Ah - sorry... it must have got lost in the translation!  Glad we are singing 
from the same hymn-sheet after all.  MW


On 22 Jun 2013, at 12:43, Jukka Järvinen wrote:

> sorry if i was not clearly enough sarcastic. I should have said
> Foolcells. I just wanted to point out one good argument for all
> lobbyists to support Tesla and Elon. Clever move from them. -akkuJukka
> 
> 2013/6/22, Martin WINLOW <[email protected]>:
>> Jsl,
>> 
>> I'm afraid the issues you mention are only the most obvious... but I have
>> taken the bait and so here are some of the rest! (sorry if I've bored you
>> all with this before)...
>> 
>> 1. The main source of hydrogen currently is from 'cracked' (steam reformed)
>> natural gas - i.e. it is effectively a fossil fuel. The efficiency of the
>> steam reformation process is approximately 70%. Alternatively, electrolysis
>> can be used to make H2 from water - but this uses much more electricity to
>> make H2 than just using the electricity in EVs directly would.  You also
>> need water - a resource that is itself getting scarcer and scarcer.
>> 2.  A typical fuel cell it is only MAX 40% efficient.
>> 3.  To put enough H2 in a package sufficiently practical to put in a car to
>> give it 'adequate' range is enormously expensive due to its lack of
>> compressibility.  It isn't LPG or propane etc which will compress to liquid
>> with a few atmospheres - standard filling pressures are 350 & 700 BAR
>> (atmospheres or 4900/9800 PSI!) meaning very strong and therefore big, heavy
>> (and VERY expensive) containment vessels.
>> 4.   To store and transport H2 has all the same issues as 3.  For this
>> reason, to build a network of equivalent motorway-style refilling stations
>> would require HUGE sums of money compared to petrol/diesel (or electric)
>> designs and more huge sums of money to service it.
>> 5. Having all that H2 sloshing about everywhere you look would be a recipe
>> for colossal disasters on a daily basis.  It would be much more dangerous
>> than petrol - hence the reason the only London based H2 refuelling point was
>> shut during the Olympics causing all London-based trial H2 powered vehilces
>> to either not be used  - or worse (and don't laugh) truck them 50 miles to
>> Swindon and back for refuelling!
>> 6. Fuel cells capable of powering a vehicle are very expensive at US$50-100k
>> and they have not fallen in price much and probably won't for a very long
>> time.
>> 7. H2 is incredibly dangerous - far more so than petrol or any other common
>> flammable gas.  The main reason for this is because it has a very wide
>> explosive/ignition mix range with air e.g. *when leaking*.  Also, if it
>> ignites, its flame is near invisible.  Consequently, a leak is much more
>> likely to lead to an explosion than other fuels.
>> 
>> The list goes on.  Despite all the posts I have made about this on various
>> web sites and forums, I have never had a single response saying I'm wrong
>> and why.  The reverse in fact, I have had several learned individuals tell
>> me I am absolutely right!  If so, why is so much money - most of it provided
>> by Government - and effort being wasted on fuel cell research?
>> 
>> One of life's little mysteries, I supose.  MW
>> 
>> 
>> On 22 Jun 2013, at 11:38, John Lindsay wrote:
>> 
>>> I saw a Ballard fuel cell system this week.
>>> 
>>> 5KW in a large cabinet.  Two cells each producing 24 volts about the size
>>> of four shoe boxes each. A convertor the size of a two draw filing cabinet
>>> that turns methanol mixed with water into hydrogen for the cells.
>>> 
>>> It would make an awesome battery charger but it costs around $30K
>>> including the two door cabinet.
>>> 
>>> Fuel isn't cheap either and the tank costs $250 to fill and lasts 6 or 7
>>> hours.
>>> 
>>> Don't you hate how economic reality gets in the way of electric dreams?
>>> 
>>> Solar keeps getting cheaper because it's silicon based tech.
>>> 
>>> Fuel cells are full of platinum and aren't getting cheaper until the
>>> electrochemistry uses something else as catalysts.
>>> 
>>> jsl
>>> 
>>> On 22/06/2013, at 7:53 PM, Martin WINLOW <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Jukka!  Shame on you.  Fuel cells in Teslas (ones that work, are
>>>> practical and don't cost twice as much as the rest of the car) are a pipe
>>>> dream.  If you haven't already, I suggest you read...
>>>> http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2conclude.html ...and the associated pages
>>>> (the link is to the conclusion).  It is a bit dated now (2004) but the
>>>> laws of physics and chemistry have not changed much, so the conclusion is
>>>> still valid.  H2 fuel cells as a replacement for fossil fuelled ICEs (or
>>>> battery electric drive trains for that matter) in personal transport
>>>> vehicles do not work and probably never will.  For a host of reasons.
>>>> Amen.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards, MW.
>>>> 
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>> 
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>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> http://www.google.com/profiles/jarviju#about
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