Date:         Thu, 11 Jul 2002 20:59:32 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Running on Tap Water (was Re: Attention California
              Vanagonites)
Comments: To: Clive Smith <clive.harman-smith@NTLWORLD.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <005b01c2292b$41e11dc0$0d00a8c0@LAGOS>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 06:35 PM 7/11/2002, Clive Smith wrote:
>Well, it is a problem because hydrogen is bl*** dangerous stuff
>  >> The problem is you have to put in at least as much energy to do the
>electrolysis as you
> > >get back when you burn it -
>not from what I've heard - aren't major mfrs having a good go at this?

Sure -- but as a way of moving energy around, not producing it.  Hydrogen
would burn very very very clean and you make it from water -- but it takes
more energy to separate it from the water than you get back by burning
it.  And it's electricity to separate the water, so if you're burning fuel
to make the electricity you take a double hit.

Gasoline (and other hydrocarbon fuels) are effectively just stored-up
sunlight, using plants to collect the energy.  Same idea, except that we
don't have to come up with the energy to make it happen, it already did.

david


--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"