The problem with using hydrogen as a fuel is getting that hydrogen free from the oxygen so that you can recombine at a later date. Basically it's exactly the same problem as electric batteries, you are just moving the polluting part of the process somewhere else. In addition, all the energy derived from oxidizing the hydrogen (plus more) is required to split the hydrogen and oxygen apart, so you have a net energy loss.
Another issue is energy density (How large is the H2 tank required to get the same amount of BTU's contained in 20 gallons of gasoline?). I think that the cheapest/easiest source of hydrogen is, unfortunately, splitting it from some form of hydrocarbons that come from a well. Less energy required than splitting H2O apart, but polluting nevertheless and you are still tied to that hydrocarbon well. Might as well just burn it and deal with the pollution. Very respectfully, /s/ Max Dillon '87 300TD 334k miles (Off with the head!) '95 E300 283k miles (daily driving duties) '73 Balboa 20 (High & dry until the head is back on) Charleston SC ________________________________ From: G Mann <g2ma...@gmail.com> To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Mon, June 20, 2011 11:10:56 AM Subject: Re: [MBZ] The "Dirty Little Secret Behind the Chevy VOLT".... What is the projected service life for a set of batteries on the chevy volt? {How many charge /discharge cycles will they take before degradation or failure} What is the cost of a replacement set of batteries? [I'm betting it's a new form of "sticker shock"] When you factor the car chassis life vs fuel cost + electrical cost + upkeep cost+ battery replacement cost + inflated "go green" purchase cost , my bet is the numbers add up fast to a "no purchase decision". Anything I learned on shore leave was that "feel good costs money".... paid up front.. or later.. If the money spent on electric hybrid car development was instead spent on hydrogen fuel development we would be ahead and green already. H2O covers 70% of the planet, when H2 is split and burned the result is .. .. H2O... water... steam comes out the exhaust pipe. NO pollution. No rich Arabs wanting to kill us selling us oil... hmmm novel thought there. About 30 years ago I was an engineering assistant on a hydrogen fuel test program that ran a V8 350 Chevy engine in a dyno test cell at 80% power for 100,000 mile [equiv ] with tear down at end of run. Zero wear, and we wiped the combustion chambers clean with a facial tissue. NO carbon anywhere. Measured pollution for the run... zero. On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 6:26 PM, Mitch Haley <m...@voyager.net> wrote: > It looks like a Chevy Dolt can, without using climate control, do about 35 > miles on 13kWh, so your .5kWh per mile was actually conservative. > > You mentioned not paying 10 cents, what do you pay? > My marginal cost of electricity is about 22 cents in the summer and 14 > cents in the winter. > > It'd still take longer than the batteries will live to pay back the cost of > trading in an SDL on a Dolt with fuel savings. And some of those fuel > savings will go away when they figure out a way to make electric drivers pay > road tax. > > Mitch. > > ______________________________**_________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives >http://www.okiebenz.com/**archive/<http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/> > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >http://mail.okiebenz.com/**mailman/listinfo/mercedes_**okiebenz.com<http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com> >> > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com