Orbiting Lasers for Hydrogen Power

DerekLyons writes: "Yahoo is carrying a story about a Japanese scientist who plans to use giant orbiting lasers to extract H2 from seawater. The interesting part of the scheme is that design uses solar pumped lasers, which avoid the loss of efficiency (and increased launch weight) from powering the laser with electricity from solar cells. Is the way to finally break the main dilemma of the hydrogen economy? (That it takes more energy to make the hydrogen than you gain in using it.)"

Comments

That's why this will never be implemented

[Master_Ruthless]

Any government or corporation that puts anything into orbit that could even potentially be used as a weapon is going to face resistance from the entire world. Even if you went into contortions trying to prove that the tool could never be used for military purposes, the media would get ahold of the term "space lasers" and that would be curtains for the idea.

Cost in Dollars != value

[klaun]

One problem when comparing plans like this for producing fuel, to other more traditional fuels is that the cost of crude oil or whatever does not reflect the value of the oil.

That is if we had to reproduce the oil rather than just extracting it from the ground we'd probably find other more "green" methods of energy production much less of an investment.

The fact that something that is renewable cost more than something that is irreplaceable is a pointer to the shortcomings of our economic system, not to problems with solar, wind, or other alternative energy sources.

Re:Cost in Dollars != value

[krlynch]

One problem when comparing plans like this for producing fuel, to other more traditional fuels is that the cost of crude oil or whatever does not reflect the value of the oil.

I disagree, because I don't think your implied definition of value makes any sense; the "value" of a commodity is determined by what buyers are willing to pay for it, and what sellers are willing to sell it for. Currently, buyers and sellers can agree on the cost of buying and selling oil. Currently, what buyers are willing to pay for hydrogen is substantially below what sellers are willing to accept for it. Until that changes, which will only occur by lowering the costs (which will take time and research), not enough people will be willing to switch.

Re:Thermodynamics

[Alsee]

Look, due to the laws of thermodynamics it will ALWAYS take more energy to obtain a resource than to use it. Same applies for oil - once we're out of it, it will be very damn expensive to "make" it.

Sigh. It does NOT currently take more energy to obtain a Oil than to use it. We aren't out of it. That is why renewable energy sources have such a hard time being competitive. It's hard to beat a dense source of energy that's lying around.

a lot of these arguments against renewable energy sources are just rubbish.

Arguements shmarguements. There will be a massive switchover to renewables when the tech improves enough to make it as cheap as oil, or when we start to run out of oil.

Until then, ranting about social change is nothing more than another source of greenhouse gas.

Anyone who's played Civ or MOO etc, knows the way to win the game is to maximize research.

(And to save umpteen people from replying to point out that I just suggested people base national / global policy in a video game, yeah yeah, I know. I still think it's a valid point.)

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Re:That's why this will be implemented

[mikeee]

A weapon system that's PROFITABLE when not in use! Just imagine how the economic numbers on this thing look better if the DOD covers, say 25% of operating costs for the right to commender it during wartime.