Today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article on John Kanzius (pronounced “Kansas”), a former broadcast exec from Pennsylvania who is enjoying a rather interesting retirement on Sanibel Island, Florida. Apparently, while experimenting with a radio frequency generator he was developing to cure cancer, Mr. Kanzius was able to set fire to a test tube of seawater (see video story and demonstration), liberating the hydrogen in the molecule. Sure, sourcing cheap hydrogen is the greatest obstacle currently faced by developers of fuel cell technology, but is Mr. Kanzius’ experiment just a flash in the pan - a Warhol 15-minutes for an eccentric retiree?
Apparently not… The Kanzius reaction has now been replicated by Professor Rustum Roy, a leading materials scientist at Penn State University. The temperature generated by the reaction, which breaks apart the bonds between hydrogen and oxygen in the water molecule, exceeded 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, reflecting an enormous energy output. Professor Roy calls the discovery “The most remarkable in water science in 100 years”. He is meeting tomorrow with officials from the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to seek research funding. “This is the most abundant element in the world. It is everywhere,” Dr. Roy said of salt water. “Seeing it burn gives me chills.” Stay tuned…
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[...] a pointless trick or a viable alternative fuel source, as in engines fueled by saltwater. Is this “The Hydrogen Holy Grail?” But the fact remains Dr. Kanzius just wrote himself into the history books with this [...]