The theory is relatively simple: Seawater and freshwater, filtered to remove silt, are fed into pipes which lead to a membrane system, made up of spiral coils to maximize surface area.

FORBES: Getting Power From Salty Water

When it's put through tests that simulate typical vehicle usage-30, 000 starts and stops, sudden accelerations, and temperature and elevation extremes-tiny holes begin to show up in the membrane, reducing the power of the system.

FORBES: On The Cover/Top Stories

The authors believe their system could combine the advantages of methanol as a hydrogen carrier and of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells for efficient energy production.

BBC: Hydrogen's energy promise improves