Scientist ignites salt water with radio waves - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum

Dilettante · #1 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007

OK, I thought this was incredibly cool.

Quote:

Radio frequencies help burn salt water
ERIE, Pa. - An Erie cancer researcher has found a way to burn salt water, a novel invention that is being touted by one chemist as the "most remarkable" water science discovery in a century.

John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator he developed to treat cancer. He discovered that as long as the salt water was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn.

The discovery has scientists excited by the prospect of using salt water, the most abundant resource on earth, as a fuel.

Rustum Roy, a Penn State University chemist, has held demonstrations at his State College lab to confirm his own observations.

The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen, Roy said. Once ignited, the hydrogen will burn as long as it is exposed to the frequencies, he said.

The discovery is "the most remarkable in water science in 100 years," Roy said.

"This is the most abundant element in the world. It is everywhere," Roy said. "Seeing it burn gives me the chills."

Roy will meet this week with officials from the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to try to obtain research funding.

The scientists want to find out whether the energy output from the burning hydrogen — which reached a heat of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit — would be enough to power a car or other heavy machinery.

"We will get our ideas together and check this out and see where it leads," Roy said. "The potential is huge."

3000 degrees! What I really want to know (but haven't seen so far) is how much energy is required to generate the radio frequencies.

A collection of news casts of this guy is here: Saltwater Burns

Steve · #2 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007

Pretty cool stuff; I read that earlier today.

In the piece I read, I believe someone was quoted as saying that it would take far more energy to burn salt water than burning salt water could ever produce.

Still, it's pretty cool...

Chang Wufei · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007

That's awesome. The only downside is that someone's gonna try and use it as a weapon, but can you imagine what this means for heavy industry, such as coal and nuclear power? And submarines and ships can go on forever on practically nothing! Free shipping, redefined!

pramjockey · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007

Actually, this isn't that big a deal. There's still going to be more energy used in the production of the radio waves than there will be by the combustion of the hydrogen.

Granted, burning hydrogen is fun, but it's not a miracle.

kramer · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by pramjockey

Actually, this isn't that big a deal. There's still going to be more energy used in the production of the radio waves than there will be by the combustion of the hydrogen.

Granted, burning hydrogen is fun, but it's not a miracle.

I still got hopes for cold fusion.

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