[ausev] hydrogen efficiency

[Gil Dawson]

At 3:36 A -0500 6/2/08, Ian Ward wrote:
>I think the spirit of the AUSEV mailing list charter is specific to 
>Austin area topics, but otherwise this is (IMO) a fairly valid topic 
>-

Ian--

I absolutely agree with everything in your message -- for cars.

However, fuel cells may have a long-range place in our future -- in 
airplanes.  Not because of efficiency, but because of weight.

An experimental airplane using solar cells -> hydrolysis -> fuel 
cells -> propeller was flown for THIRTY DAYS over Hawaii a couple of 
years ago.  They chose hydrolysis over batteries to fly at night 
becuse the components weighed less.

This airplane was made by AeroVironment, headed by Paul MacCready 
(1925-2007), who also made the first human-powered aircrft to pass 
certain tests: the Gossamer Condor (one mile figure 8) and Gossamer 
Albatross (English Channel).  It made the front page of the LA Times 
at the time, and was described in detail on their website.  Details 
have been taken down, because now they're selling this technology to 
the military.  You can still see some footprints, though, if you 
search for "fuel cell" on the current website 
"http://www.avinc.com/".  They advertise planes that can stay 
overhead for nine days.  Not a record, but then not jet fuel, either.

Another place fuel cells may survive in the long run is interstate trucking.

But right now, and for cars, you have expressed the arguments well, IMHO.

--Gil