Buzz
Energy is the engine that drives the workforce and keeps money circulating. Bold ideas, green projects, and large investments are shaping a promising future to meet the world’s energy and transport needs.
However, not every idea has lived up to expectations. Let’s explore some of the failed ventures from the past that make us appreciate the ability to still watch TV.
10. Coal Gas Powered Cars
During World War I, most oil and gas resources were allocated for military purposes, necessitating an alternative fuel source for cars. By adapting coal gas technology from the 1800s, fuel was created by heating coal in sealed ovens without oxygen, followed by filtration before distribution.
The main issue arose with storage, as crude and often unsightly “gas bags” were strapped to the tops of vehicles. These posed clear fire risks (considering the widespread smoking habits of the time), limited speed, and made driving under bridges a challenge. So, the next time we’re stuck behind a bus, at least we won’t have to worry about a potential explosion overhead.
9. Square Sails
Wind energy dates back to ancient times, with sail-powered boats as early as 3500 BC. Used by civilizations like the Romans, the Chinese, and notably by the Vikings on their longships, square sails were highly ineffective unless the wind was directly behind them, which required large crews for navigation on open waters.
Drawing inspiration from the Arab Dhow design, triangular sails became popular worldwide for creating smaller, more agile, and easier-to-handle boats. These sails are now known as fore-and-aft sails.
Without these advancements, the development of inland communities and coastal trade may have taken far longer to evolve.
8. Tesla Tower
In 1901, Nikola Tesla constructed a 56-meter (185 ft) tall tower at his laboratory in Long Island. With a massive copper transmitter at its peak, the Wardenclyffe Tower (also called “Tesla Tower”) was designed to send wireless electricity signals across the globe.
Early tests were said to be promising, with the Earth itself used as a conduit for electricity, powering nearby appliances. However, Tesla lost his funding when his competitor, Guglielmo Marconi, successfully transmitted the world’s first wireless telegraph shortly afterward.
Conspiracy theories still circulate regarding why Tesla’s ambitious plans were never realized. After all, free energy would have disrupted the oil industry.
7. Sugar
During the Great Depression, skyrocketing fuel costs led US farmers to produce their own fuel by distilling alcohol. By extracting sugar from corn, they were able to create Agrol, a blend of ethanol and diesel.
The development of biofuel mixtures like this continues today, but pure ethanol can be made at home from sugar. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gained widespread adoption due to the specialized equipment, time, and permits needed. Additionally, the high cost of raw sugar and the illegality of ethanol-only cars in the US have been major obstacles.
6. Tornadoes
Resembling something straight out of a sci-fi film, the atmospheric vortex engine (AVE) attempts to mimic the power of a tornado-like vortex to generate mechanical energy. By heating air in a circular motion from below, the convectional heat is captured by generators.
Engineer Louis Michaud’s ambitious vision has led to the creation of several AVE prototypes since the 1970s. However, these have only been tested on a small scale, and no energy has yet been extracted. Even if perfected, the complex engine could still fall victim to the first law of thermodynamics. As Mother Nature shows, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to generate a tornado.
5. Diapers
This might seem strange on many levels, but it's true. In 2007, the engineering company AMEC proposed a plan to convert used diapers into energy in Quebec. The process, known as pyrolysis, relied on the breakdown of plastic fibers and feces through heat in the absence of oxygen.
Despite the ready supply of raw materials, the project didn’t take off. Whether due to the constant jokes or embarrassment over the idea, this ambitious venture was ultimately excluded from Canadian energy plans.
4. Air
In the late 2000s, a small French company partnered with Indian giant Tata Motors to develop cars powered by compressed air. The car would have used standard piston mechanisms, but it required air at 4,350 psi in its tanks—a problem since standard pumps couldn’t provide that pressure.
Although the car was expected to reach a top speed of 109 kilometers per hour (68 mph), it still required electricity to compress the air in the first place. This posed a challenge in India, its primary market, where the national grid relies on some of the world’s dirtiest coal for power.
3. Peanuts
At the dawn of the 20th century, Henry Ford predicted that biofuels would fuel the future, even running his early Model Ts on ethanol. Diesel engines at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris were powered by peanut oil.
While this idea didn’t take off due to oil exploration, the use of nuts as fuel has resurfaced. In 2012, the Rashadia cement plant in Jordan burned 24 million tons of pistachio shells to help offset limited oil and gas supplies in the country.
2. Propeller Car
Found in a barn in the French countryside in 2000, the Helicon is an unusual propeller-powered car believed to have been originally constructed in 1932. Despite the widespread use of gasoline-powered cars at the time, a bold inventor decided it would be a great idea to mount blades at the front and steer using the rear wheels.
In addition to being hard to control, the propeller propulsion made the vehicle quite slow, and climbing hills required quite a run-up. It's safe to say we wouldn’t be taking any chances jaywalking if these had become the norm.
1. Nuclear Planes
Right from the start, this idea seemed alarming—and it certainly was. From the Cold War until the 1960s, the Soviet Union developed multiple prototypes for nuclear-powered aircraft. The basic concept involved heating incoming air with the reactor core, which would then pass through a pressurized chamber to create thrust.
The primary concern was protecting the crew from the radiation emanating just a few meters away. Additionally, there was the challenge of fitting a large, heavy reactor into the rear of the aircraft. Ultimately, the major dealbreaker was likely the risk of nuclear fallout if a crash were to occur.
