Car charging installation

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

Hydrogen fuel cells are the way forward if they can crack the production cost issues.

Might be if:
a) they can split hydrogen from water efficiently - no sign yet - but you never know.
b) you could store it for more than a week in a vehicle - big problem because it leaks out of any practical container because the molecules are so small.

a) That's one possible realistic use of wind turbines. There's a wind farm in Shetland that uses it's output to electrolyse seawater producing and storing hydrogen. I believe there are similar projects in the US and Europe now.

b) Only if you store it as gas.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And the economics of turning hydrogen produced locally by electrolysis of water into something other than gas are......?

Did you know, BTW, that a gallon of liquid hydrogen contains less than 2/3 the amount of hydrogen than a gallon of petrol does?

 

[brig001]

a) That's one possible realistic use of wind turbines. There's a wind farm in Shetland that uses it's output to electrolyse seawater producing and storing hydrogen. I believe there are similar projects in the US and Europe now.

a) I don't know, but I suspect that using the electricity to charge batteries for electric cars would be more efficient. The Honda FCX Clarity is only slightly more efficient than a standard car, and uses four times the energy of a Tesla for considerably worse performance.

 

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

And the economics of turning hydrogen produced locally by electrolysis of water into something other than gas are......?

Did you know, BTW, that a gallon of liquid hydrogen contains less than 2/3 the amount of hydrogen than a gallon of petrol does?

Easier to store in bulk, of course.

 

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

a) That's one possible realistic use of wind turbines. There's a wind farm in Shetland that uses it's output to electrolyse seawater producing and storing hydrogen. I believe there are similar projects in the US and Europe now.

a) I don't know, but I suspect that using the electricity to charge batteries for electric cars would be more efficient. The Honda FCX Clarity is only slightly more efficient than a standard car, and uses four times the energy of a Tesla for considerably worse performance.

The problem with wind turbines is that they cannot be guaranteed to reliably generate electricity when it is needed. Using the electricity they generate to produce hydrogen means that a reasonable percentage of the power generated can be stored for use when required.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Easier to store in bulk, of course.

What's easier?

Liquid hydrogen?

You must be joking.

 

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

Easier to store in bulk, of course.

What's easier?

Liquid hydrogen?

You must be joking.

The people in Unst don't seem to think so.

 

[brig001]

Lots here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_storage
I thought you just put it in a tank...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The people in Unst are not storing liquid hydrogen.

 

[flameport]

Mainstream use of electric (or hydrogen) vehicles is doomed in the short/medium future, as the substantial electricity requirements cannot be met by the existing or planned power generation in the UK.

 

[TheOriginalTonkaToy]

The people in Unst are not storing liquid hydrogen.

My apologies, they don't but others (probably much larger concerns) do. They still bulk store it either in compressed form or as hydrides though, and it's still a sensible use of wind energy.