Scientists are still working to create a water powered engine that actually works according to the laws of thermodynamics. There are several urban legends making the rounds surrounding people who have claimed to have invented the water powered engine (Stanley Meyer being the most famous of them all). Unfortunately, to date every single claim of the invention of the water powered engine has resulted in fraud and the attempt by various swindlers whose only intention has been to make a lot of money from the pocketbooks of gullible investors.
People often get confused when they hear the words "water powered engine." They picture a car engine with regular water coursing through its pipes and tubes. What people don't realize is that the water powered engine is, in a way, a hydrogen engine in that the water used in the water powered engine is used for the sole purpose of harvesting hydrogen which is then combusted. The combustion from the hydrogen is used to power the car.
There debate surrounding the hydrogen engine (or the water powered engine if it ever gets invented) is still raging. Passionate people stand on both sides of the fence regarding the issue.
People who are against the hydrogen car and the water powered engine are mostly afraid of the possibility of explosion. Hydrogen is an extremely volatile and flammable gas and does have the potential to explode (so does gasoline but we will get to that in a minute). The memory of the Hindenburg explosion during World War Two is still fresh enough to make people shudder and it is this memory that creates the most hostility against the advent of the water powered engine.
Other worries include the fact that storing hydrogen is a huge problem. In order to store enough to use on a drive, the hydrogen must be very tightly compressed, which isn't always the best idea when it comes to an element like hydrogen.
Of course there are also arguments for the water powered engine and the hydrogen car. Proponents of these developments are quick to point out that gasoline is just as likely to explode as hydrogen is and that a gasoline explosion is far more devastating than a hydrogen explosion. When a gasoline powered car explodes the entire car will explode as a result of it. This leaves the passengers of the car with very little chance for survival. Hydrogen, however, is a gas and will float to the top of the car, taking the explosion with it. This leaves the passengers safely underneath the danger.
Obviously the hydrogen or water powered engine is far better for the environment than gasoline or diesel powered engines. Water powered engines will not cause any carbon emissions and won't be a drain on the earth's reserve of fossil fuels. Hydrogen is something that the world will probably never run out of because it can always be harvested from water.
There are good arguments both for and against the water powered engine.
Cars That Run on Water Tip #1
No matter what anybody tells you, there is not yet a water powered car in production. That is an urban myth that reached its peak with Stanley Meyer who claimed that he drove one hundred miles using only four ounces of water (he was later convicted of fraud). The water powered engine hasn't even been invented yet. Scientists are still trying to figure out if it is even possible. |
Cars That Run on Water Tip #2
Many major car manufacturers are embracing the idea of the hydrogen car. BMW hopes to release a hydrogen car to the public by 2008 (or 2010 at the latest) and other manufacturers like Toyota are also making plans to release hydrogen car lines. Of course the debate over using hydrogen in cars is still raging and nothing has been settled yet. |
Cars That Run on Water Tip #3
While both a water based engine and a hydrogen engine will do wonders for fuel emissions and the environment, one of the major reasons people want them is to improve their fuel mileage. Of course, gas mileage can be improved right now. You can improve your gas mileage drastically just by driving sensibly and making sure your car is maintained properly. |
