Posted on 08/31/2005 9:47:00 PM PDT by ckilmer
I like this company's technology.
http://www.fce.com/site/misc/faqs/faqs3.html
Q: What are some of the other characteristics of your technology?
A: Direct FuelCells are clean, quiet, and contain no precious metal catalysts in the fuel cell (unlike other fuel cell technologies) to complete the electrochemical reaction.
Water vapor is the most significant greenhouse gas, not including clouds, and accounts for 36-70% of the greenhouse effect. Why do they claim combining hydrogen with oxygen does not produce a greenhouse gas? What is the effect on the climate if we pump out ton after ton of new water vapor into the atmosphere?
That's about 100 lbs of water and organosilane (say 50 lbs water and 50 lbs OS just to use round numbers). What happens to the 93.5 lbs of organosilane sludge left after the hydrogen is extracted? Generating more than 90 lbs of waste for every 240 miles driven is going to add up to one heck of a disposal issue.
It would have no effect whatsoever. The atmosphere already holds as much water as it can, due to the oceans. Extra water vapor added would simply mean it would rain a bit more. The overall level of water in the atmosphere wouldn't change because it is controlled by the vastness of the seas.
Also this process does not generate oxygen gas. So when the hydrogen is burned it ultimately removes oxygen gas from the air in one direction. Long term that can't be good.
Large ballast (the rest of organosilane molecule carrying the useful Si-H bond) would negate whatever other advantages: 7 gallons of organosilane would be some 70 pounds, and out of it there would be less than 10% hydrogen by weight. Add to it that organosilanes are not cheap, and are not likely to become. Then, the claim that 3kg of hydrogen (approximately equivalent to 12kg gasoline, i.e. 4.5 gal) would be enough to propel the car 240 miles - the gasoline equivalent would be about 53 mpg. What kind of a car was he talking about? A motor scooter?
I want to by stock NOW ! ! !
I'm not so sure. Water vapor is normally ignored because humans don't have control over it however we do have control if we're creating unnatural new amounts of it. It will increase the average humidity of the troposhere, and is a positive feedback for man-made greenhouse gases, increasing the warming effect. It can no longer be ignored if humans start generating it in huge amounts.
Mr. Fusion?
True, but burning anything else removes oxygen too.
Coould the water vapor from this process be trapped?
These fuel cells are already in use -- Sierra Nevada Beer, Sheraton San Diego, ChryslerDaimler, Pepperidge Farm, several grids.
I have been following this company for ten years.
Is there anything comparable for residential size use? Using propane?
The operating cycle here is water to hydrogen and oxygen to water to hydrogen and oxygen to water to hydrogen and oxygen to water to hydrogen and oxygen to...so on.
So no net change in anything.
I think the Oxygen is captured in the mixture and only hydrogen gas is released.
Financial Results
FuelCell Energy reported a net loss to common shareholders for the third quarter of fiscal 2005 of $18.6 million or $0.38 per basic and diluted share, compared to $19.2 million or $0.40 per basic and diluted share in the same period of the previous year.
Ticker symbol: FCEL
Current price: 11.39
Financial report here:
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=FCEL&script=412&layout=-6&item_id=750354
I have to apologize for hijacking this thread.
Fuel Cell Energy has nothing to do with the posted article.
They only make large commercial use Fuel Cells. Not for home use.
I think it is a good company with an excellent technology and competent management. I have owned the stock for years.
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