Water : Evaporation : Seperation

[Jinndar]

Hello,

 

I am by no means a scientist, but more of a curious thinker. Today I saw a video news clip about the car they have developed to run on H2O. I knew they had developed a bus a while ago, but finally a smaller car. I believe the operation of the car is this, the water is split into Oxygen and Hydrogen, then the Hydrogen is then used to move the car. I assume the Oxygen is released into the air.

 

Now my question is this.

 

1. Does water eventually become non existent?

 

2. And after the Hydrogen is combusted does that chemical change get fussed again with oxygen later down the road?

 

Sorry for my ignorance with the questions and my ignorance with the science itself.

[iNow]

It's a lie.

 

One of the moderators here (swansont) very recently wrote a blog post about it. Check it out:

 

http://blogs.scienceforums.net/swansont/archives/440

 

 

And he linked to a deconstruction over here:

 

http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2008/06/perpetual_motion_via_fuel_cell.php

[Mr Skeptic]

When you burn hydrogen, you just end up with water. This is exactly like when someone tries to use a waterwheel to power a pump to lift the water for the water wheel. Doesn't work so good.

[DeanK2]

Whatever happened to the water fuelled engine?

 

The hydrogen and oxygen are obtained by electrolysis of water. However, this reaction requires a great amount of enrgy - the covalent bonds are strong. It is impractical to start electrolysis in the car. There would be large power stations that would do this, and the hydrogen would be transported to the cars. Yes, the oxygen from these large electrolysis "power" plants would be released into the air. So far, this seems to be understood by you. However, it is a common misconception that hydrogen itself will be combusted (which would rightly mean that the exhaust would, after combustion, expel water vapour).

 

There are new fuel cells that are apparently far more efficient than combustion. The hydrogen is chemically reacted with oxygen, among other chemicals, in the fuel cell. Therefore, the oxygen is not expelled, and both would be required to produce electricity.