I still think the traditional idea for a hydrogen fuel cell is FAR too dangerous for the average person to deal with and maintain, but this idea that takes a liquid fuel source and extracts hydrogen as its needed eliminates the need for a large tank that stores compressed hydrogen. Large tanks of compressed flammable gases are extremely dangerous (basically its a bomb), so this looks to be an interesting way to address all the safety issues with conventional fuel cell design.
Of course, you are also left with a lot of other crap as waste, which will be pollutants, so it still leaves some issues unaddressed.
posted
Some of this stuff is a bit over my head but any steps than can reduce our dependance of fossil fuel would be good if there aren't a lot of other caveats that go along with it. Hybrid cars, combining gasoline and electric motors, is a good start too. Looks like Toyota has a big edge on everyone here.
In the end though we need something really simplistic and foolproof for the average driver. I worry about the fact that as our "high-tech" cars age, they become unfixable from a dollar cost standpoint so they wind up being treated like an outdated piece of electronics and wind up on the scrap heap instead.
-------------------- Dave S Black 2000 Camaro SS Posts: 502 | From: Fort Mill, South Carolina....Charlotte | Registered: Aug 2003
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FireChicken
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posted
that is a major concern, however, the primary issue with any major technology that is released to consumers is safety. All of these fuel cells work by using hydrogen in a chemical reaction that produces electricity and water as primary outputs. The electricity of course is used to drive the vehicle, while the water is exhaust.
Problem is that storing, transporting, and making safe a tank of compressed hydrogen is not easy, not simple, and not cheap. The explosion from a ruptured tank of H2 is far more powerful than a comparable size tank of gasoline.
Posts: 686 | From: Texas: Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck! | Registered: Aug 2003
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