Fuel cells are a stop-gap replacement for the stop-gap hybrid technology of the Prius, et al. I have and tryuly enjoy my '04 Prius and am not holding my breath for practical fuel cell powered cars with convenient economical fueling stations.
Fuel cells are "OLD HAT" but continue to be "flogged" like they were really something new, improved, and lemon scented.
Fuel cells, if commercially viable and get timely fuel station availability, convenience, and competitive pricing, will be perhaps an adequate but temporary stop-gap to fill the nitche after the stop-gap hybrids (Prius etc.) prior to some REAL TECHNOLOGY like "Nitrogen Power."
Nitrogen powered vehicles will be even less poluting than fuel cell vehicles which emit copius quantities of water vapor. Yes, water vapor can be a polutant. Just like a "weed" is a plant growing in the wrong place, water vapor released in massive quantities by fleets of fuel cell vehicles will substantively raise the relative humidity where the vehicles are operated and thus pollute that area. It is unlikely that the fuel (hydrogen) will be obtained in the area where it is consumed so there will be many tons of humidity released where it wouldn't have otherwise have been. Water is very bio-reactive, especialy when compard to N2 (common nitrogen molecule.)
Let us consider an example of a man made disaster due to increased relative humidity. Arid regions with quite low relative humidity that have subsequently been (over)populated and humidified by lawn watering etc. have experienced an increase in their heat index and a plague of bugs that couldn't previously survive the climate. Other downsides include increased respiratory distress. Palm Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, El Centro, etc. are examples.
Now then, about the nitrogen power technology... Although in its infancy, it shows great promise as a high energy density fuel with little polution. Nitrogen can exist in various states. These states have diferent bonds between nitrogen atoms forming nitrogen molecules. Of interest as regards energy storage is the crystaline state, i.e. polymeric nitrogen.
Nitrogen in its most stable state is nitrogen molecules formed by pairs of atoms linked by strong triple bonds. Polymeric nitrogen is nitrogen packed into a 3D network having single bonds binding each atom to three other atoms. The energy difference between the polymeric form and common molecular form is huge, having storage capacities per unit volume surpassing some of the most powerful explosives available today (conventional not nuclear).
Polymeric nitrogen can store and release huge amounts of energy and the ONLY substance emitted is common molecular nitrogen which is the stuff that comprises about 78% of each breath we draw. Slight variations in nitrogen content of the environment are not particularly dangerous and are significantly more benign than water vapor. Concentrations of nitrogen powered vehicles will not constitute a vast threat to the environment.
I'll just drive my Prius and enjoy life and see when fuel cells become convenient and economical. Meanwhile lets cheer for the science types working on polymeric nitrogen.
Fuel cells are "OLD HAT" but continue to be "flogged" like they were really something new, improved, and lemon scented.
Fuel cells, if commercially viable and get timely fuel station availability, convenience, and competitive pricing, will be perhaps an adequate but temporary stop-gap to fill the nitche after the stop-gap hybrids (Prius etc.) prior to some REAL TECHNOLOGY like "Nitrogen Power."
Nitrogen powered vehicles will be even less poluting than fuel cell vehicles which emit copius quantities of water vapor. Yes, water vapor can be a polutant. Just like a "weed" is a plant growing in the wrong place, water vapor released in massive quantities by fleets of fuel cell vehicles will substantively raise the relative humidity where the vehicles are operated and thus pollute that area. It is unlikely that the fuel (hydrogen) will be obtained in the area where it is consumed so there will be many tons of humidity released where it wouldn't have otherwise have been. Water is very bio-reactive, especialy when compard to N2 (common nitrogen molecule.)
Let us consider an example of a man made disaster due to increased relative humidity. Arid regions with quite low relative humidity that have subsequently been (over)populated and humidified by lawn watering etc. have experienced an increase in their heat index and a plague of bugs that couldn't previously survive the climate. Other downsides include increased respiratory distress. Palm Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, El Centro, etc. are examples.
Now then, about the nitrogen power technology... Although in its infancy, it shows great promise as a high energy density fuel with little polution. Nitrogen can exist in various states. These states have diferent bonds between nitrogen atoms forming nitrogen molecules. Of interest as regards energy storage is the crystaline state, i.e. polymeric nitrogen.
Nitrogen in its most stable state is nitrogen molecules formed by pairs of atoms linked by strong triple bonds. Polymeric nitrogen is nitrogen packed into a 3D network having single bonds binding each atom to three other atoms. The energy difference between the polymeric form and common molecular form is huge, having storage capacities per unit volume surpassing some of the most powerful explosives available today (conventional not nuclear).
Polymeric nitrogen can store and release huge amounts of energy and the ONLY substance emitted is common molecular nitrogen which is the stuff that comprises about 78% of each breath we draw. Slight variations in nitrogen content of the environment are not particularly dangerous and are significantly more benign than water vapor. Concentrations of nitrogen powered vehicles will not constitute a vast threat to the environment.
I'll just drive my Prius and enjoy life and see when fuel cells become convenient and economical. Meanwhile lets cheer for the science types working on polymeric nitrogen.
