[PSUBS-MAILIST] Water-powered Sub...

["Jacob Lauser" <sirius@riverstyx.com>]

Is anyone interested in a water-powered sub? All you have to do is hook
either a fresh-water tank or an intake/desalinization line into a hydrogen
generator ( http://www.eren.doe.gov/RE/hydrogen.html ,
http://www.nature.com/nsu/011206/011206-11.html ), pump the output into a
PEM Fuel cell ( http://www.ballard.com/portable_app.asp ), hook the
batteries up, and you're ready to jam. Imagine being restricted in your sub
dives only by the amount of food on board and the sanity of the crew! You
could tap the freshly desalinated water for drinking and sanitation, and
bleed off oxygen from the hydrogen generator for breathing. Hey, the Navy
does it... Isn't it about time the technology became widespread? Of course,
something like this would only be worth putting in a sub like CSSX because
of the cost... Give it 5 years though... You'll see ;)

- Jacob Lauser
  University of Arizona