Scientists Develop New Hydrogen Reactor

Akron Beacon Journal ^ | 2/13/04 | GREGG AAMOT

[Lee'sGhost]

"The media thinks they are a peer review."

You misunderstood. The media thinks they are a QUEER review.

[Cobra Scott]

All the obstacles of ethanol production come into play. For a substitute to liquid hydrocarbons, why take it to another step?

Although, the real good part, that I see, is possible easy/efficient conversion of extraterrestrial alcohols into hydrogen fuels. Who says the mars objective won't bring tech benefits to the future of China? ;)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for posting this!

[DoctorMichael]

"...too good to be true..."
"...How much energy is required to produce the ethanol?..."

My best guess is that they use some sort of electrolysis setup to break the ethanol down and then collect the hydrogen. If this is true then you would need some power source generating electricity to drive this step............a coal-fired or nuclear power plant, anyone?

Horror of horrors, you'd be back to unacceptable (to the Greenies) technology.

[Jack of all Trades]

I concluded all my beer to Methane conversion testing about two years ago.

[frithguild]

Fine, where do we get the ethanol, and at what cost?

Your daddy's still. Then you be rid of big oil and big electricity. But watch out for the Revenuers.

[Diogenesis]

Is water vapor a bad thing?
Are we living on Dune, now?

[Eala]

The cell could produce 1 kilowatt of power, nearly enough for an average home.

I don't think so. I did a little assessment of the electric usage of my (rural) house, with the thought of installing a generator, and the peak figure (what it actually has to be able to put out if you don't want brownouts) came out considerably higher than that.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Probably more BTUs go in to cooking corn than the BTUs coming out as ethanol. The rank of the fuel used should be considered, however...

[American_Centurion]

Not just the ethanol, but an article about this from yesterday mentioned a catylist. You don't just pick catylists up off the ground, they have to be produced also, especially if you intend to have any consistency at all in your reactions.

[Petronski]

My daddy didn't have a still. We always got our shine from them crazy Duke boys!

[Kozak]

How much energy is required to produce the ethanol? I'm guessing this is still an energy sink, not an energy source

And what are the waste products produced? Co2, Co, ?????

[frithguild]

Probably more BTUs go in to cooking corn than the BTUs coming out as ethanol.

My daddy's still uses a solar collector!

[eno_]

This is a chemical reactor. It processes ethanol into hydrogen. It also probably requires some outside power, but if it is cleverly designed, not too much.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Is that one a hydrogen sulfide converter? I made one too. way cool, but having a hard time patenting it, and research costs are killing me.

[Jack of all Trades]

Not at all. I merely pointed out a glaring error in the article.

[spunkets]

"The Minnesota researchers envision people buying ethanol to power the small fuel cell in their basements."

...in additon to wearing rags and munching on fruits, nuts and lots of fiber. BTW, water is the most prevalent and potent greenhouse gas and they also left out the CO₂ it takes to produce the alcohol. 1KW will power a computer, or TV and a few light bulbs, that's it.

[philosofy123]

Where are you going to get the ethanol from? How much energy do you have to spend to get ethanol? This question is very important. If it is going to be net negative energy gain, then it is foolish to do. For example you can take water and use electricity to decompose it to hydrogen and oxygen. The amount of hydrogen produced from this process (electrolysis) is less than the electric energy used. Hence, unless the electricity used cost you nothing, then this process is net loss. If we followed the French in standardizing nuclear power plants, we could be now sitting pretty, with practically free electricity. We complicated that industry so much, and allowed a failed high school science politicians, and journalists to create fear in our population.

[spunkets]

"Is water vapor a bad thing?"

Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. It and condensed droplets have the significant effect when compared to the total of all the others. The greens leave that fact out, because it hinders their propaganda efforts to bring us all back to the stone age on ghia.

[kanawa]

`Daily' Graph (5 Minute Average)

http://www.bolhuijo.com/electric/