Sorry P71...An engine is an air pump plain and simple. I don't think you fully understand either what I said or how an engine works. I know that internal combustion engines are inefficient, but were talking reletive to one another. Diesel's BUT-potential density is the key factor. In fact since were talking about engines that RUN ON FUEL then it's really the most important factor. Hydrogen??? Sure it has plenty of PE, BUT to extract thattakes more energy then you get so NO, your Hydrogen theory doesn't "hold water" Bio-Haul, most specificaly blue-green algea has MASSive potential and is readily produced ANYWHERE wih sun and water. Thanks for playing though
I stand by my original statement(s) and I know what I'm talking about. Got several degree's to prove it.
Cheers
Dave
Dave,
If I do not understand what you said I apologise, however my lack of understanding can only be due to your lack of ability to communicate... I have excellent comprehension skills, and I have several degrees to prove it.
However I suspect that I did understand exactly what you meant and refuted it.
As to an engine simply being an air pump: sure. However saying a turbo is simply a device to pump more air is simplistic and incorrect. Turbos do allow you to pump more air OR to pump the same amount of air more efficiently.
Hydrogen is more energy dense than diesel.
Hydrogen is vastly easier than ANY form of diesel to produce... I can do it anywhere with a cup of water and a battery. Sure it uses more energy than it gives, that is entropy for you. Here is the thing, you need to consider all "man made" fixes as an energy store not an energy source.
Growing blue green algae take lots of water and lots of land and lots of sunlight and lots of nutrients if you want to do it on a commercial scale. Then you have to ensure that only the correct strains of oil rich algae grow, which is notoriously difficult. Then you need to work out a way to macerate the cells and separate the oil from the waste materials and water...
Biomass is great in theory but also uses more energy than it produces. If you want me to allow you to use the "free" energy from photosynthesis you are going to have to let me use "free" solar or wind energy...
In addition to this there is the problem that unless extensively treated bio-diesel will become rancid and has severe flow problems in cold temperatures, so from a practical standpoint it is not the greatest solution. If you dedicate the same number of acres to solar panels hydrogen production as you would to bio-diesel production you will end up being able to move more miles on the hydrogen.
Honestly I do not think hydrogen is necessarily the solution, I just feel that in the near term grown fuels are definitely not.
I know it is a bad move to give advice on the internet but here goes: argue the data not the point. You never have any idea who you may be talking to; the guy you try to impress by saying "I have a bunch of degrees" could be your former professor or the inventor of the next greatest advance in mechanical engineering.
Finally, in a lighter vein, I do not play, I dropped out of kindergarten because I heard they had recess.