Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
If it could also use CNG or LNG, that would be even more cost-effective, since many of the hydrogen is converted from Natural Gas  |
I don't know enough about the chemistry to say if a NatGas (well, methane) fuel-cell could be designed along the same lines as this one, but so far fuel cells (apart from hydrogen fuelled cells) have only found uses in static applications (or for relatively low-power tasks like those they're looking at for laptops).
I think it gets more challenging anyway with increasing molecular complexity, so for heavy duty power like road vehicles, it seems (presently) that all but hydrogen and this new methanol process are too bulky and too inefficient for cars, etc. ~ LPG would definitely be out, as it is a mixture of HC gases (a propane and butane mix); but butane alone would be better than methanol if a cell like the one described could work with it as it can be liquefied at lowish pressures and has a high energy density. ~ it's a huge 'if' though!