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this is the future
JoelP - 16/6/08 at 09:00 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7456141.stm

one day we might make hydrogen at home from the mains, or from panels on our roofs, or whatever. Once it takes off a bit, both for hydrogen availability and also sustainability (ie not oil derived hydrogen), the concept can be developed more.

Discuss?

loggyboy - 16/6/08 at 09:17 PM

Hydrogen and means of transport dont mix that well.




Only joking...

Anything that shuts the green crowd up sounds good to me.

[Edited on 16/6/08 by loggyboy]

smart51 - 16/6/08 at 09:35 PM

200 over 3 years doesn't sound like "production" to me. They're just dipping a toe in the water to test the temperature. The most impressive thing to me is that they've been working on it for 19 years and they're now doing fleet trials. British companies and investors wouldn't think of doing anything like that, much to our shame. We'd turn our nose up at 19 months.

The Hindenburg didn't go up in flames because it had hydrogen in it, it went up because the outer skin was coated in solid rocket booster fuel. It was on fire for several minutes before the hydrogen envelope went up.

skodaman - 16/6/08 at 10:34 PM

They should learn how to make a decent F1 car first.

Simon - 17/6/08 at 12:33 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP

one day we might make hydrogen at home from the mains,

Discuss?


It's going to get a bit like us all having a mini turbine on the roof to prduce a tiny amount of electricity to sell to the electric suppliers, rather than buying from a dedicated "manufacturer" who can produce it cheaper, cleaner and in greater quantities - I believe scale of economies is what it's called. It's why I can travel 300 miles for £20 on a train and for £80 in my car. Ooops, got my figs mixed up, £80/train (seats over a thousand) and £20 in car (seats 7)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just imaging 30 000 000 houses all producing hydrogen

Scary, hey

ATB

Simon

speedyxjs - 17/6/08 at 07:14 AM

Im pretty sure i read somewhere that mercedes made a hydrogen powered a class a little while back and that it was for sale for £200,000

DaveFJ - 17/6/08 at 08:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51

The Hindenburg didn't go up in flames because it had hydrogen in it, it went up because the outer skin was coated in solid rocket booster fuel. It was on fire for several minutes before the hydrogen envelope went up.


Just to be picky..... no-one knows why the hindenburg burned... there are loads of theories and most have some credulity however the 3 most popular are the skin as you say, hydrogen ignition due to poor electrostatic earthing and sabotage..

Mr Whippy - 17/6/08 at 10:03 AM

they were also doing a hard turn into the wind and may have snapped at bracing wire that ripped a gas bag. Some witnesses said they had seen a bubbling motion in the upper outer fabric that suggests to some experts that gas was leaking out before the fire started, plus the back of the ship was sinking prompting the ballast water being dumped early on in the film, it may actually have crashed anyway without a fire. It was a bad mix of the wrong gas (originally Helium had been intended to be used but America would not sell the Nazi’s any), bad weather, rushed schedule and poor choice of doping material. An accident waiting to happen…