I think the idea of marketing a portable fuel cell is excellent. The powerpack is a good step forward, but I think the technology can be improved further in the next few years. I look forward to getting a fuel cell powered laptop in a few years but people need to be careful to make sure that the catalysts used in the fuel cells are better for the environment than current batteries are.
I think fuel cells for cars and houses are more important since they will replace fossil fuels rather than batteries. However, the best part of this portable fuel cell idea is to get people used to the technology and get some of the technology improved and perhaps a bit of the infrastructure in place.
Now I'm off to declare war on all the dead gays since that is all I really care about.
Originally posted by VapataToshiba just came out of the labs with a new laptop fuel cell powered by methanol, it runs a lap for about 10 hours and more powerful ones are on the way. The thing the author of the article pointed out however, is this box is not quite ready for prime time, it works ok but has strange sounds coming from it, little motors clicking away and stuff. Its a lot noisier than the laptop. For my purpose it would not work well, I want to use a modern laptop with firewire connects to have a small recording studio I can use on the road. There are I/O boxes now made by M-audio and others that are firewire powered, 6 wire firewire, and have mike preamps and such included so all you need are a couple of mikes and the right software like protools or Sonar or Cubase, and you can record to your hearts content so a noisy laptop battery would be counterproductive in this case.
I didn't finnish the article... what is wrong with Sodium borohydroxide?
The thing about Sodium Borohydroxide is I think its toxic, sounds like sodium hydroxide with a boron molecule tacked in, SOH is a highly reactive base, not sure what adding a boron to it will do chemically but I don't think I would like to drink it!
Originally posted by UmbrageOfSnowFuel cells cannot replace fossil fuels! Why does everyone think this? Fuel cells are for energy storage. They don't create energy, and are not found full of usable energy like oil is. You'll still have to get the energy from somewhere else to charge the fuel cell!
I think the idea of marketing a portable fuel cell is excellent. The powerpack is a good step forward, but I think the technology can be improved further in the next few years. I look forward to getting a fuel cell powered laptop in a few years but people need to be careful to make sure that the catalysts used in the fuel cells are better for the env ...[text shortened]... lace.
Now I'm off to declare war on all the dead gays since that is all I really care about.
Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a reducing agent and probably is toxic.
EDIT - Yep; it's highly corrosive. However it's environmentally friendly because it breaks down quickly to safe materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_borohydride
Originally posted by AThousandYoungThat's one relief. Actually, the Power Pack generates electricity by combining oxygen from air with an internal fuel. I read about it in the economist.
Fuel cells cannot replace fossil fuels! Why does everyone think this? Fuel cells are for energy storage. They don't create energy, and are not found full of usable energy like oil is. You'll still have to get the energy from somewhere else to charge the fuel cell!
Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a reducing agent and probably is toxic.
EDIT - Yep; ...[text shortened]... ks down quickly to safe materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_borohydride
"A scientist found a fuel cell membrane (triazole) that can tolerate higher temperature while not needing moisture in order to conduct the hydrogen ion across the fuel cell membrane very efficiently. These characteristics allow the fuel cell to be much simpler and more robust thus reducing the cost while increasing performance characteristics. This is a potentially revolutionary discovery that could make the fuel cell economically competitive against gasoline engine cars. . So if fuel cell cars can be made cheaply enough and robust enough, then the people can drive as much as they want while keeping the environment clean and still not need to import any oil. This is truly a revolutionary discovery." edited quote from undisclosed source
Originally posted by AThousandYoungyes ... they get energy from somewhere else ...
Fuel cells cannot replace fossil fuels! Why does everyone think this? Fuel cells are for energy storage. They don't create energy, and are not found full of usable energy like oil is. You'll still have to get the energy from somewhere else to charge the fuel cell!
Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a reducing agent and probably is toxic.
EDIT - Yep; ks down quickly to safe materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_borohydride
so do fossil fuels !!!!
fossil fuels get their energy from the corpses of dead bugs and things that died mostly before the dinosaurs!!!!!! ( and we have used many of them ... we will run out before too long)
the dream with fuel cells is that they can take today's solar power and transfer it to the site where and when it is needed tomorrow ...
,,, fuel cells give us a real solution to a real desire.
Originally posted by flexmoreBut you don't find fuel cells full of energy buried in the ground. The storage of energy in fossil fuels is done without human intervention. Therefore as far as humans are concerned, they are an energy source, while fuel cells are not.
yes ... they get energy from somewhere else ...
so do fossil fuels !!!!
fossil fuels get their energy from dead bugs and things that died mostly before the dinosaurs!!!!!!
the dream with fuel cells is that they can take today's solar power and transfer it to the site where and when it is needed tomorrow ...
,,, this does give us a real solution to a real desire.
What you are suggesting is that we will be able to more efficiently store solar power. The solar power would then be the replacement for the fossil fuels.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungThe dead bugs ate the plants who got their energy from the sun...
But you don't find fuel cells full of energy buried in the ground. The storage of energy in fossil fuels is done without human intervention. Therefore as far as humans are concerned, they are an energy source, while fuel cells are not.
What you are suggesting is that we will be able to more efficiently store solar power. The solar power would then be the replacement for the fossil fuels.
Originally posted by Thequ1ckYes. And the sun gets the energy from the potential nuclear energy in hydrogen atoms. Do you have a point? In no way are humans involved in the process. Nature just makes oil which humans can then use. Nature does not make full fuel cells; people have to make them themselves by harnessing solar energy. The source of the energy as far as humans are concerned are not the fuel cells, while oil is a source of energy as far as humans are concerned.
The dead bugs ate the plants who got their energy from the sun...