Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

Hmmm.... electric motorcycles anyone? Nice and light. Anyway, just running straight electricity could be an improvement since a few big power plants can probably be more efficient than lots of cars. What I'd really like to see is a method to make ethanol out of kudzu, that'd definatly help reduce the reliance on foreign oil here in the US.

Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

I am very skeptical of this HHO gas, especially when seeing that guy heat stuff up with his torch. "Hotter than the surface of the sun"? An oxyacetylene torch, properly adjusted, will give a 6300 F degree flame, while a oxyhydrogen flame for welding has a temperature of 4000 F degree flame. One of the reasons hydrogen is used for welding is the fact that is not as hot as acetylene, and provides more control on lower melting point metals like gold and silver (jewelry), as well as light gauge metal.

Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

CNN.com has now picked up the same story. Sorry, I cant seem to figure out how to post a link to the CNN.com videos.

Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

BMW is experimenting with sterling cycle engines added on to their internal combustion engines. Looks like it is going to go into production. The sterling cycle is an excellent way to utilize low grade heat waste from industrial processes. It's a matter of market economics or government mandates to bring efficiency and conservation to our society.

Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

In many cities in Germany as I saw from the last time my parents went to Germany many of the neighborhoods inside the city were designed just this way. Even today many of the streets are still only 2 way (if that streets) because everyone rides their bikes or takes the train.

Re: Water to Fuel Cars
 

The need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is the main driving force for these hybrid cars (at least to the US public.) The energy needed to move your 3-4000lb vehicle will always be a requirement. Where that energy comes from is the big question.

Using gasoline = foreign oil, since the US doesn't produce enough of it's own. Using electricity/batteries means that the energy comes from some massive power plant. Power plants run off coal, natural gas, geothermal vents, nuclear energy, water (dams), garbage, etc... Most power plants are depleating the natural resources of our planet, and therefore, aren't much better than relying on foreign oil for our transportation needs. The truly universal solution to our energy needs is renewable energy. Solar, wind, ocean currents... Until these energy sources are included into the worlds infrastructures, we'll continue to depleat our natural resources. Using all the new "alternative fuels" only helps to increase (in some cases) the efficiency of the system. Other "alternative fuels" actually decrease the efficiency. The fuels don't truly replace the energy system, they just reform it.

As Ken pointed out earlier in this thread, the more processing you do to your energy, the less efficient the whole energy process becomes. Taking methane and breaking out the H2 to run your fuel cell car HAS to be less efficient than just running your car on just methane. For this guy in Florida, he's using the gasoline engine to run the alternator on his car, which in turn creates electricity to electrolyze water. The resulting gases are fed back into the gasoline powered engine which created it in the first place... (HUH?) How does that possibly increase the overall system efficiency?

For the time being, if you want a more fuel efficient car, slow down. A 10mph difference on the highway will make a dramatic change in your vehicle's mpg.

BEN