The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

31 May 2007

Carbs return to the engine bay

No, no, not those carbs. These carbs:

University and government researchers are investigating whether a blend of starch, enzymes and water could produce hydrogen fuel for future cars.

While hydrogen can be converted into electricity by a fuel cell to drive a car engine, the search continues for a way to release hydrogen on-demand and at a rate sufficient to power a vehicle fuel cell. The research team claims to have found an "organic" answer that mixes starch (derived from biomass) with water. A blend of organic enzymes was added to release hydrogen from water when a driver of a future hydrogen-powered car steps on the accelerator.

Powered by macaroni and cheese! I like the idea. But what's the range?

[T]he researchers claim the requisite 300-mile range consumers expect from gasoline-powered vehicles would require just a 12-gallon tank. A full tank would hold about 60 pounds of starch — the equivalent of about nine pounds of hydrogen. About six pounds of starch produces roughly the same energy as about one gallon of gasoline.

And one gallon of gas weighs about six and a quarter pounds, making this something of a wash, mass-wise.

Of course, if they could harness the borborygmi produced as a result of the consumption of Tex-Mex, we could probably cut our oil imports down to a couple of spoonfuls, though I suspect the Organization of Pepto-Bismol Exporting Countries might have something to say about that.

(Via Autoblog.)

Posted at 2:57 PM to Driver's Seat


On the other hand, this might cause the Big 3 auto companies to go into the plumbing supply business in a big way. They will have to re-engineer the cars, though, to accomodate the toilet on the driver's side.

Posted by: Akaky at 5:44 PM on 31 May 2007

I suppose it would be unkind to point out here that the Big 3 have plenty of experience producing crappy vehicles. (The real question, I suppose, is not so much whether they've cleaned up their act — I suspect they have — as whether they did so fast enough to save themselves from the abyss.)

Posted by: CGHill at 6:48 PM on 31 May 2007

I suspect we are slowly but surely going in the general direction of the engine based on that black-colored carbon-based material we used to feed in stoves, steam-powered engine boilers etc.

Are you familiar with this one?

http://www.theaircar.com/

Real sexy, I would say.

Posted by: SnoopyTheGoon at 8:50 AM on 1 June 2007