Who Killed the Electric Car in Europe?

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 20:37:00 -0700, "Jack May"
wrote:

Aluminum produces a range I think that is 1.5 times greater than gasoline
for the same tank size. Another metal produces a range six times longer
than gasoline.

Metals do have a ferocious energy content. But like hydrogen, it is
questionable whether they are fuels, or energy storage and
transportation media.
When you are at a fireworks display, and see the bright small flash,
and a few seconds later hear and feel the explosion from the flash
charge, you are just seeing the energy that Niagara Falls (Etc) put
into that 100 milligrams of aluminum, all coming out at once.
The Space Shuttle boosters use AP and aluminum..there certainly is a
lot of energy there, but once again, some industrial operations, Hall
Process electrolytic reactors, nuclear or coal or hydro power plants
upstream, are all involved, using and eating up energy at every step.
When aluminum is burned, it goes to the oxide (Sapphire, Alumina)
which is used as an industrial abrasive. In the submicron sizes, it
is used to lap some optical materials and metals, polishing gemstones,
etc.etc, so the service life of an engine or turbine using an aluminum
aerosol would be "As the life of a May fly".
Iron oxide makes a good metal polish also. Lithium is highly
energetic, but produces a base that corrodes aluminum, etc, So these
probably are not going to end up being used in engines, unless we go
back to steam. (Not an entirely bad idea, as low pressure combustions
do not produce the NOx emissions.)
But that brings us away from the hydrogen "Hindeneburg" scenario to
the "Exploding Mississippi Steamboat" one.
humor
Most bicyclists are painfully aware of the stupidity of some drivers.
Some should not even be trusted with gasoline..
Hydrogen, steam boilers, etc could interfere with their all-important
cellphone conversations, and generate a Darwinian Lemming Rush of
historic proportions..
/humor