What's Actually Happening Inside a GEET Reactor: The Science

Paul Pantone claimed his GEET reactor created “plasma” that could run engines on almost anything. Critics called it “pure, unadulterated nonsense.” The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between.

This article examines what legitimate science tells us about fuel reformation, exhaust heat recovery, and what might actually be happening inside a GEET reactor.

What GEET Actually Does

At its core, GEET is a fuel pre-processing system that uses exhaust heat. Hot exhaust gases heat incoming fuel vapor, which passes through a narrow gap around a central rod before entering the engine.

The patent (US 5,794,601) describes:

Volatilization chamber (bubbler) heated by exhaust
Reactor tube with coaxial rod creating an annular flow space
Counter-current flow — exhaust and fuel vapor moving in opposite directions
Operating temperatures: 200-900°F (93-480°C)
Gap specification: 0.035-0.04 inches between rod and tube wall

Notably, the patent itself acknowledges uncertainty about the mechanism: “larger molecules in volatilized fuel appear to be broken into fragments with some type of reaction taking place.”

Legitimate Science: Exhaust Heat Recovery

The concept of recovering waste exhaust heat is established, peer-reviewed science.

Energy Distribution in Engines

In a typical internal combustion engine:

30-40% of fuel energy converts to useful work
30-40% is lost through exhaust gases
The remainder is lost through cooling and friction

That exhaust heat represents a massive opportunity. Recovering even a fraction could significantly improve efficiency.

Documented Technologies

Technology	Efficiency Gain	Status
Turbocharging	10-20%	Widespread commercial use
Thermoelectric Generators	2-5%	Commercial
Organic Rankine Cycle	6-32%	Research/Commercial
Fuel reforming with exhaust heat	Up to 13-20%	Research stage

A 2023 paper in ACS Engineering Au concluded: “The thermal efficiency of ICEs can be boosted by more than 13% (and probably close to 20%) by heat recuperation from the exhaust gas using steam reforming or by decomposition of the fuel.”

This is the scientific basis for GEET’s potential. Using exhaust heat to pre-process fuel is not pseudoscience — it’s engineering.

Steam Reforming: The Most Likely Mechanism

Steam reforming is the primary industrial method for producing hydrogen, accounting for about 48% of global hydrogen production.

How Industrial Steam Reforming Works

Parameter	Industrial Range
Temperature	700-1,000°C (typically 800-925°C)
Pressure	14-40 bar (200-600 psi)
Catalyst	Nickel-based (Ni, Ni+MgO, Pt, Rh)
Efficiency	65-75%

The key reaction is strongly endothermic:

CH₄ + H₂O → CO + 3H₂ (ΔH = 206 kJ/mol)

This means heat must be continuously supplied — which is exactly what the hot exhaust provides.

Can GEET Achieve Steam Reforming?

Here’s the problem: GEET operates at 260-480°C, while industrial steam reforming requires 700-1,000°C.

Factor	GEET	Industrial SMR
Temperature	260-480°C	700-1,000°C
Catalyst	Iron/steel rod	Nickel, platinum, rhodium
Pressure	Near atmospheric	14-40 bar
Residence time	Milliseconds	Seconds to minutes

However, recent research has shown low-temperature steam reforming is possible with the right catalysts:

Methanol steam reforming works at 200-350°C with copper-based catalysts
With electric field assistance, water-gas shift reactions have been achieved at 150°C (423K) with dramatically reduced activation energy

The steel surfaces in GEET might provide some catalytic effect, but they’re far from optimal. Some reformation may occur, but at low efficiency.

Pyrolysis: Thermal Cracking

Pyrolysis — the thermal decomposition of organic materials — is another established industrial process that may occur in GEET.

Industrial Temperature Ranges

Process	Temperature
Mild cracking (Visbreaking)	~500°C
Standard thermal cracking	450-750°C
Steam cracking	750-900°C

GEET’s central reactor portion reaches 315-480°C (600-900°F), which overlaps with the lower end of thermal cracking onset.

Some hydrocarbon decomposition might begin at these temperatures, but:

Residence time is extremely short (flow-through system)
No pressure enhancement
No optimized cracking catalyst
Efficiency would be very low compared to industrial processes

Verdict: Minor thermal cracking is plausible; significant reformation is unlikely.

Water Injection: Documented Benefits

Adding water to fuel-air mixtures has legitimate, peer-reviewed benefits:

Documented Effects

NOx Reduction: Up to 80% at optimal water-fuel ratios
Knock Suppression: Water’s evaporative cooling allows more advanced ignition timing
Efficiency Gains: 5-15% improvement possible under certain conditions

The Mechanism

Water absorbs heat during vaporization (latent heat), cooling the intake charge. This:

Increases air density (more oxygen per stroke)
Reduces peak combustion temperatures (less NOx formation)
Allows more aggressive ignition timing (more power)

This is established science. The GEET bubbler, which introduces water vapor with the fuel, likely produces real benefits through this mechanism — regardless of whether “plasma reformation” occurs.

What the Studies Actually Found

ENSAIS/Martz Study (2001)

20% fuel consumption reduction
85% pollution reduction
Operation with 20% fuel / 80% water demonstrated

Limitation: Student thesis with constrained equipment; not peer-reviewed journal publication.

Mines de Douai Study (2007)

40% increase in fuel consumption
25% power reduction
50% reduction in CO/CO2 emissions
80% increase in unburned hydrocarbons

Finding: Mixed results that don’t support extraordinary claims.

University of Technology of Troyes

“This system is utopian in the version studied”
“Not as effective as a catalytic converter”
“Does not help reduce petroleum consumption”

INRAE (French National Research Institute)

“No notable reduction” in fuel consumption
Pollution reduction “approximately the same whether the device is functioning or not”

Summary: The most rigorous studies found modest or no benefits. The positive results came from less controlled conditions.

What About “Plasma”?

Pantone described his reactor as a “Self-Induced Multiple Plasma Field Generator.” Let’s examine this claim.

What Is Plasma?

Plasma is ionized gas — the “fourth state of matter.” Creating plasma typically requires:

Temperatures exceeding 5,000°C, or
Strong electrical fields, or
Intense electromagnetic radiation

GEET’s operating temperatures (max ~480°C) are nowhere near plasma conditions. There’s no ionization source, no electrical input, and no mechanism for achieving the required energy levels.

Critical Ionization Velocity (CIV)

Some proponents claim GEET achieves ionization through CIV — the velocity at which neutral gas begins ionizing when passing through plasma.

The problem: CIV for hydrogen is 50.9 km/s. Flow velocities in GEET are orders of magnitude lower. Laboratory demonstrations of CIV exist, but space experiments have largely failed to confirm it, and the conditions required don’t exist in a garage-built reactor.

The Honest Assessment

“Plasma” in GEET marketing appears to be terminology chosen for appeal rather than accuracy. The device may achieve some degree of fuel reformation, but not through plasma generation.

As one engineering student who built a working GEET device concluded: “No plasma was created, and I do believe that word usage was strictly just for the sales pitch of Paul Pantone. Thermodynamics are the true driving forces behind this concept.”

What GEET Probably Does

Based on the science, a well-constructed GEET system likely achieves:

Verified Effects

Fuel preheating — Better vaporization, more complete combustion
Water injection benefits — NOx reduction, charge cooling
Exhaust heat recovery — Using otherwise wasted thermal energy

Possible Effects

Minor fuel reformation — Some cracking of heavy molecules at elevated temperatures
Catalytic effects — Metal surfaces may promote some reactions

Unverified Claims

Plasma generation — No evidence at these temperatures
Running on 80% water — Not demonstrated in controlled studies
Zero emissions — Violates conservation of mass
200%+ efficiency gains — Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

The Practical Takeaway

GEET is probably best understood as an exhaust heat recovery and water injection system rather than a “plasma reactor.”

This doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Exhaust heat recovery and water injection are legitimate technologies with documented benefits of 5-20% efficiency improvement and significant emissions reduction.

What it means is that the mechanism is more mundane than advertised, and the most extreme claims (80% water fuel, zero pollution, running on crude oil) remain unverified by rigorous testing.

Why Does This Matter?

Understanding the real science helps builders:

Set realistic expectations — 20-30% improvement is valuable; 800% is fantasy
Optimize construction — Focus on heat transfer and vaporization quality
Troubleshoot failures — Understanding the actual mechanism helps identify problems
Advocate honestly — Credibility requires accuracy

Paul Pantone gave his technology freely to the world. The best way to honor that gift is to understand it clearly — including both its genuine potential and its documented limitations.