RE: Fuel cell powered electric bicycle

["Jeff Mendenhall" <jeff@directgoods.com>]

Dennis,

As I'm sure you must be aware, the Challenger explosion resulted from an
o-ring failure on one of the SOLID FUEL BOOSTERs.  Saying the challenger
explosion is due to its use of hydrogen as a fuel is a bit like taking your
oxy-acetelyne cutting torch, cutting a hole into one or both tanks, and then
blaming the resulting explosion on the inherent flammability of acetelyne.

- Jeff


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ev@listproc.sjsu.edu [mailto:owner-ev@listproc.sjsu.edu]On
> Behalf Of Dennis Hawkins
> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2000 6:22 AM
> To: ev@listproc.sjsu.edu
> Subject: Re: Fuel cell powered electric bicycle
>
>
> On 29 Jun 00, at 12:46, Lee Hart wrote:
>
> > Dennis Hawkins wrote:
> > > The problem with using pure hydrogen fuel cells is the storage of
> > > the hydrogen.
> >
> > I've had too much first-hand experiences with burning hydrogen to let
> > this pass.
>
>
> So have I.  I may not work with it every day, but I have worked with
> it.  Both pure hydrogen and pure propane are pretty much odorless.
> The thing that makes LP gas much safer than hydrogen is that LP can
> be tainted (and usually is) with a smelly substance that makes it
> easy to know that you have a leak somewhere.  You can't do that with
> hydrogen slated for use in fuel cells because it would most likely
> damage (poison) the cell.
>
> I have the Challenger explosion firmly etched into my mind.  The day
> it exploded, it was literally the only cloud in the sky.  Of course,
> some of the people here would attempt to justify it by saying that
> they must have been carrying a load of propane or something.  Face it
> folks, Challenger was a hydrogen-oxygen explosion on a grand scale.
>
> While Challenger might not be a good example of autoignition, it is a
> plain example of what can go wrong when you deal with hydrogen.  If
> compressed hydrogen is used on EV's, the same type of explosion could
> result.  Cracking and hydride systems remain the safest form of
> mobile fuel cell hydrogen supply.
>
> I would rather walk than ride in a car that uses compressed hydrogen
> for fuel.
>
> Dennis.
>
>
> Dennis Hawkins (n4mwd@amsat.org)
> ===============================
> "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!
>  It comes bundled with the software." - anonymous
>
>