Filed under: Hydrogen
Hydrogen golf cart embodies hydrogen thinking in OSU lab

Wanna keep the golf course green green? How about driving a golf cart that emits water vapor? (Might it help water the lawn?)
Our sibling blog BloggingOhio told us about a project to build a hydrogen fuel cell golf cart. While I'm no fan of golf courses, I do approve of alternative energy for cars. That said, I don't understand why researchers at Ohio State University have taken a golf cart, the kind that already run on electricity, and converted it into a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, using a borrowed Ford car as a model. If you're going to take the time and energy to work on hydrogen, doesn't it make sense to at least eliminate a standard ICE in the process? OSU's Center for Automotive Research did recently install a hydrogen fueling center. Maybe they just needed something to fill up.
You can see a video of OSU's hydrogen program, featuring the golf cart, here (transcript here).
[Source: OSU via BloggingOhio, thanks to Tom Barlow]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CM 10:25PM (12/27/2006)
They really think a hydrogen golf cart is a good idea? Nah, can't be. A University can't be that inept.
More likely, their Center for Automotive Research (CAR) department is simply looking to get some of the 1.2 billion dollars that Feds are handing out for hydrogen research, on orders of Bush II.
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Tim 11:40AM (12/28/2006)
A terrorist’s dream is to have a giant tanker of Hydrogen parked next to a big fat target. Spilled bio-diesel (or electricity for that matter) is less toxic to the environment than salt or sugar.
“Hydrogen may be considered to be one of the most destructive gases to escape into the atmosphere. It will destroy ozone in an irreversible process, reduce oxygen levels and produce water vapor in the stratosphere.” http://www.ozone-depletion.com/. Hydrogen is a very small molecule.
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