Fuel Cell Powered Japanese Trains on Trial in July

ScorpFromHell writes "As per this yahoo! news item, "East Japan Railway Co. is to conduct a test run of the world's first fuel-cell-powered train in July. The fuel cells, which generate power from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, will help reduce environmental pollution compared to the existing electric and diesel engines, the company said." But I wonder how much energy did it consume to produce those huge amounts of Hydrogen & Oxygen? Will it be lesser than the power generated by the reaction between them? In other words, can this technology be used by countries with not so deep pockets as Japan?"

Comments

A train or a space ship

[suv4x4]

You gotta give the Japan people props about their notorious trains, because they're not trains, they're, I don't know, space ships.

How many G does a passenger feel as the "train" accelerates? I mean, some of them look up side down I wonder if the seats are on the roofs?

Also most of them don't actually touch the rails they fly on a magnetic fields or something, right?

Do passengers have to pass a special training to ride on one of those trains?

Has it happened that a Japanese train can't take a corner and just flies off never to be seen anymore?

Anyhow, I bet they are really proud of their trains, and they have to. Good luck with hydrogen bomb ones as well!

I mean hydrogen fuel cell, sorry.

Like the USA.

[edunbar93]

In other words, can this technology be used by countries with not so deep pockets as Japan?

Yeah, I can't think of another single country that could possibly have pockets as deep as Japan's. Nope. Not a single one. *Especially* countries that use lots and lots of oil, and could benefit from using less of it. I mean, Japan is so huge. And their industrial might is second to none. How could anyone possibly catch up?

Re:My third least favorite thing about Japan

[fbjon]

1: Japanese men are sexist pigs

Almost sounds like you're implying that other men aren't. :)