Re: More electrification

[usenet.spam@gunzel.net (Michael)]

cbrnbill@enternet.com.au (Chris Brownbill) wrote in
<3A0E17EE.4151E402@enternet.com.au>: 

>Whilst the article talks mainly about computer applications, it also
>mentions possible use for electric vehicles.  So maybe the world of
>truly practical and powerful battery powered cars is no more than a few
>years away, and all this talk about the fuel crisis may become an
>irrelevant smokescreen (pun intended). 

The technology is already available to replace internal combustion
engines in cars. I'm not sure why it isn't being pushed sooner, either
it's too expensive at the moment or <conspiracy theory>being withheld by
oil companies </conspiracy theory>. Hydrogen fuel cells. You feed your
car hydrogen, and the fuel cell chemically converts it to electricy and
water. Someone might be able to explain better how it works. 

Fuel cells run at about 40% efficiency, whereas if you use the steam 
produced, efficiency of up to 85% can be achieved. (This info comes from 
www.fuelcells.org)

That said, maybe within a few years we could have a new generation of steam 
locomotive?? The fuel cell will product electricity while the steam is used 
to drive a generator/alternator. While not a steam locomotive in the 
conventional sense, it would still please a lot of the steam gunzels for 
the fact it's running off overheated water (-:

In all seriousness though, I think the battery mentioned above would be 
useful in such things that require electrity with a very limited space, 
e.g. electric wheelchairs, golf  buggies, etc. For cars and larger scale 
applications, hydrogen fuel cells certainly seem the way to go. 

For those interested, a number of resources are available at:

http://au.search.yahoo.com/search/aunz?p=fuel+cell&y=y (yeah, it's a yahoo 
search for "fuel cell" but it's saved you 5 seconds of your time, hasn't 
it? :))

M.

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