Hydrogen Powered Cars! HA!

1/25/2002 | John Jamieson

[stboz]

I think methanol has a real shot simply because the infrastructure already exists....in the form of today's gas stations. Pump seals and other rubber items (and some metals) would have to be retrofitted (along with those in the vehicles using methanol), but that's doable compared to building a whole new system for hydrogen.

The direct methanol fuel cell is a real item and still developing. It's here now, it will get better with time.

[Ditto]

Besides the waste products, the tree huggers, the soccer Moms and the NIMBY's what are the obstacles to fusion?

Finding a way to contain a plasma at 25,000 degrees for starters. It's way more than your average thermos can handle.

[narby]

A huge opportunity is using the wasted electricity generated during nighttime hours to generate the hydrogen.

Quick explanation. A large electricity plant, of whatever kind, cannot be shut down for so short a period as overnight. So electricity companies have for years been selling cities "street lights" in an attempt to get a few bucks out of this otherwise wasted energy.

I live in a city that has basically banned street lights. It's one of the safest cities in the area (so much for the "security" part of lights). And its wonderful because you can see the stars at night.

So, shut off the street lights. Generate the hydrogen. And at whatever ineficiency that might be, its still better than totally wasting the energy.

[EBUCK]

Look up Tesla!!!!! He said it could be done and that he had done it but the evidence either didn't exist or was covered up ( I am not a nut, BTW where's my tin-foil)

EBUCK

[John Jamieson]

Poor Japan and France.....they're doomed.

[John Jamieson]

See Freelectricity.com. Send in your $5 and wait.

[John Jamieson]

Good thought. Let's start now. Don't even need to wait for fuelcells. I could burn it in the Mustang (need water injection and new computer chip).

[narby]

I'd like to see that same level of analysis on a coal strip mine. Gas/oil wells, same thing.

Using any form of energy you can think of kills people.

Since I've never seen the scrutiny of energy like the anal exam of nuclear (what was the cost, $10 billion, just spent so far on one silly mountian in NV for studies. And they want to continue studies another 10 years!) I'll just assume that these other forms are just as dangerous. But they're just not quite as politically incorrect.

[rebdov]

Maybe we should breed elephants for their methane?

[stboz]

...what to do with millions of tons of "used" fuel rods...

You process them to recover unused fuel and to recover plutonium to make more fuel. You then exercise good engineering judgement and manage the remaining high-level wastes where they will not get loose in the environment.

You also quit wetting your pants worrying whether someone will steal them and put them in the mashed potatoes in school lunchrooms.

[r9etb]

BTW, biodiesel is intriguing....and clean (more so than "normal diesel.)

It is until you start looking at the acreage required to supply the equivalent of 30 billion gallons of diesel per year. Even if biodiesel made up 2% of the total, it's tens of millions of acres.

[r9etb]

BTW, biodiesel is intriguing....and clean (more so than "normal diesel.)

It is until you start looking at the acreage required to supply the equivalent of 30 billion gallons of diesel per year. Even if biodiesel made up 2% of the total, it's tens of millions of acres.

[EBUCK]

Sounds too good to be true. Do you know where I can find more info? Preferably from an independant source.

Did you send your 5 clams?

EBUCK

[rightofrush]

All this negativity aside, there is one and only one way to cheap automotive fuel, clean air and energy independence for this country. The answer is a massive, nuclear energy economy, probably fusion (hydrogen) powered.

Hey there all eco-freaks! Take Physics 101! Reality is a bitch - get educated or shut up.

The only way that hydrogen gereration is possible as an economic alternative to natural gas is to use solar cells by the ocean for its generation. I doubt that it would ever be cheaper than bio-mass sources of methane.

[John Jamieson]

No, bought the $20 video tape......this might be a SCAM???

[stboz]

Biodiesel isn't an end-all. I like the idea of making it from all the used cooking oil that needs treatment or disposal. Using fifty-jillion acres to make fuel isn't what I have in mind at all. It's more waste reduction.

Besides, your exhaust smells like popcorn!

[John Jamieson]

What happens to the Carbon??? Not CO2 I hope......

[John Jamieson]

Billions of cows already exist. We'll need a pipe connected to each one, some valves and manifolds and stuff......

[John Jamieson]

No one seems to mention that the Space Shuttle fuel cells must be "purged" twice a day to remove "bad stuff". Wonder why the the Space Station uses solar?

[Virginia-American]

Hydrogen is useful as an energy storage medium: eg, a windmill can electrolyse water whenever the wind's blowing.