[TAG] Hydrogen fuel (non-Linux)

[Ramon van Alteren]

Hi,

I would like to add my 2 cents to the discussion.

On Thursday 20 May 2004 09:22, Alan Petrillo wrote:
> Hydrogen does not, however, make sense for most of the rest of us.  At
> least not at the moment, and not for the forseeable future.  The reason
> for this is simple.  90+% of all commercial hydrogen is refined from
> fossil fuel.  This very effectively turns all of those "zero emissions"
> fuel cells into "emissions elsewhere" fuel cells.
>
> The energy to make all of that hydrogen has to come from somewhere.
> Where, you ask?  For the forseeable future the ultimate energy source
> for the vast overwhelming majority of hydrogen production will be fossil
> fuel.  Which leaves us right back where we started.
>
> Repeat after me: "Hydrogen is a transmission medium, not an energy source."
>
> Say it again.  Say it again.  Say it again.

Not exactly.. You're absolutely right about the fact that most of the hydrogen 
will be produced with fossil fuel for the short term future. This does 
however NOT leave us right back where we started.

The important change of switching to hydrogen based energy is that we no 
longer depend on fossil fuel. I can create/fill hydrogen based fuel cells by 
burning fossil fuels, but I can just as easily create/fill fuel cells using 
solar energy, wind energy, (tidal, gravity, etc.) water energy or whatever 
other sustainable energy source I can think of. 

I cannot use any of those sustainable energy sources to run a petrol based 
car / motorcycle / powerplant. 

> Design a fuel cell that will run on a truly renewable fuel, like ethanol
> or vegetable oil, and if the oil industry doesn't assasinate you then
> the world will beat a path to your door.

Even then the majority of fuelcells will still be "filled" by using fossil 
fuel, simply because it's cheaper. Currently sustainable energy is not widely 
used because of the enormous costs of using these sources in a world with an 
energy infrastructure which is exclusively geared towards fossil fuel. 

Switching to hydrogen as a transmission medium will go a long way in reducing 
those costs and creating a level economical playfield for all kinds of energy 
sources. It is very likely that this will increase the use of sustainnable 
energy, especially because the pressure on fossil fuel companies, to pay the 
costs of the "side effects" associated with the mining, refining, 
transportation and use of fossile fuel, is increasing. 

As an added bonus the R&D budgets of energy related companies such as car 
manufactors, oil companies, electricity producers etc. will go to improving 
the efficiency of fuel cells and the associated infrastructure, instead of 
improving the efficiency of the petrol based infrastructure. There will be a 
gradual switch from petrol stations to fuelcell stations etc. etc.

This basically offers all the people and companies in the world a way to 
gradually "write off" the enormous amount of money invested in the current 
energy infrastructure.

Regards,

Ramon
-- 
ramon at forgottenland.net
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