[extropy-chat] Nuke 'em

[Eugen Leitl]

On Sun, Oct 23, 2005 at 09:44:11PM +0200, Alfio Puglisi wrote:
> On Sun, 23 Oct 2005, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
> 
> >
> >There are *real* problems with an electricity to hydrogen scheme (which
> >can obviously be done through the electrolysis of water).  The problem
> >is that hydrogen embrittles metal [1,2].  The entire current natural

This is an issue only for refitting existing pipelines 
http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review05/pdp_48_sofronis.pdf
http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review05/pdp_52_adams.pdf
it is not obvious it's an issue but for high-temperature/high-pressure
regime, and in selected materials.

Hydrogen pipelines have been operated by chemical industry for decades
and large distances. It's a safe technology fundamentally.

Domestic and vehicular use is new-installation, and largely composite
materials with no risk of embrittlement. Production by electrolysis
and consumption by fuel cell are all local.

> >gas pipeline system could probably *not* carry hydrogen without significant
> >safety risks and would have to be rebuilt/duplicated with pipes designed
> >to carry hydrogen.  The last number I saw for that, and I think it was
> >a significant underestimate, was $100 billion.
> 
> That's cheap. Less than half the cost of the Iraq war so far. So if the US 
> wanted it could convert to hydrogen tomorrow, at least from a cost 
> perspective.

Building things takes longer than blowing up things, but I agree in principle.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
______________________________________________________________
ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820            http://www.leitl.org
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