However, previously it had not been possible to break water down into its molecular state in practical terms from an energy consumption standpoint. The process consumed more energy than could be extracted from the resulting hydrogen and oxygen gases. As an example, 1000 watts of energy would be consumed to break water down to its molecular state and only 900 watts of usable gas energy would be yielded from the process.
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In order to make Genesis viable, the team needed to develop the ability to breakdown any type of water into its basic molecular state, using a small amount of space and consuming far less energy than could be realized as a result of the process.