[dogtag]

Check this out......
The concept seems too good to be true. It seems to solve alot of problems of fuel distribution and storage.
I can't help but wonder if a Pri with a Hydrogen run motor might be the answer to our fuel problems.

Dogtag

http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2 ... ectricCar/

 

[Tideland Prius]

Toyota's FCEV (based on Highlander) is a Hydrogen Hybrid. In fact, FCEV stands for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. Other hydrogen hybrids include the Ford Focus hydrogen car. I'm not sure if the NeCar or the Honda FCV are regular hydrogen or hybrids. I definitely know BMW ones aren't hybrids. They run on hydrogen fuel via ICE only, no motor or HV battery.

 

[dogtag]

Yeah, I was aware there were several out there running on fuel cells or bottled H2.
What I thought was so great was a car with a little H2 plant on board.
The thing drops an aloy into a bucket of water and starts producing.
No fuel cell and no tank to mess with......looks like some real possibilities here.

Dogtag

 

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah but you need to replace the alloy. Interesting concept though since carrying water's better than hydrogen. 3hp is kinda weak

 

[DanMan32]

The question then becomes, how expensive is the alloy, and how much energy does it take to make it?

Let's not forget the conservation of energy. The only 2 original sources of energy we know of is fossil fuels and the sun, and even the former indirectly came from the latter, though in 'storage' for a really long time.

 

[s3nfo]

The only 2 original sources of energy we know of is fossil fuels and the sun, and even the former indirectly came from the latter, though in 'storage' for a really long time.

I'm sure the hundreds of millions of people who've owned sailboats over the centuries would disagree.

 

[DanMan32]

I thought of that but even that comes from solar energy, as indirect as it might be.

Geothermal might be the third.

 

[HunterGreen]

Technically, there are two energy sources on earth, sunlight (and starlight), and nuclear energy (both from naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the crust, and in rare cases, fusion).

 

[DanMan32]

Again, that depends on the Earth's origination, which would determine how it got its geothermal energy, which is said to be cooling ever so slowly.

 

[mikepaul]

I understand that in Kansas, all energy comes from God.

Any evidence that conflicts with that is a ruse constructed by God to test your faith. For example, the rest of the universe outside of the Earth was created with electrons in-flight, so it only appears like things are light-years away. Oil was placed in the ground day-one with no long fermentation period.

And all those dinosaur bones and fossels are a constant source of amusement in Heaven when someone discovers a version not seen before...

:wink:

 

[clett]

It seems a strange way of going about getting the energy out of the metal.

Metal fuel cars have been around for a long time - a zinc based version has demonstrated a range of >300 miles. A native metal is allowed to oxidise in the air and this works as a kind of "battery" that provides electricity to propel the car. Very efficient process.

However, turn it into hydrogen (lose some energy there) and then use an internal combustion engine to extract the energy from the hydrogen (only 25% efficient, so throw away three-quarters of the energy you started with) then an alternator and then into a battery.

They've got 3 expensive complicated components / pathways when they only need one! Metal -> battery.

The best "metal fuel" couple found so far is lithium-air, which has a theoretical energy density of 11,600 watt-hours per kilogram - maybe 3,000 Wh/kg in practice. A single 25kg pack installed in an efficient electric car would provide a range of 375 miles. The spent pack is then easily replaced by hand at a refuelling station. Why go via H2? Is it just trendy or something?