As part of the California Hydrogen Highway initiative California has the most extensive hydrogen refueling infrastructure in the U.S.A. As of June 2011 California had 22 hydrogen refueling stations in operation.[114] Honda announced plans in March 2011 to open the first station that would generate hydrogen through solar-powered renewable electrolysis.[citation needed] South Carolina also has two hydrogen fueling stations, in Aiken and Columbia, SC. According to the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance, the Columbia station has a current capacity of 120 kg a day, with future plans to develop on-site hydrogen production from electrolysis and reformation. The Aiken station has a current capacity of 80 kg. The University of South Carolina, a founding member of the South Carolina Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance, received 12.5 million dollars from the United States Department of Energy for its Future Fuels Program.[116]
Solar powered renewable electrolysis seems promising...seems like a vehicle could be designed inherently that has conversion and reverse conversion of water and hydrogen/oxygen coupled with with solar arrays mounted on the vehicle (supplying power for electrolysis creation of hydrogen gas, and oxygen), which could then be resupplied into the system to provide in reverse conversion processes electricity at anode/cathodes?! Seems in the theory this should be nearly self contained in terms of power generation. No liquid or gas fuels in theory would need be added. It seems in nature the translation of electrical energy into kinetic energy bleeds energy from the system that would otherwise be used in the reverse electrolysis conversion process. Inherent problems: are sufficiently ensuring enough hydrogen in the system as a fuel source for electrical power generation. This energy would be used solely for translation to kinetic energy (powering the vehicle), while energy added into the system, solar, electrical source are responsible for electrolysis conversion of water into hydrogen, and oxygen. The inherent problem of solar alone is that the rate of power generation for solar powers may neither be in keeping to the electrical/kinetic energy requirements in powering such vehicle. This could be similar to let your car bask in the sun for awhile to refuel its hydrogen gas supply, or merely provide electricity (via outlet connector) to on board storage array, or alternately, make the hydrogen tank open to fresh supply, adding gas into the system, while taking byproduct water produced that such fueling station could use in fuel creation models. Furthermore if hydrogen fuel infrastructure remains a problem, it seems incorporating any number of power generation capabilities into the fold may solve the problem of lacking power or fuel therein. For instance, any incorporated gas powered generator could provide flexibility for using fossil fuel into the vehicle on a temporary basis that would be used for the energy needs of the car. This sort of hydrogen fuel cell hybrid, would be the equivalent of the 'swiss army knife' of the auto mobile...potentially running on both tradtional and alternative fuels, and alternative energies. :)
While potentially including say fuel power generators into the mix potentially makes design that much more complicated, perhaps, inherent added complexities are offset in ways such that the overall functioning of the vehicle is neither hindered say if the fuel power generator need be replaced. Similarly, the same could be true for solar arrays designed for replacement...
Sort of fun thinking about this one.
I don't know if I had the ability to design a car, I'd make it likely neither so fitting to present consumption throw away models that are inherent in our economy.
Finally it would be nice...if combustion engine designs were like my old msr stove...can run on propane, aircraft fuel, diesel, regular, butane, and so forth...why in the world engines need be designed for single fuel types is an interesting question to me...is it really an engineering design problem, or is it just our present fuel economy culture?!
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