look at magnesium-aluminum hydride. Much lighter and cheaper than iron-titanium. You could use a small iron-titanium to start the engine and run it a few minutes until the exhaust heat activated the Mg-Al.
Kirk -----Original Message----- From: Robert Mills [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 4:16 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [biofuel] The Hydrogen hype, "the scam artists at work". Wow!!, thanks for the data. You really have done some research on this. What appears to be the ultimate answer to the alternative energy game and the clean air game is that of solar electric energy used at the instant of it's conversion from sun energy to electric energy since there would be no storage or conversion medium involved. Yes, there is one little problem involved with the 40 foot trailer full of solar panels making the electricity that would follow one everywhere they go. Since you agree with my thoughts that electric wins hands down, what can we now do to utilize the electricity generated by the panel while we are parked?? Inverters and feed the grid and other types of usage so we don't waste it? It would appear that if we could come up with batterys that would live the life of the car or nearly that and/or the panels were at home, they could produce one's hydrogen and supply the compressor horsepower to get your 3000 pounds in your tanks. Another smog cure if we don't find a fault with the burning of hydrogen in an ICE that troubles the environment. It appears that we have solutions but lack storage or fueling capacity and it's generation as the problems to solve. Thanks !! Bob robert luis rabello <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Robert Mills wrote: > Robert; > my question; which energy, hydrogen or electricity, (per therm or 100,000 btu's or US gallon) would ultimately be the lowest energy cost for the operation of a motor vehicle on the roads as transportation using the numbers you previously used in your post? > > Thanks !! > > Bob > > That's a tough question! If we consider fuel costs alone, electricity wins by a wide margin. The typical electric car is roughly five times more efficient than an externally mixed, internal combustion engine--not a diesel. (I derive this from > comparing the economy of my 2.3 liter gasoline Ranger to that of an electric Ranger owned by a frequent contributor to Usenet's "sci.energy.hydrogen" list.) The ugly secret of electric vehicles is that battery replacement is roughly equivalent to the fuel cost of a comparable gasoline model over a three or four year period of time. (This I discovered by comparing the battery replacement costs of an electric Mazda B 2000, which is essentially the same truck I own, after having a long talk with its owner.) In a hybrid, batteries should last considerably longer, and that may tip the dynamic entirely in the other direction. A hydrogen conversion for my truck would cost me at least $7 000 for the natural gas tanks, regulators and injectors, as well as the compressor to fill the tanks safely. (If ANYTHING at 3 000 psi is safe!) This is a little bit less than an electric conversion, but not by much. Commercial electrolyzers don't get sold to the average consumer, so I'd be stuck with one I can make myself. While this is easily done and relatively inexpensive (a few hundred dollars in materials), it's very hard to make an efficient electrolyzer without using platinized platinum anodes and cathodes and extremely thin separator membranes. (The best I've ever done is about 25% efficient, which means that a kilogram of hydrogen would require about 128 kWh of electricity to produce, and I'd have a LOT of waste heat left over.) Therefore, the cost of my "fuel" (really electricity in disguise) would be $7.68 per kilogram. So, one of two things needs to happen. Either I have access to REALLY CHEAP electricity, like a personal hydro system that generates excess current, or I have to find a very efficient electrolyzer. The former is not easily found, and trust me, I've been looking for a LONG time! The latter is too expensive, and not available to people like me anyway. However, we can put a "biofuels" angle on this. Hydrogen can be produced from sugars by the same bacteria responsible for methanogensis of carbon and nitrogen feedstocks. I've done this, and it's relatively easy. The trick is to find a really cheap source of sugar, and build a digester big enough to make it practical. In reality, biodiesel and ethanol are easier and likely more efficient. Personally, I think that hybrid electrics will be the most practical solution for most people who own and drive automobiles. Better yet, if driving can be avoided, it should be. robert luis rabello "The Edge of Justice" Adventure for Your Mind http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/9782 Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. 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