'Free Energy for Ever?' "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children."New ideas have arisen and been exploited on a fairly frequent basis in humankinds history, and this one may be an example in kind. The principles involved are not discussed at length since it is not necessary to understand them in order to exploit the process concerned. Many technologies that are, today, taken for granted have come from utopia (in the truest meaning of the word, nowhere), from an ancestors point of view. It, therefore, cannot be precluded that other areas of development still await the eyes that will recognise them.
Examples of this phenomenon abound. The implications of Faradays discovery of practical uses for electricity, for example, could not have been expected to have had the impact that it did on human history at the time of discovery. And certainly not without the maths background that one is normally expected to have. Trevithicks earlier annoyance of James Watt is another.
More recently, a new heat-resistant paint ('Starlite', which was reported by main news bulletins as being resistant to nuclear flash), developed by a non-qualified individual led a professor in chemical engineering, commissioned to investigate the new material, to conclude that the inventor spoke complete nonsense in respect of the chemistry involved, although he found the material to be remarkable. This was not surprising, since this individual had no formal training in the field. He was, therefore no doubt, forced to develop his own notation which obviously made no sense at all to any qualified chemist. What surprises one is that it was a non-professional who developed the material and not the combined resources of the nations chemical industry, which one would normally expect.
Similarly, the National Physical Laboratory, on a day to day basis, uses a device (which is relatively easy to reproduce in the laboratory), known as a Josephson Junction, for exquisitely precise voltage measurements, yet states, quite happily, in an annual report, that no explanation exists in either Mathematics or Physics for its functions or electrical properties.
Water, a simple molecule, is essential to the most complex chemistries, biochemistry being but one. Chaos theory teaches that apparently simple systems can exhibit complex behaviour which criteria water appears to fit well. It is the authors view that the key to the process described below is an instability in the water molecule, and that the process does not involve any new forces but can be explained in terms of physical phenomenon already understood (namely field theory). Similarly, if a number of systems already exist to decompose water into its atomic constituents then it seems absolutely certain that other, more efficient means remain to be discovered.
Hydrogen ignites at 579.4°C. Normal hydrogen-oxygen welding is thought to yield temperatures of around 3,315°C. However, it is reported that when a hydrogen-oxygen mix of 2 parts H to 1 part O is ignited temperatures of 5,660°C can be realised, the proof offered being the resultant flames sublimation of tungsten.
Since the hotter the flame, the greater the amount of work that can be achieved, and since 1 litre of water will yield some 1,840 litres of explosive/flammable gas it makes eminent sense to use water, if possible, as a fuel source because of the ratios and the possibilities thus presented.
Experience of processes involving water and electricity where hydrogen is an unwanted by product (battery charging, ultrasonic cleaning, etc.) led to the idea that a system might well be 'tuned' specifically to do just that.
These, if developed, might have profound implications for the petrochemical industry, and transport systems in general, if cars were thus fuelled.
The 'Meyer' Method. The apparatus demonstrated by Meyer essentially consists of a transparent cylinder (less than a metre high) in which a metal work structure (the poles) with a high surface area is immersed in water. By applying high voltage pulses across the poles the water in the 'cell' decomposes easily into its atomic constituents hydrogen and oxygen (H and O). The most interesting feature of this apparatus is that, if the resultant gases are burned off, the resultant flame appears to demonstrate a greater energy output than was required by the cell to produce the gas in the first case.
In other words, the apparatus demonstrates an apparent net energy gain, thus differing markedly from other proprietary systems.
Interestingly, the cells action is sensitive to light in that gas production is enhanced when the cell has light shone through it (sonoluminescence).
It is reported that Meyer (who held four US patents covering his method) has run a Volkswagen off six of these cells.
Other Meyer patents can make interesting reading. If my memory serves me correctly 4826581 (repeated in 5293857) suggested an impulse engine to me (an object fitted with a number, small or large, of impulse engines can be capable of flight without the need for aerodynamics).
I can see no harm in sometimes merely attempting to visualise unforeseen technologies which can, in itself, be interesting. Surprisingly though, experience shows that there can be a number of persistent individuals who appear to actively discourage debate, which is a shame. Perhaps this is a consequence of vested interests (after all, why expend so much energy opposing a merely 'crackpot' idea, and one must remember how the tobacco companies held out).
Meyer died soon after interest in the matter was declared and I was unable to contact him. Further research was dominated by a distinct change in the modus operandi of the relationships I was involved in when success of a kind was observed, so be warned. There is nothing stopping you from getting your hands wet so let me know what you think, and how you get on.
Regretably a new energy source such as this may not have advantages since a proliferation in areas, that of now, are unpowered may not be productive. However, given the amount of reclamation work that is required to deal with the consequences of recent human consumption, it is considered folly to expend existing resources in these areas.
Under no circumstances make any attempt to store any gases given off. Some references
1. Equinox - 'Heat Engines That Defy Thermodynamics (It Runs On Water" - script)'Some lively discussions about Stan (together with 'A Notice to Inform' see above) can be found at deja.com (do an archive search for 'Stan Meyer', forum = 'sci.energy.hydrogen' and others). See also Letter from Water Fuel Cell and Keelynet.2. US pats 4613304, Gas electrical hydrogen generator (maintenance status E2 {expired}). 4798661, Gas generator voltage control circuit. 4936961, Method for the production of a fuel gas, accessed through www.patents.ibm.com (but this now appears to have moved to Delphion).
3. 'A Critical Review of the Available Information Regarding Claims of Zero-Point Energy, Free-Energy and Over-Unity Experiments and Devices' by Patrick Bailey and Toby Grotz, http://www.eagle-net.org/zionosphere
Greengas; http://said.iafrica.com/greengas/index.html4. Hydrogen Movie-Chain Reaction (http://www.ttcorp.com/nha/chainrea.htm)Piel; http://www.ilt-piel.com/index.html
5. 'Free energy for ever?', Frank Ogden, Electronics and Wireless World, Jan '91.
6. US pat 3969214, Permanent magnet hydrogen oxygen generating cells.
7. http://www.newciv.org/GIB/BOV/BV-396.HTML
8. http://www.newphys.se
9. Market survey research, see Research Report Notes.
10. Update, Engineering with Steel, Engineering, Jan '97
11. http://www.ufomind.com/ufo/updates/1998/mar/m29-005. shtml
12. see 3 above 'A critical Review.....'
13. US pat; 4613304, Gas electrical hydrogen generator (maintenance status E2 {expired})
14. 'End of road for car that ran on water', Sunday Times, 1/12/96, in conjunction with this, see 'Notice to Inform'.
Another related patent includes 5293857, Hydrogen gas fuel and management system for an internal combustion engine utilizing hydrogen gas fuel.
Other patents by Stan include; 5149407, 4465455, 4421474, 4389981, 4275950, 4265224 and 3970070.
Patents: US pats 4613304, Gas electrical hydrogen generator (maintenance status E2 {expired}). 4798661, Gas generator voltage control circuit. 4936961, Method for the production of a fuel gas. 4613779, Electrical pulse generator.
Other researchers preliminary results | Some sketches