#] #] ********************* #] "$d_webRawe"'Projects - mini/hydrogen/Howell - hydrogen future Alberta scripts.txt' www.BillHowell.ca 30Mar2022 initial To view this file - use a text editor (not word processor) constant width font (eg courrier 10), tab - 3 spaces 48************************************************48 24************************24 # Table of Contents, generated by : # $ grep "^#]" "$d_webRawe"'Projects - mini/hydrogen/Howell - hydrogen future Alberta scripts.txt' | sed 's/^#\]/ /' ********************* "$d_webRawe"'Projects - mini/hydrogen/Howell - hydrogen future Alberta scripts.txt' Introduction - Hydrogen Future Alberta presentation Safety and hydrogen Economics and Risks Alberta roadmap - selected ideas [random, scattered] concepts Multi-edged heresy? Fun, crazy stuff Randell Mills hydrino - fractional electron quantum levels? (*) Aureon.ca in Toronto - mythology inspired, electric sun experiments (*) 24************************24 08********08 #] Introduction - Hydrogen Future Alberta presentation This presentation focuses on hydrogen safety and a few technical concepts related to hydrogen usage. My presentation is based to a large degree on my own background from projects at work 10-20 years ago, as well as many other projects and investigations I've done from my own interests, including recent ones. To keep within my 10 minute time limit, throughout this presentation Slides and Topics that are marked with a capital X in parenthesis will NOT be covered. But they are available via the webPage for this presentation as listed at the bottom of this slide. A priority focus of this presentation is on Safety, which is also the theme of most of my work-related background. The "[random, scattered] concepts" section looks very briefly at a couple of interesting technical concepts that have been developed, but which aren't central to most discussions. The "Fun, crazy stuff" section describes two fascinating concepts involving hydrogen, plus a couple of [fun, provocative] questions. Answers are not my objective, rather I wish to provoke thinking and questions on topics that might not be familiar to everyone. +-+ not used : I've tried to minimize potential overlap with the speaker, Alberta Associate Minister of Natural Gas - Dale Nally, as well as with the other two panelists - Yogi Schulz and Brent Lakeman. 08********08 #] Safety and hydrogen +-----+ Topic slide : Safety is always a primary concern, and may be a determining factor for some commercial applications of hydrogen. However, hydrogen has been used commercially for perhaps a hundred years or more, and there is a wealth of experience and research behind both commercial and consumer use. The biggest issue on the consumer side is the use of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. But for probably 2-3 decades, car companies and research institutes have been working on this. I will make quick comments on 3 topics listed here that are not covered by other slides. +--+ Deploying a technology for the use by public is especially sensitive, as we are not dealing with well-trained and supervised professionals in an industrial setting. I participated in an IEEE standards committee for developing "Canadian Electrical Code" standards for the setup of electric vehicle charging stations at homes. No code - no installation of charging stations. This sounds bureaucratic and simple, but I was extremely impressed the lead person, who was from GM, as well as the other committee members. Fine-toothed comb doesn't even begin to describe how they do this. It requires strong engineering and safety analysis skills. Imagination and vision are critical, as you are trying to anticipate rare combinations of events that will cause trouble. I didn't check if codes have been put in place for fast charging at home, or if that very high power process is reserved for gas-station like charging stations. +--+ Global efforts on ensuring safety are key. Few nations could afford to do this alone, and reach the same safety level plus allow for international business and trade. +--+ Finally, I mention an American project to use hydrogen fuel cell school buses a couple of decades ago. I wasn't involved, but the lessons learned were important. Initially, you can imagine that parents and the school board were uneasy, but as the project progressed, and as they learned more, they were quite happy, at least according to reports (although I'm sure some were not). One interesting perception was that the hydrogen was actually safer than fuel in some ways, although I don't remember the specifics for that project. +-----+ At first glance - hydrogen is pretty mean stuff : This table show hydrogen characteristics in comparison to other fuels. Notice the extremely low flash point and very broad explosive limit, which is the worst-case of all fuels. I didn't search for the status of "hydrogen stenches", like mercaptan for natural gas. The challenge is to have a stench chemical that is compatible with hydrogen fuel cells. But there had been active research on this 15 or so years ago, with some promising candidates. At issue is that an ordinary person should sense if there is a hydrogen leak in their car, or at home, so they can do something about it (like run). My own experience is that a really small hydrogen explosion makes a really loud bang. When they warned us about this in a research lab and we braced for it, we all jumped anyways. That reaction in itself can be dangerous, but so would be a gasoline conflagration. +-----+ Second glance - do-able + some advantages? In spite of the obvious ignition and explosive hazards of hydrogen, it also has some advantages. Its extremely high diffusivity means that for moderate leaks in a well ventilated area, hydrogen will quickly dissipate rapidly below the danger point. Storage materials can be used that "absorb" hydrogen, avoiding the very rapid release of hydrogen from a container. +-----+ Example - Undergound hard-rock mining fuel cells (*) I spent several years as the Secretary for a project to prepare for the use of hydrogen fuels cells in underground hard rock mining. Apart from hydrogen use by astronauts, this has to be one of the scariest environments for hydrogen. Just think about it : miners work in tunnels that are essentially like the barrel of a shotgun, with very limited attentuation with distance. If something goes off, you will be like a shotgun pellet bouncing off the wall repeatedly Even if there is no explosion, fires are always a constant concern, even for hard rock mines, even if that isn't quite the same as underground gassy coal mines (we had a research lab in Cape Breton, but it was closed down). Equipment is bashed and banged all day long, vibrations regularly kill new electronics, and there is a large number of moving parts and people. Even so, both the mining companies and trade unions were supportive, keeping in mind that they are NOT pushovers, and they will decide. One mine manager stated quite simply from the start "They are never getting those things in my mine." These guys have been around the block many times... Please note two things : a consortia of diverse organisations with varying skills and responsibilities Chief Inspectors of Mines - good luck going anywhere without their aproval, MSHA is the American equivalent 08********08 #] Economics and Risks not for presentation of 31Mar2022 - perhaps later 08********08 #] Alberta roadmap - selected ideas not for presentation of 31Mar2022 - perhaps later 08********08 #] [random, scattered] concepts +-----+ Hydrogen [combustion engines, turbines] for transportation? (roadmap) (*) Your car could simply combust hydrogen, just as many engines have long burned natural gas and propane, for for [vehicles, compressors, etc]. This is mentioned in the Alberta hydrogen economy roadmap. Even better, you can use mixes of fuels, including hydrogen, even to the extent of flexible fuel vehicles. You don't need high purity hydrogen, and you will have a much more robust system, albeit perhaps with higher maintenance than battery or fuel cell, depending on the application. +-----+ Caterpillar's global initiative for electric battery huge mining trucks Caterpillar's recent announcement to work with mining companies to develop electric monster mining trucks, surprised me. Normally in the past, the typical assumption was that batteries are appropriate for smaller vehicles and shorter distances, fuel cells are better for higher-[distance, energy] vehicles and trucks, and hybrids are a nice combination of both. Has this now changed? Or perhaps is the issue that one can charge monster mining trucks whilst they are being loaded, or idling waiting? +-----+ can your car be a hydrogen fuelcell electric power generator for the grid? (*) As a [fun, quick] mention, I was responsible for follow-up on a research grant for a hydrogen fuel cell car that would also generate electricity for the grid. Technically, one could combine this with solar power feedback to the grid. It seems that this idea keeps coming back. Personal cars, if connected, would have vastly greater power than the entire electric grid. +-----+ No comments for 31Mar2022 : [battery, fuel cell, flywheel, ultra-capacitor] comparison (*) (X) Fischer-Tropsch-like processes : coal to [gas, oil, hydrogen, other] (*) (X) 08********08 #] Multi-edged heresy? You can ignore my mumblings on this slide. My main point is to warn you that this presentation is nstepping into the unkown, beyond the range of accepted science today, but perhaps not tomorow. As usual, there are thousands of ideas like this. But it's fun, and often beautiful, math and science. Hopefully this section will provoke [question, thinking], and not just outrage. 08********08 #] Fun, crazy stuff The first two points are covered by later slides. +-----+ Stairway to heaven? - Zeppelins for hydrogen transport in the North, riding the jet streams Everybody likes pictures of the Hindenburg burning, or nuclear explosions. It is natural for the public to be concerned and ask questions. By the way, I have seen project proposals for hydrogen blimps in the North of Canada as a means of delivering hydrogen and materials to remote sites. Distantly related to zepplins is a photo on the wall where I have coffee in the morning. It shows a Japanese war balloon that landed close to town, one of 10-20 thousand that landed in Western US and Canada. +-----+ Joke : best hydrogen [storage, transport] is to attach it to long carbon chains or oxygen! While working for a half year on funding follow-up for [electric vehicles, batteries], I sat in a cubicle beside "Mr. Hydrogen", who always impressed upon me that "hydrogen is the answer, Bill". Rumour was that he chose Ballard in the early days for funding based on the team that they had. Apparently a black engineer there was a genius. One day, looking for trouble, I excitedly commented over the cubicle wall that they had found a vastly superior solution for hydrogen storage. Knowing me, he was suspicious, but keen on any progress. When I told him that the approach is to attach hydrogen to long carbon chains, he frowned, told me that I was evil, shook his head, and went back to work. All joking aside, there has long been serious research into hydrogen storage. Or, there are simple conventional approaches. Alberta hydrogen roadmap mentions ammonia for shipment. 08********08 #] Randell Mills hydrino - fractional electron quantum levels? (*) +-----+ Comparison of classical to quantum mechanical performance Randell Mills, a star graduate of MIT, has [concepts, mathematics, theories] to replace standard quantum mechanics. He also built a company in 1991 to pursue his concepts both theoretically and commercially, so quite naturally he is an outcast. Many scientists dispise him. This first slide is just one of a great many results where he claims to beat quantum mechanics. Without going into details, notice that Mills modelling generates a nice straight red line, compared to the mess on the right. +-----+ Physical image compared to physical solutions Another pretty picture, another challenge. +-----+ Hydrino energy release of water Mills' 250 kW [thermal, photovoltaic] engine concept is based on fractional quantum levels of electrons, meaning that we are dealing with chemistry, not nuclear reaction. Still, this is a VERY high energy chemical transformation when dealing with hydrogen! ?? equivalent fission numbers Wouldn't it be horrible if you were driving non-stop across remote areas of the Saharah desert, and your passenger-friend drank the only bottle of water in the car, just when your car needed it? 08********08 #] Aureon.ca in Toronto - mythology inspired, electric sun experiments (*) +-----+ Intro slide Given time limitations, I am going to race through this topic, but hopefull it is both enjoyable and beautiful. It is a story with hydrogen at its core. [psychiatrist, mythologist, scientist]s all contributed over decades as the lead-up to the SAFIRE project. Here I show only Kristian Birkeland, a Norweigian scientist who did "torella" experiments on geo-magnetism in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The objective of the SAFIRE project was to experimentally prove concepts underlying the "Electric Sun" hypothesis. Project results went FAR beyond expectations and scope. +--+ not used : Kristian Birkeland was a Norweigian scientist who did "torella" experiments on geo-magnetism in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was debunked for decades, but came back into consideration later. Much later, inspired by one of the most hated scientists of the 20th century, even though the public loved him, +-----+ "Nuclear Valence Excitation" (NVE) - elemental changes at vacuum and modest temperature (80kC?) Here is a huge surprise from the project, one that the project team didn't declare for several years until thorough checks of [materials, experiment, analysis] were verified, and multiple experiments were carried out. Elements not present at the start of each experiment were generated by SAFIRE. Aureon energy discusses the potential of producing rare earth elements in one of their videos. Elemental transformations shouldn't happen at these levels, or should they? "Nuclear Valence Excitation" is a known process. +-----+ Initial commercial emphasis Three initial business concepts were : area heating for homes & communities, fusion energy, and "radioactive-deisotoping", which is my clumsy term. By that I mean the reval of radioactivity from materials. The current [priority, focus] is on "radioactive-deisotoping" of groundwater injections, presumably before injection, but that wasn't clear from my quick recent check. +-----+ [psychiatrist, mythologist, physicists] and petroglyphs Now for the fun part, which is directly related to the SAFIRE project. Some petroglyphs clearly match high energy plasma physics lab results. The ancients weren't so stupid after all. Their childish drawings were taken as evidence of lower intelligence of primitive people. But their drawings aren't childish all, they are highly accurate. We were the childish ones who wouldn't listen. Look closely at the overlay of conic plasma Birkland current filaments (the concentric circles of dots) overlaid on Stonehenge. Who knows? +--+ not used : After mythologist David Talbot have given up on 30 years or so of work, physicist ?Ben Ged-Low? gave him hope to restart anew. A few years later Australian physicist Wal Thornhill came to Talbot with some ideas on how to tie Talbot's mythology to hard core physics. Dave Talbot's first encounter with physicist Anthony Peratt is hilarious and enlightening. Stranger yet, Peratt then spent perhaps a good part of a decade, chasing around the world looking at petroglyphs, bearing out concepts of Talbot, Thornhill, and a line of other hsitoric figures. +-----+ Petroglyphs - Where were you when all hell broke loose? The events related to petroglyphs predate 2,500 years ago, and may go back 10s of thousands of years. It's hard to tell. Maps of the petroglyph sites show this to be a global phenomena, but they are clustered in regions, as compared to being spread randomly. Anthony Peratt was not young at the time of his petroglyph survey. How would you like to climb up to the band of light on the mountain side by the Zanskar River? Many petroglyphs are apparently in perilous places, perhaps by intent, and perhaps because those are the only people who survived? +-----+ Electric scarring of Earth, Alberta equivalents Related [concepts, hypothesis] blanket [physics, astronomy, geology, biology]. Here are Alberta locations that resemble the concept of electric scarring of geology by SAFIRE project core team member Paul Anderson. The conventional explanation of our coulees is that they were carved by vast torrents of water as glaciers melted, followed by normal weathering. Possibly both processes contributed to what we see today. By the way, there is substantial support for electric scarring from the surface geology of planets and moons. # enddoc