Slashdot Mirror

kind of... Coleman has their fuel cell generators, though 'refills' are what might be termed expensive. I believe the above is actually a Coleman branded unit from Ballard Power, Vancouver B.C.

On their website Coleman say the following:

Air Pollution-Free Operation
By-products are heat and water vapor

Renewable Energy
Powered by two of the most abundant elements -- hydrogen and oxygen -- in the universe

Now this is obviously not quite right. As usual, they're forgetting about where the hydrogen comes from. I assume that the easiest way to make hydrogen is to use electrolyisis with water. To do this, you need electricity. In order to make electricity, you normally burn fossil fuels.

What's happening is that the problem (pollution and using non-renewable energy sources) is being tranferred from the fuel cell to a big power station down the road. This might give the impression to the user that they're being environmentally friendly, but unfortunately they're being deluded.

Of course it's better this way as I'm sure that power stations are more efficient than internal combustion engines, and that more pollutants are scrubbed in a power station than a catalytic converter can manage, but they should be honest and say that the electricity used to make the hydrogen MAY have come from renewable energy sources.

Even a fuel cell doesn't seem to be able to keep the machine in their advertisment from getting a Blue Screen Of Death :)

If so, maybe it was caused by a sysadmin snaring their ankle in those power cords hanging out of the front of the unit.. or maybe that power switch sticking out like a chair prevented a falling object from hitting the ground :/

I hate to be mean, as it's obviously a new product, and from a company that is likely new to machine room ergonomics, but it appears to have a few case design flaws that will probably contribute to downtime as much as the power outage the unit was designed to prevent.

Sure is a cute little thing though.. maybe in a future version they'll recess the cords in a well, and recess the power switch away from where it can accidentally be tripped. I like the case design otherwise.

Like any new technology, it's a bit pricey at $6K.

Bullshit! I can think of lots of new technologies that would be a bargain at twice the price!

(rimshot)

Wait! Don't leave! I have more...

A-hem.

From the page:

"Imagine... A machine that inhales oxygen, combines with hydrogen and exhales electricity.

While it sounds like science fiction, fuel cell technology is now readily available to industrial users!"

Okay, now let me try:
Imagine... A machine that inhales oxygen, combines with [anything flammable] and exhales [any carrier of work].

Sound like science fiction? Think again, this so-called "combustion engine" will revolutionize...

wait! wait!

Don't leave.

I have more.

Okay, watch:

How do you back up data during a power outage?

Put it in reverse! {rimshot}
(i.e. have your backup solution produce energy instead of using it, thereby turning back the direction of time in much the same way that backing up the wrong way down a one-way road --

Wait! Don't leave!

I have a parenthesis to close:
)

There.
Uhm, yeah.

Seriously though.
And here I put on my insightful hat.

This could be great in hospitals!