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From: throopw@dg_rtp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.rumor
Subject: Re: Water powered cars
Message-ID: <214@dg_rtp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 17:23:24 EST
Article-I.D.: dg_rtp.214
Posted: Mon Mar 10 17:23:24 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 22:34:32 EST
References: <2657@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <469@utastro.UUCP> <586@hoptoad.uucp> <10400@amdcad.UUCP>
Lines: 26

>>First you separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen, then you super-cool
>>the hydrogen, and then you use it as fuel.    The energey required to do
>>the super-cooling made them impractical.

> If you think gasoline makes pretty explosions you'll really be excited
> by what a hydrogen fueled auto does in an accident. Did you catch the
> last launch of the Challenger?

The examples of hydrogen-powered experimental cars I saw several years
ago (via tube...  some random PBS program-or-other) didn't use liquid
hydrogen.  They used highly compressed hydrogen gas, or hydrogen bound
by surface adhesion of some sort in metal sponge matrix in a pressurized
tank.  Both of these alternatives are considerably less dangerous than
current gasoline tanks, since neither of them allow the accumulation of
oxygenated vapors in half-empty tanks.

A particularly impressive demonstration (in an attempt to demonstrate
the safety of the idea) was to shoot a bullet through a half-empty
hydrogen tank, and through a half-empty gasoline tank.  The hydrogen
tank developed an intense blue flame from both holes that lasted many
minutes until the hydrogen was exhausted.  The gasoline tank exploded in
a truely spectacular display of pyrotechnics, spewing burning gasoline
all around the scenery and effectively napalming everything in sight.
-- 
Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC
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