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Thread: Hydrogen cars

  1. #21
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    Stargazer, do you envisage hydrogen being stored and transported as a gas or a liquid?


  2. #22

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    The thought of driving behind a tanker loaded with pressurised hydrogen gas fills me with dread. Somehow liquid hydrogen sounds less dangerous, even if it isn’t in reality!

    Maybe we’ll find a better, more environmentally friendly, technology for batteries in the near future. One can hope...

  3. #23
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    I seriously doubt you'll ever find yourself behind a tanker of liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen cannot be liquefied by pressure unless its temperature is 33 deg K or lower (in old money about -240 deg C). And as I pointed out above, it leaks out of everything. It cannot be stored efficiently. Liquid hydrogen is plenty dangerous, but mainly because of its temperature; and the energy involved in liquifying and keeping it liquid is immense. Complete non-starter as a mass-market fuel.


  4. #24

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    I know it has to be colder than hell to liquefy the stuff, but liquefaction should cure some of the problem with leakage!

  5. #25
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    And as we approach the (hopefully slight) possibility that Agent Cob may be able to form a government (if that's quite the word I'm looking for) that will nationalise its way back to the glory days of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, we remember the good old standby for the leaky cooling system on BL cars; crack a raw egg into the coolant and let the engine tick over for half an hour. I wonder if there's an equivalent for hydrogen?


  6. #26

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    I can’t think of a hydrogen equivalent of the poached egg trick. Anyone?

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by aqua View Post
    The thought of driving behind a tanker loaded with pressurised hydrogen gas fills me with dread.
    The skippers on the ferries in Orkney don't share your fears......

    https://images.app.goo.gl/zGQMCBSQA6D1NYjD6

  8. #28

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    What is that thing for?

  9. #29

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    Ok, I’ve been reading about Shapinsay’s hydrogen economy.

    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...hydrogen-power

    Interesting and impressive.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by aqua View Post
    What is that thing for?
    I guess you will now have gleaned, its a hydrogen tube trailer. Used for transporting compressed hydrogen gas from the point of manufacture to the point of use. Yes, at this stage, still drawn by a standard diesel powered artic unit, but maybe the day will come where the unit is also hydrogen powered.

  11. #31

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    Thanks for confirming. Since I couldn’t read the lettering on the photo, I read one of the articles your Google search had brought up!

  12. #32

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    It seems technology moves fast. Lets hope this becomes a practical reality. I will buy a hydrogen powered car as soon as a practical one is available as I'm not so sure about battery powered cars. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52328786

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goodfellers View Post
    It seems technology moves fast. Lets hope this becomes a practical reality. I will buy a hydrogen powered car as soon as a practical one is available as I'm not so sure about battery powered cars. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52328786
    Cars should be electric and hydrogen should be used by trucks to replace dirty diesel .

  14. #34
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    A fuel filter will soon sort out dirty diesel

  15. #35
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    Not sure if this has been mentioned earlier - I heard on Radio 4 a few days ago about a new storage technology for hydrogen - early days yet although it sounds potentially a game changer for storing and use of hydrogen in vehicles. The link is on the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52328786 - it involves using a new sponge like metal technology that can store masses of hydrogen in a relative small area. It sounds safer than the current storage systems.

    Like others on this forum I personally think electric cars are a dead end (too expensive, not really environmentally friendly, and could not replace the current number of vehicles used worldwide or in the UK) - unless we want to cosy up to China for the next 60 years as they control access to many of the chemicals required to make electric vehicles storage batteries, plus the terrible conditions of mainly very young children used to mine the metals required, in some of the African countries.

  16. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by richardj View Post
    Not sure if this has been mentioned earlier - I heard on Radio 4 a few days ago about a new storage technology for hydrogen - early days yet although it sounds potentially a game changer for storing and use of hydrogen in vehicles. The link is on the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52328786 - it involves using a new sponge like metal technology that can store masses of hydrogen in a relative small area. It sounds safer than the current storage systems.

    Like others on this forum I personally think electric cars are a dead end (too expensive, not really environmentally friendly, and could not replace the current number of vehicles used worldwide or in the UK) - unless we want to cosy up to China for the next 60 years as they control access to many of the chemicals required to make electric vehicles storage batteries, plus the terrible conditions of mainly very young children used to mine the metals required, in some of the African countries.
    The 'sponge' story caught my attention a few days ago (post 32). Lets hope something practical comes from it. I imagine we could produce enough hydrogen up here with all our excess wind power.

    I hear Trump wants to go mining on the moon for the rare earth (moon?) minerals used in battery technology as he isn't keen on the Chinese controlling the supply. How that will be cost efficient is beyond my comprehension! At least there would be no forced child labour.

  17. #37

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    With the price of oil now at historic lows, I think we will all be driving petrol/diesel cars for a lot longer, as the oil companies now say they don't have the cash to invest in cleaner technology! Plus if petrol is under a £1 litre, who is going to buy a new 'cleaner' car?

  18. #38

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    You are correct.....
    They have been playing with Hydrogen for many years! It is the cost that is prohibitive.
    Our Petrol (gasoline) is presently approx 70 cents....35p...... its all going on the back burner again.
    The reason they are trying it again, is that European Companies are getting Grants from the Government (our money), and the other Companies that are coming forward with Private Funds, are really obtaining more Govt Grants or Tax breaks....(Our money)!
    It’s a Series of ‘Smoke and Mirrors‘.

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