese_invent_car_that_runs_on_water/

Now, what I'm wondering is what's going to happen with water? Are they gonna look to raise water prices? It's going to be so easy for people to get fuel for this car for free and I'm sure the government won't enjoy losing the money they make from petrol, diesel and lead.

[Old Ape Face]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1395288/japanese_invent_car_that_runs_on_water/

Now, what I'm wondering is what's going to happen with water? Are they gonna look to raise water prices? It's going to be so easy for people to get fuel for this car for free and I'm sure the government won't enjoy losing the money they make from petrol, diesel and lead.

Selling water bye the bottle is a scam already, basically that 2.50 you paid for it goes to the bottling company and not really the filtering company. (could be the same company but I could be wrong.)

Bottling companies are using economic friendly plastic (so they say) but who really knows what they're doing.

Oh wait this has nothing to do with water bottles XD

as for your statement, I don't think the value of water will ever fluctuate like Oil, since water is the most renewable resource people would be retarded to think you can get water for the price of oil.

[taily]

THAT CAR LOOKS ****** AS HELL.
caps

[f2akid]

Selling water bye the bottle is a scam already, basically that 2.50 you paid for it goes to the bottling company and not really the filtering company. (could be the same company but I could be wrong.)

A full 2 litre bottle of water costs me as little as 15p per bottle.

[taily]

^ I think Yuki might be one of those people who refuse to use any water but bottled.

[Tidusauron12]

So... what's the downside? I mean, there has to be some cons to this car, right?

[f2akid]

^ THAT CAR LOOKS ****** AS HELL.
caps

(Damn 10 letter rule)

[DavenIII]

I've heard about this before but it doesn't make sense to me, I'd like to see this confirmed somehow.

Changing Water (H2O) into what that car must run on Oxyhydrogen (HHO) usually takes more energy then it creates... which would obviously be a problem.

[Leader Desslock]

I've already got a solution for gas prices: cycling. My engine runs on anything - cereal, yogurt, salad, fruits, pasta, pizza, a fine merlot.... really anything I can find.

Now if I could just find a solution for getting hit by cars...

[Ken-Ohki]

Isn't this just another water conversion engine they've had for years? I thought water was an energy converyor and not an energy source. Or is this something new?

[Bradster]

Once the water is poured into the tank at the back of the car, the a generator breaks it down and uses it to create electrical power, TV Tokyo said.

I think the important stuff is here, but it's pretty vague. I Googled "hydrogen generators" since those were listed in one of the ads in a related link, but those deal with supplements to gasoline, not complete replacements. (Current electrolyzes water into hydrogen and oxygen gas, which are mixed into the fuel stream). Is this still an IC engine, but one which runs on the 2 gases produced instead of liquid hydrocarbons? I don't know enough about the field to know how you get from gas to electricity without combustion..

It's possible that Genepax's car, small as it is, has a good ratio of power produced through electrolytic process vs that needed to crack the water- or the advantages of being able to pee* into an empty tank and keep driving outweigh the inefficiency vs. gasoline.

* They mention being able to use fresh or salt water, or even tea, and I can understand that because it's harder to electrolyze pure water... but that means there's probably some kind of filter in there that's got to be cleaned out or replaced..

[DavenIII]

It's possible that Genepax's car, small as it is, has a good ratio of power produced through electrolytic process vs that needed to crack the water-

Its "possible" anything is possible but until they prove that it does, this is just something cool to think about but its not actually useful.

[Old Ape Face]

^ I think Yuki might be one of those people who refuse to use any water but bottled.

heh funny.

The bottle is what you pay for if you buy bottled water, only a really small percentage actually pays for the water itself and $2.50 is an exaggerated price for bottled water. $.99 is right around there.

[Old Ape Face]

I've already got a solution for gas prices: cycling. My engine runs on anything - cereal, yogurt, salad, fruits, pasta, pizza, a fine merlot.... really anything I can find.

Now if I could just find a solution for getting hit by cars...

Ah but man power only goes so far for so long at a time... It would make more sense if locations where just a few miles down the street both ways to ride your bike to places you need, but when you have to cross the high way a few town lines, every state forest along the way over the mountains and through the woods to Grandmothers house. I don't think bipedal locomotion would assist my hourly travel rates much.

I mean I'm a boyscout I could probably survive the hike and the wilderness to get to work every day. but the average person I don't think is fit for that epic journey every time they have to increase there income.

I understand I'm commenting on Desslock's post and I'm probably going to get served by a wall of text about how people should train them selves more out doors so they can all ride bikes to work.

But hey I'm just here to post about the topic whether I get hammered by wisdom really isn't something I'm going to hate later on.

[DavenIII]

I'm not riding a bike 64 miles every day...... Sorry.

[Justinian]

So um what exactly does the generator run of of itself? And, this is a hydrogen powered car right? The only thing that generator is doing is separating the hydrogen from the water by using electrolysis then using the hydrogen as fuel, right? If that's wrong could someone explain it more to me.

EDIT: Just got this from wiki-
Electrolysis of water is the decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) due to an electric current being passed through the water. This electrolytic process is used in some industrial applications when hydrogen is needed.

An electrical power source is connected to two electrodes, or two plates, (typically made from some inert metal such as platinum or stainless steel) which are placed in the water. Hydrogen will appear at the cathode (the negatively charged electrode, where electrons are pumped into the water), and oxygen will appear at the anode (the positively charged electrode). The generated amount of hydrogen is twice the amount of oxygen, and both are proportional to the total electrical charge that was sent through the water.

Electrolysis of pure water is very slow, and can only occur due to the self-ionization of water. Pure water has an electrical conductivity about one millionth that of seawater. It is sped up dramatically by adding an electrolyte (such as a salt, an acid or a base).

So, sea water would be a lot better to use in one of these cars?

[DavenIII]

just because its the "Only" thing the generator does doesn't mean it doesn't require more power to do it then burning the HHO? creates.

its useless until the end product can create more energy then it takes to make it, that as far as I know hasn't happened yet.

[Justinian]

just because its the "Only" thing the generator does doesn't mean it doesn't require more power to do it then burning the HHO? creates.

its useless until the end product can create more energy then it takes to make it, that as far as I know hasn't happened yet.

I understand that completely. But, what does the generator itself run off of. Could we make it run of off it's own hydrogen some how? Could we find someway to use electrolysis more efficiently? Is there something we could lace the water with to where it would barely take any power to separate the gases in it?

[Bradster]

its useless until the end product can create more energy then it takes to make it, that as far as I know hasn't happened yet.

DavenIII, this court finds you in contempt of the Laws of Thermodynamics (uselessness), and sentences you to non-existence until whatever evolutionary process or paranormal being that created you rectifies the situation. Glass houses, and all that.


Is there something we could lace the water with to where it would barely take any power to separate the gases in it?
Your wikipedia quote already mentions electrolytes and the conductivity of seawater vs pure water. And I'd rather not explode into a spray of gases and guts in some freak auto accident by making electrolysis too easy, thanks.

[Justinian]

Your wikipedia quote already mentions electrolytes and the conductivity of seawater vs pure water. And I'd rather not explode into a spray of gases and guts in some freak auto accident by making electrolysis too easy, thanks.

Well yes the wiki quote did mention the sea water thing.

I really don't understand what you mean by making electrolysis too easy. So what... hydrogen is produced faster.... where's the increase in danger other than... more fuel for your car...? We are all running a risk by driving gas powered vehicles. Faster electrolysis just means better efficiency off of the generator. You won't get more hydrogen, you'll just get it faster.... I don't get what you mean by making it too easy, that's a good thing.