Hydrogen Fuel Cells may not be the answer. . .

[bludgeon]

-- While hydrogen is touted as a clean fuel waiting to replace fossil energy sources, a new study concludes its widespread use could increase damage to the ozone layer that protects Earth from ultraviolet radiation.

Damn it!!!!!!! I hope there wrong.


http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,59220,00.html
and on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science....ap/index.html
and on Nature:
http://www.nature.com/nsu/030609/030609-14.html

[FrameWork]

Well, if they are right, we can always bank on Ethanol. Although it's not cost effective just yet.

http://www.ethanol.org/

[d00dz Attackin]

Their study says that if hydrogen fuel replaced fossil fuels entirely it could be expected that 10 percent to 20 percent of the hydrogen would leak from pipelines, storage facilities, processing plants and fuel cells in cars and at power plants.

That really sucks 10% to 20% will leak from pipes, etc. Hopefully there wrong .

Cya

[bballad]

Originally posted here by FrameWork
Well, if they are right, we can always bank on Ethanol. Although it's not cost effective just yet.

http://www.ethanol.org/

I spent 6 years living a few (10) miles from an ethanol processing plant (ADM). It may burn clean but the processing isn't good for the enviroment at all...those emmisions can't be healthy. The plant caused the air in the town to smell like stale beer, let me tell you thats the last thing you want to smell the morning after a frat party. (yes I was on the six year plan)

[FrameWork]

bballad, you obviously know a bit more than i do about ethanol, but it sure beats foriegn oil. The Presidential candidates sure are backing ethanol in a big way, atleast in Iowa. We all know that's just to appease the voters there though in preparation for a White House bid. I was always under the impression that ethanol was the next "miracle" invention/product. Either way you slice it, many of these alternative solutions look promising.

[bballad]

Originally posted here by FrameWork
bballad, you obviously know a bit more than i do about ethanol, but it sure beats foriegn oil. The Presidential candidates sure are backing ethanol in a big way, atleast in Iowa. We all know that's just to appease the voters there though in preparation for a White House bid. I was always under the impression that ethanol was the next "miracle" invention/product. Either way you slice it, many of these alternative solutions look promising.

Unfortunitly it needs t obe mixed with gas t owork...and then you can only make it about 10% eth any more then that and the emmisions become very poisinous. The reason the presidential canidates push it in iowa is all the corn farmers.

Now the alternitive fule that I am interested in is just a rumor, panales that take infrared energy strait to electricity.

[bludgeon]

Originally posted here by bballad
Now the alternitive fule that I am interested in is just a rumor, panales that take infrared energy strait to electricity.

You meant panels right?? And yeah what ever did happen to solar cells?? I used to have a couple of neighbors w/ them on top of their houses, they used them for heating (water/and AC) I thought it was pretty kewl, guess they were'nt as effective as we thought they would be, I really dunno though. . .

[rcgreen]

It takes more energy to make hydrogen than you get back
from burning it.

No presentation of this nature would be complete without the engine which runs on water. No one disputes that an oxygen-hydrogen mixture can drive an engine and produce water. No one disputes that this water can then be split into oxygen and hydrogen. Unfortunately the energy needed to split the water is greater than the energy generated by the engine.

http://www.users.voicenet.com/~eric/dennis7.html

AFAIK, the same is true of ethanol. If so, neither could ever be an energy source,
but rather a clever way to waste the energy we have.