Will planes ever fly with just water...?

[First time Juke]

Cars already do !

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/genepax-shows-off-water-powered-fuel-cell-vehicle/

[Red]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

Juke,

The company I work for just won a contract to build a fuel cell UAV for the Navy....so man carrying can't be far off.

[First time Juke]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

I have seen fuel-cell models fly on u-tube.

Many people are sceptical...it sounds too good...fly on water...like "money for nothing and chicks.."....you know what I mean !

[GeoffS]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

One of the aeronautical universities has been showing an electric plane as Oshkosh for a few years now. They've flown it on batteries as a test of the propulsion system, and they were planning on installing a fuel-cell in the future (sorry I can't remember the details... )

Googling "fuel cell airplane" generates lots of hits...

[Red]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

I know there is an electric version of the Sonex called the Waiex? Not sure if it's flown yet.

Ahh...yes...here it is.

http://www.gadgets-reviews.com/index.php?page=post&id=471

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

I can see it all now...


The future is here, cars and planes run on water...

...but...

...water now costs $5 a gallon, because there isn't enough fresh water to go around, and purified, de-salinated water is too costly (Fuel cells need clean water to prevent contamination of the catalyst material).

People are complaining about the massive water shortages for food, fisheries and crops for the 6 or 7 billion people walking the planet by then, because too much "good" water is being used for transportation.

It could happen.

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

I can see it all now...


The future is here, cars and planes run on water...

...but...

...water now costs $5 a gallon, because there isn't enough fresh water to go around, and ...
It could happen.

People are already paying well over $5/gal for water. Last sporting event I went to they were getting $2.50 for a 16 oz bottle of water. that's $20/Gal. Even Costco gets $5/gal for boxed up bottled water.

I find it interesting that nobody seems to be questioning the profit margin involved with putting tap water in a plastic bottle and selling it at these prices, yet people shriek when they pay $5/gal for gas that was produced from a well in 5,000 feet of water in the deep water gulf of mexico that also went through 20,000 feet of solid rock. Not to mention the cost of pipelines and refineries involved.

Which is more important to your daily survival, oil or water?

Oil isn't getting any easier to find and produce. We have already burned through half the oil on this planet and the demand is going nowhere but up. Must experts agree we are now at "peak oil" production which means supply will begin to decline as demand continues to increase. You do the math. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil or google peak oil.

Personally I'd like to see our "leaders" funneling $10 billion a month into energy research rather than the weapons industry. A breakthrough in solar cell technology for example would help a lot.

OK, where did I put my nomex suit?

PS: I didn't like paying $5.45/gal for Avgas last weekend any better than than anyone else.

[GeoffS]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

I know there is an electric version of the Sonex called the Waiex?

How could I have forgotten that!

I'm pretty sure it was on display at Oshkosh last year...

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

True on the price of bottled water, but that's per bottle.

I buy the stuff by the case of 24, which comes out to around 25 cents per or less. Still high for H2O, but far more reasonable to me.

I think the most expensive liquid is printer ink, which by current cartridge prices comes out to something like $4000-$8000/gal.

[MMPerk]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

Juke,

The company I work for just won a contract to build a fuel cell UAV for the Navy....so man carrying can't be far off.

Not very far off indeed...

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080403a_nr.html

LP

[GeeBeeZ1931]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

People are already paying well over $5/gal for water. Last sporting event I went to they were getting $2.50 for a 16 oz bottle of water. that's $20/Gal. Even Costco gets $5/gal for boxed up bottled water.

I find it interesting that nobody seems to be questioning the profit margin involved with putting tap water in a plastic bottle and selling it at these prices, yet people shriek when they pay $5/gal for gas that was produced from a well in 5,000 feet of water in the deep water gulf of mexico that also went through 20,000 feet of solid rock. Not to mention the cost of pipelines and refineries involved.

Which is more important to your daily survival, oil or water?

Oil isn't getting any easier to find and produce. We have already burned through half the oil on this planet and the demand is going nowhere but up. Must experts agree we are now at "peak oil" production which means supply will begin to decline as demand continues to increase. You do the math. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil or google peak oil.

Personally I'd like to see our "leaders" funneling $10 billion a month into energy research rather than the weapons industry. A breakthrough in solar cell technology for example would help a lot.

OK, where did I put my nomex suit?

PS: I didn't like paying $5.45/gal for Avgas last weekend any better than than anyone else.

Actually it has been questioned for at least 2 reasons and there is now a movement to get people to boycott the bottled and just refill the bottle you have from the tap. I was already doing that myself. Also the Nazis made completely lab produced synthetic fuel for their war machine use(why don't we?) AND there are some US independents working on producing fuel from algea(sp?)that is much more acreage efficient than current "bio" gas.
Bill K

[Bill@Interstell]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

Another option PG&E is exploring is gathering methane generated by cows and using it to fuel power plants. Perhaps that is what Wayne is really suggesting with his new avatar?

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

Actually it has been questioned for at least 2 reasons and there is now a movement to get people to boycott the bottled and just refill the bottle you have from the tap.

If you tried the tap water here (old house, old pipes, flouride and other additives placed in the water by the water department), you'd know why we buy it. Bottled simply tastes better, though we only buy the mountain spring water kind, not the simple filtered tap water some brands offer.

Also the Nazis made completely lab produced synthetic fuel for their war machine use(why don't we?)

Could synthetic fuel still be more expensive than today's oil prices? You'd think not by now.

There's some good info on the topic at Wikipedia, and they even mention the process Germany used...

LINK:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fuel

.

.

[Sky Critter]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

Last week in Berlin, unleaded was in the $9/gal range (after exchange rate). You'd think with prices like that, they'd be leading the way in developing an alternative fuel. Maybe they're working on it but it seemed to me that they're more interested in tiny cars and electric bikes.

[First time Juke]

Re: Will planes ever fly with just water...?

.....snip....

.....seemed to me that they're more interested in tiny cars and electric bikes.

I am surprised that tiny car like VW Lupo actually uses 5 liters / 100 km when Kia Cee'd only uses 4,9 l/100 km and it is bigger than VW Variant.

I think something like 3 l/100 km would really make a difference in fuel consumption..that would also need understanding of economical driving and more refined aerodynamics and lighter chassis.

If the cars would run on water would not help much since then after oil has been finished then sooner or later also water would run out...more clever ways to move are necessary...how about catapulted airliners to move people via stratosphere with assist of rocket engines and freight ships operated with nuclear energy ?

Any help to solve how folks on earth will keep on moving when the year 2100 closes ?

How much more economical would it possibly be if airliners had less powerful engines and more wingspan and less speed..why do we have to be able to travel at transsonic speeds in the first place ? What if the passenger planes actually glided from 32 000 feet at glideratio 1/50 the last 300 miles to airport ? This might require retractable engines etc, but would be cost effective right ?