Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 10:03:30 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Alternative Fuels - Salt Water
In-Reply-To: <20071202133517.3C7BC1165C3@hamburg.alientech.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Mike S wrote:
> At 07:51 AM 12/2/2007, John Rodgers wrote...
>> With an oil crisis looming, cheap fuel would be nice. So how about
>> using
>> salt water for fuel.
>>
>> John Kanzius, a communications engineer, retired, was looking for a
>> cure
>> to cancer and stumbled on this. I have a video of this if anyone would
>> care to post it on their website. It' probably not a new concept,
>> except
>> for me.
>
> Salt water doesn't burn, misunderstandings of the mainstream media
> notwithstanding.
>
> He bombards saltwater with radio waves to cause it to split into
> hydrogen and oxygen. Interesting, but it will always take as much or
> more energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen than is released
> when burning it (recombining the hydrogen and oxygen).
>
>
True, it really is only the components of the salt that are recombining
in combustion, after they have been split from each other in the first
place - AND it takes energy to do the split - more than what is produced
by the burning or combustion of the salt components.
Yeah, it's a challenge. What is often forgotten by almost every one
except the science types in the debate over energy is that all this
energy (including atomic energy) comes from our sun. When that solar
energy reaches earth it goes through a series of changes of form, is
temporarily stores as coal, oil, wood, etc, and eventually released once
again to radiate out into space. We have a problem in the fact that we
need some forms of that energy more than we need others for our
civilization. That comes largely from our lack of knowledge - we do in
fact know a lot, but not much when compared to what we might come to
know. We need to know much more about how to efficiently extract usable
energy at various points along the energy stream as it flows through our
planet, without upsetting the ecology of our planet and making the place
unlivable.. That is a tough call, but we must get there.
As for myself, at this point in time - and my opinion may well change as
new knowledge comes forth - I believe that atomic energy is the solution
to the need for ongoing primary power needs - including home energy and
vehicular energy requirements. I've seen prototype planning
presentations - so there is thinking along those lines - but thus far no
workable solutions. But I believe it will come, and part of those
solutions will also be what to do with related waste materials. I
certainly wouldn't want my garage to glow in the dark with radioactivity
nor my neighbors either. And I'm sure he wouldn't. So, there are issues,
but I do believe that solutions aren't impossible.
As for current fuels - I guess gasoline is the fuel that pound for pound
has the most energy available for ease of release. We have not yet found
a truly suitable substitute, and I believe that the corn based fuels are
going to prove out to be a disaster in the making in the long haul.
Takes too much energy to make the stuff, plus it cuts into the food
supply in many ways. Not a good thing.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
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