Scam? Real or not?

[Nightshade]

Jun. 13 - Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.

The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

SOUNDBITE: Kiyoshi Hirasawa, CEO, Genepax.

http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=84561

If this really turns out to be true, will this poor guy be assasinated or found dead from an \"accident\" shortly?

[SuperSheep]

From Wiki

Genepax Water Energy System

In June 2008, Japanese company Genepax unveiled a car which it claimed runs on water and air,[6] and many news outlets dubbed the vehicle a \"water-fuel car\".[7] The company says it \"cannot [reveal] the core part of this invention,” yet,[8] but it has disclosed that the system uses an onboard energy generator (a \"membrane electrode assembly\") to extract the hydrogen using a \"mechanism which is similar to the method in which hydrogen is produced by a reaction of metal hydride and water\".[9] The hydrogen is then used to generate energy to run the car. This has led to speculation that the metal hydride is consumed in the process and is the ultimate source of the car's energy, making the car hydride-, rather than water-fuelled.[10][11][12] The company has said that it has filed for a patent.[13] On June 27th 2008 they released information in English on their website, where the energy source is explained only with the words \"Chemical reaction\".[14]

I'd be surprised as well if the catalyst was not used up in the reaction thus making it a metal hydride car, not water.

[SuperSheep]

Another thing I don't get. The reaction takes water in and produces water from the reaction. Why not simply recycle the water from the output back to the input?

Now I'm sure this is simply a metal hydride battery.

[Foil]

Yeah, the scam alarm bells are going off here.

They're all over the internet, and they nearly all follow the formula:
- Video to show a car running, or "driving 150 miles on one gallon of water".
- Pseudo-scientific claims of success.
- Unverifiable claims of scientist support.
- Vague references to government or big-oil conspiracies to suppress their work.
- Upon closer investigation, claims that they've either found a way to violate the laws of Thermodynamic energy, or that the reaction is actually some kind of nuclear fusion.

... and the kicker that ties them all together...

- Invitation to inve$t in their special Physics-defying technology!

...You can't get more energy out than what you put in to obtain the hydrogen in the first place. And if you believe they've succeeded in a way to create a 'cold' nuclear fusion reaction in their machine... well, I have a bridge or two to sell you.

Seriously, guys. It seems like another one of these comes out every year or so, and all the conspiracy theories follow.

A few years ago, it was the "Aquygen" videos all over the net. (A little research, and you can see it's just a variation of Brown's Gas, with claims of nuclear reactions and/or breaking the laws of physics.)

A few years before that (and still occasionally seen in 'free energy suppression' sites), it was the death of Stan Meyer after he was convicted of fraud relating to his "water car".

I'd say SuperSheep is right; this one appears to be a hydride battery-powered vehicle, advertised as some kind of breakthrough. With the energy issues becoming so prevalent recently, I'm sure we'll see quite a few more of these.

[Floyd]

generator? how is it driven? dark matter? energy flux from subspace?
see other recent (sort of derailed) topics about \"water power\".

[woodchip]

Only water power I know of that works really well is the old water wheel.

[MD-1118]

Only water power I know of that works really well is the old water wheel.

Don't forget steam. Go Stirling!

Seriously though, it would be nice if cold fusion were invented. I mean, hypothetically speaking, it is possible, right?

[Spidey]

Yea, cold fusion is coming right after transporters.

[Duper]

I don't think it's a scam.

First, it's a very lightweight 2 person car; probably mostly plastics or ultralight weight metals. (don't hit anything)

Second, Ford and other car companies have been playing with the same technology for about 3 years now. It's well documented. It's just a matter of who could refine the process the best and who is willing. Japan doesn't have the huge oil cartels that we do in the states that \"buy up\" all these fuel saving ideas. (I'm sure some of you here remember the 70's)

[Foil]

Duper, if you're thinking of the hydrogen fuel cell technology that Ford and other companies have been working on, it's not the same thing.

Hydrogen fuel cells are a viable proven (albeit young) technology. What this Genepax company is claiming is very different.

[SuperSheep]

Duper...It's not a \"scam\" in the strictest sense. Does it produce energy? You betcha. Is water the source of the energy? No. Water in, Water Out. This means water is not being used up. The catalyst is the water in this case and the metal hydride is what is wearing out \"used up\" in the reaction.

The marketing of this as a water based car is a \"scam\" and any credible scientist will see that. Investors may not be as bright.

And before everyone jumps on me about electrolysis not consuming water. That is true however energy is required to break the molecules apart and when they recombine, you get back the energy you put in. Once again, this would mean that water would be the catalyst and your energy out would be less than your energy in.

Hydrogen Fuel cells need hydrogen, not water. The hydrogen has to be made using \"energy\". Effectively the hydrogen makes a temporary storage medium for energy and it makes a poor one at least in terms of powering a car.

[Spidey]

Hydrogen Fuel cells are great for producing power for something like spacecraft, but I doubt it will ever be viable as a power producer for automobiles, at least until we figure out how to produce hydrogen in abundant supplies at little energy cost.

Maybe a long pipe from one of the gas giants…

[Canuck]

http://entropyproduction.blogspot.com/2 ... ncept.html

A scam indeed... fishy fish fish fishy said...

[MD-1118]

Hydrogen Fuel cells are great for producing power for something like spacecraft, but I doubt it will ever be viable as a power producer for automobiles, at least until we figure out how to produce hydrogen in abundant supplies at little energy cost

Ah, but haven't you heard? There is a way.

to create a Philosopher's Stone requires the expenditure of raw materials: including human lives on a massive scale

... and here you have your answer as to what to do with all of the criminals.

In all seriousness, though, it is possible to make cold fusion feasible, right? What if someone were to attempt something similar to Doc Ock's pet project on Spiderman 2? I mean, I'm no physicist by a long shot, but I know some basics, and from everything I've read or heard, chaos seems to be the most prevalent factor in the metagalaxy (more commonly known as the Universe). Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum physics... they have their structure and order, yes, but they are extremely flexible laws, and I find it hard to imagine that something like cold fusion is impossible. What if one were to use magnets? Really, really big magnets? Would that contain a fusion reaction? For that matter, does the fusion even have to be cold?