Here are some recent comments about what appear to be three different
'water as fuel' engines.
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=2E..From the Phillipines
At 18:38 19.02.99 -0500, freenrg-l@eskimo.com wrote:
> Just watched my local news with a story about a man from the =
> Phillipines that has built a device to run a car from water as =
> it's fuel. Daniel (Dingal?), they pronounced his name as spelled, =
> Don't know if it's correct. He insists it's not a hoax. The local =
> Department of Science and Technology said he does have something if =
> he can perfect it.
> In the very short clip it showed him pouring water into the engine
> compartment onto a tray of some kind, and then it showed him driving =
> the car. He calls his device a reactor that splits the water to make =
> hydrogen to run the car.
> WE have all heard this stuff before but to me it was refreshing to
> see actual footage of it even it was just for a few seconds. =
> Maybe some day soon!
> (RB)
> P.S. I did record it. Please forgive my spelling.
>
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=2E...From Reno, Nevada
I don't know what's going on here. But I just saw that our Local
Channel 2 here in Reno, NV is going to run a similar story. =
The anchors said the following in a brief promo:
"Are you tired of putting gas in your car, tune in monday and we'll tell
you about a local inventor who runs his car with tap water."
I'll try to catch the broadcast and pass it along to all of you. This
is either strange synchronicity or a complex disinformation strategy. =
My vote is for coincidence. I hope it's a credible story and not just
another Fuel Cell story.
Till Later, Eric
vegan@sprynet.com
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
The Cornish water engine
Larry Sullivan posted the Cornish water fuel system at;
http://dallastexas.net/keelynet/archive/00002727.htm
in the archives it came out very noisy and hard to read, so I am
reposting it in a cleaned up format as it relates to this topic.
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
http://eeyore.phy.bris.ac.uk/water_engine/indexUK.html#SPECIFICATIONS
I pulled this out from one of my old bookmarks. Since we are on about
water fueled engines, this should provide some interesting discussion.
=
Larry
---------------------------------------------------------------
Solutions: Energy: =
Your Car can run on water using this device
Your house may be warmed up the same way!
Overview
=
Specifications
=
Letter from BMW to the inventor
=
Complete text of the 1982 patent
=
Aluminium production
=
Email comments or queries to: anon99@hotmail.com
=
Invented by a Mr Francois P. Cornish (UK)
Tested successfully by BMW in 1981
=
Patented in 1982
=
Inventor last seen in Canada in the summer of 1988
Why aren't we all driving cars powered by Hydrogen from this device?
=
Where is the inventor?
=
SPECIFICATIONS:
Water reacted cleverly with aluminium, producing Hydrogen and Aluminium
Oxide. Hydrogen is collected and sprayed in a standard carburettor like
with methane-gas.
A 900 kg car runs 600 km on 20 litres of water and 1 kg of aluminium.
Clean energy apart from the process of refining Bauxite into aluminum.
The only exhaust product of a hydrogen engine is water!
Why don't we see these cars yet ?
At the time (1981) only some minor difficulties existed. These may be
easily overcome.
To develop a smooth way to get rid of the aluminium oxide powder from
the bottom of the water-reservoir.
To find an absolutely sure way to signal if oxygen remains (although the
BMW-letter does not speak about this).
Don't experiment if unqualified . . . remember O=B2 and H=B2 is a highly
dangerous combination.
=
Now trusting enabling engineers to attack this subject before this
planet runs out of time!
At the Geneva Conference, July 1996 for the first time a serious warning
is made by US scientists, even now by the US Government. This is quite a
change in attitude since the Rio de Janeiro Conference in 1993.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Letter from BMW on the subject
BMW AG
Muenchen 40 Postfach 40040
References: 3895-5538
Nov 5, 1981
Proposal for improvement
=
Dear Mr. Cornish,
=
In reply to your telex of 17th October, our findings to date are as
follows:
The unit as present assembled in a 2000cc car produced sufficient gas to
power the engine continuously. The aluminium consumption averaged out at
180 cm per minute over a 70 minute test run.
With the capacitor (as per your specification) connected up, we were
able to work in our 14v environment.
The water temperature remained low, and even without the radiation
system was found to be well between your limits.
No acid was found on analysis after the test run.
We however feel that one possible problem area may be the disposal of
the oxide deposit. Could you please let us know what your findings have
been on this side.
=
Yours faithfully,
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Service Division
I.V. Henseler
V. Krause
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here follows a complete text of the 30 June 1982 European patent
Publication N=B0 0055134A1
=
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to hydrogen generation.
=
It has already been proposed to replace conventional fuels with hydrogen
in the running of internal combustion engines.
Conventional proposals are to produce hydrogen by the electrolysis of
water and then to store the hydrogen in some form or another. No
economically viable storage system for the highly explosive hydrogen gas
has yet been evolved. Whatever system is evolved would involve fairly
massive tanks of some kind or another and precautions to prevent
explosions. The present invention is based on the desire of the inventor
to be able to provide hydrogen on demand from materials which are in
themselves safe to handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
=
According to the invention a method of generating hydrogen comprises the
steps of exposing a fresh metal surface to water and heating the
interface between the metal surface and the water at least to the lowest
temperature at which the metal reacts with water to form a metal oxide
and hydrogen, the metal being chosen from metals which are higher in the
electromotive series than hydrogen and having stable and safe handling
characteristics.
Preferably the metal surface is exposed and the interface heated by
pressing an electrode of the relevant metal against a second electrode
under water and applying a high voltage between the electrodes while
preferably moving the electrode surfaces relatively to one another.
=
In other words in the preferred form of the invention hydrogen is formed
by creating an underwater electrical discharge between two electrodes at
least one of which is made of a metal as defined above.
The electrical discharge and the relative movement between the electrode
surfaces ensure that fresh metal surfaces are exposed to the water while
at the same time the discharge heats the interface between the
electrodes and the water to the required temperature at which the metal
reacts with water to form its oxide and to liberate hydrogen.
Also in the preferred form of the invention the metal is aluminium which
has the advantage that it is in relatively abundant supply, relatively
cheap, is formed with a protective oxide layer on its exposed surfaces
and reacts with water at a relatively low temperature. Aluminium wire
fed against a rotating aluminium drum has been found to give excellent
results to provide hydrogen for powering small internal combustion
engines.
=
A convenient way of securing the high voltage required is to employ the
conventional distributor and coil arrangement which provides the
sparking for an internal combustion engine. Two coils in parallel fed
from a common distributor has been found to give excellent results.
Other methods of generating high voltages from the battery or the drive
shaft of an internal combustion engine may also be used. =
The method of the invention lends itself in an excellent manner to
supply hydrogen on demand. In this case hydrogen is fed to a small
buffer store and as the pressure in the store exceeds a predetermined
level, the electrodes are separated so that hydrogen generation is
interrupted. =
As the pressure drops to a certain level the electrodes are again fed
towards one another.
=
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
=
The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic
representation of apparatus for generating hydrogen, and suitable for
powering a motor vehicle; and Figure 2 shows a portion of an appropriate
electrical circuit.
*** Actual diagrams unavailable - please see diagram below ***
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the illustrated embodiment there is a generating tank 10 fed with
water from a reservoir tank 11 through a float valve 12 to keep the
water level in the tank 10 substantially constant. =
When the apparatus is used in a motor vehicle, the tank 11 can take the
place of the conventional fuel tank of the vehicle with a pump 14 in the
line 15 to pump more water into the tank 10 when the position of the
float 12 indicates that this is required.
Water is consumed as hydrogen is generated, and so the tank 11 has to be
periodically refilled. The generating tank 10 is in communication with
an air cooled heat exchanger 16, which may take the same form as a
conventional motor car radiator.
The generating tank 10 is surmounted by a collecting vessel 17 from
which hydrogen is drawn through a restricted orifice 18 of an internal
combustion engine. Inside the tank 10 there is a drum 19 driven by any
suitable means to rotate at a constant speed.
The drum 19 is made of aluminium. A depending flange 20 provides a water
seal to the top left hand corner of the tank 10, so that that corner is
not in gas communication with the vessel 17.
=
A coil 21 of aluminium wire 22 is fed through a push-pull unit 23 of the
kind used to feed welding wire to argon arc welding devices. The unit 23
is arranged to feed the wire against the surface of the drum 19 and to
traverse the wire along the length of the drum on a bar 24. The wire
passes along an insulating sleeve 25 which enters the tank 10 through a
suitable wiper seal.
=
In the vessel 17 there is a pressure sensor 26 connected to a control
unit 27. When the pressure sensor senses a pressure above a
predetermined value, it signals the control unit 27 which in turn stops
the unit 23 so that wire is no longer fed towards the drum 19. When the
pressure drops again, feeding is resumed.
In use, the coil 21 is connected to the high tension side of two
ignition coils or transformers 30 and 33. These transformers have
primary windings 31 and 34 and secondary, high tension windings 32 and
35. =
A capacitor 36 is connected across the high tension connections. The
terminals 28 and 29 are connected to a conventional vehicle battery.
At the point of contact between the end of the wire 22 and the drum 19
an electrical discharge takes place. As a result the adjacent metal
surfaces are heated to high temperature, the protective oxide film which
naturally forms on exposed aluminium surfaces is disrupted, and the
exposed aluminium surfaces react with the water. =
In fact the electrochemical situation at the interface is such that the
wire 22 is consumed with the following reaction taking place.
=
2Al + 3H2O ---> Al2O3 + 3H2
=
As a result, hydrogen bubbles from the contact point while the aluminium
oxide collects as a white powder in the base of the tank 10. A grid 37
in the bottom of the tank allows the powder to pass through, and then
keeps the powder substantially free from currents in the tank 10. The
hydrogen passes through the vessel 17 and the orifice 18 to the
carburettor of an internal combustion engine.
=
There may be a tendency for bubbles of hydrogen to adhere to the surface
of the drum 19 which rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 38.
To prevent this happening a wiper blade 39 can be located in the
position shown in Figure 1, so as to separate any adhering bubbles from
the drum surface.
Alternatively, a wiper blade 40 may be arranged on the opposite side of
the drum. In this case a small volume of hydrogen gas may collect
beneath this blade, and it may be possible to pivot the blade 40, thus
releasing this pocket of hydrogen in order to facilitate start-up of an
engine fuelled by the hydrogen.
It may be possible to use salt water in the tank 10, rather than fresh
water.
The drum 19 preferably rotates at a speed between 400 and 700 rpm, but
the rotation may be as slow as 50 rpm.
During operations the temperature of the water in the tank 10 may rise
as high as 95=B0C, although it is likely that a unit mounted in a moving
vehicle, for example, will be able to maintain the water at a lower
temperature.
=
A unit substantially as shown in the drawings has been used to drive a
500cc motor cycle engine. The wire 22 had a diameter of 1.6 mm and was
of commercial purity (98%~Al). The unit produced over 1000 cc of
hydrogen a minute, with an aluminium wire consumption rate of 140 to 180
cm per minute. =
The rate of deposition of aluminium oxide was about 4 kilograms per 500
kilometres travelled.
=
Conventional modifications were made to the carburettor to enable he
engine to run on a mixture of hydrogen and air.
=
The wire 22 carries a voltage of about 18000 volts with a current of
about 1 amp. =
The invention may equally be used to power stationary industrial
engines, as well as motor vehicle engines.
=
CLAIMS
=
1. Apparatus for generating hydrogen comprising a tank (10) for
containing water, a metal surface (22) arranged in the tank, means for
heating the surface at least to the lowest temperature at which the
metal reacts with water to form a metal oxide and hydrogen, and a
chamber (17) for collecting the generated hydrogen.
=
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the metal surface (22) is
aluminium.
=
3. Apparatus as Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the means for heating the
surface is an electrical discharge between the surface (22) and another
electrode (14).
=
4. Apparatus as claimed, wherein a second metal surface (19) is arranged
in the tank, and means are provided to move one surface (19) relative to
the other, the two surfaces being connected in an electric circuit
(Figure 2) so that they form electrodes between which an electrical
discharge can take place.
=
5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the second metal surface is
aluminium (19).
6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the first metal
surface (22) is a wire and the second metal surface (19) is a drum, the
drum being mounted for rotation and the wire being supported so that it
approaches the cylindrical surface of the drum at an angle to a tangent
to the drum surface.
=
7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the wire (22) is supported
by a device (23) which continuously feeds the wire, as it is consumed,
towards the drum surface (19).
=
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein means (26,27) are provided
for sensing the pressure of hydrogen gas in the chamber (17) and for
regulating the feed rate of the wire feeding device (23) in accordance
with the sensed pressure, to control the hydrogen output.
=
9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tank (10) is
connected to a heat exchanger (16), so that water can circulate from the
tank, through the heat exchanger, and back to the tank.
=
10. A method of generating hydrogen comprising the steps of exposing a
fresh metal surface (22) to water and heating the interface between the
metal surface and the water at least to the lowest temperature at which
the metal reacts with water to form a metal oxide and hydrogen, the
metal being chosen from metals which are higher in the electromotive
series than hydrogen and which have stable and safe handling
characteristics.
=
11. A method as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the metal (22) is
aluminium, and a fresh metal surface is exposed and the interface heated
by pressing an aluminium electrode (22) against a second electrode (19)
under water and applying a high voltage between the electrodes.
-- =
Jerry Wayne Decker / jdecker@keelynet.com
http://keelynet.com / "From an Art to a Science"
Voice : (214) 324-8741 / FAX : (214) 324-3501
KeelyNet - PO BOX 870716 - Mesquite - Republic of Texas - 75187