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To: sefarkas
....displace oil as an energy source;...

Where are you gonna get the energy to make, store and distribute the hydrogen? Have you done and energy balance to compare hydrogen to fossil fuel? How does it compare?

34 posted on 11/20/2004 1:21:09 PM PST by stboz
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To: stboz
Where are you gonna get the energy to make, store and distribute the hydrogen? Have you done and energy balance to compare hydrogen to fossil fuel? How does it compare?

The primary benefit is reducing dependence on oil as a source for electric power and as an automotive fuel. The energy balance may be technically interesting, but the economic balance is more important. At some point (the question is when) fossil fuel extraction and conversion to conventional gasoline will be expensive enough to make alternative fuels economically competitive. As I don't see replacing the automobile, I do see a day when the engine is redesigned to accept alternate fuels.

As to your question of "get the energy to make ..." see High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors for the Production of Hydrogen: An Assessment in Support of the Hydrogen Economy

In the year 2000, over 85% of the 100.5 quads of energy consumed in the United States and about 80% of the 377 quads of energy consumed worldwide were derived from hydrocarbon fuels (coal, oil, gas). Nuclear energy represents one of the few realistic options for changing this energy balance, and HTGR is the only demonstrated nuclear technology that can provide high-temperature direct heat at conditions required by thermally driven hydrogen production processes. Results of this study indicate that a HTGR-driven steam-methane reforming process can compete with conventional hydrogen production at today's natural gas prices. Results also indicate that hydrogen via thermo-chemical water splitting will be competitive with modest increases in natural gas prices and/or with economic incentives for reducing carbon dioxide.

see also Advanced High-Temperature Reactor for Production of Electricity and Hydrogen: Molten-Salt-Coolant, Graphite-Coated-Particle-Fuel
106 posted on 11/22/2004 4:00:26 PM PST by sefarkas (why vote Democrate-lite???)
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