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To: DannyTN; tm22721; Arkie2; ned13
"There are other issues than how much it costs to create the hydrogen. A big issue is dependence on foreign sources. I'd rather pay a little bit extra..."

A "little bit" extra? It would be more like a lot extra.

Burning H2 in a internal combusition engine will get you either about 1/4 the horsepower of gasoline or 1/4 the distance. You can't have it both ways. Expect frequent fill ups if you want that Corvette to perform as it does on high octane gas. Or expect someone in a Prius to pass you by.

If you expect to get enough H2 by electrolysis (taking apart water), you'll either have to spend a lot of money on electricity and water filters, or a lot on real estate in a sunny area for a field of PV panels... and water filters.

Right now, the most common source of H2 is from converting other hydrocarbons... which isn't cheap. Normally, natural ga$ is the hydrocarbon of choice for this... which isn't cheap. And after you convert the nat-gas into H2, you're left with a fraction of the power available from the nat-gas had you not converted it at all.

Then you have to pressurize the H2. More energy wa$ted there.

Then you have to store it. I wouldn't want to get into an accident with that car having four unprotected tanks in the passenger compartment. Also remember that H2 doens't like to stay confined. You'll have to use it up fast before it all seeps out of the tanks on it's own... which means that H2 would build up inside the vehicle. Pretty smart, eh?

Trust me.. if you're sold on hydrogen as being "cheap" or ready for prime time, go back to school... or maybe join the ATSNN forums.
98 posted on 03/07/2005 11:54:38 AM PST by Outland (Global warming: The hottest scam on the planet.)
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To: Outland
H2 seeping out of the tank. Yep, that's another one I didn't think of (Not a scientist BTW. But I DID sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.)

Any idea how long it takes for the H2 to leak out? Or how much H2 you'd have left after a few days? Just curious.

119 posted on 03/07/2005 12:19:53 PM PST by BufordP ("I wish we lived in the day when you could challenge a person to a duel!"--Zell Miller)
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