Warning: The Hydrogen Economy May Be More Distant Than It Appears

Popular Science ^ | 12/15/04 | Michael Behar

[crv16]

Enviroweenies are touting the "anything but fossil fuels" Hydrogen as the answer to all our problems. Yet the only way to generate hydrogen efficiently is via nuclear power, and we all know how they feel about that.....

[Gorzaloon]

9. FUEL CELL CARS CAN DRIVE HUNDREDS OF MILES ON A SINGLE TANK OF HYDROGEN A gallon of gasoline contains about 2,600 times the energy of a gallon of hydrogen. If engineers want hydrogen cars to travel at least 300 miles between fill-ups—the automotive-industry benchmark—they’ll have to compress hydrogen gas to extremely high pressures: up to 10,000 pounds per square inch.

For those who are interested in something different, there is a pdf file at:

http://www.safehydrogen.com/technology.html

[tkathy]

A lot of serious people are working very hard on this. Sounds like a lot of "the sky is falling" BS.

[Publius6961]

We’ll never get more energy out of hydrogen than we put into it.
Tell that to the FR whack jobs who are about to show up any minute.

[Publius6961]

Yet the only way to generate hydrogen efficiently is via nuclear power, and we all know how they feel about that.....

Not sure about Italy, Great Britain and Germany, but France uses nuclear for 80% of their power needs. Not bad for a third world country eh?

[JustDoItAlways]

Hydrogen times 10,000 lbs per sq inch times spark = Big Boom

[Hostage]

Yet the only way to generate hydrogen efficiently is via nuclear power

Nope.

[Dallas59]

We all dead.....Globull Warming (caused by "Amerika")..."Bushitler"..."Amerikan Nazis"....People eating tasty animals ("Amerikans" eating animals to extiction).... .Globull Cooling......Is this all that comes out of Europe these days?

[KevinDavis]

Plus the fact I usually take anything from popular science with a grain of salt after their global warming article.

[razorback-bert]

No worries---the rainforest will provide!

[stuartcr]

What are politicians supposed to say when asked about the energy problem?

[eno_]

because carbon-fiber-reinforced hydrogen tanks are virtually indestructible

Would YOU sit on 10,000psi?

[Citizen Tom Paine]

This article is an article for fusion research. Set the fusion reactor on a floating platform in the ocean. Use the electric power to separate the hydrogen and oxygen from the ocean's water. You get H2 plus other byproducts.

The time is now. If not now, when? If not the U.S., who?

Shall we let the Chinese do it?

[eno_]

At close to 90 times the size of Iceland, the U.S. would require a minimum of 1,440 fueling stations.

Actually, this is the easy part. Under $1B. Chump change in the energy industry.

[Fatalis]

What could be more distant than "in your gullible dreams?"

[eno_]

The most promising of these technologies is the gas-electric hybrid vehicle, which uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, switching seamlessly between the two to optimize gas mileage and engine efficiency.

Not really. "Light" hybrids are expensive and inefficient. Diesel-electric "heavy" hybrids that can plug in and charge up are probably where you get some real payoff from hybrid technology.

[ladtx]

Most experts agree that there is no silver bullet.

Yeah, but it's the thought that counts. As long as we feel good that we are "concerned and worried about the environment".

Excuse me while I go gas up my big ol' brand new gas-guzzling Buick.

[Dog Gone]

Outstanding article. Looks like my job in the oil industry is safe for a few more years.

[Fatalis]

Tell that to the FR whack jobs who are about to show up any minute.

If the Austrian physicist Dr. Arnold Schwarzenegger says it can be done, I believe him!