Re: Fuel Cell technology

[Dave Everett <deverett@idx.com.au>]

At 20:46 19-03-99 -0800, you wrote:
>Mike here in Malaysia
>Guys (and Ladies)
>I was trying to figure out how to power my vehicle without resorting
>to diesel fuel or something else, and the local TV channel here showed
>something on a hydrogen fuel cell, which uses hydrogen gas, and that a
>commercial vehicle (car) Might be available by 2004. What if you used
>a fuel cell for a submersible and produced the fuel by electrolysis of
>[sea]water. The oxygen produced could be pumped into tanks to augment
>internal atmosphere and the air inside the sub could be  bubbled into
>the seawater before electrolysis and any free carbon then taken out
>with the waste from electrolysis. By compressing the waste, it can be
>used for ballast, if you need to throw out ballast the waste bricks
>would just dissolve back into sea water.
>Any comments? Anybody think it would work besides me?
>
Hi Mike,

One of the byproducts of electrolysis on salt water is chlorine, I'm sure
you don't want to be breathing that in ;)

Secondly, the amount of hydrogen you could liberate would be tiny. 

Thirdly, hydrogen is not a fuel only an energy carrier, so the only energy
available from the liberated gas would be the energy you put in to break
the bonds. Considering that electrolysis is about 75% efficient, the
hydrogen idea would be the same as chucking 1/4 of your batteries overboard
before submerging <g>

Dave Everett