What happened to fuel-cell technology?

[OmCheeto]

The DOE did qualify that to be $47/kW for an 80kW cell in volume production of 500,000 units/yr.
So you may be looking for some extended period.

I'll take several, please, when you find them.

yes. I saw the 500,000 units/yr figure. (economies of scale, blah, blah...)

hmmm...

I just checked out "HowStuffWorks" where someone described how to build one.
The link that allows you to buy platinum coated nickel: "You can order one online for 15 bucks." is dead.

I say conspiracy!

Though I see Platinum is in the same column of the periodic elements as Nickel.

I will never understand chemistry, nor Earthling economics:

Nickel:[/PLAIN] $0.40/ounce
Platinum: $1453.00/ounce

 

[mfb]

Nickel 150 ppm on earth, platinum 0.005 ppm. Heavy elements are rare, especially compared to elements up to iron.

 

[enosis_]

Folks far removed from the energy industry generally don't grasp the scale.

The world uses around a cubic mile of oil per year.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3084

From http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/fossil-fuels/joules-btus-quadslets-call-the-whole-thing-off


,, "here" referring to this graphic from 'theoildrum'

So start today building a hundred windmills every day.
At end of fifty years, if they last that long, you'd have built enough (about 1.6 million) that you could shut off the oil spigot. Well for today's usage anyway (actually 2006's).
But the first half million you built will be getting might rickety by then...
And that's a technology problem not a political one.

But to the subject of the thread -
Hydrogen is awful stuff to handle. I would not ride in the same car with a bottle of 3000 psi hydrogen .
I do like the fuel cell idea when coupled with H2 production by reducing water with aluminum.
http://www.alumifuelinternational.com/company.html



old jim

Is this oil usage estimate strictly for fuel - or all uses?

 

[mheslep]

Is this oil usage estimate strictly for fuel - or all uses?

Does it matter? The non-fuel uses, chemical feed stocks and the like, are a relatively small fraction of the total.