Fuel-Cell Cars: The Wave of the Future?

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical. So why would we
even consider them?
http://carwithwater.googlepages.com/fuel_cell_cars

wrote:
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical. So why would we
even consider them?
http://carwithwater.googlepages.com/fuel_cell_cars

If you'd posted the same question 110 years ago about gasoline powered
cars..

On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:24:54 +0200, Tom P wrote:
wrote:
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical. So why would we
even consider them?
http://carwithwater.googlepages.com/fuel_cell_cars

If you'd posted the same question 110 years ago about gasoline powered
cars..

The difference is that gasoline is a fuel while hydrogen is only an
incredibly inefficient energy transport method.

Hydrogen injection is about as practical as driving with dragging
brakes.

Martin wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:14:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

You are so right.

So are solar panels on residential property (so far). Consequently I am
still aghast whenever I see the acres and acres and ACRES of
sun-drenched rooftops, here in Arizona - every single one totally
innocent of solar collector panels! Television sets and home computers
(to name two modern-day "necessities") were very expensive when first
introduced, too. Mass production works wonders at making manufactured
items "affordable" to the general public. Why has solar energy been
neglected until now? I'm no engineer, but given the amount of sunlight
and wind activity it consistently receives, why is the American
Southwest not providing power not only for its own geographical area,
but a considerable portion of the rest of the U.S. also?

() wrote in
:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

As were color TVs, transistor radios, personal computers, and
thousands of other common-place items.

With such keen insight to the future, you must be a real wiz at
investing.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

On 26 Aug 2008 19:31:49 GMT, Bert Hyman wrote:
() wrote in
:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

As were color TVs, transistor radios, personal computers, and
thousands of other common-place items.

With such keen insight to the future, you must be a real wiz at
investing.

Except that hydrogen isn't a fuel, but is a grossly inefficient energy carrier.
It is a great method for trading 100 units of energy for one.

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Martin wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:14:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

You are so right.

So are solar panels on residential property (so far). Consequently I am
still aghast whenever I see the acres and acres and ACRES of sun-drenched
rooftops, here in Arizona - every single one totally innocent of solar
collector panels! Television sets and home computers (to name two
modern-day "necessities") were very expensive when first introduced, too.
Mass production works wonders at making manufactured items "affordable" to
the general public. Why has solar energy been neglected until now? I'm
no engineer, but given the amount of sunlight and wind activity it
consistently receives, why is the American Southwest not providing power
not only for its own geographical area, but a considerable portion of the
rest of the U.S. also?

Because technology hasn't reduced the installed price of photovoltaics down
to below the value of the electricity that they generate.

In an area of guaranteed sun, piped water solar hearting would generate more
energy than it cost to install. But this would not be in a form that can be
fed back into the grid and an individual household can only use so much hot
water (especially in a place where they don't need it to heat the house)

tim

AZ Nomad wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:24:54 +0200, Tom P wrote:
wrote:
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical. So why would we
even consider them?
http://carwithwater.googlepages.com/fuel_cell_cars

If you'd posted the same question 110 years ago about gasoline powered
cars..

The difference is that gasoline is a fuel while hydrogen is only an
incredibly inefficient energy transport method.

Hydrogen injection is about as practical as driving with dragging
brakes.

The issue is not how to power vehicles, it's how to capture and store
solar energy- remember, the 1.3 kilowatts per square metre?
Setting up a hydrogen transport network is no less realistic than the
existing power networks we have transporting energy over 1000's of
kilometers. Look at all the gas pipelines and high voltage power
transmission lines we have.

Now as I was saying, just imagine how totally impractical it is stopping
at every pharmacy you come across to buy a few litres of benzene to keep
that car running. That's what you had to do 100 years ago, believe it or
not.

On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:27:09 -0700,
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
wrote:



Martin wrote:
On Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:14:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

You are so right.

So are solar panels on residential property (so far). Consequently I am
still aghast whenever I see the acres and acres and ACRES of
sun-drenched rooftops, here in Arizona - every single one totally
innocent of solar collector panels! Television sets and home computers
(to name two modern-day "necessities") were very expensive when first
introduced, too. Mass production works wonders at making manufactured
items "affordable" to the general public. Why has solar energy been
neglected until now? I'm no engineer, but given the amount of sunlight
and wind activity it consistently receives, why is the American
Southwest not providing power not only for its own geographical area,
but a considerable portion of the rest of the U.S. also?

I tend to sympathise with your feelings. However, most home
TV viewing occurs after the sun goes down...

I must admit to being quite surprised at the high proportion
of East German homes in country towns and villages that had
rooves almost completely covered in solar panels.


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: Two Indian Hotels: to Sleep, Perchance...

Another remark by the local cretin

"Martin" a écrit dans le message de
...
On 26 Aug 2008 19:31:49 GMT, Bert Hyman wrote:

() wrote in
:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical.

As were color TVs, transistor radios, personal computers, and
thousands of other common-place items.

With such keen insight to the future, you must be a real wiz at
investing.

I'm not in recession, how about the USA?
--

Martin