On the other hand, CH4 is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, albeit with a shorter atmospheric half-life.
It is also a fundamentally limited resource subject, as we are well aware this winter, to supply-demand imbalances.
Hi Frank,
I am not seeing natural gas used in the fuel cell in that article. I may have missed it. It would stand to reason as hydrogen is just not that available in that quantity.
I have often wondered if natural gas could be used in an automobile fuel cell. I wonder if the odorant would make a BIG hole for you in traffic for you. HAHA
"Carbon Dioxide" is part of the circle of life on this planet and is required for the plants that all life depends on. Well, except thermal vent life.
I will take carbon dioxide over carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrous oxide any day.
-T
I looked at the article again and the use of natural gas is somewhat buried:
"The clean energy systems are scalable, modular and quiet so they can be clustered and located virtually anywhere where there is natural gas service and an electric load to serve."
I would have preferred to link to an article discussing the technology in more detail comparing to other methods. Burning the gas in turbines wound give a comparable yield and the fuel cells recycling is also a mess.
Because of the difficulties using hydrogen gas in fuel cells I recall Nobel prize winner George Olah recommending methanol be used instead.
Fascinating!!!!
Hi Frank,
You know the problem with methanol is the same problem hydrogen has. The missing ingredient sought after by engineers and chemists the world wide: unobtainium.
Hydrogen an be made from hydrolysis: hydro electric, solar, wind, tide, and if the Luddites would ever let us, those new nuclear reactors that can't melt down. (Lets not mention from natural gas.)
You probably would know about how methanol is made Please tell me it is not from corn. That bull s*** (s***e if your are British) has to go.
Never heard of a mess recycling fuel cells. What did I miss?
Lithium batteries, on the other hand, are a nightmare to create and recycle/dispose of.
-T
Could not find the original article but apparently when spent the fuel cells are contaminated with heavy metals and the like from the gas however they got there. Also read that electricity costs from the cells exceeds other sources by quite a bit.
Just like water is essential, but too much water and you have floods, damage and death.
No one would argue about that.
13.5 cents per kilowatt hour versus 10 cents per kwh.
I wonder if Bloom can bring that down? And without hitting other people over the head and making them pay subsidies.
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