Does anyone have this suspician that the salt water burning is going to be another cold fusion follie?

Question

But I watched on youtube it was done by some guy in his basement and two giant rf generaters were used that consume so much energy just to create a dinky little flame that powers a sterling engine. (A candle can power a sterling engine)

Obviously more energy was consumed to create that flame then was generated. See for yourself http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8670604913508341677&q=burning+saltwater&total=55&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Answer 1

No; it doesn't even amount to that much credibility. At least the cold fusion guys were claiming something energetically plausible, not in violation of basic conservation of energy/mass laws. These guys are claiming, "Hey, you can liberate hydrogen from water, then burn it back into water and end up with a net gain in energy!" Preposterous.

Answer 2

Realistically, skeptically, it's way too soon to say. If his results can be reproduced then, obviously, no it won't be like the cold fusion issue.

He's bringing his research to the Dept. of Energy so he'll have to show the results can be reproduced. I'd give it a month or so, you know, some time for peer review and confirmation of results, before assuming it will or will not work.

Even if it does work it stands to be shown whether the energy put out as a result of the "burning" saltwater is greater than the energy required to maintain the radio waves used to "burn" it or enough to replace other means of energy supply.

The nature of science is to remain skeptical. That is to say we neither assume it works nor assume it does not. We test and retest in order to be sure that the results we see are the actual results.

From what I've read he does not seem to be making the assertions related to claims of successful cold fusion. He seems to be suggesting that he found something he thinks has hypothetical possibility and would like to explore that hypothesis further.

It's the nature of arrogance and ignorance to prejudge it so quickly and with so little information regardless of how the would-be research turns out.

Answer 3

This is different because it obviously works, and doesn't require any new physics to explain it.

Now the real question is, does it really have any practical use? There has to be a source of electrical power to produce the EM waves, and the Laws of Thermodynamics suggest that any device that operates on this principle must consume more energy that it produces; so is a car, for example, that operates by burning salt water any more energy efficient than a traditional battery powered electric car? I doubt it.

We will see....

Answer 4

It's not a hoax, it's just not what they are hinting that it is.

No one has mentioned the power required for the electrolysis by radio waves, which is what is going on. The water is being broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, which are then recombining (burning). This is only any good if the burning can generate more energy than is required to break down the water. It can't. In a perfect system, you can only break even.

Answer 5

I worked for a govt lab with cold fusion happened so I can tell you exactly what is going on right now. As is usual in science, all the scientists are trying to duplicate the effect. That is the proof of discovery; verification by independent researchers. That, among other things, is what killed cold fusion.

A good reference for this would be to google Georg Richmann. Have some fun with that one.

Answer 6

I have a question, if you could burn salt water, then why why oh why is the only time it is on fire is when there is a fuel oil spill?
Or is this another BS thing thought up by the stupid government?