Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Plug

[Nathanael Henderson <jude@pconline.com>]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2000, Paul Suds wrote:

> see some practical uses for us P-sub types. Eventually, when cost and size 
> come down (it's getting there fast), they will be invaluable for certain 
> applications.

    I have to agree there...fuel cells seem like an ideal power source for
small subs.   What I haven't seen so far are prices--does anybody know
what a kilowatt (or twenty ;-) fuel cell might cost?

> I was also looking at buying a 15 acre island off the coast of Honduras, for 
> cheap. It has crystal clear water and white  sandy beaches on one side and 3 
> ft high "cliffs" on the other side. A hell of a place for mini-subs.

    To the secret base!    (Sounds like the whole shebang would go under
water if a hurricane came through, but you can build for that.  :-)

> I don't 
> think my wife is too interested though, and there's no power on the island. 
> Hmmm.. maybe a power cell, but where do I get the hydrogen?

    I'm not sure of the efficiency, but you could electrolyze the sea
water using solar power and capture hydrogen that way.   (Actually, you
could make a closed system, splitting the waste water from the fuel cells
back into oxygen + hydrogen.)   Of course, for your trouble you might be
better off with solar panels and big batteries...but an electrolysis
operation could also power the subs.  :-)