Has anyone "run out of electricity" yet?

[mwalsh]

You mean, if it really worked to produce kWh of electricity, right?
How much did they say a 10 kWh system weighs, or costs?
Special powder, water, and a handy fuel cell?

Water is REALLY heavy. I can't imagine this being practical (yet), and I'd probably want a system that's a tow-along, not sitting in the back of my LEAF as a permanent installation.

 

[blobm]

You mean, if it really worked to produce kWh of electricity, right?
How much did they say a 10 kWh system weighs, or costs?
Special powder, water, and a handy fuel cell?

Water is REALLY heavy. I can't imagine this being practical (yet), and I'd probably want a system that's a tow-along, not sitting in the back of my LEAF as a permanent installation.

I know no more than was given in the article. I just thought that you might like to be aware of a potential development which might, in the first instance, provide an emergency supply if you run out of battery charge.
As both Michael & Gary have implied, there are many unknowns about the technique - it's just a possible alternative standby charging system - certainly more eco-friendly than the GM Volt!!

 

[evnow]

Yes, this is interesting. But probably many years (decades?) away from an actual production vehicle. I can see it being more useful for small power applications.

 

[AndyH]

Maybe it'll double as a cabin heater?

The military has been using a water-activated chemical heater in their 'field food' (MRE) for more than 12 years. Add water and get heat and hydrogen.

http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/frh.html
http://zenstoves.net/Flameless.htm

Magnesium heaters are in use with canned foods in Japan, HeaterMeals, the MountainHouse's Mountain Oven, Hot Pack, rations for NASA and US military and paramilitary MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). They provide a simple a safe method for heating food, with little risk of fire or explosion.
The most popular design uses heating pads made from a supercorrodible magnesium/iron alloy in a porous matrix formed from polymeric powders with sodium chloride incorporated with it or in a separate tablet. To heat, water is added either from an external source or by puncturing/tearing a container of water onto the heating pad. The water dissolves the sodium chloride into an electrolyte solution causing magnesium and iron to function as an anode and cathode, respectively. An exothermic oxidation-reduction reaction between the magnesium-iron alloy and water to produce magnesium hydroxide, hydrogen gas and heat.

And, as expected, it makes a 'fun' MRE 'bomb'.

http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9741919888/m/8471972449

 

[palmermd]

perhaps we can charge the car this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM

 

[AndyH]

perhaps we can charge the car this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM

The innovation - it brings tears to my eyes!