September 16, 2005
The Holy Grail
The stronger hurricanes, melting ice, shifting weather systems - they all come from rising temperatures. It is widely accepted that man has affected the Earth by burning trees and hydrocarbon fuel. The argument that the temperature rise is mainly unrelated to mankind's use of fuel is difficult to support.We, as a civilization, need fuel and our only options now are nuclear energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydro-energy and the burning of more coal, oil and gas. And the carbon based fuels are our main source of energy. Until this changes we will continue to affect the Earth in negative ways. Our projected growth over the next hundred years shows that we need several times as much energy as we use now. The condition of Nature can only worsen if we rely on carbon based fuel.
A hydrogen based economy is the only fuel economy that will not harm the Earth. No carbon or greenhouse gases will be released. A hydrogen economy is compatible with the existing, natural energy systems on Earth. Hydrogen is burned with oxygen, releases energy and turns into pure water. We use the energy. The water enters the Earth's natural systems and circulates. To renew and continue the cycle, we break water apart by using a small part of the solar energy that already falls to Earth and the hydrogen is recovered for a new cycle of fuel use. New technology is allowing water to be broken apart at low temperatures (<1000 C) which are available from simple solar reactors. See http://www.shec-labs.com/about.php Also, as nanotechnology matures, highly efficient ( 90%?) optical antennas solar cells should be available to absorb almost all the Sun's energy. See http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv_prm/pdfs/papers/54.pdf
Eventually, (within 20 years) we should see direct conversion of water into hydrogen by mechanical devices that cover our roofs. Tiny machines capture the hydrogen gas, compress it to hundreds of atmospheres of pressure and deliver it as a powder or liquid composed of tiny diamond containers suspended in a carrier fluid. The diamond containers are around 100 microns in diameter. The liquid is pumped around like fuel oil, but is non-explosive under ordinary conditions. The hydrogen is released only when command signals are available inside a fuel cell. The valve if moved by energy received from sonic waves pumped into the liquid. A small diaphragm on the container picks up both energy and control signals. See an image of such a device at
http://www.actionart3d.com/im_nano/HydrogenContainer.jpg
Only the internal valve is shown.
Posted 5 years, 4 months ago on September 16, 2005
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Re: The Holy Grail
I agree we need alternative energy sources. I do not think the scenario you have described based on hydrogen will happen in time to prevent global economic collapse due to the eventual collapse of the oil supplies. Too many powerful corporations are too vested in the internal combustion engine mode of transportation.
Now if a basketball-sized nuclear fusion reactor could be designed as a heat source for steam-driven transportation, that would be good. Unfortunately, we do not even have a large-scale fusion reactor. I hope some of the quantum physics research related to nanotechnology might be able to solve some of the nuclear fusion problems.
Gaseous hydrogen, such as proposed by President Bush, should only be considered a stop-gap approach as long-term use of gaseous hydrogen for a transportation fuel would result in a significant amount of leakage into the atmosphere where it could begin to escape into space. If earth were to lose enough unbound hydrogen to space, the oceans might begin to shrink (1,000 to 10,000 generations from now but why start something else we, as a race of intelligent beings, have to fix later on).
Perhaps the nanoscale hydrogen transportation and use you have suggested could be commercially viable before the gaseous hydrogen scenario could become a problem.
Posted 5 years, 1 month ago by Phil • • • Reply
Comment Trackback URL : http://www.actionart3d.com/nanonature/bblog/trackback.php/9/99/
Now if a basketball-sized nuclear fusion reactor could be designed as a heat source for steam-driven transportation, that would be good. Unfortunately, we do not even have a large-scale fusion reactor. I hope some of the quantum physics research related to nanotechnology might be able to solve some of the nuclear fusion problems.
Gaseous hydrogen, such as proposed by President Bush, should only be considered a stop-gap approach as long-term use of gaseous hydrogen for a transportation fuel would result in a significant amount of leakage into the atmosphere where it could begin to escape into space. If earth were to lose enough unbound hydrogen to space, the oceans might begin to shrink (1,000 to 10,000 generations from now but why start something else we, as a race of intelligent beings, have to fix later on).
Perhaps the nanoscale hydrogen transportation and use you have suggested could be commercially viable before the gaseous hydrogen scenario could become a problem.
Posted 5 years, 1 month ago by Phil • • • Reply
Comment Trackback URL : http://www.actionart3d.com/nanonature/bblog/trackback.php/9/99/
Re: The Holy Grail
Phil,
If we can build a tiny pressurized hydrogen tank that allows transport of hydrogen in a liquid slurry form (tiny containers in a liquid), I think the nano fillers and release mechanism could be made hydrogen tight. Or at least tight enough to lower the loss of hydrogen to insignificant levels. Or just drop a few comets into the ocean to make up for the loss.
Again, thanks for critical feedback on this subject.
John
Posted 5 years, 1 month ago by John Burch • • • Reply
Comment Trackback URL : http://www.actionart3d.com/nanonature/bblog/trackback.php/9/101/
If we can build a tiny pressurized hydrogen tank that allows transport of hydrogen in a liquid slurry form (tiny containers in a liquid), I think the nano fillers and release mechanism could be made hydrogen tight. Or at least tight enough to lower the loss of hydrogen to insignificant levels. Or just drop a few comets into the ocean to make up for the loss.
Again, thanks for critical feedback on this subject.
John
Posted 5 years, 1 month ago by John Burch • • • Reply
Comment Trackback URL : http://www.actionart3d.com/nanonature/bblog/trackback.php/9/101/
