Could this be the solution to the energy crisis?

I think not, fatal freedoms. The cost is still prohibitive. A rough look at the stiochiometry, given the current price of ~$0.65/lb aluminum, you would need gasoline to be between $8-10/gallon to propel a car an equivalent distance at an equivalent price.

You can bring the price down by recycling the alumina but the nature of aluminum recycling makes this unlikely to be done as just a recharge of your current catalyst. Stiochiometry predicts a recycling cost break point near $3-4/gallon gasoline but this does not include the cost to collect and remake the catalyst and finally re-market the system; just the recharging of the aluminum. This also ignores the where the electricity would come from. Alumina reduction is extremely energy intensive. There would have to be a sizable investment in new generating plants.

Still pretty unfeasible.

new technologies are usually expensive.

Very true. I was just looking at the break even point. I just figure other alternatives will kick in at lower costs than this. I noted that this was being talked about in 2007 and there doesn't seem to be much evidence of any further advancement in its marketability.

People are afraid.

Of what?

The citizens, of crashing a hydrogen powered car.

The corporations, of losing money, especially gas companies.

I never knew crashing a hydrogen car was a concern. Considering the power of gasoline I'm surprised anyone wouldn't chose the risk of hydrogen over petroleum. Hmm...but I thought this system generates as you need it, more or less, so I wouldn't think that was a concern.

My comment on reading it back in 2007 and now is that the articles were pretty much identical. Either the innovator himself has made little progress or has been unable to free up any private capital or public funding for prototype work.

As for the oil companies being a-feared, I'm surprised you'd drag out that old saw, fatal_freedoms. From what I read of most of your posts, you seem to be one of the more down to earth posters on the forum. The corporations have nothing to fear from a technology that is 4 to 5 times more expensive than gasoline and a logistic nightmare to boot. No, something simpler like biodiesel/diesel from waste systems (even ethanol) would kick in way before that. You can't ignore basic economics. (Well, the government could so let me modify the last comment: those would kick in unless government mandates the hydrogen alternative. I see no political will for that.)

The truth is...(drumroll)... there is no energy crisis.

The truth is...(drumroll)... there is no energy crisis.

The truth is those who have you in their pocket want to keep you there.

But cracks in the dike now outnumber fingers and toes.

This is a good thing.



x

i am inclined to agree here.. :thumbup:

I would agree. I remember using text books at school which stated we'd run out of Oil before 2012. Oops.