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The internal combustion engine is from the 1800s (20% efficient) as is the electric motor and current electrical power system (only 30% of generated electricity is used due to line losses, etc). Now we can do better than those two - vested interest keeps these inefficient, polluters clunking away.
The massive leap was the Victorians (Industrial Revolution). Not much happened from the Greeks & Egyptians then skywards.
This may make a big impact. Announced a few days ago:
'Major discovery' from MIT'
From Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...080731?sp=true
"Nocera's catalyst is made from cobalt, phosphate and an electrode that produces oxygen from water by using 90 percent less electricity than current methods, which use the costly metal platinum."
90% less electricity to do it. Also, cheaper to make!!! Encouraging.
OK this splits water into oxygen and hydrogen gasses, electrolysis - not new. Then the gasses used to run a fuel cell to produce electricity - not new. The reverse process of electrolysis. The fuel cell is a buffer to keep power going when no sun.
What is new is that is uses a small amount of electricity to split the water into two gasses, previously it took a hell of a lot and was not economical. If it uses a small amount of electricity to split water then maybe this can be used in autos. Produce oxygen and hydrogen overnight, or at work, and run a fuel cell to power the car. If the electricity is so small to split and make the gasses, then maybe a battery can do it, or a solar cell auto roof. It can do away with central power stations too.
PV cells on the roof and fuel cell in the house. Reuters say 5 years to seeing it in use.
Things like this may make an impact to our lives in 10 years time, eliminating the energy crisis which always comes around every 15 to 20 years. And no one dies of hypothermia.
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