Acidus wrote:
] ]
] ] The truck is hydrogen-powered and creates its own fuel
] ] from solar energy and water, a technical feat that rivals
] ] the advanced technology being researched by major auto
] ] companies and universities. The four-cylinder engine is
] ] tuned to run on hydrogen, which is produced by a
] ] hand-built electrolysis system mounted in the bed.
] ]
] ] Teacher Cory Waxman and his students took four years to
] ] build the experiment, believed to be the only
] ] self-sustaining hydrogen vehicle that uses a conventional
] ] internal-combustion engine.

Interesting... I thought of the same thing 25 years ago when I was first shown electrolyisis of water in JR High science. A car that "runs on water" (with more than a little help from the sun).

Not to rain on these kids parade, but they are wasting a LOT of energy cracking the H2O molecules to separate the hydrogen and oxygen. I seem to recall the conversion efficency for electrolyisis being less that 50 percent. Much more efficent to simply take the electricity from the photo voltaics and directly drive electric motors.

Its a neat idea though and kudos to them for doing it. Its this thinking outside the box that is needed to solve the energy crisis.

LB

RE: Hydrogen car self-sustaining