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delmarrey · 20-11-2015, 12:47

In Ten Years a Box of Sand Could Power Your House

Here's one of many links. If this even progresses economically we may finally see electric boats. What's cha think?

Simonsays · 20-11-2015, 13:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by delmarrey

In Ten Years a Box of Sand Could Power Your House

Here's one of many links. If this even progresses economically we may finally see electric boats. What's cha think?

already in use with submarines for more than a decade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_212_submarine
the question is if it will ever become cheap enough for comercial use.

MarkSF · 20-11-2015, 13:51

Where are the hydrogen and oxygen coming from? Will we have tanks of both on the boat? Sounds great.

delmarrey · 20-11-2015, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Where are the hydrogen and oxygen coming from? Will we have tanks of both on the boat? Sounds great.

I'm hoping someone here may have more technical info on the process. There's not much info when it's googled.

Dsanduril · 20-11-2015, 14:17

Unfortunately the 'box of sand' doesn't power anything, it is just a part in the chain that converts fuel to electricity. Same as your current generator or diesel engine. Cleaner? Almost certainly. More efficient? Again, almost certainly. But you still have to find, purchase, and carry fuel for the thing, so it doesn't provide complete independence.

Also note the article is already five years old, so we are supposed to be half-way there. Bloom does sell units (they are source of the 'sand' system in the article; Clean, Renewable Energy | Bloom Energy Solid Oxide Fuel Cells), and EFoy sells them for your boat, but costs are still a long way from parity with our current systems.

Simonsays · 20-11-2015, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by delmarrey

I'm hoping someone here may have more technical info on the process. There's not much info when it's googled.

this was the hot thing when i was in the german navy.
the general idea was to use solar power plants to split water into H and O.
the submarines use their diesel to fill their fuelcell tanks though, just like you use your generator to fill your bateries.
the way it works today, you would pretty much replace your diesel tank with a hydrogen tank.
the thing is, this is not very popular. google Hindenburg disaster for the reason ,)

Bill Seal · 20-11-2015, 14:32

I'm going to run right out and plant a couple of acres of Hydrogen trees.
Or maybe get a few hundred pounds of Fairy Dust to convert sea water into the fuel.
Things that seem to be too good to be true usually are.

MarkSF · 20-11-2015, 14:34

The image shows hydrogen and oxygen inputs. BTW, that was the real reason for the Hindenberg disaster - leaks which allowed oxygen to build up in the hydrogen. And I'm supposed to have tanks of both on the boat? Hold me back!

Think I'll stick with diesel, thank you very much.

Simonsays · 20-11-2015, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

I'm going to run right out and plant a couple of acres of Hydrogen trees.
Or maybe get a few hundred pounds of Fairy Dust to convert sea water into the fuel.
Things that seem to be too good to be true usually are.

Hydrogen generation has not been a big deal for the past 100years.
if anything, using it for Solar Power storage could replace natural gas someday.
Solar hydrogen generation from seawater with a modified BiVO4 photoanode - Energy & Environmental Science (RSC Publishing)

MarkSF · 20-11-2015, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

I'm going to run right out and plant a couple of acres of Hydrogen trees.
Or maybe get a few hundred pounds of Fairy Dust to convert sea water into the fuel.
Things that seem to be too good to be true usually are.

But surely you could use the electricity from the fuel cell to electrolyse the water into hydrogen and oxygen, thus feeding the fuel cell?

Simonsays · 20-11-2015, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkSF

But surely you could use the electricity from the fuel cell to electrolyse the water into hydrogen and oxygen, thus feeding the fuel cell?

that would be the first perpetuum mobile that works.. .and able to drive a boat!
better get it patentet asap ;P

ever heared of the first law of thermodynamics?

delmarrey · 20-11-2015, 16:30

Yeah, I know it going to take time. And probably not in my life time (65 YO) but it's certainly something to shoot for. After all could you imagine sending text messages around the world economically in 1964 when I started high school. The high school kids of today have a unbelievable advantage, if mankind continues to survive in a modern world.

reed1v · 21-11-2015, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Where are the hydrogen and oxygen coming from? Will we have tanks of both on the boat? Sounds great.

Two of the most explosive elements possible. Basically makes the boat a bomb.

2hullvenus · 21-11-2015, 08:28

Well, it seems very useful for planing hulls.

Take the H2 tank and the O2 tank, skip the sand and direct them through a nozzle.

You'll go real fast.

Rocket fast.