What drives your car?

[PMC]

What drives my car?  The Force on a very bad morning....

Anyway, We've reached the point where the fuel cell is becoming a viable alternative and a source of clean energy.  The only problem is that separating hydrogen and oxygen requires more energy than is returned by burning hydrogen.

However, a British company has proposed using solar energy to separate the hydrogen and oxygen from water and reckon they're looking at 10% efficiency within the next few years.  

I would miss the characteristics of driving an internal combustion engine, especially a high revving one as electric power has a constant power / torque curve.  But that's progress I guess...  Although if they make an electric or fuel cell engine that sounds like a Ferrari 640 grand prix engine then I'd be converted in an instant.

[PMC]

@Whabang

A hydrogen powered combustion engine is likely to be less powerful than it's gasoline powered equivilent, plus there's secondary pollution from lubricants and fine particles of metallics from wear in the engine...  Plus the four stroke combustion engine isn't the most efficient device ever invented.

BUT

A properly tuned gasoline engine sounds absolutely fantastic, especially if it comprises of more than four cylinders (preferably twelve).  

You've sold me on the concept of a hydrogen burning engine!  I can do twelve to the gallon safe in the knowledge that most of what comes out of the tailpipe is nitrogen and water vapour, whilst enjoying the aural delights of a V12!

[PMC]

IIRC the efficuiency comparison between a hydrogen gas engine and gasoline is something like 75%.  

Remember that hydrogen is less dense than gasoline and therefore less volume of fuel is going to be injected into the cylinder unless it's under considerable pressure which results in significant temperature / storage issues.  

However, an engine designed around the properties of hydrogen as opposed to being a fudged gasoline burning design may claw back some efficiency.

We do need a cheaper and cleaner source of energy to provide power for electrolysis (where H2O is separated into constituent elements).  Diesel/Coal/Gas plants simply cause the same pollution elsewhere, wave/wind plants aren't efficient enough and there are long term issues with nuclear waste and radioactivity for nuclear plants to be trusted.

Fusion is a different matter though, but the technology is in it's infancy.

[PMC]

Robert17 wrote:
Wasn't Ford Working on a Hydrogen Fueled Car? I saw it on Tommorows World a few years ago, they said it's be ready in about 20 years :-) How about alcohol for a fuel (for cars)

Robert

Hydrogen has storage problems that need to be overcome, imagine filling up at a petrol station where the pump is a hundred below zero.  Not the place where you'd like to have a spill.  A hydrogen powered vehicle is more likely to be fuel cell powered as opposed to internal combustion.

Alcohol is a great fuel.  It burns much cleaner than gasoline, is less environmentally damaging in event of a spill - hell you can even drink the stuff!

Actually, I'm about 70% certain that the Germans used liquid oxygen and alcohol to fuel their V2 missiles during the final months of WW2...  Anyone care to put me straight on that?  

(cue Blob).

[PMC]

Nice one Blob!

I think that Hydrogen Peroxide was also used in the Me 163 interceptor.  It used two different fuels that were extremely volatile when mixed, which resulted in spectacular performance (for 1944).

However the pilot had to be extremely careful upon landing as the vapours from seemingly empty tanks could be coerced into igniting on a rough touchdown - kind of a bummer when the Me 163 had no undercarriage and was only equipped with a metal skid.  The Hydrogen Peroxide fuel was also extremely corrosive and popular legend has it there were reports of pilots surviving a rough landing only to be partially dissolved in their seats.

[PMC]

Hehe!

2.5 Litre, 24 valve Milano V6.  And it sounds lurvely!

[PMC]

KennyR wrote:
My method of personal transport runs on carbohydrates. Mostly curries and pasta.

I should imagine that the emissions resulting from that fuel is even worse to the environment than T-Bone's V8.

[PMC]

CU_AMiGA wrote:
Has anyone driven in one of they Sinclair C5 cars? I think thats what they're called.

Nope, but I rode something similar a few months back where you were in a recumbent position and steered with handlebars under your ass.  

Frankly I felt exposed being that low to the ground and the handling was skittish compared to a normal bike.  I wouldn't want to be on the inside lane of the highway next to a dirty great truck in a C5...

What electric cars need to do is excite before they're taken seriously.  The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are a success because they're seen as cool and fashionble, but the average Joe wants an electric car that burns rubber.  Way back when Chrysler entered a turbine-electric car called the Patriot which stored kinetic energy in a carbon flywheel in the Le Mans 24 hour race.  GM also built a few Impact sports cars and showed a promotional video of one outrunning a Nissan 300ZX to 60mph.  

Although I drive a gas-guzzler, I try and mitigate this by biking to work as often as I can and biking to friends houses.  However, now the weather is turning colder and wetter I'd rather be in a warm, comfy car than freezing my chumleys off on the saddle.