Re:Wireless charging of moving electric vehicles overcomes m...
by cr0sh on Thursday June 29, 2017 @01:29PM
(#14665114)
I tend to wonder what happened with the Powerball technology - which was essentially a "solid-state" method of hydrogen storage for automobiles (note that the following link has an invalid https cert - proceed at your own risk):
Even so - to me the idea seemed reasonable. Furthermore, there's a place in the United States almost nearly perfect to set up a production/recycling system. I have yet to find an objection to why this process (or the location - aside from possible EPA or endangered species red tape) couldn't work.
If you've ever been there, you probably didn't stop (unless it was for some gas or fast food). It's a "grand intersection" - you have at least one main railroad line, two highways, and one or more high-tension power lines going thru the area.
To the east, is Barstow and Daggett - testing grounds for the Solar One array:
Powerballs are based on sodium hydride pellets, which are manufacturer using a complex process - part of which involves molten sodium (!) with hydrogen gas (!) bubbled thru it. Molten sodium has been used as a means for solar concentrators to move heat from the array to the heat exchangers for steam (it can even stay molten thru the night, continuing power generation with no sun input). At least, that's what I understand.
I've also heard (and maybe I've misunderstood?) that the Powerball system can also be done using sodium borohydrides - for which you would need borax. Guess what is also nearby?
Just to the west is Boron, California (famous for the "20 mule team"):
So - if borohydrides can work - you have that supply (I believe it still is mined there).
Now - hydrogen - where to get that? Well, we need water, but we're kinda in the middle of a desert here. However, not too far away is a pretty good source of water - the Colorado River (plus various lakes and reservoirs). There might also be briny ground water that couldn't be used for drinking or agriculture, but would work ok for this purpose).
So - assuming we have all of this - we can make hydrogen somewhat simply, using a couple of different methods:
1. We could use an old method to create it, using solar as part of the energy input and steam generation; this was a method used in the 1800s to create hydrogen for gas ballooning enthusiasts:
I won't pretend to understand this - but the usage of coal in the process concerns me (mainly the CO production) - I'm not sure all of that is re-captured in the process of conversion.
2. We could use solar power to heat up steam enough so that it dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen:
A solar furnace can easily reach these temperatures.
Transport to and from the facility can be via road or railroad. Excess electrical energy can be put into the power grid.
That's the rough idea. I'm certain there are problems with it - likely big problems, which is why it hasn't been done. I'm not certain what happened to Powerball Technologies - I seem to recall hearing that they had been bought by Ballard Power Systems; I don't know if their tech was viable, or if it was a dream or money scam. Maybe it's something that works, but only on a small scale, and can't be scaled up? Or maybe its too dangerous. Or - tin foil hat time - maybe it works perfectly, and Ballard bought them to bury the tech (and anyone else who wants to try it)? Ok - I don't really believe that last one; if it did work, Ballard would try to commercialize it.
https://www.eecbg.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/pdfs/28890...
Forbes had an article about it which started with a bit of skepticism about the system:
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0120/092.html
Even so - to me the idea seemed reasonable. Furthermore, there's a place in the United States almost nearly perfect to set up a production/recycling system. I have yet to find an objection to why this process (or the location - aside from possible EPA or endangered species red tape) couldn't work.
The location? Kramer Junction, California.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kramer+Junction,+CA+93516
If you've ever been there, you probably didn't stop (unless it was for some gas or fast food). It's a "grand intersection" - you have at least one main railroad line, two highways, and one or more high-tension power lines going thru the area.
To the east, is Barstow and Daggett - testing grounds for the Solar One array:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Solar_Project
So plenty of sun to power things with.
Powerballs are based on sodium hydride pellets, which are manufacturer using a complex process - part of which involves molten sodium (!) with hydrogen gas (!) bubbled thru it. Molten sodium has been used as a means for solar concentrators to move heat from the array to the heat exchangers for steam (it can even stay molten thru the night, continuing power generation with no sun input). At least, that's what I understand.
I've also heard (and maybe I've misunderstood?) that the Powerball system can also be done using sodium borohydrides - for which you would need borax. Guess what is also nearby?
Just to the west is Boron, California (famous for the "20 mule team"):
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boron,+CA+93516
So - if borohydrides can work - you have that supply (I believe it still is mined there).
Now - hydrogen - where to get that? Well, we need water, but we're kinda in the middle of a desert here. However, not too far away is a pretty good source of water - the Colorado River (plus various lakes and reservoirs). There might also be briny ground water that couldn't be used for drinking or agriculture, but would work ok for this purpose).
So - assuming we have all of this - we can make hydrogen somewhat simply, using a couple of different methods:
1. We could use an old method to create it, using solar as part of the energy input and steam generation; this was a method used in the 1800s to create hydrogen for gas ballooning enthusiasts:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378775399...
I won't pretend to understand this - but the usage of coal in the process concerns me (mainly the CO production) - I'm not sure all of that is re-captured in the process of conversion.
2. We could use solar power to heat up steam enough so that it dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen:
http://oxygen.atomistry.com/dissociation_of_steam.html
A solar furnace can easily reach these temperatures.
Transport to and from the facility can be via road or railroad. Excess electrical energy can be put into the power grid.
That's the rough idea. I'm certain there are problems with it - likely big problems, which is why it hasn't been done. I'm not certain what happened to Powerball Technologies - I seem to recall hearing that they had been bought by Ballard Power Systems; I don't know if their tech was viable, or if it was a dream or money scam. Maybe it's something that works, but only on a small scale, and can't be scaled up? Or maybe its too dangerous. Or - tin foil hat time - maybe it works perfectly, and Ballard bought them to bury the tech (and anyone else who wants to try it)? Ok - I don't really believe that last one; if it did work, Ballard would try to commercialize it.
So something tells me this tech doesn't work...?