Hydrogen powered cars, my way

[chilled_fluorine]

To me, the main problems with hydrogen powered cars are where to get the hydrogen and how to store it on the car. Solar power would work for getting the energy, but how do we store it in reasonable amounts? I was thinking the fuel tank could contain a block of lithium, and water could be stored elsewhere. The lithium and water could be used to make hydrogen, which could in turn be combusted the usual way. Lithium hydroxide would be produced as a useful byproduct, it could be sold to the battery industry, or back to the "lithium station" for a discount on your next purchase. The lithium station could take the hydroxide to an electrolysis plant, where the lithium would be regenerated with renewable energy, as well as some hydrogen and oxygen, which could be combusted to contribute to lithium production. The obvious challenges are where we would get all that lithium ore, and all that renewable energy. Sodium could potentially replace the lithium due to its much greater abundance on earth, but it is much more dangerous, and I think it has lower energy density. Has someone already thought of this? I would guess so, but maybe not. Lithium would also be readily available... Yay!

[Mark Ian]

so the pathway would be battery(lithium)&water -electrolysis-> hydrogen -combustion-> kinetic energy

the problem is that the pathway for electric cars is more direct, and therefor more energy efficient. It does away with the extra step of hydrogen production, and funnels the electric energy directly into the electric motor. There is considerable loss in just this one extra step, making it not fit for the electric car competition.

[chilled_fluorine]

so the pathway would be battery(lithium)&water -electrolysis-> hydrogen -combustion-> kinetic energy

the problem is that the pathway for electric cars is more direct, and therefor more energy efficient. It does away with the extra step of hydrogen production, and funnels the electric energy directly into the electric motor. There is considerable loss in just this one extra step, making it not fit for the electric car competition.

 

This is supposed to be a replacement for conventional hydrogen powered cars, not electric ones. People are often more than willing to sacrifice a few percent of efficiency for practicality. Hydrogen powered cars have exactly the problem you mentioned, but people still use them. Most people's complaints about them is the crappy range, therefore a highly plausible idea for solving that issue must have at least some marketability. Electric cars must carry around very heavy batteries of very limited capacity, reducing efficiency and practicality/range. Lithium is very light, and has a much higher energy density than a car battery.If this idea doesn't sound good to you now, wait 20 years, and dwindling fossil fuel reserves and increased prices will make this sound like a wonderful idea. I should run down to the patent office right now.

[ACUV]

If you would like to run down to the patent office, have it in mind, if I am not mistaken, that rules say that you can't patent an invention that has already been made public. Maybe this doesn't apply in your country.

 

U.S.

 

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/2100_2133_03_a.htm

 

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/appxl_35_U_S_C_102.htm#usc35s102

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2012 by ACUV

[Enthalpy]

Japanese universities and car makers investigate it, but with a better metal than lithium - do I remember it's magnesium?

Which, anyway, looks meaningless to me. Using the metal in a chemical battery to power an electric motor is better than converting the metal to hydrogen, as this existing technology is the most efficient one.

Just replace the (primary) battery at the gas station and recycle it.