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Re safety: I was pointed out that the dangers of hydrogen are often exaggerated. Hydrogen is flammable, not explosive. It is an oxygen-hydrogen mix that is expl

by Iv 7y ago

Re safety: I was pointed out that the dangers of hydrogen are often exaggerated. Hydrogen is flammable, not explosive. It is an oxygen-hydrogen mix that is explosive. It is probably slightly safer than fuel due to the fact that while fuel would tend to leak and accumulate on the ground, hydrogen flies into the atmosphere. The great thing about electrolysis is that it combines really well with intermittent sources like solar panels or wind turbines. When too much energy than necessary is being produce, store it in hydrogen. That's free fuel for you (free as in "marginal cost of zero"). If we had efficient electrolysis capacities and a market for hydrogen, that would make the case for intermittent renewables much, much stronger.

moneytide1 7y ago
What industries are competing for platinum group metals? Mike Strizki is my reference for platinum electrode electrolysis. Also CodysLab YouTube channel had an episode harvesting very small amounts of platinum from dust along an interstate (catalytic converter decay over time)
- Nasrudith 7y ago
  Catalytic converters are the main users I know - back in the 00s landyacht tailpipes were regularly sawn off by thieves since the approach to pass emissions involved stacking a ton of catalytic converters apparently.
  - moneytide1 7y ago
    Cash-for-clunkers occurred just as the Roadster was being sold in small batch production. Now that Tesla is setting up shop in multiple hemispheres with production continuing to increase output twelve years later - I wonder if the imminent federal administration reconfiguration would intervene similarly and grant EV vouchers instead of cash. Demand is still much higher than supply - slashing the price in this way may boost wait times. Sure, these trade-ins could be resold, but that's a lot of platinum ( 1-3g per car, 12-15g for trucks, assuming semi?). If converter removed, then not emission compliant. Bodies could be re-purposed for EV? I wouldn't mind driving around a retrofitted ICE body using the diminished capacity and power of batteries removed from a high mileage Tesla. I don't need to go 0-60mph in 3 seconds - I just want it to be emissionless, electric (<90% energy converted to locomotion instead of heat), and quiet. Mechanics in subsidized retrofit shops would standardize the process of removing the old engine block from the well-understood drive-train. Known fuel tank dimensions, and space taken up by the traditional combustion engine block would provide exact specifications for 3D printed battery casings. But by now Tesla has their battery housings standardized for the low center of gravity modular undercarriage block. This may be far to complex to perform, especially at scale even with tax-funded resources. I'm thinking an auto-body shell with its existing seats, windows, axles, tires, could be a usable resource for the renewables transition period. But the average engine compartment post-ICE may not be spacious enough to accommodate the amount of batteries at the current energy density/volume ratio. Maybe if battery packs got smaller and more modular with a similarly modular coolant plumbing interfacing method, we could snake tubes and install more packs in vacant undercarriage space? Jehu Garcia seems to have pulled it off on his VW. Distribute all that platinum for use in renewable energy components like fuel cells and electrolysis electrodes?
    - moneytide1 7y ago
      * >90%

by Iv 7y ago

moneytide1 7y ago

What industries are competing for platinum group metals? Mike Strizki is my reference for platinum electrode electrolysis. Also CodysLab YouTube channel had an episode harvesting very small amounts of platinum from dust along an interstate (catalytic converter decay over time)

Nasrudith 7y ago
Catalytic converters are the main users I know - back in the 00s landyacht tailpipes were regularly sawn off by thieves since the approach to pass emissions involved stacking a ton of catalytic converters apparently.
- moneytide1 7y ago
  Cash-for-clunkers occurred just as the Roadster was being sold in small batch production. Now that Tesla is setting up shop in multiple hemispheres with production continuing to increase output twelve years later - I wonder if the imminent federal administration reconfiguration would intervene similarly and grant EV vouchers instead of cash. Demand is still much higher than supply - slashing the price in this way may boost wait times. Sure, these trade-ins could be resold, but that's a lot of platinum ( 1-3g per car, 12-15g for trucks, assuming semi?). If converter removed, then not emission compliant. Bodies could be re-purposed for EV? I wouldn't mind driving around a retrofitted ICE body using the diminished capacity and power of batteries removed from a high mileage Tesla. I don't need to go 0-60mph in 3 seconds - I just want it to be emissionless, electric (<90% energy converted to locomotion instead of heat), and quiet. Mechanics in subsidized retrofit shops would standardize the process of removing the old engine block from the well-understood drive-train. Known fuel tank dimensions, and space taken up by the traditional combustion engine block would provide exact specifications for 3D printed battery casings. But by now Tesla has their battery housings standardized for the low center of gravity modular undercarriage block. This may be far to complex to perform, especially at scale even with tax-funded resources. I'm thinking an auto-body shell with its existing seats, windows, axles, tires, could be a usable resource for the renewables transition period. But the average engine compartment post-ICE may not be spacious enough to accommodate the amount of batteries at the current energy density/volume ratio. Maybe if battery packs got smaller and more modular with a similarly modular coolant plumbing interfacing method, we could snake tubes and install more packs in vacant undercarriage space? Jehu Garcia seems to have pulled it off on his VW. Distribute all that platinum for use in renewable energy components like fuel cells and electrolysis electrodes?
  - moneytide1 7y ago
    * >90%