Japanese Company Has A Car That Runs On Water.

[TheOne]

I find that on this site: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/genepax-water-powered-car-japan-debunking.php

Our simple patent search presented two patent applications which describe perhaps the WES technology, now publicly disclosed:
1) Publication number: 2006-244714
2) Publication number: 2007-157405

The company said that "Genepax's propriety technologies are packed in the MEA of the WES", and also said that the principle of "WES resembles that of the battery charger for mobile phones, developed by Aquafairy Corporation, which is now in cooperation with NTT DoCoMo for its development".
***************************************

For your reference, the English version of the above two publications, translated by JPO (Japanese Patent Office), are placed below.
To find the drawings of those publications, visit "Searching PAJ"
( http://www19.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/PA1/cgi-bin/PA1INIT?1174882659046 ),
click "Number Search"(right upper), click the circle at the head of "Publication number" located just above the search window, put each publication number in the search window, and click "Search" button.

http://www4.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/Tokujitu/PAJdetail.ipdl?N0000=60&N0120=01&N2001=2&N3001=2006-244714
1) Publication number: 2006-244714
WATER ENERGY SYSTEM
The water energy system 1 has a cell in which a fuel electrode 3 and an oxygen electrode 4 are faced with each other through a catalyst 2 same as a general fuel cell. The fuel electrode 3 is formed by carrying platinum on a sintered body of fine powder of zeolite, coral sand, and carbon black, the oxygen electrode 4 is formed by carrying ruthenium on the sintered body of fine powder of zeolite and carbon black. Electric power is generated under normal temperature by supplying pure water 5 to the fuel electrode 3 and air to the oxygen electrode 4.

http://www4.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/Tokujitu/PAJdetail.ipdl?N0000=60&N0120=01&N2001=2&N3001=2007-157405
2) Publication number: 2007-157405
POWER GENERATION MODULE, POWER GENERATOR, AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
The power generation module 4 of a power generation system is formed by laminating gaskets 43, partition plates 44, and current collector plates 45 at both sides of an electrode assembly 42 as a center, between a pair of clamp plates 41. Pure water is supplied to an anode-side electrode plate 47 from a pure water supply groove provided on the surface of the partition plate through pure water supply holes 41c to 45c from outside of the clamp plate 41, and air taken in from an air intake formed at outer peripheral end surface of the separation plate is supplied to a cathode-side electrode 48 from an air supply groove provided on another surface thereof. A desired power generation capacity can be obtained by adding and connecting in series electrode joint bodies 42 and partition plates 44.

[TheOne]

Ok I found some of the material needed to make this cell:

Black Carbon Powder - http://cgi.ebay.com/Carbon-Graphite-Powder-50LBS-Cast-Mold-Sintering-Epoxy_W0QQitemZ270248364340QQihZ017QQcategoryZ1267QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Zeolite Powder - http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeolite-Powder-5-Pounds-All-Natural-Odor-Control_W0QQitemZ270239218218QQihZ017QQcategoryZ43510QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
Coral sand - http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/coral_sand.php (your petshop should have it)

The platinum and ruthenium seam to cost a lot too, Its hard to see from the patent drawing how the cell is made.

[TheOne]

www.platinummetalsreview.com

They have 2 products defined in one of there PDF

Platinum Zeolite Reforming Catalyst
CHEVRON RESEARCH CO. U.S. Patent 4,627,909
A Ptlzeolite catalyst is used during the second stage
of an improved low pressure hydrocarbon reforming
process in a dual recycle pressure-step reformer
which uses a bifunctional catalyst containing one or
more platinum group metals/Al ,0 ,in the first stage.
The catalyst is protected by a desulphurisation stage
in the process.

Ruthenium (Oxide) Powder Production
SHINCIJUTSU KAIHATSU
Japanese Publ. Appl. 611270,222
Ru oxide powder andlor Ru metal powder are produced
by reacting a Ru compound-preferably a
halide-with an alkali metal alkoxide, and hydrolysing
the resulting product. Using this method fine
powders of ipm diameter can be produced for hybrid
integrated circuits, without high energy grinding.

Ruthenium Hydrogenation Catalyst
RHONE-POULENC CHIMI European Appl. 192,587A
A catalyst consisting of a Ru compoundISi0, gives
good selectivity for the vapour phase hydrogenation
of acetic acid to produce ethanol andlor ethyl acetate.

Link: http://www.platinummetalsreview.com/pdf/pmr-v31-i3-155-160.pdf

[kavee]

The patents and its content in English is already published in the first page of this forum thread.

I find that on this site: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/genepax-water-powered-car-japan-debunking.php

Our simple patent search presented two patent applications which describe perhaps the WES technology, now publicly disclosed:

[zenarrow]

I read through their english site. It really doesn't explain the system. (at least, to my satisfaction)

I was talking to a friend on the phone and he pointed out a battery called a hydrogen fuel cell from the local electronics store. It just requires distilled water top ups. It's only small at 1.2V 850ma. But it looks very similar to the eploded view of this Japanese unit. Heres a link to the Jaycar catalogue online part.
http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ZM9082&CATID=&keywords=fuel+cell&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=

The second part of this Japanese invention would have to be basically a HHO Fuel Cell design.
Like made by ZeroFossilFuel and others from OverEnergy.
Here's a link to a DYI cell of Zero's. He redesigned the one on the forum to be narrower, and higher and more insulated to prevent leakage that the output was much more HHO at 200W than previously at 300W.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3cOPDTl3ek&feature=PlayList&p=0B222D7CA755553E&index=1