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Old 05-31-2006, 01:54 PM   #23
ernie
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The fact of the matter is the reason the hydrogen economy is stuck in neutral is because most hydrogen (or the energy needed to produce hydrogen) is produced by traditional methods (i.e. fossil fuels etc). And in the end the amount of energy you get from using the hydrogen is less than you spent creating it using the "evil" fuels in the first place.

There is no doubt mixing gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen together under the right conditions produces a tremendous amount of energy. However, as the video says that is created by electrolysis of water....that electrolysis energy comes from the plug in the wall which is connected to the coal burning power plant. And believe you me the electrolysis of water takes a hell of a lot of energy...as the law of microscopic reversibility will tell you that the mechanism of a chemical reaction proceeds in one direction is EXACTLY the reverse of the other direction...ie. if you get a heck of a lot of energy out by making water you need to put a tremendous amount of energy in. And because us human beings aren't very good at building efficient equipment it becomes a problem as you start dumping in a lot more energy than you get out. So until someone manages to effectively harness non-destructive energy sources efficiently to produce that hydrogen the hydrogen economy is simply a pipe dream. It's a long ways from ever becoming a reality.

That said, every little step forward counts and this appears to be a step forward.
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