To: J.B.C. who wrote (305426 ) 10/8/2002 7:16:35 AM From: DuckTapeSunroof Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 769667 Re: "Do you guy's understand where the "H" will come from in a hydrogen based society?" >>> Well, I do. >>> In the case of fuel cells used in transportation, it is likely to come from fossil fuels in the early going... through the use of 'reformers' attached to the fuel cells. >>> As soon as recent break-throughs are commercialized and become cost effective over the reformer technologies for fossil fuels, then we will be able to move to the *true* long-term goal: striping Hydrogen from the water molecule, producing a near inexhaustable source of energy. >>> This can now be done through conventional hydrolysis (requiring large inputs of electricity, which could presumably be supplied by fusion power plants when developed... or solar photo-electrics... or wind power, or any other input of electricity.) >>> The MOST PROMISING OPTION has just had a major breakthrough: direct hydrolysis of water - producing H2 - using semiconductor material doped with certain cheap catalytic materials (titanium dioxide and carbon) and sunlight. >>> A new type of "photocell" producing hydrogen gas directly instead of electricity! Water + Sunlight + Catalyst yields Hydrogen for fuel use. >>> This recently announced breakthrough has already demonstrated efficiencies of 8.5%... just below the D.O.E.'s target of 10% efficiency for a commercially viable product. Scientists believe they will easily be able to exceed the efficiency targets for commercialization: CHEMISTRY: Catalyst Boosts Hopes for Hydrogen Bonanza (p. 2189) Robert F. Service Green-energy aficionados have long dreamed of using the sun's rays to split water molecules to release hydrogen gas, which produces only water when it burns. Now on page 2243, chemists report that adding carbon to the well-known water-splitting catalyst titanium dioxide increased the catalyst's ability to convert the energy in sunlight more than eightfold, to 8.5%, just below the U.S. Department of Energy's 10% benchmark for a commercially viable catalyst.sciencemag.org Sewage turned into hydrogen fuelnewscientist.com Carbon dioxide turned into hydrocarbon fuelnewscientist.com Fusion reactor breaks duration recordnewscientist.com Nuclear fusion gets quadruple boostnewscientist.com GM on fuel cellsgm.com Ford abandons battery cars for fuel cells and hybridsnewscientist.com