Re: Alternete Fuel Sources

[damocles@nostromo.gate.net (Randy Vice)]

On Tue 22-Apr-1997  9:03a, bgarmer@tsc.net wrote:

<snip>

BG> There are a few ways you can do it:
BG> 1) Compressed gas - just compress in and put it into a high pressure
BG> tank.
BG> This has three dangers - the first is corresion will weaken the tank and
BG> cause a failure - second, is damage to the tank (in combat for example)
BG> could cause an explosion or (more likely) a fire -

Why would it explode?  Flames I can see, but explode?

 third, compressing a
BG> flamable gas is tricky in primitive situations.

As would be cracking crude to refined petrolium.  However, if the tech and
some basic equiptment survived past TEOTWAWKI, I could see some pockets of
tech like hydrogen production/storage surviving. Especially where crude is not
available.

BG> 2) Solid Storage - there are some materials that store gas at room
BG> temperatures and release it when warmed.  You put this into a storage
BG> tank
BG> and takes the hydrogen release to the engine.  The exhaust gases are
BG> passed
BG> by (not in) the tank to warm the tank to release hydrogen.  The problem
BG> is
BG> that from a cold condition there isn't much hydrogen available so you
BG> have
BG> to warm up the vehicle (start the engine and let it idle).  This is being
BG> used in a test program in Sun City, AZ (I believe they have added an
BG> electric heater to solve the slow start problem).  There should be a web
BG> page.

Also Mercedes/Benz has been working on this for some time now.  I don't know
if they are still or not.

BG> 3) Liquid Storage - cool the gas to a liquid and store it.  All most
BG> impossible in a primitive situation.  

You left out Slush storage systems.  I think your first solution would
probably the easiest done, especially if water (streams) and a bit of
knowledge of hydroelectric production is known.

: damocles@nostromo.gate.net :   Bruce Morrow,a man before and after his time:
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