hydrogen powered marine engine

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Bryan Campbell, Feb 24, 2006.

  1. Bryan Campbell
    Joined: Feb 2006
    Posts: 13
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: iowa

    Bryan Campbell Junior Member

    i know that car engines and other such gas powered engines can be converted into hydrogen powered engines i was wandering what everyone thought about a marine style hydrogen powered engine with the prime source of the hydrogen being taken out of water/saltwater
     
  2. longliner45
    Joined: Dec 2005
    Posts: 1,629
    Likes: 73, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 505
    Location: Ohio

    longliner45 Senior Member

    you have my attention!
     
  3. Wellydeckhand

    Wellydeckhand Previous Member

    Mmmmm....... Hydrogen is one of the fuel component I think..... it need other ingridients
     
  4. yipster
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 3,486
    Likes: 97, Points: 58, Legacy Rep: 1148
    Location: netherlands

    yipster designer

    oxigen as oxidiser perhaps :D
     
  5. Wellydeckhand

    Wellydeckhand Previous Member

    end result back to water......... too friendly:D:D:D
     
  6. FAST FRED
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 4,519
    Likes: 111, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 1009
    Location: Conn in summers , Ortona FL in winter , with big d

    FAST FRED Senior Member

    Works great ,
    cept that it takes much more power to remove the hydrogen from the water than you get back burning it.

    So if you carry a huge nuke plant , and its entire output goes to create hydrogen , the boat could move.

    Unfortunatly the amount of cargo would be very low from carring two power plants.

    Perpetual motion would be easier to engineer, and more practical.

    FAST FRED
     
  7. Wellydeckhand

    Wellydeckhand Previous Member

    MMM............. That almost the whole truth......... :):):)
     
  8. yipster
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 3,486
    Likes: 97, Points: 58, Legacy Rep: 1148
    Location: netherlands

    yipster designer

  9. Bryan Campbell
    Joined: Feb 2006
    Posts: 13
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: iowa

    Bryan Campbell Junior Member

    in a car engine it burns cooler and gives more hp and extends gas mileage a standard car battery using salt water or Morton salt in fresh water and an electric coil method would only take 2 hrs to fill a 25 gallon tank with hydrogen I have found plans on the internet that i had to buy that shows how to do this in a car engine and it says it would be excellent to use in a marine environment witch would mean longer cruising fishing trips in the ocean and on lakes and such.
     
  10. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Hydrogen

    With electrolysis it takes more energy to separate hydrogen out of water than what is available once you have the hydrogen. Having said that, if you use a windmill setup to do the hydrogen separation onshore THEN store it in the boat the idea begins making sense.
     
  11. Bryan Campbell
    Joined: Feb 2006
    Posts: 13
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: iowa

    Bryan Campbell Junior Member

    why not have a propeller catching drag from the water turning a generator that creates the energy for the electrolysis there for creating hydrogen in a separate tank filling it up then using a valve switching tanks and filling up the other tank keeping both tanks full
     
  12. JonathanCole
    Joined: May 2005
    Posts: 446
    Likes: 10, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 58
    Location: Hawaii

    JonathanCole imagineer

    This could work, but the salt in the water will tend to foul the electrolysis process by corroding and coating the electrodes. Since internal combustion engines are about 30% efficient you are better off using hydrogen to power a fuel cell (60% efficient) through an electric motor (90% efficient). .60 x .90 =54% overall efficiency. A big problem is how to store hydrogen. In its gaseous form it takes a lot of space. Compressed, it is dangerous if the container is breached. Like bomb-style or rocket-style dangerous. Best is to use hydrogen on demand system. Attached is a document which shows how to build a device that claims to do just that. I make no claims for its ability to perform as claimed or to its safety. Proceed at your own risk.
     

    Attached Files:

  13. safewalrus
    Joined: Feb 2005
    Posts: 4,742
    Likes: 78, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 659
    Location: Cornwall, England

    safewalrus Ancient Marriner

    Hydrogen is dodgy stuff to store, ask the captain of the Hindenburgh with a lighted cigarette in the corner of your mouth!

    Besides which a lot of it is made from that dihydrated monxide (DHMO) stuff and is highly unpredictable :p - an explosion at sea could ruin your whole day!
     
  14. Gráinne
    Joined: Feb 2006
    Posts: 3
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: west coast

    Gráinne newyddian fordwywr

    here's a link i found two years ago and haven't been back, but i see that it still discusses this very subject, DHMO powered motors... my disclaimer is that i haven't read any of the new articles but i do recall that there is alot of information on here, take it for what it is worth i suppose... :D

    http://educate-yourself.org/fe/
     

  15. Bryan Campbell
    Joined: Feb 2006
    Posts: 13
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: iowa

    Bryan Campbell Junior Member

    hey guys first off i wonder jonathancoe if there would be a way to keep adding fresh saltwater/water to the appilication for an on demand style hydrogen system and as far as corroding and coating the electrodes if need be to replace the electrodes I personaly wouldnt mind doing it just to stay in the water longer but it would be nice to have a storage unit to store a back up tank of hydrogen for emergencys and such. safewalrus the captin of the hindenburgh didnt have water surrounding him to dive into if need be lol
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.