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Jorbam t1_j5qi5nk wrote

Reply to comment by gerkletoss in Solar powered hydrogen facility being built in California by ForHidingSquirrels

Electrolysis ranges in efficiency from about 65% to 75% depending on the equipment used. Then a fuel cell is about 40% to 60% efficient.

So with green energy cars its pick your poison. Expensive ass batteries that take ages to charge or expensive ass fuel with very few filling stations.

We need to build the infrastructure for one or both of them.

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cybercuzco t1_j5qp3pl wrote

We need more ass fuel rather than expensive ass fuel.

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mhornberger t1_j5qino3 wrote

I'm honestly more interested in hydrogen as a feedstock to make ammonia, for seasonal storage. BEVs are moving quickly, both in market share and also the technology moving forward. I'm not opposed to fuel-cell cars, but I don't see a robust network of filling stations being built out. Not where it could compete with the charging network+home charging.

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gerkletoss t1_j5qlxcw wrote

Cars aren't the only possible application for hydrogen fuel. Aircraft are going to have a very difficult time using batteries.

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mhornberger t1_j5qneix wrote

There's also synfuel, also called electrofuel. Prometheus Fuels and multiple other companies are working on synthesizing jet fuel (and diesel, and everything else we get from fossil fuels now) from air-captured CO2. It won't be as efficient or cheap as electrified planes, but as you say, electrifying aviation won't be easy.

I have more confidence in this synthetic jet fuel, mainly because it works in planes we already have now. Not hypothetical future designs that use only hydrogen.

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gerkletoss t1_j5qnp8m wrote

You also have efficiency gains from not having to carry a heavy battery through the air though lift induced drag is way worse than rolling resistance. And that could potentially be the best way to do it indefinitely as long as we get carbon neutral, especially for military applications.

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