Originally Posted by
bragi
I hope this is for real, but I suspect one of the following is more likely:
1. It takes more energy to carry out the electrolysis than the energy you get from burning the hydrogen;
2. It's a hoax. (The claim that he went many miles on a few ounces of water is especially suspicious.)
Seems like the #1 might be a real possibility. But seems like there may be some hope that it could succeed.
The energy efficiency of water electrolysis varies widely. The efficiency is a measure of what fraction of electrical energy used is actually contained within the hydrogen. Some of the electrical energy is converted to heat, a useless by-product. Some reports quote efficiencies between 50% and 70%[1] This efficiency is based on the Lower Heating Value of Hydrogen. The Lower Heating Value of Hydrogen is thermal energy released when Hydrogen is combusted. This does not represent the total amount of energy within the Hydrogen, hence the efficiency is lower than a more strict definition. Other reports quote the theoretical maximum efficiency of electrolysis as being between 80% and 94%.[2]. The theoretical maximum considers the total amount of energy absorbed by both the hydrogen and oxygen. These values refer only to the efficiency of converting electrical energy into hydrogen's chemical energy. The energy lost in generating the electricity is not included. For instance, when considering a power plant that converts the heat of nuclear reactions into hydrogen via electrolysis, the total efficiency is more like 25%–40%.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolysis