For this question, assume that all gas powered cars were current technology hydrogen fueled cars and all gas stations were hydrogen fueling stations. Would this solve our problems? What is up side and down side compared to what we have today.
Not cost effective and insufficient technology. Score oil-1 and hydrogen-0?
Thanks one and all.
Originally posted 2008-12-22 12:55:09.
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The proposition does not identify where the hydrogen is coming from. Are you talking about having a nuclear generating station on every block?
Now we do have an ability to take hydrogen from hydrocarbons, leaving the question of what happens to the carbon from the hydrocarbon?
Yes, we can produce hydrogen from wind power, but the proposal does not tell us how much more electrical generation we will need.
We can improve the efficiency of use of natural gas by stripping the hydrogen from the methane, but we have to get the methane from the arctic.
So the problem to be solved is where will the hydrogen come from, and what would we need to do to get it.
If the infrastructure was already there then hydrogen cars would be the way to go. However, there lies the problem. The infrastructure is not there. Even more importantly the technology is not there. There are many technologies that are currently better than hydrogen. The sad truth is that it is not an easy thing to produce hydrogen. it takes a lot of energy and resources so, you really have to use more to produce less. In order for hydrogen to win a new non existing technology would have to be created. A new infrastructure will have to be created and more importantly implemented. Also, the competing technology have to fail and not improve while the hydrogen miracle cure exist.
Hydrogen looses because it is just in the ideal stage. Every time you ask how much longer before we have it they will tell you 10 to 15 years. Problem is that every 10 to 15 years you ask them and they will tell you they need another 10 to 15 years. All the other technologies are proven and can be readily used. They can also be improved on. I think that by the time hydrogen as a fuel has been figured out many other technologies would have already been running for years. Problem is we can’t be waiting for something that may or may not happen when we have many other realistic solutions in our hands. I mean it should still be worked on as a possible alternative but we should not wait around for if the day comes. If the day do comes then great. If it doesn’t then we should already have something else working. Also, what if someone comes up with yet a new alternative that we haven’t even though of as of yet?
I think the real viable solution at the moment are grease cars hybrids. These are cars that run on literally grease. that is filtered greased like the left over fat from restaurants. I have a friend that does this. He has a diesel with a grease kit. It runs great. What he does is he starts the car on diesel and then switches to the grease after it has gotten hot enough. He gets about 40 miles or gallon. The advantage of the diesel is that the engines already exist. Is a proven technology. What we need is a way to implement this system. Now combine the grease car with a hybrid battery engine and now our have a car that can do more than 100 miles a gallon very cheap. An alternative is all electric car. Problem with bateries is the cold weather and the range but as battery improve this may be a vaible option. Again, these technologies already exists and are a viable option for a lot of people. Not all but a lot plus it can be improved on. Hydrogen technology only have a few protoype cars. The technolgy is too far away. Why wait?