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Posted by on Mar 26, 2020 in TellMeWhy |

How Can We Use Water as a Fuel to Run Vehicles?

How Can We Use Water as a Fuel to Run Vehicles?

How Can We Use Water as a Fuel to Run Vehicles? In order to find cleaner fuels, scientists around the world are trying to find a fuel or source of energy which produces little or no pollution on being burnt. Quite amazingly, a new technology points out that water can be used to generate electricity. But burning water? How is that possible? Actually, the idea is amazingly simple. Water is made out of hydrogen and oxygen. Scientists plan to make a cell (gadget which produces electricity by chemical reactions), which will break water down into its two components.

Take a close look at any cell, you will see that it has two sides. One side is marked with a ‘+’ and the other with a ‘-‘. The side with the ‘+’ is called the anode and the other is the cathode. The fuel cell is also like that. In this, the hydrogen is passed though the anode and oxygen through the cathode. With the use of a catalyst (something that enables a chemical reaction), hydrogen produces a stream of electrons. This stream of electrons is nothing but electricity. When hydrogen reunites with oxygen it forms water all over again. Hence the end product of the electricity generation is pure clean water.

Scientists plan to create a cell which will be able to convert water into water and in the process create electricity as well. Along with other uses it can also be used to drive vehicles. In fact General Motors has unveiled the Precept concept car which works on a fuel cell.

Water-fuelled cars have been the subject of numerous international patents, newspaper and popular science magazine articles, local television news coverage, and websites. The claims for these devices have been found to be pseudoscience and some were found to be tied to investment frauds. These vehicles may be claimed to produce fuel from water on board with no other energy input, or may be a hybrid claiming to derive some of its energy from water in addition to a conventional source (such as gasoline).

Content for this question contributed by Beth Puget, resident of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA