[quote] Rallem: "The bad part of this was that it was powered by water and in much of the Earth water has a tendency to freeze during the winter months."
I wonder if the fuel cell can return much of the water it uses after it converts the H and O2 into electricity?
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Reply by Mike Kremer
I suspect this idea may only come into its own in the lab, or used for publicity purposes.
The crux of the problem being the fuel cell.
The fuel cell would either be powered by a battery which would have to be recharged every night?
Or it would work by pressuring water through membranes, similar to salt desalination, except that as far as I am aware there is no membrane in existence that can separate hydrogen from the oxygen. Both systems would require a large amount of battery power, for electrolysis, or a very high pressure, when considering the small size of the Hydrogen atom.
In any case the water would need to be Ultra pure, to prevent cleaning the Fuel Cell of clogging impurities, at least on a weekly basis.
Desalination plants use large amounts of electricity, pro rata their size.
The most efficient oxygen from water conversion is still done by plant life.
Found a Fuel cell pics, any one read Jap?
http://www.genepax.co.jp/pdf/wes_20080613_ver1.pdfThey call it a WES Cell
http://www.genepax.co.jp/pdf/wes_20080613_ver1.pdfpdf pages 8,9, and 10 (Adobe Reader)
