cold fusion deja vu? "Radio frequencies can ignite saltwater, making it a potential fuel"

http://green.yahoo.com/index.php?q=node/1570

by juwo • 19 years ago

3 4 19 years ago

green.yahoo.com

How could this have a positive EROI? You start with H2O, radio energy then breaks the bonds and gives you 2H2 + 02, and the H2 burns and gives you back H20 + heat. But since you start with the same substance you end with, the amount of energy released as heat must be less than amount of energy added by the radio waves, right? Unless the salt is somehow involved...

Am I missing anything? Hydrocarbons have a positive EROI because the end products (CO2 and H20) have lower energy than the original fuel, and so the excess can be harnessed to do work. But electrolysis/fuel cells have only been proposed for energy storage (and portability) because you can't get out more energy than you put in...

alex_c• 19 years ago

That's the one thing I wanted to see mentioned in the article - how much energy they managed to get out relative to how much they put in.

Looking forward to the discussion about this on slashdot. :p

jgamman• 19 years ago

it's rubbish. extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. there is no exception to the third law of TD known and boy have people looked. novel force previously unknown to physics vs investment scam... hhhmmm which should i choose? oh how can i possibly decide?

juwo• 19 years ago

My opinion: it should have been observed in nature if it really exists.

cold fusion deja vu? "Radio frequencies can ignite saltwater, making it a potential fuel"

Related Stories