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Gold/Mining/Energy : Pacific Rim Mining V.PFG -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ahmed Elneweihi who wrote (9217)	3/21/1998 2:58:00 PM
From: Bill Jackson	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 14627

Ahmed, there is a balance between battery size, cost, weight, and the fuel cell size and cost. So if you want a local milk van and you have dead flat terrain and you never drive more than 20 KM/hour, existing systems work well, and there have been short haul delivery vans based on Lead and Nickel cadmium batteries for 80 years now. When you want to go fast and far you push the limits. With lead the battery weight soon gets to 50% of the weight, and go much frither and all you do is take your batteries for a scenic drive as you have no other cargo. A silver cell battery weighing 500 pounds and costing $14,000 for the silver would work in a small car, but silver cells have a max of 100 charge/discharge cycles and then you recycle the silver and make a new battery. That is 3 months + a bit. However 50 lbs of silver cells will out perform 3000 pounds of lead acid cells, so for a cost is no object system they are best. Post response on the Ballard thread, as we will move this discussion there next day to keep pfg happy. here is Ballard. Message 3792004 Ballard is getting there with small trucks. Hios cells use hydrocarbons and decompose them in some way to make hydrogen??, I think. Read there. The touted hydrogen economy will work, but it costs to make hydrogen from water and then make water in your car. Other ways to make "water gas" which has hydrogen will work, but carbon monoxide made is a poison. There are many things to explore before a good modus is found. The small engine and medium battery might work, as you run the small engine at a standard RPM where it has a peak efficiency, and it is just big enough to drive the car at 60 MPH on a flat road. All accelaration comes from the battery. Flywheels also work, but will be best for delivery vans and bussus. Bill