Wednesday 27 April 2011

Run your car on water!

We all learn something new every day.

Yesterday I learned that I am getting too old to cramp myself into the chain locker where rust lurks for a whole day without suffering the consequences. But but but…

While checking on stuff I found in your comments on recent 'electric car' posts, I came across two exciting facts that made me forget the twinges.

The first is that Israel’s battery exchange stations charge their batteries on site. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Why? Because I was brought up with drilling rigs, the Exxon Valdez, oil refineries and road tankers, not to mention toxic in-ground fuel tanks, all potential disasters and all have been. Damn! In a place like Israel where clouds almost never darken the sky, solar arrays anywhere will do the job and the recharging electrons travel along wires that already exist!

Solar panels don’t catch fire and destroy oceans, don’t sink, spew muck into the skies or crash like petrol tankers. They just sit there, pumping out power. And the added bonus, like in the Super Station concept, battery exchange repositories can be charged when the sun is shining. OK, that’s all fixed so what was the second one?

Did you know that in LA, there are gas (petrol) stations offering Hydrogen? California, that uses 20% of fuel burned in the USA, has embarked on a project to build a ‘Hydrogen Highway’ from BC to LA. That is great news for anyone who buys a Hydrogen/fuel-cell electric car. The advantages of fuel cell cars are range, far greater than a regular car. Emissions are pure H2O and they need little more battery power than the average flashlight. You can even buy a H fuel RR or a Beamer! Too expensive yet for me, but that will change.

Batteries are heavy, chew up rare metals, are expensive, representing about half the cost of the cheapest electric car available, use a lot of energy to manufacture, do not produce full power for more than a few years and can be difficult to dispose of. However, I still had a problem with how to get Hydrogen to distribution points. There is a case for pipelines to power houses and factories. And pipelines do offer the advantage of acting as a windkessel. (don't be lazy, look it up). Pipelines might still get the nod, but Hydrogen powered houses are a long way off if ever. Much easier to go all electric if we can solve the base load power problem.

But I was wrong. LA Hydrogen outlets generate their Hydrogen on site using Hydrolyzers.
Again, no oil wells, no coal mines, no tankers, refineries, or road tankers. Hydrogen generation can happen ‘while the sun is shining’. But they do have Hydrogen storage tanks on site, so we will still be warned against smoking while filling. Remember the Hindenburg!

PS. Just around the technological corner is a super thin wafer home roof array/Hydrolyzer that fills your car at home. Here in OZ, research is advanced that will allow us to paint our roofs with solar collector paint. No twinges today, just excitement and hope.

By the way, if you have a few spare minutes, Google Hydrolyzers and read the scams.
Did you know, by buying a book for $39 (cheaper on e-bay) you can get DIY plans to make your own Hydrolyzer from stuff you can scavenge from the dump? Then you can run your car on water!


Well, most don’t claim that. What they do claim is a significant saving (25% and up) saving in fuel consumption by converting water to a mix of H and O as you drive which supplements your gasoline or diesel.

Of course to believe that, one must discard one’s science that states ‘energy cannot be created or destroyed’. Such a shame. It would have been really nifty to run my car on water!

Car pics courtesy http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com

17 comments:

  1. From scanning your blog it looks like you are passionate about using sustainable energy. Good for you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When are you running for Prime Minister Stafford - I'd vote for you - great info.

    ReplyDelete
  3. And what were you doing in that chain locker, and what is a chain locker - haha!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found your opening comments about the chain locker a bit disturbing too - explain yourself Stafford!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could run our cars on hot air... most of us would never need to fuel up at all!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello there Ray, thought I'd pop over and say hi and thank you for visiting my blog. Sustainable energy is indeed the way to go! *waves

    ReplyDelete
  7. That pesky place where the anchor chain is stowed ... never try to fit yourself inside!!

    Interesting article from Denver Post made its way to our newspaper this morning. 82% of Americans have good intentions for green living, but only 16% are dedicated to living that way. Nearly 50% of Americans said they feel guiltier the more they know about how to live a sustainable lifestyle ... providing us with yet a new reason to worry ~ experts are calling it eco-anxiety. The article mentioned 'six levels of awareness' (similar to the stages of grief) that eco-anxiety sufferers share. The stages range from denial and fear to acceptance and action. FINALLY ~ ACTION!
    Mr. Ray has arrived in full force.

    ReplyDelete
  8. slow and sure wins the race....hopefully with a hydrogen car! Great thoughtful post Stafford!

    ReplyDelete
  9. "Remember the Hindenburg!"

    The German fellow with the finial on his helmet, the one who ate all those beans and sausages, and then destroyed himself and an entire city block when he struck a match to light his cigar?

    You know, Stafford, instead of the above, I would have actually written something intelligent regarding your post if I knew enough about the subject to do so. Sorry about that.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Snow, yes, it was that Hindenburg.
    For those puzzled over the chain locker, it had absolutely nothing to do with the post except that they happened in the same week.
    My chain locker, where my floating flat stores its anchor chain became rusty and needed derusting. Not a job anyone relishes. Your comments prompted a new post.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Stafford for PM. Stafford for PM. You WOULD make me believe the world can be a better place. Gabe and I can be your campaign managers. I reckon it's a real goer.

    My husband (who is a Kiwi) always tells me a story about a guy who invented a hydrogen engine in NZ some time in the late 70s. The car companies/oil companies got interested in it but it was so perfectly designed it meant no oil at all. Anyway, not long after this guy disappeared and has never been heard of again. A lot of the locals believe he was bumped off. Don't know if it's an urban myth or not but a lot of the Kiwis I know who were around at the time talk about it.

    Hydrogen really is an excellent way to power an engine. I am very encouraged by the thought of the Hydrogen Highway. Absolutely fantastic.

    Oh, and one more thing - Stafford for PM!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Selma's comment made me realize how much I enjoy your enthusiasm and optimism in this sad world. You sound hopeful enough to make me think "maybe" again. Your hydrolizer comments made me think of my old Mother Earth News magazines stored away somewhere in the basement.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My brother suggested I might like this web
    site. He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I
    had spent for this info! Thanks!

    Feel free to surf to my site; stretch mark removal and home remedy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just desire to say your article is as surprising.
    The clearness to your put up is just nice
    and that i could suppose you are a professional on this subject.

    Fine together with your permission allow me to grab your
    feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thank you
    1,000,000 and please carry on the rewarding work.


    Stop by my web-site - solavei

    ReplyDelete
  15. Having read this I believed it was very informative.
    I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this
    content together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments.
    But so what, it was still worth it!

    Stop by my page :: solavei

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi there! I know this is kinda off topic however , I'd figured I'd ask.
    Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa?
    My blog addresses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I think we
    could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an e-mail.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Awesome blog by the way!


    Here is my website - I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift (Kim Viera Cover)

    ReplyDelete

(leave a message)