Hy-Drive promises cars can run on water - India, China and others are buying
We never get far into a "cars can run on water" story before people fire up their negative comments and criticize the idea as absurd. Well, sure, it sounds odd and too good to be true, but what if I told you that a management consultant – a person who gets paid to give good ideas – thought it was a good enough idea to invest big in a company built on the idea and the technology to do it? Tom Brown is that person. He used to just be an investor in Hy-Drive Technologies Ltd., but he was so impressed with the company and the technology that he is now the president and CEO (I wonder what his hair is like?).
The Canadian company has "quietly developed its revolutionary technology into a product slowly being adopted around the world," according to this story in the Toronto Star. Hy-Drive has distribution contracts with organizations around the world to sell compact units – which create hydrogen gas from water and inject it into the engine to increase fuel efficiency by between nine and 40 percent. The units also make the hydrocarbon emissions drop 74 percent and particulate matter emissions drop 80 percent. The units are used in long-haul truck today, but Martinrea International Inc. may get them into cars soon.
Unfortunately, the original Toronto Star story lacks photos, so we can't see Brown or any of his technology. Or his hair. For that, we'll have to try the official company site.
[Source: San Grewal / Toronto Star]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eminem Sucks 7:44PM (12/28/2006)
Just wait for hydrogen cars--if they ever come.
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Howard Lee Harkness 8:15PM (12/28/2006)
This does not look like a "running on water" story. "Running on water" involves impossible perpetual-motion. There is some evidence that a small amount of H2 mixed with gasoline vapor can improve the burn efficiency. Personally, I doubt that there is enough improvement to justify investing any money in it -- especially if the H2 is generated by electrolysis.
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Derek 8:16PM (12/28/2006)
More details please?
It doesn't sound like the car is supposed to be running on *only* H2 so maybe it isn't the usual perpetual motion machine scam. Sounds more like H2 is being used as an "additive" to improve diesel combustion? A possibility?
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Matt 9:58PM (12/28/2006)
I checked out the vids on their site. Basically it uses distilled water and creates small amounts of hydrogen on demand which is fed into the air intake which in turn helps but fuel burn more efficiently.
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Ivan 8:47AM (12/29/2006)
It is a first commercial step, it is a first commercial use... It is around the corner and will stimulate car makers like Honda and Toyota to get their Hydrogen prototype cars to the market faster... I think this is great...
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CM 2:18AM (12/30/2006)
First they claimed to run the car on the 2 par hydrogen 1 part oxygen electrolyzer gas (AKA "Browns Gas", HHO, "Joe Cell", etc.) until it became obvious that the they couldn't produce nearly enough and regular fuel was still required. (And someone spotted the hidden gas tank).
So they shifted gears and now claim a modest improvement in fuel economy and a substantial reduction in pollutants. How do we know? The companies trying to sell these gizmos said so! They run the tests - don't you believe them?
We have yet to see any truly objective unbiased testing on these rather improbable claims.
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PS 8:06PM (1/02/2007)
There have been numerous studies done at universities and well reputed research facilities which have shown that the addition of hydrogen in catalytic amounts materially improves the combustion efficiency. The results are improved fuel economy, and dramatically reduced exhaust emissions.
This technology was first discovered and documented by NASA's jet propulsion lab in 1974.
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CM 9:21PM (1/02/2007)
"there have been numerous studies done at universities and well reputed research facilities..."
Can you actually give any references that we can read, or is this from the Makebelieve University Vaporware research facility?
"This technology was first discovered and documented by NASAs jet propulsion lab in 1974"
Really? Most of what NASA has been doing is well documented. Can you give a reference, or is this more letspretend research.
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pamela 11:17PM (1/03/2007)
well if they find a way to run car totally on h20 i am in for that, but anything to do with gas is a waist of everyones time, we have to get totally away from oil in anyway shape or form, that is the only thing that will help, our one, and only, earth let alone our humans.
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