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Technology Stocks : Ballard Power -world leader zero-emission PEM fuel cells
BLDP 2.140+5.4%Feb 6 9:30 AM EST
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To: Mike Klobouk who wrote (657)4/23/1997 12:37:00 PM
From: Fred J Bealle   of 5827
 
Mike, Hydrogen is safe, compared to propane! After all, propane sinks, to become a deadly and secret explosive. Store your barbeque in the garage or basement? Sure thing. :--(
The slightest spark could set off a pool of propane in a stagnant corner.
Hydrogen is superlight, and floats up immediately. This lessens its explosion potential.
If you want to talk dangerous commodities, talk about Acetylene! This stuff was formed from CaC2 in the old days, on demand; then someone tried to put it in tanks, and found that it was unstable when compressed. It just blew up with no ignition needed. Dissolving it in acetone turned the trick, so now we have "safe" oxyacet torches in every commercial garage. Boom.
The big drawback that I see with hydrogen is the tank. That container has to be strong, which usually means heavy. And I guess that for strength, it has to be cylindrical or spherical rather than free-form like gasoline tanks. Hard to fit.
That is why metallic hydrides of hydrogen sound very attractive.
But the idea of a string of Graf Zepellin Supersaver Hydrogen Service Stations is not totally out to lunch. They DO sell propane, and carcinogenic-explosive-flammable gasoline at service stations.

Bright spots: Kids cannot sniff hydrogen for a high. Nobody will siphon hydrogen from your tank. Putting a HYDROGEN FUELLED sticker on your car will get you a LOT of RESPECT from tailgaters. Hydrogen has no intrinsic odor.
fred bealle
original passenger on the zepellin
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