Rajan Wilcox
Water-fuelled cars have been the subject of much interest and speculation, with some inventors claiming to have created technology that allows cars to run on water. One of the most notable figures in this field is Stanley Meyer, who claimed to have invented a water fuel cell that could power a car. Meyer's claims were controversial, with some believing his invention was legitimate, while others dismissed it as pseudoscience or fraud. Meyer's sudden death in 1998 added further intrigue to his story, with some of his supporters believing he was assassinated to suppress his inventions. While the idea of water-fuelled cars may seem appealing, the currently accepted laws of physics state that it is not possible to extract chemical energy from water alone. However, this has not stopped inventors and scientists from exploring alternative fuel sources, such as hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, which use hydrogen as an energy carrier to power cars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Stanley Allen Meyer |
| Birth Date | 24 August 1940 |
| Death Date | 20 March 1998 |
| Invention | Water Fuel Cell |
| Car Type | Dune Buggy |
| Fuel | Water |
| Fuel Consumption | 22 US gallons (83 liters) of water to travel from Los Angeles to New York |
| Engine | Hydrogen/Oxygen mixture introduced into the engine cylinders |
| Process | Water is subjected to an electrical resonance that dissociates it into its basic atomic makeup |
| Outcome | Found to be fraudulent by an Ohio court in 1996 |
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What You'll Learn
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
While there have been claims of automobiles that can derive their energy directly from water, these have been found to be fraudulent or pseudoscientific. One such claim was made by Stanley Meyer, who said that his "Water Fuel Cell" could split water into its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen, and that the hydrogen gas could then be burned to convert chemical energy to heat energy, reconstituting the water molecules. However, an Ohio court in 1996 found that there was nothing revolutionary about the cell and that it was simply using conventional electrolysis. Meyer died suddenly in 1998, with some of his supporters believing that he was assassinated to suppress his inventions.
Despite the infeasibility of powering cars directly with water, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) use hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, as an energy carrier to power automobiles. Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are equipped with fuel-cell stacks in which pure hydrogen passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen from the air, producing the electricity that turns the wheels, as well as water vapour – the only by-product of HFCVs. This makes HFCVs zero-emission vehicles, with the added benefit of a five-minute refuelling time at hydrogen fuelling stations, similar to traditional gas stations.
The most common type of fuel cell for vehicle applications is the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell, in which an electrolyte membrane is sandwiched between a positive electrode (cathode) and a negative electrode (anode). Hydrogen is introduced to the anode, and oxygen is introduced to the cathode. An electrochemical reaction aided by a catalyst then causes the hydrogen molecules to break apart into protons and electrons. The protons travel through the membrane to the cathode, while the electrons travel through an external circuit to provide power to the electric motor. The electrons then recombine with the protons and oxygen molecules on the cathode side to form water.
To date, there have been very few hydrogen-powered vehicles on US roads compared to electric vehicles. As of mid-2022, there were 17,000 or fewer hydrogen-powered vehicles in the US, all in California, the only state with a network of retail hydrogen fuelling stations. Since 2015, three hydrogen-powered cars have been offered for sale: the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, the Hyundai Nexo SUV, and the Toyota Mirai. However, Honda has ended production of the Clarity, and Hyundai has sold only about 1600 Nexo SUVs in six years. In 2024, Honda released the CR-V e:FCEV, an adaptation of its popular compact crossover, with a hydrogen fuel cell and a larger battery that can be plugged in. This vehicle is also only available for lease in California, with a projected volume of 300 vehicles a year.
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The mysterious death of Stanley Meyer
On March 20, 1998, Stanley Allen Meyer, the inventor of a "water-fuelled car", died suddenly at a restaurant. His mysterious death has sparked various theories, with some believing he was poisoned due to his revolutionary invention.
Meyer, an American inventor, dedicated his life to patenting technical solutions across various industries, including the automotive sector. In 1975, he explored the idea of fuelling cars with water, a concept that attracted significant attention and controversy. Meyer claimed that his invention, the "Water Fuel Cell", could split water into its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen, using less energy than was released by the recombination of these elements. This process, he argued, would allow a car retrofitted with his device to use water as fuel instead of gasoline.
However, Meyer's claims were met with scepticism and were eventually deemed fraudulent by an Ohio court in 1996. The court found that Meyer had deceived investors and ordered him to repay them their money. Despite this setback, Meyer continued to believe in his invention and its potential impact on the automotive industry. He claimed that he had been threatened by representatives from oil companies and offered large sums of money to kill all evidence of his technology.
On the day of his death, Meyer was dining with his brother, Stephen, and two Belgian investors when he suddenly ran outside, allegedly claiming, "They poisoned me, and it's because of what I'm doing to revolutionize the car world." An investigation was conducted, and the official conclusion was that Meyer died of a cerebral aneurysm due to high blood pressure, ruling out any foul play. However, the case was not without its mysteries. Stephen Meyer claimed that their "Dune Buggy", along with the inventor's instruments, was stolen from their garage just a week after Stanley's death. Additionally, the investors present on the day of Meyer's death declined to offer any condolences, adding to the air of intrigue surrounding the incident.
While the official verdict ruled out assassination or poisoning, some supporters of Meyer's believe that his death was not due to natural causes. They suspect that he was silenced by those who felt threatened by his potentially industry-disrupting invention. The mystery surrounding Meyer's death and the controversy over his invention continue to fuel speculation and debate, with some even suggesting that his "Water Fuel Cell" technology may resurface in the future.
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Water as a working fluid
Water-fuelled cars have been the subject of numerous international patents, news articles, and scientific publications. However, the idea of a car that runs solely on water remains a fantasy. According to the laws of physics, it is impossible to extract chemical energy from water alone. Nevertheless, this has not stopped inventors like the late Stanley Meyer, who claimed to have invented a water-fuelled car.
Meyer's invention, which he called the "Water Fuel Cell," was the subject of much intrigue and controversy. He claimed that his device could split water into its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen, using less energy than conventional methods. The hydrogen gas would then be burned to convert chemical energy to heat energy, a process that would reconstitute the water molecules. Meyer's claims were met with scepticism and were eventually deemed fraudulent by an Ohio court in 1996. Despite this, he maintained a devoted following, with some believing that his sudden death in 1998 was an assassination to suppress his inventions.
While it is not possible to fuel a car with water alone, water plays a crucial role in the operation of certain types of vehicles. One example is the hydrogen car, which uses electricity to generate hydrogen by electrolysis. The hydrogen then reacts with oxygen from the air to create water, powering the car through a combustion engine or fuel cell. This process is not a source of fuel but rather a means of energy transfer, with the energy coming from the electrical source used to generate the hydrogen.
Another type of vehicle that uses water as a working fluid is the steam car. Steam cars use water in both its liquid and gaseous forms to transfer energy, rather than using it as a fuel source. This technology has been around for a long time, with Fiat Stanguellini 750 Sport winning the Tobruk/Tripoli race in 1939. Additionally, water injection is a method used to cool the combustion chambers of engines by adding water to the fuel-air mixture, improving engine performance and reducing knocking or detonation.
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Hydrogen-on-demand devices
Hydrogen-on-demand (HOD) systems are an exciting prospect for the automotive industry, but they have not gained much attention. HOD systems generate hydrogen fuel as needed for a car equipped with an internal combustion engine (ICE) or a fuel cell. These systems either use electrolysis or a chemical reaction to generate hydrogen fuel.
Electrolysis separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, which are then recombined to release energy. The energy required to separate the elements will always be equal to the amount of energy released, so this process cannot produce net energy. The hydrogen gas is then burned to convert chemical energy to heat energy, a process that reconstitutes the water molecules.
The chemical reaction method usually starts with sodium borohydride (or another boron/hydrogen derivative), which is a hydrogen-rich chemical. For example, the hydrogen-on-demand Duffy boat used borax as its source for sodium borohydride to power the vessel. Millennium Cell, the company that developed the Duffy boat's system, has also demonstrated its hydrogen-on-demand systems in the 2001 DaimlerChrysler Town & Country Natrium and the Peugeot-Citroen H2O concept vehicles.
Diesel-Hydrogen Assist Technology (D-HAT™) is an example of an aftermarket onboard hydrogen generator that uses electrolysis. It separates steam-distilled water into hydrogen and oxygen, producing pure hydrogen on demand. The hydrogen is then infused into the fuel-air mixture of any large diesel engine to enhance the fuel burn and increase combustion efficiency. This results in more power, reduced fuel consumption, decreased maintenance costs, and lower emissions.
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Water injection
The use of water injection can result in improvements in power and fuel efficiency, as well as increased thrust. For example, water injection increased thrust in the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star by 17%.
It is important to note that water-fuelled cars, or cars that derive their energy directly from water, are not currently feasible according to the accepted laws of physics. While there have been numerous patents and media coverage on such vehicles, the claims have been found to be pseudoscientific and, in some cases, tied to investment frauds. One example is the case of Stanley Meyer, who claimed to have invented a water-powered car but was later found guilty of fraud by an Ohio court in 1996.
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Frequently asked questions
Stanley Allen Meyer claimed to have invented a water-fuelled car.
Meyer claimed that his "Water Fuel Cell" split water into its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gas was then burned to convert chemical energy to heat energy, a process that reconstituted the water molecules.
No. Meyer's invention was later termed fraudulent after two investors to whom he had sold dealerships sued him in 1996. His car was due to be examined by an expert witness, but Meyer did not allow the test to proceed.
Meyer died suddenly on March 20, 1998, while dining at a restaurant. His brother claimed that during a meeting with two Belgian investors, Meyer said, "they poisoned me, and it's because of what I’m doing to revolutionize the car world". The coroner's report, however, contained the following statement: "no poison known to American science has been found".
According to the currently accepted laws of physics, there is no way to extract chemical energy from water alone. However, water-fuelled cars can use some form of electrolysis to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and then recombine them to release energy.
