FuelCell Falls as Alternative Energy Fad Fades [View article]
A fuel cell is not an alternative energy source. In fact a fuel cell is not a source of energy at all. It is an energy converter. It burns hydrocarbons or hydrogen. If hydrogen, then that hydrogen must be manufactured. Potentially hydrogen could be manufactured from wind power or solar cell, but currently hydrogen is likely to be manufactured from power supplied by the existing electrical grid, which likely means burning more hydrocarbons—coal or natural gas. As a fuel cell only exchanges chemical energy for electrical, it is subject to the inflexible laws of thermodynamics. Roughly stated as I recall, “There is no free lunch.” That is, the energy cost of manufacturing hydrogen will always be greater than the energy recoverable by burning that hydrogen in a fuel cell. Unless a true alternative energy source—wind or solar—is used to manufacture the hydrogen initially, that is.
Housing, Credit, Economy: At an Inflection Point [View article]
Just a technical comment. An "inflection point" is a point of maximum rate of change, not a bottom or top. On a perfect sine curve, the inflection point is exactly midway between the top and bottom. It is the point at which the graph turns from concave up to concave down.
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Latest | Highest ratedFuelCell Falls as Alternative Energy Fad Fades [View article]
A Little Financial Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing [View article]
Housing, Credit, Economy: At an Inflection Point [View article]