Looks like this message was too long for the message filter, so, I'm
splitting it in two.
Dave1massey@cs.com wrote:
>
> ...no recognizable lost or cost? Try leaving your alternator belt
> loose once and see what happens. The energy generated by the
> alternator comes from mechanical loading on the engine. A 100 Amp
> alternator will requuire nearly 2 HP to turn at full load. How much
> current is required by the hydrogen generator?
>
> Einstein said energy is neither created or destroyed. An alternator
> converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. There is no free lunch.
>
I'll only add a couple of things to what Dave says here--2 hp is very
generous. At full output, 100 A at 14V would be 1400 watts, or 1.88 hp.
That would assume virtually no losses, and a polyphase alternator with
simple rectification to DC would dissipate a fair amount of energy as
heat, between winding resistance and diode heating, so alternator
efficiency is more likely going to be in the range of 60% or so, taking
the required input power to about 3.2 hp. Add in belt losses and the
actual horsepower consumed is going to be more like 4.5-5.0 hp.
The other concern is how much power is required to produce a given
amount of hydrogen. If I recall my chemistry, electrolysis is a very
predictable performer--the voltage and amperage determine the rate of
production. If you can get the electrolysis cell to run at a full 14V,
the output would be about 0.25 ml (at standard temperature and pressure)
of H2 gas per second per ampere at the cathode. That's about 1 x
10^(-5) gram-moles of hydrogen gas. For argument's sake, let's say that
50A of alternator output is devoted to hydrogen production. That means
the electrolysis unit is producing roughly 5 x 10^(-4) gram-moles of H2
per second. Since free hydrogen is a diatomic molecule with each atom
an atomic weight of very slightly more than 1, that's 0.001 grams of
hydrogen fuel produced per second, using around 2.5 hp.
Part two follows....
--
Michael Porter
Roswell, NM
Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....
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