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This car was described in June 1992 to the 9th World hydrogen Energy conference in Paris.
Here the papers referred only to various aspects of hydrogen generation through electrolysis, or its storage or its subsequent application.
It is worth recalling that in April 1988, the starboard engine of a three-engined Tupolev 255 airliner was modified to run on hydrogen which was seen to be embarked in liquid form from a fuel bowser. The aircraft flew for about twenty minutes on its hydrogen powered engine which showed no exhaust except a trail of water vapour. The main attraction in all of these cases has been the absence of pollution at the scene of action. However, the pollution problem has merely been transferred to the source of the power required to drive the electrolytic process.
PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATIONS
Many practical demonstrations of Water Fuel Cell technology have already been made and more are planned.
Most of Meyer's patents were filed under a particular clause of the US Patent Regulations which requires a claim to be demonstrated before it can be granted.
The 1980 Patent
The first and probably the most frequently demonstrated patent is based on the actual equipment used in 1980 to support Meyer's claim for his hydrogen fracturing process. I have now personally witnessed it 4 times. In outline, the apparatus consists of 9 concentric stainless steel cylinders, with about a 1 mm gap between them. They are 14 inches long and are effectively waveguides. They are immersed in tap water contained in a glass vessel.
The top of the vessel is normally gas tight but has a pressure gauge and a valve to allow gas to pass to atmosphere when required. Electrical power with opposite polarities is applied in pulses to the inner and outer cylinders and at a power of 10 watts, i.e. 5 volts at 2 amps. A considerable quantity of gas immediately accumulates in the top of the vessel and, within 10 seconds, reaches a pressure of about 10 pounds per square inch.
When the valve is opened, a jet of cold gas can be felt, but on this being lit with a match, the temperature instantly rises to about 3000F and the flame burns through a stainless steel wire in about 2 seconds. The glass vessel and its attachments remain at room temperature throughout, thus ruling out any normal electrolytic process. Plainly, the generation of such a quantity of gas and its immediate application at such a high temperature, demands more than 10 watts of electrical energy. Furthermore, as the stainless steel cylinders have not noticeably been consumed over several years, the balance of the energy required can only come from the zero-point energy in the water. Meyer points out that all the parameters involved in this demonstration have been deliberately de-optimised, e.g. 5 volts instead of 20,000 volts and 2 amps instead of 0.5 milliamp, 14 inch tubes instead of an optimum of 27 inch tubes, etc. in order to allow the principle of the water fracturing process to be demonstrated without risk of explosion.
The 1985 Dune Buggy
In 1985, a dune buggy powered by a standard 1600 cc Volkswagen engine was modified through Water Fuel Cell technology to run on water fuel. It was a breadboard quality experiment which was successfully demonstrated as broadcast on American TV and reported in the press. A video tape record is held by London University.
The 1993 Dune Buggy
This will be the first demonstration of a complete system, manufactured to a pre-production standard as a conversion kit for a typical car. The rig is designed for powers up to 400 hp and, in production, Meyer expects to market it for $1500. The date has yet to be settled, but is expected to be within the next 2 months in Ohio.