Re: Car powered by compressed air ... is that for real?

From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Thu Oct 26 2000 - 09:48:02 MDT


In a message dated 10/26/2000 11:07:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
random@qnet.com writes:

> 1) Compressed air has poor end to end efficiency when used as an energy
> storage medium (typically less than 20%). This is due to the heat
> rejected during the compression process being lost.
>
> 2) Methanol, an excellent fuel cell reactant, can be efficiently
> synthesized from CO2 and water via thermal shift reactions which can be
> driven by your non-fossil sources.
>
> 3) Methanol fuel cells have better than carnot efficiency, some in
> excess of 80%.
>
> 4) The usable energy storage density is about 100 times better for
> methanol & fuel cells vs compressed air.
>
> Four times the end to end efficiency and 100 times the mileage is a
> difficult combination to beat.
>
> --
> Doug Jones
> Rocket Plumber, XCOR Aerospace
> http://www.xcor-aerospace.com
>

Yes. Methanol can be made from natural gas, biomass,coal,oil shale,methane
hydrates. If we can sequester (store) the COČ during methanol production, and
of course, employ fuel cell power cars; then we can kiss energy worries,
adios.



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