How this 12inch miracle tube could halve heating bills (thought to tap subatomic hydrogen energy)

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | September 15, 2007

[Stoat]

How this 12inch miracle tube could halve heating bills

Amazing British invention creates MORE energy than you put into it - and could soon be warming your home

Last updated at 21:09pm on 15th September 2007

  It sounds too good to be true - not to mention the fact that it violates almost every known law of physics.

 

But British scientists claim they have invented a revolutionary device that seems to 'create' energy from virtually nothing.

Their so-called thermal energy cell could soon be fitted into ordinary homes, halving domestic heating bills and making a major contribution towards cutting carbon emissions.

Scroll down for more...
 

Hot stuff: Ecowatts boss Paul Calver with the device

 

Even the makers of the device are at a loss to explain exactly how it works - but sceptical independent scientists carried out their own tests and discovered that the 12in x 2in tube really does produce far more heat energy than the electrical energy put in.

The device seems to break the fundamental physical law that energy cannot be created from nothing - but researchers believe it taps into a previously unrecognised source of energy, stored at a sub-atomic level within the hydrogen atoms in water.

Scroll down for more...
 

 

The system - developed by scientists at a firm called Ecowatts in a nondescript laboratory on an industrial estate at Lancing, West Sussex - involves passing an electrical current through a mixture of water, potassium carbonate (otherwise known as potash) and a secret liquid catalyst, based on chrome.

This creates a reaction that releases an incredible amount of energy compared to that put in. If the reaction takes place in a unit surrounded by water, the liquid heats up, which could form the basis for a household heating system.

If the technology can be developed on a domestic scale, it means consumers will need much less energy for heating and hot water - creating smaller bills and fewer greenhouse gases.

Jim Lyons, of the University of York, independently evaluated the system. He said: 'Let's be honest, people are generally pretty sceptical about this kind of thing. Our team was happy to take on the evaluation, even if to prove it didn't work.

'But this is a very efficient replacement for the traditional immersion heater. We have examined this interesting technology and when we got the rig operating, we were getting 150 to 200 per cent more energy out than we put in, without trying too hard.

People are sceptical - but somehow it works
 

 

'We are still not clear about the science involved here, because the physics and chemistry are very different-to everything that has gone before. Our challenge now is to study the science and how it works.'

The device has taken ten years of painstaking work by a small team at Ecowatts' tiny red-brick laboratory, and bosses predict a household version of their device will be ready to go on sale within the next 18 months.

The project, which has cost the company £1.4million, has the backing of the Department of Trade and Industry, which is keen to help poorer families without traditional central heating or who cannot afford rocketing fuel bills.

Ecowatts says the device will cost between £1,500 and £2,000, in line with the price of traditional systems.

The development of the groundbreaking technology results from a chance meeting between Ecowatts chairman Chris Davies, his wife Jane and an Irish inventor, Christopher Eccles, while the couple were on holiday near Shannon in 1998.

After the inventor showed the couple his laboratory experiments, Mrs Davies, immediately signed a £20,000 cheque on the bonnet of her car and handed it over to Mr Eccles.

He later became chief scientist of Ecowatts' parent company Gardner Watts, but has since left after 'falling out' with the company, according to insiders. Sadly, Mrs Davies died three years ago, so she will be unable to share in the success of her husband's development of the idea.

Mr Davies, now 75, of Dedham, Essex, was unavailable for comment last night.

But Ecowatts chief executive Paul Calver said: 'When Jane Davies whipped out her cheque book, it turned out to be a very good investment indeed.

'She and Chris were always interested in ecology and now it looks as if our heat exchanger system is ready to go on sale soon. We're producing a device in the next nine months to heat radiators.

'Most British homes rely on gas, and the Government has admitted there is a problem getting a substitute. Our device will help solve that.'

Sustainable energy expert Professor Saffa Riffat, of Nottingham University, has also led a team investigating the system.

He said: 'The concept is very interesting and it could be a major breakthrough, but more tests are required. We will be doing further checks.'

[Stoat]

Like so many other 'revolutionary' inventions that purport to break the laws of physics, space and time, this will most likely be exposed as a scam in a few months, with the 'developers' facing charges for trying to defraud the Government of research moneis or something or other.

Still, it makes for amusing reading and of course I hope that my skepticism is proven completely wrong :-)

Applying Innovation & Science By Ecowatts

•  

The Ecowatts Thermal Energy Cell

The Ecowatts Thermal Energy Cell (TEC) is an electrolysis based energy cell that converts electrical power into heat at an efficiency significantly greater than that of a conventional immersion heater. This is achieved without the consumption of additional fossil fuels.

Ecowatts has developed this breakthrough technology for a wide range of applications, particularly in environments where electricity is used for space and water heating.

Super Efficient Electrical Space and Water Heating

With UK gas supply uncertainty and the need to provide energy savings and reduce carbon emissions, the TEC based Domestic Space and Water Heating System offers an economic and carbon saving alternative to heating with gas or oil. The TEC based Domestic Space and Water Heating System; 

• Significantly reduces the cost of heating with electricity.
• Has the benefit of economically providing continuous heat generation.
• Saves carbon emissions through increased energy output with no additional carbon dioxide generation.
• Removes the need for unfriendly night time storage.
• Usable with other sustainable and renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic, fuel cells, wind power, Stirling cycle engines, and tidal and hydro power etc.
• Is conventionally installed and can directly replace gas based heating system.
• Is an economic substitute for heating with gas or oil.

 

Illustration of the TEC integrated with a Thermal Store

The Thermal Energy Cell works in conjunction with a thermal store in order to provide a high efficient continual supply of hot water and room heating. The TEC will have great advantages over other micro-generation systems in that it is a direct replacement for conventional gas, oil and electrical heating systems; The TEC will not be limited by the specific installation requirements experienced with PV, Solar Heating and Wind Turbines. The TEC, compared with ground source heat pumps, does not require a bore hole or a large area of land. The TEC is silent unlike air source heat pumps.

It is planned to have the TEC based Super Efficient Electrical Space and Water Heating System in the shops by the end of 2010. Ecowatts are working with International Manufacturing Partners for product development. Integration tests have been completed and a concept demonstrator will be trialed at the end of 2008. The technology has been verified by UK Universities and Measurement Organisations.

Integration Tests with a Thermal Store

[taxcontrol]

“secret chemical”.... hmmmm sounds like a chemical reaction to me.

[RayStacy]

for later

[q_an_a]

Very interesting story. What most people in America don’t realize is how frugal the English are about power. They don’t use hot water to raise their dishes and their refrigerators are more often the size of a bar frig than even what we have in older small homes. A Subzero would be only for the very very rich not standard equipment in NAPA or Manhattan. If this device works, we will see some major lifestyle changes going up not staying static for the folks in England.

[P8riot]

Verrrrrry interestink

[headsonpikes]

Didn’t Homer Simpson’s brother already invent this way back around episode #150?

[Bommer]

“secret chemical”.... hmmmm sounds like a chemical reaction to me.

Here's the secret, Calgon!
< Ancient Chinese secret huh?

[SlowBoat407]

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

It’s impossible to get something for nothing.
The only energy available in this mixture is the energy in the hydrogen and oxygen. However it takes energy to break the hydrogen and oxygen apart - more energy than is available once they are separated.
If the creators say that it breaks the laws of physics, then it is a scam and a fraud.

[nuconvert]

miracle tube pong

[saganite]

It sounds too good to be true

Which means it is.

- not to mention the fact that it violates almost every known law of physics.

Of course it doesn’t It merely violates common sense to print stuff like this.

[StatenIsland]

I’ll take two. Put them on my wife’s card....

[WayneM]

I call BS on this one.

Sounds like an investor scam in the making.

[spanalot]

the university that did the independent study is legit.

http://www.york.ac.uk/enterprise/eio/about.cfm?page=392

[sig226]

Thanks, Marty, but I'll stick with proven technology.

Got any banana peels?

[Zman]

I have it on good authority that the “secret catalyst” is actually the Secret Sauce used in Big Macs.

[poindexter]

Where’s the “Aw, Geez” guy when you need him?

[dirtbiker]

I have it on good authority that the “secret catalyst” is actually the Secret Sauce used in Big Macs.

("Thousand Island dressing?")

[Condor51]

Amazing British invention creates MORE energy than you put into it

Yippee, let's all break the Laws of Physics, shall we.

• The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change its form.

(gotta run, I'm finishing that Cold Fusion Reactor in my garage today. Oh, and keep this on the QT but I've got my Perpetual Motion Machine almost completed too.)

[AmericaUnited]

Ok... so if you put in some chemical that causes a reaction, how do they measure the amount of “input energy” vs output energy” ?

For example... I put a stick of dynamite into the tube thing and then “Oh my God! It put out a huge amount of energy...”