Just Jack Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 I was reading an interview in Maxim (cause that's why I subscribe) about Jesse James and he had this one part about a car he's building.... At some point he plans on breaking the land speed record of 763 mph driving this giant-silver-bullet, Buck Rogers–looking, hydrogen-gas-powered car he’s building. Actually, the hydrogen gas is produced by tap water, so really it’s a water-powered car. Once the kinks are worked out, he’s going to release the technology to the public for free on TV—“It’s a billion-dollar technology, and I’m going to give it away for free!”—just because that’s the kind of guy he is. Thoughts?
Jim in Anchorage Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Place a electrical currant though a container of water. The anode will produce oxygen, the cathode hydrogen. Collect the gases and compress them to the point they liquefy. Now burn them in a combustion chamber with a expansion nozzle. Eureka! You have reinvented the rocket. Not a billion dollar idea
Wacka Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Check out Mythbusters. They already debunked the water powered car. The electricity split the water molecules requires many times more power than you would get out of the gasses. Plus to get enough O2 and H2 takes forever.
Jim in Anchorage Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Check out Mythbusters. They already debunked the water powered car. The electricity split the water molecules requires many times more power than you would get out of the gasses. Plus to get enough O2 and H2 takes forever. Any time you convert one form of energy to another there is going to be waste in the form of heat.
damj Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 I was reading an interview in Maxim (cause that's why I subscribe) about Jesse James and he had this one part about a car he's building.... At some point he plans on breaking the land speed record of 763 mph driving this giant-silver-bullet, Buck Rogers–looking, hydrogen-gas-powered car he’s building. Actually, the hydrogen gas is produced by tap water, so really it’s a water-powered car. Once the kinks are worked out, he’s going to release the technology to the public for free on TV—“It’s a billion-dollar technology, and I’m going to give it away for free!”—just because that’s the kind of guy he is. Thoughts? I've designed air separation plants ... trust me ... he's an idiot or lying ... or both. Also, from a pratical point ... if anyone developed any technology worth billions ... would they give it away ... FOR FREE?!?! No. Next.
olivier in france Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 the only "water powered" cars we 'll ever drive will be electric cars powered by electricty coming from hydroelectrical plants... as Jim says using a form of energy to produce an other is a total waste.
stuckincincy Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Check out Mythbusters. They already debunked the water powered car. The electricity split the water molecules requires many times more power than you would get out of the gasses. Plus to get enough O2 and H2 takes forever. Fuel cells technology aimed at producing Hydrogen is very complicated. One of the many, many hurdles is condensation within the membranes, and subsequent freezing. I applaud Honda for fielding a tiny fleet of hydrogen cell cars - like GM's EV-1 (and Honda's all-electric test mules that were on the road at the same time), they are controlled by the factory and not for purchase. It's no coincidence that this Honda effort sites the vehicles in a warm climate like California. GM got lambasted in a Michael Moore-type movie (Who Killed the Electric Car?). They spent about a billion on the EV-1 project, got good info about the feasibility of all-electric passenger vehicles, as did Honda. I didn't see the flick - did it rail against Honda for doing exactly what GM did?
damj Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Fuel cells technology aimed at producing Hydrogen is very complicated. One of the many, many hurdles is condensation within the membranes, and subsequent freezing. I applaud Honda for fielding a tiny fleet of hydrogen cell cars - like GM's EV-1 (and Honda's all-electric test mules that were on the road at the same time), they are controlled by the factory and not for purchase. It's no coincidence that this Honda effort sites the vehicles in a warm climate like California. GM got lambasted in a Michael Moore-type movie (Who Killed the Electric Car?). They spent about a billion on the EV-1 project, got good info about the feasibility of all-electric passenger vehicles, as did Honda. I didn't see the flick - did it rail against Honda for doing exactly what GM did? Hydrogen (liquid and gas) is more commonly reformed from off-gases of waste streams of chemical processes. I didn't work much hydrogen reformers, so I'm not as up to speed there. Oxygen is separated from the air and is very energy intensive (electric) to compress the air for separation in the cryogenic distillation column. I know there are other separation technologies, but they are smaller scale. Yes ... it's Who Killed the Electric Car ... good movie ... it's NOT Michael Moore like because it presents facts and let's the viewer draw their own conclusion. Michael Moore is all spin and propaganda and he distorts and twists the facts to support his spin.
stuckincincy Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Hydrogen (liquid and gas) is more commonly reformed from off-gases of waste streams of chemical processes. I didn't work much hydrogen reformers, so I'm not as up to speed there. Oxygen is separated from the air and is very energy intensive (electric) to compress the air for separation in the cryogenic distillation column. I know there are other separation technologies, but they are smaller scale. Yes ... it's Who Killed the Electric Car ... good movie ... it's NOT Michael Moore like because it presents facts and let's the viewer draw their own conclusion. Michael Moore is all spin and propaganda and he distorts and twists the facts to support his spin. Did it slam GM, but not Honda, for doing exactly the same thing - taking back of their test fleets?
damj Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Did it slam GM, but not Honda, for doing exactly the same thing - taking back of their test fleets? Slam big time ... I think Honda was mentioned, but it focused on GM.
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