Hydrogen-powered Mobile Phone Chargers

[exfileme]

Taiwan is going green with a hydrogen-based mobile phone charger.

Hydrogen-powered Mobile Phone Chargers : Read more

 

[jellico]

While I applaude their efforts, hydrogen production presently requires the use of traditional sources of energy. Every time you change one form of energy to another, you lose something. For example, a gasoline engine changes chemical energy into mechanical. An electric car that had to be plugged in and recharged, then, requires four energy conversions: chemical to mechanical to electrical to mechanical, and hence, is even less efficient. The hydrogen charger has the same problem. A regular charger would be chemical to mechanical to electrical. A hydrogen charger would be chemical to mechanical to electrical to chemical to electrical.

The real breakthrough would be if we could produce hydrogen in a self-sustaining reaction (such as in the movie "Chain Reaction" with Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman). Now THAT would be a revolutionary achievement!

 

[Guest]

true jellico, however, in the case with the electric cars it is pretty efficient anyway since you can produce energy in a plant in a lot of ways impossible in a car.

 

[08nwsula]

the phone charger will cost more than the phone. haha

 

[chaohsiangchen]

It's actually a ball of chemicals which you are supposed to throw into a cup of water to produce hydrogen. Then you still need a fuel cell charger to complete the cycle. Could be useful in certain situation, but not very practical for the mass.

 

[t13190]

anyone realize it says Taiwan is a company "Taiwan is under pressure to develop new energy sources. Currently the company imports around 98-percent of its energy from other countries"

 

[7amood]

lol... love how the automated picture selector works... it searched a picture with green... almost...

no offence kermit

 

[bayouboy]

[citation][nom]jellico[/nom]While I applaude their efforts, hydrogen production presently requires the use of traditional sources of energy. Every time you change one form of energy to another, you lose something. For example, a gasoline engine changes chemical energy into mechanical. An electric car that had to be plugged in and recharged, then, requires four energy conversions: chemical to mechanical to electrical to mechanical, and hence, is even less efficient. The hydrogen charger has the same problem. A regular charger would be chemical to mechanical to electrical. A hydrogen charger would be chemical to mechanical to electrical to chemical to electrical.[/citation]
While you are correct about electric cars require more conversions. I need to impress upon you that electric cars are still more energy efficient than internal combustion.

An internal combustion engine is typically 20-35% efficient. Extremely large diesel engines used in ships have reached 50% efficiency!

A coal powerplant is at worst 40% and when everything is working right 65% efficient. Some powerplants boast 75%! Power transmission loss is 7.5%. Battery charging and discharging is 85% efficient. Electric motors and circuitry are highly efficient, and we'll assume 90%. 0.650*0.925*0.850*0.850*0.900 = 39.1%

With better technology, that could be increased; i.e. smartgrids, newer nuclear PPs. Fact remains, even as an emerging technology, electric cars have better efficiency than internal combustion.

Lastly, hydrogen currently is a dead end. Hydrogen today is produced from hydrocarbons which still releases the same amount of CO2. Also, the process is highly inefficient(33%). Fuel cells have come a long way and perform quite well but at a high cost. Problem is the fuel.

 

[Brokenparts]

Why hasn't anyone invented human powered power plants. Rig up generators to exercise equipment and let people work out for free.

 

[jonathan1683]

because these lazy fat people will only product enough electricity to illuminate the LCD screen to show how many calories they burned.

 

[r0x0r]

[citation][nom]Brokenparts[/nom]Why hasn't anyone invented human powered power plants...[/citation]

Well, if you take the red pill...

 

[mlopinto2k1]

[citation][nom]bayouboy[/nom]While you are correct about electric cars require more conversions. I need to impress upon you that electric cars are still more energy efficient than internal combustion.An internal combustion engine is typically 20-35% efficient. Extremely large diesel engines used in ships have reached 50% efficiency!A coal powerplant is at worst 40% and when everything is working right 65% efficient. Some powerplants boast 75%! Power transmission loss is 7.5%. Battery charging and discharging is 85% efficient. Electric motors and circuitry are highly efficient, and we'll assume 90%. 0.650*0.925*0.850*0.850*0.900 = 39.1%With better technology, that could be increased; i.e. smartgrids, newer nuclear PPs. Fact remains, even as an emerging technology, electric cars have better efficiency than internal combustion.Lastly, hydrogen currently is a dead end. Hydrogen today is produced from hydrocarbons which still releases the same amount of CO2. Also, the process is highly inefficient(33%). Fuel cells have come a long way and perform quite well but at a high cost. Problem is the fuel.[/citation]
While my testicles would require extreme deviation from it's primary target, I think the lateral G's I am receiving should suffice.

 

[ravewulf]

Cool. Now we just need them to replace our laptop batteries and power our cars

 

[Guest]

read on arstechnica a week or so ago that it was easier to extract hydrogen from urine than water. just has to be fresh.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Well, at least it sounded cool.

 

[NightLight]

I'm appalled of all the comments on TH these days...
Hydrogen will be a key energy source in the future, but like
all technologies it has to be improved.

 

[Guest]

Hyrodgen fuel cell = battery. Its NOT a fuel its an energy storage medium. You use energy to break up either water into hydrogen and oxygen, or you use it to decompose hydrocarbons(oil/gas) into hydrogen/co2, and then you recombine it with oxygen to make energy.

The hydrogen part is more or less a battery. A very inefficient battery, because we have NO efficient way to produce hydrogen.

The only way this iwll change is if we find a way to make hydrogen at 99% efficiency or somewhere around there. Then it can replace a battery.

You still have the problem however that hydrogen is dangerous to store/transport, and we have no infulstructure to speak of.

 

[acecombat]

[citation][nom]bayouboy[/nom]Lastly, hydrogen currently is a dead end. Hydrogen today is produced from hydrocarbons which still releases the same amount of CO2.[/citation]
I thought the hydrogen they use was produced by electrolysis???

 

[Guest]

I found several sources that show Russia as being the pioneer in this area of technology.

If you search for "Russian Hydrogen Powered Charger" you will find sources that date back at least a month and I even found an article that goes back to 2006. It makes me wonder who is stealing what here or is there a collaboration going on.

 

[lejay]

[citation][nom]jellico[/nom] For example, a gasoline engine changes chemical energy into mechanical. An electric car that had to be plugged in and recharged, then, requires four energy conversions: chemical to mechanical to electrical to mechanical, and hence, is even less efficient. [/citation]
I just wish random people on the internet would stop pretending they were experts and just shut the hell up. It is becoming such a huge problem these days. People can have difference of opinion on what we should do, but discussion is pointless if we can't even agree on the facts.
Electric cars are more gentle on the environment by pretty much any reasonable measure(CO2 emission fx.) than using a gasoline engine.
If you need to clean your conciseness by making stuff up, do it with your family like normal people.