Water powered bike
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] Water powered bike

8 Posts
6 Users
0 Reactions
40 Views
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

But who reckons this guy is gonny go up in a big fireball anyday soon? 😀

http://uk.reuters.com/video/2015/08/11/brazilian-builds-water-powered-motorbike?videoId=365253395&videoChannel=82&channelName=Environment&utm_source=Facebook


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 1:17 pm
Posts: 3427
Full Member
 

Will that fireball be the result of being doused in petrol and ignited by representatives of the big Oil companies?


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 1:23 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Oh FFS, are they going to report on my perpetual motion machine now?

It's not water powered. It's battery powered, through a convoluted (and inefficient) drive system.

I really wish news channels would either put a "Warning, this is science woo" notice on these pieces, or hire someone with a basic understanding of science to report on them.


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 1:25 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

bencooper - Member
It's not water powered. It's battery powered
I was thinking that tbh. wonder what the point of the hydrogen bit if there's a battery in there splitting the hydrogen? Is there any point? would you likely get the same/more/less distance out of the battery alone?


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 1:26 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

The advantage is you can burn the hydrogen in a relatively conventional internal combustion engine, instead of having to build an electric motor drivetrain. Makes even more sense if you leave the batteries at home, and take a canister of hydrogen with you - batteries are heavy, hydrogen isn't (though storing it adds complications).


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 9:28 pm
Posts: 13601
Free Member
 

So the guy is squirting hydrogen into his carburettor? Seems like he'd be better off with a hydrogen fuel cell. I've seen some buses running on those.


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 9:44 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I've built fuel cell bicycles - fun, but complicated and not cheap! Also fun explaining to Air Products what you're planning to do with the hydrogen you've just bought from them 😉

It's a bit like the bloke who phoned me up a while ago, made me swear to secrecy, then said he'd worked out how to get a lot more range from his electric bike. "All you do is put a dynamo in the front wheel to charge the batteries!"


 
Posted : 13/08/2015 9:55 pm
Posts: 11605
Free Member
 

So the guy is squirting hydrogen into his carburettor? Seems like he'd be better off with a hydrogen fuel cell. I've seen some buses running on those.

Like for like yes but H2 is perfectly viable as fuel for any IC engine, you just need to get the fuelling right and build the engine strong enough. It's the storage that's the problem as ben pointed out, it's nowhere near as compressable as LPG and the like so you need huge tanks (a simplification but you get my jist).


 
Posted : 14/08/2015 3:02 am
 JoeG
Posts: 0
Full Member
 

and hydrogen has had some bad press in the past...

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 14/08/2015 3:38 am

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!