MercTech
Posts: 3706
Joined: 7/4/2006 Status: offline
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Fuel cells again, Why hydrolyze LPG to make hydrogen to burn in a hydrogen fuel cell when you can use a different catalyst and run a LPG fuel cell? That is an unnecessary step. Ok, Hydrogen fuel cells are mature tech first introduced in the 1960s. LPG and LNG fuel cells were first commercially produced in the early 1970s. But, the LNG/LPG fuel cell companies were bought up by a utility company and put on the back burner until they trotted out to get a multimillion dollar DoE prize for "New Technology" in 2003. A prize, once won, saw the tech again put on the back burner and ignored. A viable LNG/LPG fuel cell could easily compete with the current Westinghouse model electric utility system. Not claiming conspiracy but noting the greed factor. It is only in the best interests of the powers that be for LNG/LPG fuel cells to remain unavailable on the shelf. Hydrogen fuel cell - Nickel electrodes. KOH catalyst. Oxy and Hydrogen in. Electricity and water out. LPG/LNG fuel cell - Platinum doped bronze electrodes. Phosphoric Acid catalyst. Electricity, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Water out LPG cracking Fuel Cell - Proprietary electrodes and catalyst. High heat cracking unit. Electricity, Nitric Oxide, Unburned volatile organics, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide out. A straight LNG/LPG fuel cell needs a better and less corrosive catalyst to be really viable. In a near term SciFi dream world; we could have a unit that attaches to the top of the Propane tank you use on the barbecue and has a couple of 110vac outlets and some 2 amp 12VDC outlets on it and maybe a couple of 5VDC/3.4VDC USB ports.
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