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m The Admiral makes no claims of the Stanley Meyers water fuel cell. Sote it incorrect, and the admirals statements were also incorrect.
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m Undid revision 230438120 by Nseidm1 (talk) ehh the article actually says interesting things. Although how about verifiability?
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{{cquote|After hours of discussion between ourselves, we concluded that Stan Meyer did appear to have discovered an entirely new method for splitting water which showed few of the characteristics of classical electrolysis. Confirmation that his devices actually do work come from his collection of granted US patents on various parts of the WFC system. Since they were granted under Section 101 by the US Patent Office, the hardware involved in the patents has been examined experimentally by US Patent Office experts and their seconded experts and all the claims have been established.<ref name="ww" />}}
{{cquote|After hours of discussion between ourselves, we concluded that Stan Meyer did appear to have discovered an entirely new method for splitting water which showed few of the characteristics of classical electrolysis. Confirmation that his devices actually do work come from his collection of granted US patents on various parts of the WFC system. Since they were granted under Section 101 by the US Patent Office, the hardware involved in the patents has been examined experimentally by US Patent Office experts and their seconded experts and all the claims have been established.<ref name="ww" />}}


While there have been many attempts to replicate the results of the system, noone so far has claimed to do so. Also, there is no documented proof that the system produces enough oxyhydrogen to run an engine. To date there has not been a scientific peer review by the established scientific community done to establish workability on the claimed theories.
While there have been many attempts to replicate the results of the system, noone so far has claimed to do so. Also, there is no documented proof that the system produces enough oxyhydrogen to run an engine. To date there has not been a scientific peer review by the established scientific community done to establish workability on the claimed theories. Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, executive officer in the Royal Navy for 42 years, claims the system doesn't violate any laws governing thermodynamics or physics.<ref>[http://www.theorionproject.org/en/documents/Griffin.pdf abstract of lecture by Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin] Lecture by Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin to the maritime division of south Southampton institute, Warsash, UK as part of the symposium of the impact of New technology on the Marine Industries, September 1993.</ref>


== Lawsuit ==
== Lawsuit ==

Revision as of 17:08, 7 August 2008

For other water fueled devices, see Water-fuelled car. For fuel cells in general, see Fuel cell.

Template:Perpetual motion machine The water fuel cell is a device invented by American Stanley Allen Meyer, which he claimed could convert water into its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen, using less energy than can be obtained by the subsequent combustion of those elements, a process that results the reconstitution of the water molecules. Thus, if the device operated as claimed, the combustion cycle would start and end in the same state while extracting usable energy, thereby violating both the first and second laws of thermodynamics,[1] allowing operation as a perpetual motion machine. Meyer's claims about his "Water Fuel Cell" and the car that it powered were found to be fraudulent by an Ohio court in 1996.[2]

The term "fuel cell"

The circuit [3]

Throughout his patents[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and marketing material,[12][13][14] Meyer uses the terms "fuel cell" or "water fuel cell" to refer to the portion of his device in which electricity is passed through water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Meyer's use of the term in this sense is contrary to its usual meaning in the scientific and engineering community, in which such cells are conventionally called "electrolytic cells".[15] Furthermore, the term "fuel cell" is usually reserved for cells which produce electricity from a chemical redox reaction,[16][17][18] whereas Meyer's "fuel cell" consumed electricity.

One of Meyer's patents describes the use of a "water fuel cell assembly'"[4] and portrays some images which allegedly demonstrate a "fuel cell water capacitor".[4] According to the patent, in this case "...the term 'fuel cell' refers to a single unit of the invention comprising a water capacitor cell... that produces the fuel gas in accordance with the method of the invention."[4]

Media coverage

The water fuel cell[4]

A news report by Action 6 News claims to demonstrate Stanley Meyer's water fuel cell powering a dune buggy. Meyer estimated that only 22 US gallons (83 liters) of water were required to travel from Los Angeles to New York.[13] Meyer claimed that he replaced the spark plugs with "injectors" to spray a fine mist of water into the engine cylinders, which he claimed were subjected to an electrical resonance. The water fuel cell would split the water mist into hydrogen and oxygen gas, which would then be combusted back into water vapor in a conventional internal combustion engine to produce net energy.[2]


It's not easy to establish how Meyer's car was meant to work, except that it involved a fuel cell that was able to split water using less energy than was released by recombination of the elements.[14]

— Philip Ball

Meyer presented his fuel cell device to Professor Michael Laughton, Dean of Engineering at Queen Mary College, London, Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, a former controller of the British Navy, and Dr. Keith Hindley, a UK researchchemist.[2][19] According to the witnesses, the Meyer cell remained remarkably cold, even after hours of gas production as his system appeared to operate on much smaller current than conventional electrolysis would require. The witnesses also stated:

After hours of discussion between ourselves, we concluded that Stan Meyer did appear to have discovered an entirely new method for splitting water which showed few of the characteristics of classical electrolysis. Confirmation that his devices actually do work come from his collection of granted US patents on various parts of the WFC system. Since they were granted under Section 101 by the US Patent Office, the hardware involved in the patents has been examined experimentally by US Patent Office experts and their seconded experts and all the claims have been established.[19]

While there have been many attempts to replicate the results of the system, noone so far has claimed to do so. Also, there is no documented proof that the system produces enough oxyhydrogen to run an engine. To date there has not been a scientific peer review by the established scientific community done to establish workability on the claimed theories. Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, executive officer in the Royal Navy for 42 years, claims the system doesn't violate any laws governing thermodynamics or physics.[20]

Lawsuit

In 1996, inventor Stanley Meyer was sued by two investors to whom he had sold dealerships, offering the right to do business in Water Fuel Cell technology. His car was due to be examined by the expert witness Michael Laughton, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. However, Meyer made what Professor Laughton considered a "lame excuse" on the days of examination and did not allow the test to proceed.[2] According to Meyer the technology was patent pending and under investigation by the patent office, the Department of energy and the military.[21][22] The Water Fuel Cell however, was examined by three witnesses in court who found that there "was nothing revolutionary about the cell at all and that it was simply using conventional electrolysis". The court found Meyer guilty of "gross and egregious fraud" and ordered to repay the two investors their $25,000.[2]

Meyer claims the Times article wrongly implies that the U.S. Patent Office has not the ability to rule on the technical merits of issued U.S. Patents, as so granted to inventor, Stanley A. Meyer, under 35 USC 101[23] and that the article wrongly implies that the Plaintiff's three experts had the necessary scientific background to properly evaluate the various stages of the tech-development of the WFC technology.[21]

Meyer's Death

See also: Free energy suppression

Stanley Meyer died suddenly on 21 March 1998 after sipping from his drink while dining at a restaurant. An autopsy report by the Franklin County, Ohio coroner concluded that Meyer had died of a cerebral aneurysm,[24] but conspiracy theorists insist that he was poisoned to suppress the technology, and that oil companies and the United States government were involved in his death.[25][26][27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Truth About Water-Powered Cars: Mechanic's Diary". Popular Mechanics. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  2. ^ a b c d e Edwards, Tony (1996-12-01). "End of road for car that ran on Water". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Limited. p. Features 12. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  3. ^ a b U.S. patent 5,149,407: Process and apparatus for the production of fuel gas and the enhanced release of thermal energy from such gas
  4. ^ a b c d e U.S. patent 4,936,961: Method for the production of a fuel gas
  5. ^ U.S. patent 4,826,581: Controlled process for the production of thermal energy from gases and apparatus useful therefore
  6. ^ U.S. patent 4,798,661: Gas generator voltage control circuit
  7. ^ U.S. patent 4,613,779: Electrical pulse generator
  8. ^ U.S. patent 4,613,304: Gas electrical hydrogen generator
  9. ^ U.S. patent 4,465,455: Start-up/shut-down for a hydrogen gas burner
  10. ^ U.S. patent 4,421,474: Hydrogen gas burner
  11. ^ U.S. patent 4,389,981: Hydrogen gas injector system for internal combustion engine
  12. ^ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7890314993072742238
  13. ^ a b Robinson, Ralph (Reporter), Tom Ryan (News caster) and Gayd Hogan (News caster) "Unknown Episode." Action 6 News. Unknown Network. Station call sign: WSYX. Filmed in Groveport. Length: 1 Minute 45 seconds. Republished by Annaheim, Kurt W. "Media Page - See, Hear and Discover Free Electricity." Last updated 7 May 2008. Befreetech.Com. Accessed 23 June 2008.
  14. ^ a b "Stan Meyer's Files". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |acccessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "waterpoweredcar" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ The "The Columbia Encyclopedia", Columbia University Press 2004 defines fuel cell as an "Electric cell in which the chemical energy from the oxidation of a gas fuel is converted directly to electrical energy in a continuous process"; and electrolysis as "Passage of an electric current through a conducting solution or molten salt that is decomposed in the process."
  16. ^ Introduction: Batteries and Fuel Cells Whittingham, M. S.; Savinell, R. F.; Zawodzinski, T. Chem. Rev.; 2004; 104(10); 4243-4244.
  17. ^ What Are Batteries, Fuel Cells, and Supercapacitors? Winter, M.; Brodd, R. J. Chem. Rev.; 2004; 104(10); 4245-4270.
  18. ^ Chem. Rev.; 2004; 104(10), entire issue.
  19. ^ a b Ogden, Frank. "Free energy for ever?" Wireless World, January 1991, p.16.
  20. ^ abstract of lecture by Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin Lecture by Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin to the maritime division of south Southampton institute, Warsash, UK as part of the symposium of the impact of New technology on the Marine Industries, September 1993.
  21. ^ a b Letter from Water fuel cell regarding stanley meyer's water fuel cell project New Energy News 1997
  22. ^ 101 General (R-5) - 100 Secrecy, Access, National Security, and Foreign Filing No information concerning published patent applications shall be made available to the public except as the Director determines.
  23. ^ 35 U.S.C. 101 Inventions patentable. - Patent Laws Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
  24. ^ Narciso, Dean (July 8, 2007). "The Car that Ran on Water". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2008-03-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Water Powered Car report on Meyer's death". Retrieved 2008-03-24. states (as of January 2007):
    "It was a shame to hear that he was poisoned .... He died in the parking lot of a restaurant in his home town of Grove City, Ohio. Sharks came a week later and stole the dune buggy and all of his experimental equipment, according to his brother, Steve. Stan said while he was alive, that he was threatened many times and would not sell out to Arab Oil Corp."
  26. ^ Ball, Philip (September 14, 2007). "Burning water and other myths". Nature News. Retrieved 2007-09-14. He died in 1998 after eating at a restaurant; the coroner diagnosed an aneurysm, but the conspiracy web still suspects he was poisoned. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ [1] Lieutenant Steven Robinette of the Grove City Police Department talks about the investigation into Stanley Meyer's death. Robinette was in charge of the detective bureau at that time. quote: "The one thing that was based on science."
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