hydrogen fuel cell cars

[auggybendoggy]

http://www.hondanews.com/CatID2046?mid=200...447381&mime=asc

 

Anyone know much about this.

 

Heres what I know.

 

Hydrogen mixed with some chemical called benzonite (something like that) creates electricity to power the vehicle. No burning so no smoke or monoxide. The reside left is H2O.

 

I'm wondering if this is the real deal for cleaning up our atmosphere?

 

Auggy

[Acid-Flux]

Ya, a catalyist is added to the hydrogen to create a mixture in which a current is passed through in a process called electrolysis -which seperates ions which inturn can be used to create power. The unused mixture is then emitter out of the tail pipe. Which is usually water vapour and oxygen? not sure on that last one though

 

This would for sure help the atmosphere, but unfortunattly i dont see them maiing a huge impact for another 5/7 years? There are no refuleing stations, and these stations are crazy expensive to build. So right now it looks like the phat cats at the White House are laughing it up driving these massive gas guzzeling SUVs.. I am still tinkled off at the fact tha the Hummer only gets 9mpg. That is just outrageous.

 

*ARG*

[00b3rN00b]

Good idea in practice, but the real trick is finding sources of readily availible hydrogen. Electrolysis is one, and solar power can be used to provide a current to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen. Another more readily availible source is fossil fuels, which are composed a carbon backbone surrounded by hyrdogen atoms. This can be stripped of it's hydrogen through various means to be used as fuel (using this in a fuel cell is much more efficient than just burning the fuel).

 

Fuel cells have been around for a while, but can not yet compete with gasoline in cars in terms of price (due partly to massive subsidies and tax breaks big oil companies recieve). I would love to see a shift towards the use of fuel cells, as well as increased research into making them more efficient and finding ways to get the hydrogen to fuel them, but due to the political/economic factors in this country, I don't see them being used on a large scale anytime within the next decade. Hybrid cars that convert the energy lost from breaking do intrigue me though...with the rising cost of gasoline, this could save a lot of money (and reduce carbon dioxide emissions).

[appalachian_fox]

Hydrogen fuel storage is also a large potential bomb...One of the reasons stations would be so expensive to build. To post my opinion, I don't think this is the real deal...yet...but the avenues of research they're going down on this topic may very well lead to the real deal to clean up our transportation.

[soul .gc]

So right now it looks like the phat cats at the White House are laughing it up driving these massive gas guzzeling SUVs..

 

You do realize that this administration has spent more on alternative fuel research and programs than any other administration? They have put tax breaks in for buying alternative fuel cars, for doing research, for opening alternative fuel stations, etc....

 

If you are bugged about the hummer - be bugged at GM.

[Gond]

I read somewhere that the Hydrogen in the cars tank would disperse so fast in a wreck that it would not become a bomb. Not sure about the filling stations though...thats quite a bit more Hydrogen.

 

There are cities (or at least 1) in California that are using Fuel Cell cars for their fleet...course they have the ability to house their own stations.

 

This could be an avenue...I think we can get a much quicker bang for our buck on the Hybrids and it will be much easier for the consumers to get on board with.

[Rashad]

I suppose I'd try out a hydrogen fueled car if the price was reasonable.

[NOFX]

the thing is, you cannot just go to a pump and pump in hydrogen. I believe it has to be much more controlled. And yes this is the most practical way to clean up our atmosphere so far, automobilewise.

[shep48]

well thats exactly what they are doing in the test city, I think in Iceland.

Looks just like a regular gas pump, they put nozzle in, makes a suction and a seal. The station is about the size of a carwash with a regular gas pump on the side of it.

[TheBugs]

good idea. still needs some work. and hydrogen cars are someone around 500k if i remeber correctly...they might have to work on the price