Originally posted by AThousandYoungI believe it starts with water and seperates the hydrogen. I saw something on this. They even had torches that use water as fuel. I'm not sure the environmentalists will like it though.. I know that water never really goes away, but with all the talk about there being so little untainted water I doubt an idea like this could fly.
That's physically impossible. Do you mean it runs on hydrogen and produces water as a waste product?
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Originally posted by MerkEnergy is needed to split up water into its constituent elements, energy is created when they are put back together again.
I believe it starts with water and seperates the hydrogen. I saw something on this. They even had torches that use water as fuel. I'm not sure the environmentalists will like it though.. I know that water never really goes away, but with all the talk about there being so little untainted water I doubt an idea like this could fly.
Water itself will never be a fuel source, there is no way round this.
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Originally posted by Bad wolfExactly. Hydrogen fuel must be made, and in order to make it you need to input energy. Thus, it's not an energy source in the same way that gasoline is, but instead a method of energy storage.
Energy is needed to split up water into its constituent elements, energy is created when they are put back together again.
Water itself will never be a fuel source, there is no way round this.
Calling it a "water fuelled" engine or device is incorrect. It's a hydrogen fuelled engine or device.
Originally posted by Bad wolfThis is a fundamental law of science. I think it is something to do with 'Enthalpy'. This pretty much means that the energy required to break a hydrogen/oxygen bond is exactly the same as the energy given out when a hydrogen/oxygen bond is formed.
Energy is needed to split up water into its constituent elements, energy is created when they are put back together again.
Water itself will never be a fuel source, there is no way round this.
Originally posted by jimslyp69It's the First Law of Thermodynamics; Conservation of Energy.
This is a fundamental law of science. I think it is something to do with 'Enthalpy'. This pretty much means that the energy required to break a hydrogen/oxygen bond is exactly the same as the energy given out when a hydrogen/oxygen bond is formed.
Originally posted by Luckwould you buy a house with asbestos insulation just because it's cheaper? let your kid play in that house? hell no. it's a moral choice, not financial.
Look at Mexico right now. They are in trouble because the tortillas are getting too expensive. Corn makes about about 1/3 of the staple in Mexico and even higher for the poorer citizens.
Why is this happening?
Simple, environmental "tree-huggers" are demanding cleaner fuel; therefore, the farmers are selling the corn as fuel to the power plants because they ...[text shortened]... o the person who willing pay the highest price and can come up with the money.
Harri / Luck
Originally posted by LuckThe free market should be able to handle this just fine. There's plenty of land and sunlight. Maybe Mexico needs more farmers.
Look at Mexico right now. They are in trouble because the tortillas are getting too expensive. Corn makes about about 1/3 of the staple in Mexico and even higher for the poorer citizens.
Why is this happening?
Simple, environmental "tree-huggers" are demanding cleaner fuel; therefore, the farmers are selling the corn as fuel to the power plants because they ...[text shortened]... o the person who willing pay the highest price and can come up with the money.
Harri / Luck
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Originally posted by Bad wolfNow there are research programs trying to use catalyists and solar energy to split the water to H and O. You can do it with just electricity, add salt and the water conducts but its only about four percent efficient. Solar with catalyst is a lot more efficient than that but you still have to use energy to generate the H. Its happening though.
Energy is needed to split up water into its constituent elements, energy is created when they are put back together again.
Water itself will never be a fuel source, there is no way round this.
BTW, I live in Pennsylvania, a big corn growing state. There are also winter house heaters that use corn directly but it takes a special low moisture content corn, but it means you can get off the oil now. We use oil heat and its killing us, about 4000 bucks a season just to heat our house. (We have a big house, am trying to sell but who is going to buy one that takes 4000 bucks to heat in the winter, stuck between a rock and a hard place) So corn starts to look like a viable alternative. You have to have a solid box to store it in however because you can't let animals and mold attack it. You also don't get the benefit of the way oil is delivered to your door by trucks. You have to go out and buy bags of the stuff, so there is a bit of work and storage problems involved. It can work though.