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Combined Gasoline/Hydrogen Fuel Station Opens
98neon writes "This story from Yahoo! News tells of a Shell hydrogen refilling station that has opened in Washington D.C. Six minivans will be the only vehicles refuelling anytime soon. Apparently some of the neighbors are concerned about having a large tank of hydrogen near their homes. Oh come on, what is there to worry about?"
"Apparently some of the neighbors are concerned about having a large tank of hydrogen near their homes."
not very well thought out concern, anyone? and they don't give a 2nd thought to that huge tank of combustile gasoline at regular gas stations?
also, h2 has a nice habit of dissipating once released from storage, whilst gasoline has this nasty habit of pooling...
mas cerveza, por favor politically incorrect stu
Hydrogen is not safer. My father works in the oil industry; what they used to worry about the most, as far as safety goes, was not oil leaks but hydrogen leaks (from cat crackers, et al).
For one, pressurized petroleum products don't tend to ignite; hydrogen does. Petroleum products don't burn with a clear flame; hydrogen's is invisible, and much hotter. Petroleum products need to vaporize before they become a big explosion risk, and have to be mixed at the right ratios; hydrogen has a very wide range, is already gasseous, and tends to go off a lot faster. Etc. It's far more dangerous.
I mean, I support hydrogen research, but you have to be realistic: it *is* a more dangerous fuel. That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to make it more safe.
That's it, Mr. Giraffe, get all the marmalade.
The Hindenburgs main problem was the chemicals used on the skin of the vessel. Don't be a fscking alarmist. If you're going to write a Slashdot article you could at least make an attempt at a decent job.
In a refinery my father used to work at, they used broomsticks ;) In daylight, you can't see the flame (in darkness, it's light blue)
That's it, Mr. Giraffe, get all the marmalade.