Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz
Some more debunking:
2) Kybosh: I'm not sure why it is you think that liquid with a relatively high combustion temperature is less dangerous than a compressed gas with an ignition energy more than 15 times lower is more dangerous, but trust me, perssurized hydrogen is a LOT more dangerous than gasoline.
Also, as for using Methanol for a source of hydrogen, that doesnt make much sense either. Methanol is partiall oxegenated methane which instatly means you get less bang for your buck, plus you need to make that methanol somehow, and that usually involves using methane, so why not just to straight to the source and use methane as a source of hydrogen, which has been suggested in the past. But we run into the same two problems. a) They hydrogen you'll end up with has a lower energy content than the methane you started with b) you're removing the carbon from the methane and that carbon has to go somewhere (usually in the form of CO2) so you get the same ammount of pollution but less useful energy to show for it, so it doesn't do you any good, and you might as well just use the methane to begin with.
|
I'll get back to you on the gasoline vs. hydrogen danger factor when I get more time.
As far as using methane to produce hydrogen instead of methanol you're absolutely right. I was merely mentioning the use of methanol instead of water. One thing about methanol versus methane though is that methanol is a liquid and is inherently easier to store and handle. One thing I should state is that this research into methanol fuel cells has much more applications to running small electrical devices such as cell phones and mp3 players than to running a vehicle or powering a home. There was one mp3 player I remember seeing that could run for a very long time on a thimble of methanol (I don't remember exactly how long but it dwarfed the length of time a current battery will give you).
Like you said, most of the world's industrially produced hydrogen is from methane, which does also produce carbon dioxide. So, I agree with you that a better way is needed.
By the way, are you an engineer by chance? You sound like an engineer
. I'm an organic chemist.