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> That would solve one of the primary hurdles remaining in using water to produce hydrogen, one of the most promising sources of clean energy. What? No. Hydrog
by mabbo 9y ago
> That would solve one of the primary hurdles remaining in using water to produce hydrogen, one of the most promising sources of clean energy.
What? No. Hydrogen is not a source of energy, it's a storage format. A more efficient catalyst will certainly help with losses when storing the energy, but there's no net gain.
- pm90 9y agoYeah, this doesn't make sense. Also the problem isn't getting hydrogen, its to burn the hydrogen for energy efficiently and safely, which we currently have not found a way to do ... yet.
- maxerickson 9y agoYou can buy an H2 Toyota. https://ssl.toyota.com/mirai/fcv.html https://ssl.toyota.com/mirai/fcv.html There are also house scale fuel cells (that reform natural gas).
- marcosdumay 9y agoGot any reference on the efficiency and longevity of their fuel cells? Hydrogen fuel cells have a sweat spot at around 30% efficiency lasting for several years, and another at around 50% efficiency lasting for a few months. I have never seen anybody get a different set of numbers.
- maxerickson 9y agoNo idea. 30% is competitive with an internal combustion engine though. (and for a heated house you'd get better effective efficiency because the waste heat can be utilized)
- marcosdumay 9y agoThey are competing with batteries, not combustion engines. That's because the hydrogen must be generated somehow (and stored). If you go and generate the hydrogen from natural gas (so you have a natgas powered car, not much gain) you'll have to multiply those by a 40% to 50% conversion efficiency. If you generate it from water and electricity, your equivalent battery will have that 30% efficiency multiplied by another ~30% efficiency of electrolysis.
- greglindahl 9y agoThe Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell car has a high price and not so great performance, so it's safe to say that the answer to your question is "not good enough for a car, yet".
- devwastaken 9y agoIt said sources of clean energy, not a source of clean electricity for the power grid.
- badosu 9y agoStill wrong, this process is a sink of energy, not a source.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]