Electricity + Water = Fire

[GremlinClr]

Man has been able to create fire from: wood, fossil fuels, atomic collisions, and now water— you heard me, water.

Heat & Glo gave the world the direct vent gas fireplace (which allows you to place your gas fireplace safely in any location). Now the world’s largest manufacturer of fireplaces has unleashed the Aqueon.

Linky (http://www.ohgizmo.com/?p=470)

Now this is very interesting, just wonder how much it'll cost?

[Dreadstar]

Excellent technologic movement.

Now the only real question remaining is:

Does it use more electricity to produce a BTU than direct electrical heating?

[Night]

Excellent technologic movement.

Now the only real question remaining is:

Does it use more electricity to produce a BTU than direct electrical heating?The answer is yes... if by entropy alone.

[Dreadstar]

The answer is yes... if by entropy alone.


Yeah, agreed. I was pretty sure the answer was yes. It was semi-rhetorical, in hinting at the next question:

If direct electrical heat is more efficient, then wouldn't the only real use be ornamental, in place of say gas logs in the fireplace?

[Rallura]

The electrolysis to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen is very expensive. The benefits of using hydrogen as fuel are no pollution and IF you are using wind, solar or hydro created electricity for the electrolysis, you have a 100% renewable power source.

But since the electrolysis is still very expensive, and few places are using wind solar or hydro exclusively, well, I don't see that it's practical yet.

[Night]

But since the electrolysis is still very expensive, and few places are using wind solar or hydro exclusively, well, I don't see that it's practical yet. You can still do it cheaper (energy wise) going straight to heating coils. This is mainly going to be for the "oh look at the pretty flame" crowd. The only practical use for the technolgy is for propulsion... ie solar cells + water = thrust... and only practical in space... and is still tech in the testing.

[Rallura]

You can still do it cheaper (energy wise) going straight to heating coils. This is mainly going to be for the "oh look at the pretty flame" crowd. The only practical use for the technolgy is for propulsion... ie solar cells + water = thrust... and only practical in space... and is still tech in the testing.

It's not just the pretty flame, it's the no harmful emissions. And they use hydrogen fuel cells in cars now.

[Rallura]

I found this interesting:

Japan's Fuel Cell Development Center (http://www.fcdic.com/eng/news.html)

Toho Gas Co., Ltd. and Nagoya University
Toho Gas Co., Ltd. and Nagoya University started cooperative research on hydrogen supply systems to both of FCV and residences. They are planning a system supplying hydrogen to about 300 homes from a hydrogen station, which is also supplying hydrogen to FCV, for realizing energy saving and large reduction of CO2 emission in residences. According to estimation by Toho Gas Co., if 35 vehicles are supplied hydrogen from the station everyday in the early propagation stage, reduction of energy consumption by 24 % and CO2 emission by 22% can be achieved for a whole system. Hereafter they will make detailed estimation and also undertake demonstration test using the hydrogen station. (The Chunichi Shimbun June 16, 2005.)

FamilyMart
A chain convenience store, FamilyMart installed 1 kW output PEFC produced by Fuji Electric Advanced Technology Co., Ltd at a convenience store at Takahamacho, Yokkaichi city, Mie prefecture. This was adopted as one of demonstration programs by Mie Prefecture, and half of the installation cost (40 million yen) is subsidized by the local government. It will supply electric power to 1/3 of consumption by fluorescent lumps in the store, and 560 L of hot water (40℃) will be supplied to a care service organization every weekday. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun May 29, 2005.)

Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd.
On June 21, 2005 the company set forth that it will start sales of 1 kW home-use PEFC in the fiscal year of 2008 and it aims at annual sales of 5,000 – 10,000 sets. The target price is 1.5 – 2 million yen per one set and the target of the life is 40 thousands years. The company thinks that 2015 would be the year of real propagation, and anticipates that the price should be decreased to 300 – 500 thousands yen per one set. The third trial set was manufactured in the fiscal year of 2004; the electric efficiency is 31%, and the heat recovery efficiency is 42%, while the operating life is 10 thousands hours. The pre-mass-production trial set is now being assembled, and the targets of the electric efficiency, the heat recovery efficiency and the operating life are 32%, 42% and 20 thousands hours, respectively. (The Denki Shimbun (electricity) June 22, 2005)