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Hydrogen-Powered Boat Creates Own Fuel from the Water
December 14th, 2011
Is it possible that this boat might be one of the first completely self-sustaining water crafts available? I don’t know, but the description sure makes it sound like it is. The new MIG 675 cruiser boat will harvest its own hydrogen directly from the sea. Since it runs on hydrogen, it can use the ocean to power itself.
The onboard generator will provide live hydrogen production, meaning that you won’t have to worry about unstable hydrogen tanks which might blow up in the rough seas. The only emissions of this boat are water vapor. It’s produced by Quimperié, a French company, and they aren’t saying if the boat needs other types of fuel, or if it can operate indefinitely using seawater.
The hydrogen generator will power all of the electrical devices, which include a GPS, a 10-inch touchscreen controller, and an electric anchor roller. The boat has a 500 horsepower motor and is supposed to go up to 70 mph. The boat itself is a 22-footer that weighs 2,866 lbs. The hull is made out of aluminum. There are more goodies, but you’ll have to spend €250,000 (~$326,000 USD) to find out for yourself.
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I am a hydrogen and fuel cell industry analyst, and can say this is absurd. It takes significant electric power to electrolysize the water into hydrogen and oxygen, more energy than the resulting hydrogen contains whether it is combusted or used in a fuel cell. The article does not say where the power for the electrolysis comes from – perhaps a very long extension cord, but that would still be plugged into the grid. But inregard to hydrogen power, hydrogen is not ‘unstable’ – it is safer than gasoline or other hydrocarbon fuels. In 30 years of use powering the NASA space shuttle launches, there were exactly ZERO safety problems with the hydrogen fuel. It is the most volatile element or compound and lightest, so storage is difficult, but unlike gasoline or natural gas, leaks are generally not dangerous except in a tightly enclosed space due to the extreme volitility – it normally disipates too quickly to explode, although it may burn high in the air as it rapidly leaves the scene. It was the hydrocarbon coated skin of the Hindenberg which exploded in flames, used to help contain the hydrogen inside which burned with its almost invisble flame well above the flaming, crashing zeppelin.
So basically, the claims of the company who is supposedly making this vehicle are BS. I guess we’ll see once they release more details about it.
The story sounds like a description of a person lifting himself by his boot straps. Great idea if it works, but so far such hasn’t progressed from fantasy.
Hydrogen gas boat is great for sailing.