engineless tractor

[20 20]

Didn't know if this had been posted before, thought some might find it interesting.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eON30MjT8fU&feature=related]Allis-Chalmers: Fuel Cell Tractor - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Alien]

Interesting, I wonder why it wasn't pursued further. Maybe they might look at the concept again one day.

 

[EE_Bota]

Even NOW they are working on it?

 

[Alien]

I guess if it anything like free energy the large corporations will soon put a stop to it. They wouldn't want farmers to stop buying their fuel.

 

[big bubba]

hey really like the bk ground music & lab coats. old school is cool! why didn't it take off? too explosive? or against the petrochemical corp. way of life? music reminds me of old superman series....happy new year (not u exxon or bp)

 

[Craig Clayton]

This is going to be the future of vehicles. I am a big believer in the electric vehicles.
The following are a few facts from history ( I might have a few minor errors )
The electric car was about ( 1864 ? ) before the gasoline engine car.
There was a worlds fair in New Yorkish ?? and the people were brought the fair by an electric powered boat/ launch. This company became General Dymanics and they now build really neat electric subs.
GE built an electric Garden Tractor 30 years ago.
I have been collecting up parts to build and electric Lawn Tractor without deck. I am not inventing anything new, I just want to have one.
I watched TV and GE has electric charging stations about the size of a thin gasoline pump in Calif.

In the not to distant future there will be a poster asking about his electric tractor.

Exxon is now watching me. Joke Joke Joke

Craig Clayton

 

[DennisFolsom]

I guess if it anything like free energy the large corporations will soon put a stop to it. They wouldn't want farmers to stop buying their fuel.

There's no free energy in this deal! The fuel cell still uses fuel. It's much cleaner, and perhaps more efficient. However, you have to factor in the size, weight and cost of this propulsion system.

I have an idea that we would have seen and heard more from it if it could have been made light enough, small enough, powerful enough and cheap enough to be competitive. With that said, the fact that they had such a good prototype in those days is still impressive to me.

 

[Monster5601]

Fuel cells consume hydrogen to produce electricity and the by-product is water vapor. Sounds good until you realize what it takes to produce hydrogen (let alone store it). One method is to pass electricity through water and collect the gases which are hydrogen and oxygen.

The yield of hydrogen produced compared to the amount of power consumed isn't economically feasible, at least not yet.

Where does the energy come from to make the electricity to produce the hydrogen?

 

[John47]

Nickel Iron batteries could be the thing to supply power, battery companies dropped them years back, why??? They last almost forever, change the electrolyte every few years and they will outlast you!
They are a fraction of the weight of lead acid, deliver a good power output consistent over the charge.
Downside, they are not made in the US anymore, and the only manufacturers appear to be in China now, although there is a US company marketing rebuilt batteries from old batteries.(Putting the "plates" into new cases)
As they last almost forever, there is no pollution problems, plus the plates are made up of iron and nickel not dangerous lead.
As for power, that AC tractor would have used series wound DC motors that produce extremely high torque. Series wound motors were used for years as traction motors on trams and trolley buses plus underground mining battery locos, still are actually.

So you could also provide your tractor with a set of solar cells on the canopy to charge the batteries continuously while out in the fields!!

 

[jgrieve]

Hydrogen could certainly be produced at wind farms during periods of low domestic use windmill electricity could be redirected to producing hydrogen at the wind farm. The hydrogen could power vehicles or be stored onsite and used to provide electricity during high demand, low wind periods. Solar and tidal generators could do the same. So could hydro electric dams. I certainly beleve hydrogen is the fuel of the future, once the oil kings no longer run the world. Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth.

 

[davygp38]

Sad to say, the only way we are going to see meaningful alternatives to carbon based fuel, is through necessity. Once we run out, or the flow is cut off, then you will see the miracles of modern science.

 

[ToadHill]

I live very close to Niagara Falls and the power produced from the falls could be used to produce hydrogen for about 20 hours per day. Turbines operate best at full capacity and the at present the max output is only need about 4 hours per day.

 

[Soundguy]

no engine, but has a motor huh..

 

[Down South]

Anybody seen the " Bloom Box" ? A fuel cell that uses about 1/2 the normal fuel. Apparently not just hydrogen.

Or the artificial leaf? Cheap to make and great at breaking water in to HHO and O2.

But i agree these things wont take off till there is no choice.

DS

 

[MikeFarm]

Hi all

Google for New Holland NH2. It's a H2 fuel cell tractor.
It's already been demoed at the international Ag shows last year and will be starting work on a real farm in Italy this year. Their idea is to generate the H2 on the farm from either photovoltaics and water or catalytic conversion of waste methane. Pig farms produce huge amounts of methane. This is an excellent technology and certain types of farms would be well suited to local production of the H2 required. Have a read of their white papers on their entire concept.

Mike

 

[Mace Canute]

Have a look-see though this site and you will see why H2 fueled vehicles are not and never will be practical.

The New Atlantis ｻ The Hydrogen Hoax

 

[MikeFarm]

Hi

The article "The Hydrogen Hoax" has some valid points within the context of expecting 10's of millions cars to run on H2 where you have to produce the H2 and move it to where the cars are. The NH NH2 does not have a this problem as much as it's intended to use locally produced H2 or to use methane that would otherwise not be sequestrated. It's not trying to do a retail distribution of H2. Also it's still far better to change those x moles of CH4 to x moles of CO2 as far as the greenhouse effects are (CH4 being ~ 70x worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas).
And solar cells can produce more energy from H2 vs their manufacturing cost over their lifetime.

Generally I think The Hydrogen Hoax article contains a lot of opinion interspersed with some factual equations - I would disagree with several points that he raises.

Mike

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Where does the energy come from to make the electricity to produce the hydrogen?

On my submarine back in the 1980's we used the Nuclear Powerplant to make the electricity split the hydrogen and oxygen apart.

We lovingly called it "the Bomb" because an equipment fire or malfunction would kill us all. We pumped the Hydrogen overboard and used the Oxygen to breathe (we liked breathing).

Hydrogen as fuel. Hmmm... Is that the Hindenburg model?

I want my "Mr. Fusion" to power my tractor... :thumbsup:

Or the one that runs on Unicorn farts... :laughing:

Be well,
David

 

[crazyal]

Fuel cells are a nice idea but are not really an option for any sort of mass scale use. For a farmer who has animals and has a large waste pit they could capture the Methane. But since methane can be used as a fuel without splitting it into CO2 and H2 what would the advantage be? You need less electricity than if you wanted to split water but you still need electricity.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Fuel cells are a nice idea but are not really an option for any sort of mass scale use. For a farmer who has animals and has a large waste pit they could capture the Methane. But since methane can be used as a fuel without splitting it into CO2 and H2 what would the advantage be? You need less electricity than if you wanted to split water but you still need electricity.

That is why the future survival of the universe is dependant upon the discovery of unobtanium, I mean Unicorn farts... :laughing:

David