Practical Fuel Cells for Electronics

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• It could be applied (also) to swappable electric cars' batteries >>> Gaetano Marano on 08/27/2007 at 6:58 AM

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  . this new idea could be applied (also) to swappable electric cars' batteries: http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/033cellphoneCAR.html thanks to its 6x power vs. LiIon cars batteries, the new cars could have (both) lighter batteries AND a longer autonomy (maybe, up to 300 miles) and the "swappable battries" solve the main problem of all electric cars: the (now) very long (4+ hours) recharge time . Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • Re: It could be applied (also) to swappable electric cars' batteries >>> SVE on 08/27/2007 at 9:47 AM

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    The issue with using this in cars is you're just swapping one liquid-fueled technology (gasoline) for another (methanol). You still can't use the home-delivered power grid for recharging, one of the main selling points for electric cars. Electric energy is cheap. With this, you're still dependent on going to some energy supply depot (gas station or battery swap station) that has to be widely available. Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • you're right on this point, but... Gaetano Marano on 08/27/2007 at 10:32 AM

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      . you're right on this point and about the home recharge, but, if these new cells will be "sealed" the only way to "refuel" a car in long trips is to "swap" them "somewhere" (gas stations, Wal-Mart, etc.) while, if that cells can be refueled with methane, it's a NON SENSE to use a (very expensive) fuel cell and a (low performance) electric motor, instead of (simply) modify a gasoline car to work with methane! however, I agree with you that rechargeable batteries are (and will always be) better, simpler, SAFER (since they have no explosive LH2 or methane) and several/dozens times cheaper than ANY kind of fuel cell and, about "safety"... recently many notebooks has gone on fire due to defective Li-Ion batteries... well, how much "safe" a notebook with a methane+hydrogen fuel cell will be? ...could that kind of notebooks fly with their owners/passengers on common airlines and trains? ...etc. . Rate this comment: (Reply)

      • 	Re: you're right on this point, but... zed2 on 08/27/2007 at 10:52 PM
        Posts: 1	1. It's not using the gas, methane (CH4), it's using the liquid, methanol (CH3OH). 2. You have it backwards. Electric motors are by no means inefficient. They can be up to 90% efficient. Compare this with 20% for an internal combustion engine running on any kind of fuel. Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	apples and oranges phoenix on 08/27/2007 at 9:59 AM
  Posts: 133 Avg Rating:	Let's stop comparing apples to oranges when it comes to the ability of fuel cells to supply the sustained demands of radically different energy requirements. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Re: apples and oranges SVE on 08/27/2007 at 2:25 PM
    Posts: 44 Avg Rating:	Fuelcell discussions invariably wander into applications with radically different energy requirements. The reason is that everytime someone suggests any particular application for FCs, it gets shot down as a stupid approach compared to what's already available. That's the FC problem in a nutshell. There's basically no application for which it is the best solution. Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • 	that's true Gaetano Marano on 08/27/2007 at 2:51 PM
      Posts: 71 Avg Rating:	. SVE said "There's basically no application for which it is the best solution." that's true, since the fuel cells will be no more used also in the field where they was the absolute winner for 40+ years: "spaceships" infact, the new NASA Orion will use solar arrays and rechargeable batteries . Rate this comment: (Reply)