I give US 2 years to adapt. Gas prices $2.58 in some states, the SUV people need alternatives to stop supply and demand of oil. They sure as hell are not going to give them up. That would be too easy and un-American.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/rnb_030804.asp?trk=nl
Fuel cells that convert the chemical bonds between hydrogen atoms to energy are about three times more efficient than combustion engines that burn hydrocarbons. And fuel cells powered with pure hydrogen carry out the conversion cleanly.
The trick is finding a cost-effective way to produce hydrogen without polluting the environment.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Patras in Greece have devised a way to extract hydrogen directly from ethanol, which would make for a renewable energy cycle. Ethanol is produced by converting biomass like cornstarch to sugar, then fermenting it.
The researchers' method is relatively simple, and an ethanol-to-hydrogen converter designed for home use would be not much larger than a coffee mug.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/rnb_030804.asp?trk=nl
Fuel cells that convert the chemical bonds between hydrogen atoms to energy are about three times more efficient than combustion engines that burn hydrocarbons. And fuel cells powered with pure hydrogen carry out the conversion cleanly.
The trick is finding a cost-effective way to produce hydrogen without polluting the environment.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Patras in Greece have devised a way to extract hydrogen directly from ethanol, which would make for a renewable energy cycle. Ethanol is produced by converting biomass like cornstarch to sugar, then fermenting it.
The researchers' method is relatively simple, and an ethanol-to-hydrogen converter designed for home use would be not much larger than a coffee mug.