Glossary
Ampere
(amp): A measure for electrical flow. How many electrical particles
flowing in a conductor (wire, resistor, etc) per unit of time.
AMSoil: A manufacturer of
high quality motor oils, filters and additives.
Anode: The positive-charged pole (wire or plate) in an electrolyzer (see
def.) or battery. The electrode with the positive voltage. In an
electrolyzer, this is where the oxygen is being produced.
Atom: Once thought to be the smallest part of an element or substance.
Today we know it's not so - it is made of “sub-atomic particles”
such as electrons - that can probably be broken down further.
Atomize: Making liquid or substance into a mist.
AXG7: Our abbreviation of Acetone-Xylene-GP-7 (GP-7 is a racing
lubricant by Torco). Blended in correct ratios, it is a powerful fuel
additive you can make yourself.
AXG7-TS: (AXG7-Teaspoon) A more economical version of AXG7, where only
one teaspoon of the racing lubricant GP-7 is blended with acetone and
xylene.
BB: Ball Bearing. Sometimes refers to ammunition of BB guns, but can
also mean steel balls from a mechanical source such as a ball bearing
device for shafts.
Bio fuel or Biofuel: Fuel (for transportation, in our case) made from
“biomass” - biological sources such as corn or wood that have
completed their life cycle; environment friendly. Biofuel could be
liquid, gas or solid.
Blow by (gas): Gases that skip past the piston rings in an engine;
normally routed back into the intake via the PCV valve.
Boric acid: Also called boracic acid, orthoboric acid or hydrogen
orthoborate. It is a chemical compound, a mild acid often used as an
antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, and a component of other
chemical compounds. It exists in the form of colorless crystals or a
white powder and dissolves in water.
Brown's Gas: A mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. The product of an
Electrolyzer. Two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen plus some water
moisture. Named after Prof. Yull Brown but goes by many other names:
Rhode’s Gas, after it earlier researcher, Dr. William A. Rhodes; also
called HHO (Hydrogen-Hydrogen-Oxygen), hydroxy, oxyhydrogen, green gas,
di-hydroxy, watergas or water gas, waterfuel or water fuel, etc. In
Korea they call it Brown Gas. Korea by the way has very good technology
of HHO generators for industry. Brown's Gas is great not only for
supplemental fuel for engines, but also good for cutting metal,
soldering, brazing (joining metals at high temperatures), as well as the
welding of various metals inexpensively (compared to the commonly used
welding with acetylene).
Carb: Carburetor.
Carbon Monoxide: A gas produced by incomplete combustion of organic
materials. Highly poisonous; flammable gas - burns with a blue flame.
Carbon: The element upon which all organic molecules are based. Carbon
has an atomic weight of 12.00, and occurs elementally in these forms:
diamond, graphite and amorphous carbon such as coal or carbon black.
Catalyst: A material used to induce or enhance the chemical reaction
between other materials without being changed in the process.
Cathode: The negative-charged pole (wire, plate) in an electrolyzer or
battery. The electrode with the negative voltage. In an electrolyzer,
this is where the hydrogen is being produced.
Cell (or Electrolyzer cell): Defined as one unit in an electrolysis
system (a series of individual cells). By a certain arrangement of
electrodes (when plates are used), a single device can have several
cells. In Water4Gas electrolyzers where electrodes are spiraled to save
energy, each device (one jar) would constitute one cell.
Combo: Slang for 'Combination' or in other words a popular formula.
Conductor: An electrical conductor such as wire or metal plate, that
allows an electric current to flow through it.
Conservation: Various techniques and methods to use less energy, either
by utilizing more efficient technologies or by reducing wasteful ones
(including wasteful habits).
Current: (in electricity) the movement of electrons through a conductor.
Measured in Amperes. If for instance the conductor is copper, “electrons”
are those particles of the copper atoms, which are leaving their place
and moving along between other atoms in the copper.
D17: Refers to document D17.pdf written by Patrick Kelly titled “Dealing
with the Vehicle Computer”. Is available to Water4Gas members via the
Members Lounge and can also be found on the Internet (search Google for
“Dealing with the Vehicle Computer” WITH the quote marks).
def: definition.
DC: Direct current. Electrical energy (electrical current, voltage)
which does not alternate in polarity, in other words it keeps its
positive and negative; and is also somewhat “stable”, in other words
it doesn't pulse. Even if it changes all the time, it could still be
called DC if it has those characteristics.
DEMSE: Dual-Edge MAP Sensor Enhancer. A dual-knob device to adjust
mixture.
Distilled water: Water that has been “purified” of its contaminants,
acids and minerals such as salt. Rain water are not distilled water.
DOSE: Digital Oxygen Sensor Enhancer. The device described in D17 (see
def.)
DPDT: Double Pole, Double Throw. Switch type that can switch two
circuits separately (that's the “double pole”), and is capable of
making an electrical connection in each of its “throws” (sides of
its motion).
ECU: Engine Control Unit. Your car's computer. It's the heart of the
engine management system in a modern car, collecting many inputs from
sensors around the car and controlling all functions of the engine such
as fuel injection and heat management.
Efficiency: The ratio of total output power to input power expressed as
a percentage. A numerical expression of the ratio between waste and
actual work done. For example a low-efficiency car engine uses most of
its input to produce heat, noise and vibration, rather than forward
motion.
EFI: Electronic Fuel Injection. The modern science of wasting gasoline.
EFIE: Electronic Fuel Injection Enhancer, a device to correct the
stoichiometric (see def.) level programmed into a car in order to
accommodate waterfuel technology. Manufactured exclusively by Eagle
Research (www.Eagle-Research.com)
Electrode: A conductor (such as metal wire or plate) which dips into an
electrolyte and allows the current (electrons) to flow to and from the
electrolyte.
Electrolysis: When a direct current is passed through a liquid which
contains ions (an electrolyte), chemical changes occur at the two
electrodes; usually a separation of oxygen from hydrogen or other
substances it is chemically bonded with. In our case the process of
splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Electrolyte: A mixture of catalyst and water in an electrolyzer. We
sometimes refer to the catalyst as electrolyte. That's a common mistake
– the catalyst in our case would be the Sodium Bicarbonate (“baking
soda”) and the electrolyte would be the solution, or the mixture of
Sodium Bicarbonate and water.
Electrolyzer cell: A single cell in an electrolyzer: an anode and a
cathode immersed in an electrolyte. An electrolyzer can have one cell or
many. Also see 'cell'.
Electrolyzer: A device or machine that splits water into hydrogen and
oxygen thus producing Brown's Gas. A common misnomer is “hydrogen
generator”; sometimes called “cell”, as in 'Joe cell'.
Electron: Part of an atom - a negatively charged particle that can leave
the atom or be added to it, thus changing its “electrical charge” to
negative or positive.
Emissions: Let's not go into science formulas here. I'll give you a very
simple definition: If it stinks – it's emissions. Harmful emissions.
There are emissions that are so called “odorless”, but that is a
misleading concept because the body senses it one way or another. Yes,
we have become numb to harmful, very hostile emissions. But see, a
hungry yet healthy cat will not touch a spoiled fish, even if you can't
smell anything “fishy”. Old-school chefs will give a piece of the
day's fish to the house cat. If the cat sniffs it but won't touch it,
the fish goes to the garbage. Now if you would thoroughly cleanse your
body and move to a very clean village up the mountains for a while,
immediately after your return (for possibly a short while before you
become numb again) you'll be able to sniff all those “odorless”
harmful emissions! Standards of government-permissible emissions are way
too high health-wise, they are hostile to life and we should not agree
with those anymore!
Energy: The capacity to do mechanical (such as motion) or electrical
work (such as heating).
Ethanol: Also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol,
is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound, and is best
known as the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. Produced today from
corn as a common fuel additive, enforced on drivers across the USA and
other locations as an “improvement” to gasoline. It is very bad both
for gas economy of the individual AND to national economy, since its low
energy efficiency requires us to import MORE petroleum for every gallon
ethanol of we use. PER GALLON, IT HAS ONLY 2/3 OF THE ENERGY OF
GASOLINE. Find all the (stinking) facts about ethanol by visiting
www.zFacts.com
Farad (F): A unit of capacitance.
FE: Fuel Economy.
Free energy: Energy you did not have to pay for. It's a common concept
that free energy is impossible. Yet if a paid-for instrument, or just a
change of usage to an existing instrument brings you an energy or extra
energy you don't have to pay for, then IN THE BOTTOM LINE or in other
words after your cost has been paid for, then this is considered free
energy. All 'free energy methods and devices are based on this same
basic principle. Solar energy is one good example. Another example is
water4Gas technology – our “free energy” comes simply and directly
from REDUCTION OF WASTE. Since we have oceans of water, any energy
derived CHEAPLY from water is considered free, economically speaking. If
you have been conditioned to believe that free energy is not possible,
change your thinking about it and you'll see many instances and
opportunities of free energy.
Fuel cell: A device which produces electricity by using fuel (such as
hydrogen) and a chemical which reacts with it at two electrical
terminals, thus producing electric energy that can be used to drive a
car or do other useful work.
Fuel efficiency: Defined by the amount of work (how much motion, in the
case of cars, or how many hours of operation for a lawnmower or
generator) can be obtained for the amount of fuel we put in. Commonly
called 'Fuel Economy' and measured by miles per gallon or kilometers per
litre.
Fuel: Any substance (liquid, solid or gas) that releases its stored heat
energy and turns it into actual heat and motion energy, when treated in
a certain way such as by burning or by combustion in an engine. When the
fuel is burned it is destroyed and leaves us with problematic
pollutants. In this regard (harmful by-products of fuel burning), water
is not “fuel” because when “burned” it reverts back to water
vapor and oxygen that feeds back into the atmosphere.
Generator: A common misnomer for an electrolyzer, as in “hydrogen
generator”. When mentioned in Water4Gas literature, we refer to
stationary engines that are used to convert gasoline to other types of
energy, usually electricity.
Global warming: Gradual warming of a planet (in our case, Mother Earth)
said to be due to the "greenhouse effect" of pollution in the
atmosphere.
GP-7: An advanced fuel additive for 2-stroke engines, by Torco Racing
Fuels, Inc.
GPH: Gallons Per Hour.
Green Gas: Another name for Brown's Gas.
GST: Gas Saving Technique for vehicles using WATER or Hydrogen-On-Demand
. GST's are a set of methods, devices and additives all working together
to maximize your fuel economy, while also minimizing harmful emissions
resulting from poor engine design and inefficient use.
HHO: Hydrogen+Hydrogen+Oxygen. The product of splitting water (H2O) into
its components. Common name for Brown’s Gas.
HOD: Hydrogen On Demand. A system to generate hydrogen on board the
vehicle without storing any of it.
Hydrocarbons: Fuels which, as the name implies, contain primarily
hydrogen and carbon.
Hydrogen: The lightest and most abundant element. A gaseous diatomic
element (in simple words: gas that always has particles in pairs). The
atom consists of one proton and one electron.
Hydroxy: Another name for Brown's Gas.
ICE: Internal Combustion Engine. The most common type of engine in cars,
trucks, boats, motorcycles, tractors, light airplanes, generators and
lawn mowers for the past 200 years.
Ion: An atomic particle that is electrically charged, either negatively
or positively.
Iron: The most widely used metal. Not very useful in its pure state
since it rusts and is too soft; therefore we use it as part of steel -,
in various combinations with carbon, nickel and other substances that
enhance its durability and range of possible uses.
Joe Cell: Type of electrolyzer constructed of a series stainless steel
tubing, one inside the other. Powerful yet relatively expensive and hard
to replicate. Some people such as Bill Williams claimed to have run a
vehicle exclusively on a Joe cell.
Knocking: Also called “pinging” - banging noise in the engine,
caused by improper combustion.
kWh: Kilowatt hour(s).
Lean (mixture): Less fuel and more air in the air/fuel mixture. In
accordance with common wisdom (the “wisdom” of modern automakers)
the mixture should be ideal at 14.7 parts air to 1 part gasoline. But in
actual fact it can be as lean as 100:1 or more.
LED: Light Emitting Diode.
Lye: Sodium hydroxide, known as caustic soda. A strong solution of
sodium or potassium hydroxide. Dangerous material used in making of hair
relaxers and soaps. A common catalyst used in electrolyzers. Quite
toxic, has user friendly alternatives.
MAF: Mass Air Flow. One of the inputs the ECU takes into consideration
when determining the amount of fuel to be injected into the engine.
MAP sensor: Manifold Air Pressure sensor.
Methane: Natural gas or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
mH: mill Henry.
Mileage Seekers or MPG Seekers: Vehicle users of all walks of life who
like to tinker with their vehicles, their driving habits – or both in
many cases – in order to maximize fuel economy.
Mixture: Air-to-fuel ratio.
Molecule: Compound of two or more atoms, the smallest independent unit
of chemical compounds.
MPG: Miles Per Gallon. The most common expression of fuel economy, the
higher the better.
mV: milliVolts.
Naphtha: Am ambiguous term which may mean high flash naphtha (mineral
spirits), or low flash naphtha (petroleum, ether, low boiling ligroin
which is a refined hydrocarbon petroleum fraction used mainly as a
laboratory solvent) or something altogether different. Flash point and
explosive limits vary. The term naphtha is so ambiguous that it should
not be used.
Neutral coasting; or just 'coasting': Fuel-saving technique of putting
the vehicle in neutral to coast down a hill.
Neutron: One of the particles found in the nucleus of all atoms except
hydrogen; considered to have no electrical charge but I suspect that
this concept is going to change soon.
nF: Nano-farad. The farad is a unit of capacitance.
Nitrogen: An odorless, gaseous element that makes up 78% of the earth's
atmosphere, and is a constituent of all living tissue. It is almost
inert (limited in ability to react chemically) in its gaseous form.
NOx: Gases consisting of one molecule of nitrogen and varying numbers of
oxygen molecules. Nitrogen oxides are produced in the emissions of
vehicle exhausts and from power stations. In the atmosphere, nitrogen
oxides can contribute to formation of photochemical ozone (smog), can
impair visibility, and have health consequences; they are thus
considered pollutants. [EPA]
Nuclear fission: Splitting atoms in a process that releases energy.
Nucleus: That part of an atom where the mass is concentrated (while the
electrons are running like crazy around it). Contains protons, neutrons
and table salt. No...just kidding... only protons and neutrons!
O2: Oxygen.
Octane rating: A number representing the ability of gasoline to control
predetonation, in other words its anti-knock capability; not necessarily
a better fuel for a certain job.
Odometer: Mileage or kilometer gauge.
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer.
On board: Mounted on (or in) a vehicle.
On-Board Diagnostics, or OBD: A generic term referring to a vehicle's
selfdiagnostic and reporting capability. OBD systems give the vehicle
owner or a repair technician access to state of health information for
various vehicle sub-systems. We refer to it as a generic term for the
entire “program” running the vehicle, including its usage of energy
in various conditions. While there are differences between vehicles,
OBD-I generally refers to pre-1996 vehicles and the more advanced (and
more pervasive) system OBD-II refers to models 1996 and newer. In models
2008 it is called CAN (see def.)
Orgone: The cosmic life force. The creative force in this universe. It
comes from us living beings, not from stones and dead wood. It creates
and controls everything else.
Over Unity, or OU: Trying to overcome the “unity” principle in which
the energy we get out of a machine or process equals, in a perfect
state, to the energy we feed into the machine or process. It is a
misleading term because when we think of over-unity we tend to forget
that a small match can light up a huge fire. When teachers and socalled
“scientists” try to limit our scope of thinking into looking at the
match as the only thing in the process, they are make us think that
there is no connection between things, energies and living beings. The
truth is that everything is connected, and also – this is not widely
known – the true source of energy is living beings, not the physical
universe. While I may store some old decaying energy, it's definitely
not the source. OU is a limiting force in the energy research, and
should be canceled.
Oxygen sensor or O2 sensor: An electronic device that measures the
proportion of oxygen (O2) in the gas or liquid being analyzed. Used in
science labs. In modern vehicles it is a small sensor inserted into the
exhaust system to measure the concentration of oxygen remaining in the
exhaust gas to allow an electronic control unit (ECU) to control the
efficiency of the combustion process in the engine. A side effect of
oxygen sensors is that they can prevent fuel-saving technologies which
create a lean fuel-air mixture from working. If the engine burns too
lean due to any modifications (such as adding oxygen from an
electrolyzer), the sensor will detect the mixture as being too lean, and
the engine computer will adjust the injector pulse duration, so that the
air-fuel mixture continues to stay within the stoichiometric (see def.)
ratio of 14.7:1 on a typical vehicle. There are ways that the oxygen
sensor can be overcome. Sometimes, a device can be inserted inline with
the sensor, which tricks the engine computer into thinking the mixture
is stoichiometric, when actually it is either rich, or lean, and
therefore, this modification will not be automatically corrected by the
oxygen sensor. [source: Wikipedia]
Oxygen: A non-metallic gaseous element that makes up 21% of the
atmosphere.
Oxyhydrogen or oxy-hydrogen: Another name for Brown's Gas.
PAK: Practical Application Kit. Also known as Membership Kit. An
experimental HOD (see def.) system and informational pack.
PCV valve: Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, a one-way valve that
ensures continual refreshment of the air inside a gasoline internal
combustion engine's crankcase.
PCV: Positive Crankcase Ventilation, a system using a PCV valve (see
Def.) to evacuate gases and moisture from the crankcase of an internal
combustion engine.
Petrol: A mixture of various hydrocarbons used as a fuel.
pH (from potential of Hydrogen): A scale from 0 to 14, used for
measuring acidity or alkalinity, where a number greater than 7 is more
basic, less than 7 is more acidic - and 7 is neutral.
Ping or pinging: Also called “knocking” - banging noise in the
engine, caused by improper combustion.
Proton: A positively charged particle, part of the nucleus of the atom.
PV: Photovoltaic; producing of electricity from light.
Renewable energy (devices, sources): Energy from sources that cannot be
used up because they always renew themselves: sunshine (solar
collectors), wind (turbines), water motion (turbines hooked to a river,
dam or ocean waves/tides). Some define it as any source of energy that
has an entire life-and-regrowth cycle of up to a 100 years, such as
cutting trees for energy.
Rich (mixture): More fuel and less air in the air/fuel mixture. In
accordance with common wisdom (the “wisdom” of modern automakers)
the mixture should be ideal at 14.7 parts air to 1 part gasoline. But in
actual fact it can be as lean as 100:1 or more. Therefore ANY number
beyond the very minimum that is needed can be considered “rich”. I
know it's not “conventional wisdom” but in a decaying planet we must
try to prevent ANY waste of energy, even a drop adds up to a river.
Rubber: A natural polymer (a polymer is a large organic molecule formed
by combining many smaller molecules in a regular, repeated pattern).
Rubber is a hydrocarbon and also a good insulator.
ScanGuage-II: The most popular scanner (see def.) between “mileage
seekers” due to its ease of use and its capability to display instant
or averaged MPG, between many other codes and vehicle conditions such as
temperature.
Scanner: An electronic device, usually handheld, that reads and
sometimes reprograms vehicle computer error codes.
Short (circuit): Electricity taking a “shortcut” due to a (greatly)
reduced resistance than the proper path, resulting in very high (and
uncontrolled) electrical current. Usually ends up in fire or severe
damage.
Sodium hydroxide: NaOH, lye. A common catalyst used in electrolyzers.
Quite toxic, has user friendly alternatives.
Solar cell/panel, Solar thermal energy systems: Devices, cells/panels or
complete systems that converts solar energy (actually any light energy)
into electrical energy.
Solar electricity: Electrical energy produced directly by solar
cells/panels.
Solar heating: Methods and devices which derive and control heat
directly from the sun. Such as a picnic solar cooker.
SPDT: Single Pole, Double Throw. Switch type that can switch one circuit
(hence “single pole”), and is capable of making an electrical
connection in each of its “throws” (sides of its motion).
Specific gravity: The ratio of the density of a material to the density
of water (assigned a value of 1).
Spiral: a coiled shape, like the thread of a screw or like a coil
spring. The difference between 'coil' and 'spiral' is that a coil can be
winding upon itself, but a spiral is spread out through space. When an
electric current is flowing in a spiral conductor (wire), it creates a
magnetic vortex (rapidly spinning flow, like a whirlpool).
SSO: An advanced fuel additive for snow mobiles, by Torco Racing Fuels,
Inc.
Steel: An alloy (combination of metals and/or minerals) which contains
iron as the main constituent.
Stoichiometric: Describing a (fuel/air) mixture of “proper”
proportions. According to automotive conventional wisdom it should be
14.7:1 but in actual fact these are arbitrary numbers. A car can drive
just as nicely on 25:1. In fact if you were to design it in a slightly
different way, its so-called “Stoichiometric” balance would now be
25:1 (for example).
Suspension, suspended: A mixture in which fine particles are suspended
in a fluid where they are supported by buoyancy (upward force on an
immersed object). Solids neither dissolve in the liquid nor sink to the
bottom.
Synergistic: The simultaneous action of separate things that have a
greater total effect than the sum of their individual effect.
Synthetic: Man-made, not from natural sources. Actually we're using this
word incorrectly when we speak about synthetic oils for example.
Synthetic comes from synthesis, which means combining several sources
into one product. Like a musical synthesizer that combines individual
sounds to one music. So blending of corn oil and peanut oil could be
called synthetic. But in the automotive industry today it is used to
describe materials that are a combination of non-natural substances.
Thermal Runaway: Happens in electrolyzers refers to a situation where an
increase in temperature changes the conditions in a way that causes a
further increase in temperature leading to a destructive result.
Thermocouple: Two different pieces of metal, welded/bonded together.
Electricity can be produced by heating one element and cooling the
other.
Torco: A manufacturer of high quality motor oils and additives.
uF: A micro Farad. One millionth of a Farad.
VAC: Volts Alternating Current.
Vaporisation: The physical change of going from a solid or a liquid into
a gaseous state.
Vaporizer: A device that adds water vapor to the air/fuel mixture of a
vehicle's engine in order to boost its power, save gasoline and reduce
harmful emissions.
VDC: Volts Direct Current.
Vested interest: Individuals or groups who stand to gain - usually
financially - from some policy, often a public policy.
Voltage offset: Voltage added to the output signal of the oxygen sensor.
The combined signal (with the offest) is fed back to the ECU.
Voltage: Measure of electrical tension or pressure. The unit is Volt,
named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta.
Water Gas, watergas, waterfuel: Yet more names for Brown's Gas.
Water: An oxide (chemical bond with oxygen) of hydrogen. One of the most
abundant compounds on Earth. In its pure state such as distilled water,
it does not conduct electricity; but with a little help from a catalyst
can be be electrolyzed (separated) into hydrogen and oxygen.
Water4Gas: A combined technology to convert water to energy. Consists of
a electrolyzer (or several electrolyzer cells) installed on board a
vehicle or any other ICE (see def.), plus a set of fuel economy
enhancers, fuel additives and other techniques.
Watt-hour: a unit of work. A simple multiplication of the number of Watt
(which expresses how many electrons in a given unit of time) by the
number of hours that this number of Watts is applied. Or, in the case of
a battery, how many hours can the battery provide those Watts before
it's depleted.
Watts: A unit of electrical power; not potential power (voltage) but
actual work done. To find the “wattage” or in a simple word
electrical Power, multiply Volts by Amps. Named after Scottish engineer
and inventor James Watt.
WFC: Water Fuel Cell. Common name for electrolyzer.
Wind machines/turbines: Machines or devices powered by the wind which
produce mechanical or electrical power. A popular renewable energy (see
def.) because it can be utilized cheaply by anyone who lives in a windy
area.
Xylene: Most will say it is a paint thinner. But FireNet International
(UK) says it is actually part of gasoline: their glossary defines Xylene
as “Dimethylbenzene. An aromatic compound having the formula
C6H4(CH3)2. Xylene is a major component of gasoline.”
Zero Point Energy (ZPE): In physics, the zero-point energy is the lowest
possible energy that a quantum mechanical physical system may possess
and is the energy of the ground state of the system [the energy left in
a system when the temperature is reduced to absolute zero (0 Kelvin
-2730 Celsius)]. The concept of zero-point energy was proposed by Albert
Einstein and Otto Stern in 1913, which they originally called
"residual energy" or Nullpunktsenergie [German for Zero-point
energy]. All quantum mechanical systems have a zero point energy. The
term arises commonly in reference to the ground state of the quantum
harmonic oscillator and its null oscillations. In quantum field theory,
it is a synonym for the vacuum energy, an amount of energy associated
with the vacuum of empty space. In cosmology, the vacuum energy is taken
to be the origin of the cosmological constant. Because zero point energy
is the lowest possible energy a system can have, this energy cannot be
removed from the system. A related term is zero-point field, which is
the lowest energy state of a field, i.e. its ground state, which is non
zero. Despite the definition, the concept of zero-point energy, and the
hint of a possibility of extracting “free energy” from the vacuum,
has attracted the attention of many inventors. Numerous perpetual motion
and other devices, often called free energy devices, exploiting the
idea, have been proposed. As a result of this activity, and its
intriguing theoretical explanation, it has taken on a life of its own in
popular culture, appearing in science fiction books, games and movies.
|