Weatherlawyer wrote:
On Feb 2, 12:20 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
In general though, I agree that chasing hydrogen as a cure for all our
ills is akin to joining a gym to get fit. In your heart, you know it's
just displacement activity to stop you doing any *real* exercise that
might be difficult or tiring.
Hydrogen is not an avaiable source of primary energy: It has to be made.
If you have to make it, why not make something more useful?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX2RxlXCZKA

Using Lithium to creat an anhydride this chap is able to utilise the
sunlight available in New Mexico to prepare hydrogen for free. It
takes all night to install it into the tanks in the car.

And of course the powers that be don't want you to do this at home
dear.

Meanwhile there is no reason it can't be dissolved in LPG or even
diesel if wanted by the owner. Hydrogen added to a fuel makes a
cleaner faster burn reducing toxic output.

The reason compressed hydrogen isn't used is that it doesn't liquify
easily. I can't see how it can be more dangerous to use than heavier
petroleum gasses though.

Then read up on it and find out. It does liquefy easily, but the result
is a liquid that is not only under very high pressure, but is also
extremely inflammable with a very low flashpoint and has a molecular
size so small that its very very hard to stop it leaking.

Its also very BULKY - too bulky to e.g. be used as aircraft fuel.

Hydrocarbons around the octane or slightly heavier grade pack the most
ergs per cubic wotsit. Rings (benzene et al) are good as well, but
rather toxic.