Chrysler Announces Hydrogen Fuel Cell Van

Juanfe writes: "Chrysler group announced a concept vehicle called the Natrium, powered by a sodium borohydride (NaBH4) engine developed by Millenium Cell. NaBH4 can be made from sodium borate -- basic borax, used in laundry detergent. MilleniumCell is a US Company that, not surprisingly, has made strategic agreements with major borax purveyors in the US (which just happens to be thought of as the largest borax reserve in the world). Could this be the start of the end of big oil and the start of the start of big Borax?" superflippy points out that Chrysler's press release is related to the Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas (EVAA) Electric Transportation Industry Conference 2001.

Comments

End of Big Oil?

[Bonker]

Hardly...

The U.S. auto industry and the U.S. oil industry are so tight that work has been slowed or delayed for decades on all-electric cars.

While this fuel-cell uses borax derivatives, I would be willing to bet money that any production fuel-cell based vehicles deployed in the U.S. use hydrocarbon-based cells. They're not going to let you just stop filling up every week, after all.

There is no such thing as an 'oil company'

[rebelcool]

At least, not anymore.

Being the clever industry they are, the oil companies LONG ago realized they were dependent on a limited resource. Indeed, the reserves wouldnt make it out of the 21st century.

Hence they all now refer to themselves as 'energy companies', and work with all sorts of things, not just oil.

Its in their best interests that things start moving off fossil fuels, given their limited supply, and people move onto things like hydrogen, which is pretty damn common. And they know this.

You'll still be getting your fuel from them in 20 years...it just might not be gasoline anymore.

Re:Get over 'Dubya's Oil folks' stuff

[nyquist_theorem]

Have I seen gas prices in the United States lately? Hell no. I'm nowhere near your country, nor am I a citizen of it. I am, however, aware enough of international politics (and your domestic politics) to understand just how connected your President is to the oil industry both domestically and internationally.

Are you trying to suggest that the present depression in US gas pricing provides any evidence for or against the suggestion that US President Bush is involved in the oil business?

To attempt to drag this stuff back on topic and away from Republican American ethnocentrism, let me try this:

I would humbly suggest that this venture will face significant opposition from the traditional energy (nee oil) companies.

You're right tho, facts don't get points unless they're relevant or related to the discussion. Otherwise we could all get our 50 karma by posting mathematics formulae, now couldn't we?

Re:Huge water tank?

[spiral]

>So does this mean you need a huge water tank?

Um, just follow the reaction:

NaBH4 + 2 H2O ----> 4 H2 + NaBO2

Now, burn the H2:

4 H2 + 2 O2 ----> 4 H2O

So, we end up with MORE water than we started with. The other point to consider is that the conversion process is happening on the demand. You don't convert the entire tank of NaBH4 into H2 instantly, that would defeat then entire idea of "storing" the hydrogen.