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AEC Perfecting Hydrogen from Water
Alternate Energy Corporation has derived a means of generating hydrogen
through a proprietary metallurgic alloy composed of readily available elements.
Part 2 of 2 (click here
for part 1)
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2004
Alternate Energy Corporation (AEC), ticker symbol ARGY,
has secured a technology that generates hydrogen from water in the presence of a
proprietary alloy that is made from abundant and inexpensive raw materials.
How it Works
"Depending on how we mix the metallic components, we can either increase or
decrease the yield of hydrogen for a particular system's needs," said Bart
Seigel, Director of Engineering at AEC. The alloy "sets up a
catalytic reaction that results in the cracking of water," said Seigel.
The process is pH sensitive. The alloy tablets will contain the necessary
pH-effecting chemicals so that when the mixture is added to water, hydrogen
bubbles out at a particular rate. The hydrogen then runs whatever
application for which it is required -- on demand. No storage necessary.
The theory of how this is accomplished is not yet fully developed.
"The polar positioning of the metals somehow results in the changing of the
properties of the metal," said Seigel. The alloy apparently
"creates a magnetic field" that is involved in catalyzing the
splitting of the hydrogen from the two oxygen molecules of water.
In the past, they were having problems with oxidation -- or scumming -- of the
alloy. They have resolved this now with the addition of a "promotor"
in the mix. Oxygen combines with the alloy in the reaction. Thus the
alloy is eventually spent and requires replacement.
Seigel said they could either use fuel rods or fuel pellets, but that rods would
be too bulky and cumbersome to replace. "Rather than putting petrol
in your car, you will be putting pellets in," he said. The addition
of water is negligible.
The raw materials for the secret alloy are found in abundance and will be easy
to produce in mass quantities if this technology should become widespread.
"No high-energy process is required in obtaining the alloy -- only
mining," said Seigel. Two of the metals are found ubiquitously in
many mine tailings.
He envisions a bladder system that would add or remove water from the reaction
in order to start and stop the production of hydrogen.
Seigel said the system would be fitted with a pressure release valve to prevent
the build-up of hydrogen in the case of a malfunction or wreck. The intake
on their engine designed to run on hydrogen "requires less than one
atmosphere of pressure. A build-up of pressure would merely be vented off
into the air."
After the alloy pellets have reacted with water, they are inert and can be used
in a number of different ways.
Seigel envisions using this environmentally safe end-product as fly ash in
concrete or as a chelator in soil. He anticipates that the university
testing will give them additional ideas about how the spent product can be made
useful as well.
Testing
Though AEC is satisfied with the testing they have done on the hydrogen
generating system, they are in process of finishing the preparatory paperwork
with a national testing laboratory to run a gamut of tests on the alloy.
"We are not waiting for the results of these tests before proceeding,"
said Seigel. "We already know what the alloy will do. We are having
them do the testing to provide independent validation as well as possibly some
additional characterization data by which we can further optimize the
performance of the alloy."
A university with nuclear science specialty will also be analyzing and the alloy
and theorizing how the process takes place.
AEC requests that the names of the testing laboratory and university not be
revealed at this time as the paper work is not yet complete for the arrangement.
Electricity Generation
AEC has secured the rights to an internal combustion engine that is designed to
run on hydrogen. "Such an engine requires considerable change"
from the carbon-based fossil-fuel driven engine, said Blaine Froats, Chairman of
AEC. "It has to be fuel-injected, and you can't allow any oil to get
into the chambers."
The special engine also comes with a specially designed alternator to match it
for the generation of DC electricity.
AEC is working on implementing several applications, from an electricity
generating unit for industrial, commercial and home power, to an electrical
system to supply an electric vehicle -- all from water, and the input of their
proprietary alloy. They expect to be able to do this all at costs that are
lower than comparable petrol systems.
Seigel envisions a 5 kilowatt home power unit that would help diminish the peak
load burden of a home on the power grid. "You get enough homes with
these, and you don't have to build the next power plant," he said.
Seigel anticipates alpha testing of their home power units within three months,
followed by beta testing in the field for eighteen months prior to market
introduction. "It could be more than that," he said.
Presently they are focused on building their company management infrastructure.
Last Tuesday they announced
a venture with Feel Good Cars to retrofit the ZENN electric car
with one of their on-demand hydrogen systems.
click here for part 1
###
REFERENCES
Interviews with Ian Clifford, President of the privately-owned Feel Good Cars;
and Blaine Froats, Chairman of Alternative Energy Corporation, a publicly traded
company.
Alternate Energy Corp's June 8 Press Release:
http://www.cleanwatts.com/newsroom.asp?id=newsroom.060804a
Alternate Energy Corporation
www.cleanwatts.com
Ticker Symbol for Alternate Energy Corporation: ARGY
http://finance.yahoo.com/l?s=ARGY&t=S&m=US
Feel Good Cars
www.feelgoodcars.com
Ford Motor Company's Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine
http://www.ford.com/en/innovation/engineFuelTechnology/hydrogenInternalCombustion.htm
Astris Energi Fuel-Cell Powered Golf Cart
http://fuelcellworld.org/article_default_view.fcm?articleid=3669&subsite=912
The ZENN -- feature by Electrifying Times, Dec. 11, 2002.
http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/zenn.html
Group Plans Hydrogen Engine for ZENN NEV (EVWorld; June 9, 2004)
http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=communique&newsid=5858
From: [permission to use name,
pending]
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: DRAFT: AEC Perfecting Hydrogen from Water
Sterling,
There are so many questions that would determine the feasibility of this
project. The greatest determining factor is the cost of the alloy to
produce x amount of liters of hydrogen. That is the most significant
factor for acceptance. The other is effective fuel density. For 1
pound of this alloy how much hydrogen will be generated? Are we talking
about a couple of pounds of metal allow being the equivalent to a tankful of gas
or what?
In this article it is clear that they are disassociating water. But to
imply that very little water is required is glossing over some basic
physics. Some very significant amount of water will be consumed as this is
the source of hydrogen, it will need to be replenished almost as often and as
much as standard fuel.
For example 1 gallon of water is 8.33 lbs. The weight of hydrogen is 1/9
of the total or .92 lbs/ gallon of water. When converted that would be
4.66 cubic meters of hydrogen gas. That is equivalent to about 14 KW-hr of
electricity. So for every 14KW produced for 1 hour a gallon of water would
be consumed, assuming 100% on your conversions. They are talking about
using an internal combustion engine at about 25% efficiency? That means
more like 4 gallons for every 14 KW hours. They are planning on a 3 hp?
engine. Thats about 1/7 that rating or about 1/2 gallon per hour of
use. Now the water is free, but it still needs to be taken on.
If this system was expanded for a car that could deal with highway speeds we
would need something approaching 20 KW usage (and that is only 25 hp). So
one hour of use would require about 5 gallons of water. Again the water is
basically free? or is it. Do they need to have pure water to run in
their system? The purity of the water could affect the life of the
alloy or other products. But if the alloy is cheap enough, it might not be
an issue.
So I will have to take on as water as I would gas in a normal car plus how much
of the alloy do I need. If it is just a few pounds for an equivalent of a
tank of gasoline, then life can be good. If it is hundreds of pounds, now
we have a distribution problem akin to gasoline.
I'm not trying to throw water on this but trying to look at the real world
applications. These transportation issues will take solid engineering to
solve.
...
Other Comments
See also
- Pure Energy Systems News Service Exclusive:
 Part
1 of 2: Hydrogen-Electric
Hybrid Car Planned - Alternate Energy Corporation in
association with Feel Good Cars to produce affordable vehicle that
operates not on fossil fuel but water. |
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan June 11, 2004
Last updated July 16, 2005
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