CNET
First boat to make its own hydrogen fuel from seawater
The Energy Observer set sail on a six-year world tour in 2017, testing new technologies, from onboard hydrogen electrolysis to fully-automated sails. It’s hoped the rugged ocean environment will prove the techs’ durability and usefulness at home. #EnergyObserver #Hydrogen #Toyota
otakukj
July 17, 2020 at 3:02 pm
I had a similar concept at age 14 but for an airship. I love to see this!
Lars Rye Jeppesen
July 17, 2020 at 3:02 pm
It is too energy inefficient to create hydrogen. That’s why
Vlad Macovei
July 17, 2020 at 3:04 pm
Fuel cells. Or as Elon Musk calls them “fool cell”. Joking aside, I believe he makes a good argument against fuel cells. It is less efficient to convert energy to electricity to hydrogen and back again. It is at best a stopgap solution until batteries are lighter. Also batteries usually fizz out rather than deflagrate…
William Meyer
July 17, 2020 at 7:23 pm
Dunno… lithium ion batteries can be very combustible.
Ou8y2k2
July 17, 2020 at 9:34 pm
Yep. It’s _game over._ 402 mile EPA range on a Tesla Model S with solar, wind, and hydro everywhere. Tesla recently became the largest car manufacturer by market cap, and Toyota still doesn’t get the message. Anyone with a brain saw this a decade ago.
Alpha 150
July 17, 2020 at 11:49 pm
Hydrogen makes most sense, in my opinion, with large seafaring vessel, where both weight and *space* are at a premium. H² might also be useful in commercial air travel; with both passenger and/ or cargo craft
Lars Rye Jeppesen
July 17, 2020 at 3:04 pm
Lol so it has sails… ooookkkkk
Mr. Smith
July 17, 2020 at 3:19 pm
now we need massive desalnation plants around the world
V T
July 17, 2020 at 3:40 pm
They can do all this with lithium batteries. No need for extra gadgets
Brendon Armstrong
July 17, 2020 at 3:43 pm
So what about safety measures though? Cause we’ve seen hydrogen explosion disasters before. I can see this being less of a concern on water but cars which crash all the time?
True Tech
July 17, 2020 at 4:12 pm
Unshadowban this very caring atheist please. I should not have to ask, for my freedom of speech rights, though am willing to ask in a documentary.
Cornbreadfed kirkpatrick
July 17, 2020 at 4:16 pm
So the flying sub is almost here yeah,
John Fox
July 17, 2020 at 4:31 pm
First .. I love the concept.
As the owner of a sailboat, it has been my experience that complicated devices and the oceans don’t mix well together. Breakdowns in the middle of the pacific can’t be fixed by going to a local West Marine. The more one depends on computers and other electronic devices the greater the risk of failures that could be life-threatening.
Having sails will reduce some of the impacts as at least they can limp to the nearest island.
I hope the sails have manual overrides for those automated systems.
That being said … I do see these prototypes being used in a home. Being able to generate and store hydrogen from excess solar means less dependence on batteries that require rare earth metals that are quickly being depleted. I’d rather store my power than sell it back to the utilities.
Of course, it also means having a bomb in your home, but homes have been exploding from propane for over a hundred years and we still use it. I know I do.
Jay Green
July 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm
I was thinking what happen if they made a solar power flying planet like u see in games & movies I feel later down line maybe the year 2030 or 2040 they will try it
Jay Green
July 17, 2020 at 6:09 pm
I already seen in movies where the plant look like it’s wrap around solar power panels which I feel some day someone will try out
Juanito Cardona
July 17, 2020 at 4:38 pm
WOWWWWWWWWWW
MoonRaker
July 17, 2020 at 4:44 pm
It’s already game over for hydrogen as far as cars are concerned. Battery technology is only improving. For large boats perhaps it has a future.
txlady706
July 17, 2020 at 4:49 pm
very cool – love it
Christopher Montoya
July 17, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Neat concept, but one of my chemistry teachers told me that the process to release the hydrogen releases CO2 into the air.
William Meyer
July 17, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Only when hydrogen is produced through steam-methane reforming, not electrolysis, which would be how hydrogen is separated from seawater.
Carter Harvey
July 17, 2020 at 8:51 pm
Blue Hydrogen = steam reformation of natural gas.
Green hydrogen = electrolysis of water using renewable energy.
It’s reforming natural gas (a hydrocarbon, ie hydrogen + Carbon) that releases hydrogen and CO2.
Electrolyzing water (h20) releases H2 and O2.
R T
July 17, 2020 at 4:52 pm
Good for apocalyptic zombie infested world.
Jesse O
July 17, 2020 at 4:54 pm
Hey What The Fam! Want to see more videos on sustainable or ocean technologies? Let us know down below
jo pac
July 17, 2020 at 5:02 pm
I do
arkhamkillzone
July 17, 2020 at 6:06 pm
If they are not over priced rip offs then sure why not. Otherwise I’ll stick to what is currently available and no need to day dream about overpriced electric tech.
Considerate Prick
July 17, 2020 at 8:30 pm
Could have attached a link to their social media in the description.
Tyler Jordan
July 17, 2020 at 10:09 pm
More ocean tech vids please! Seasteading is the future for me. 😉
Cameron Adderley
July 18, 2020 at 2:02 am
This vessel was just docked in the Bahamas 4 days ago
Por Que
July 18, 2020 at 6:16 am
Yeesss!!! I love this video
Macca7
July 18, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Yes please
skyak
July 19, 2020 at 1:16 am
Yes please. Why not add their link?
Wayne Montgomery
July 17, 2020 at 5:15 pm
I would love to see more videos like this
Jay Green
July 17, 2020 at 6:03 pm
I was thinking what happen if they made a solar power flying planet like u see in games & movies
Filipe Costa
July 17, 2020 at 6:20 pm
Awesome and using technology that already exists today. Keep posting CNET!
Machiel van Dijk
July 17, 2020 at 6:32 pm
awesome
aaron acosta
July 17, 2020 at 6:41 pm
hopefully they don’t run into Samali pirates
Brandon00151
July 17, 2020 at 7:25 pm
Ocean: No you can’t convert my molecules into hydrogen to create electricity to power your engine!
The Energy Observer: Ha ha! Engines go brrrrrr
Carter Harvey
July 17, 2020 at 8:35 pm
Technically, there are no engines. There are Electric motors that go ‘hmmmmm’
Carter Harvey
July 17, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Most people won’t buy H2FC vehicles because they’re massively less efficient and cost effective compared to BEVs.
This is a commercial for Toyota’s H2FC bet.
Consider.. the H2 is generated from excess solar power, at about 50% efficiency.
Or.. that energy could have just been stored in batteries, at about 95% efficiency.
The implication of the ocean wings is that they reduce the energy costs of propulsion for there to be enough spare energy to create H2 while moving. So which would be a better use of that energy? Storing it at 95% efficiency, or using it to store H2 at 50% efficiency.
It’s a whole lot of extra steps to save money on batteries by wasting energy.
viximano
July 17, 2020 at 11:37 pm
Yes more on this plssss!
newobtterb
July 18, 2020 at 6:16 am
If Hydrogen was superior to electricity, it would not require electricity to be feasible. Can you imagine an EV car that required Hydrogen to operate? And Toyota falls behind more and more.
tippinator
July 18, 2020 at 6:35 am
Waterworld makes more sense now.
Hector G.
July 18, 2020 at 8:23 am
We are creating a problem trying to solve another desalination is not a good thing, specially taking into account the tons of ocean water used for drinking.
We are raising the saline concentration of sea water too much. One ship may not make a big difference but if the tech takes off, there will be fleets of ships and cars. We should stick to solar and wind.
Christopher Carr
July 18, 2020 at 10:58 am
So, hmm, they’re using the solar panels for electrolysis (after charging the batteries),to make hydrogen, to generate electricity from a fuel cell. But doesn’t it take more juice to split water than you get from the resulting amount of hydrogen?
Why not just get bigger batteries?
And are their hydrogen storage tanks lined with graphene or something? Hydrogen really likes to leak through most all things.
David Cox
July 20, 2020 at 1:16 am
Batteries are heavy. That reduces range. Converting surplus energy into hydrogen and storing it is a kind of battery. At least this is what I have been reading about it all.
Sudipto Kumar
July 18, 2020 at 11:13 am
It’s energy observer vs Corona virus travel restrictions
NextNate03
July 18, 2020 at 11:38 am
Hydrogen vehicles are very expensive.
Hydrogen is very expensive.
Neither one of them are available to purchase nationwide.
Charles Yu
July 18, 2020 at 3:34 pm
Fool cells
jimthvac100
July 18, 2020 at 3:57 pm
The Conversion from solar to Hydrogen fuel and back to electricity is only about 20% as efficient had they just added more Lithium batteries. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is interesting but is a long way from being more efficient than batteries. The hydrogen fuel cell technology for this application is good as a proof of concept but It is not cost effective or efficient use of space on that craft. It is expensive, in both money and energy, to pry hydrogen loose from other elements, store it, and convert it back to useful energy. The value we get out of it has never quite justified what we invest in producing it. It is one of those technologies that seems perpetually on the verge of a breakthrough, but never quite there. Currently storing electricity in lithium batteries is far more efficient than converting to Hydrogen and back to electricity.
Tyler Durden
July 18, 2020 at 4:34 pm
What is it’s sustainable top speed regardless of wind speed? If it can’t outrun a pirate, it needs upgrades.
Doesn’t look like there is much living space on it either. As a proof of concept though, it looks like they have thought of most everything.
Love the H2 energy storage and the 360 degree automated sails!
NOT Enrique
July 18, 2020 at 4:59 pm
WOWZER!
thegrandfinale2
July 18, 2020 at 7:59 pm
You mean something good actually happened in 2020?!
What?! No way!! oO
Wyborn
July 18, 2020 at 8:16 pm
How much did these shills pay u to make this video. Electeic is the future
Michael Bell
July 19, 2020 at 1:40 am
Set up one with greenhouse and all means known to catch fish …I’ll sail away forever
Ian Oliver
July 19, 2020 at 3:48 am
Why the shot of the beardy bloke? Surely the story’s about a boat; if so I want to see shots of that. Not irrelevance.
Josiah Moorhouse
July 19, 2020 at 5:56 am
Sure, because destroying a finite resource (water) is the answer to the energy crisis. Wrong. That burned hydrogen, and ergo water, cannot be replaced so easily. Thank goodness hydrogen fuel cells haven’t caught on! Hopefully that will remain the case.
Renewable energy sources (ie, solar) are clearly the way forward. The sun provides a virtually infinite supply of clean, free energy that can be harnessed to power nearly anything. And fortunately, it is solar that is catching on! Hopefully that will remain the case.
Daniel Skira
July 19, 2020 at 7:24 am
Very interresting. Why the music? A very annoying background noise.
Ignacio Irurita
July 19, 2020 at 9:21 am
The energy loss of converting water to hydrogen and then hydrogen to water makes it pointless in this applications. Why not just use the solar panels to power the motors…
tobi foong
July 20, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Probably because they are not moving all the time. So when in port they can store the energy as Hydrogen once the batteries are full.
Aloysius Fekete
July 19, 2020 at 3:12 pm
OMG, you mean you have to desalinate the water first? This must be so inefficient. I mean, why wouldn’t you just store the energy in Li batteries? And the boat has batteries anyway so why would you want to deal with the complexity of desalination + electrolysis + H2 storage + fuel cell equipment on top of that? Roundtrip efficiency with batteries is 90%. Must be well below 50% with this setup. Someone please explain why this makes sense?
Nick Arnoldi
July 20, 2020 at 6:41 pm
I agree and would also like to know the numbers behind the conversions. It feels like Toyota just had some extra hydrogen fuel systems laying around and sponsored this idea to try to make the “first” hydrogen fuel powered boat that can travel the globe.
The only upside I can see is you have unlimited potable water on demand in the middle of nowhere from the stored hydrogen.
Aloysius Fekete
July 20, 2020 at 7:52 pm
@Nick Arnoldi But, if you already have a desalination system don’t you already have potable water?
SoCalFreelance
July 19, 2020 at 10:53 pm
Definitely the future. Who wouldn’t love to travel around the world with zero energy costs and zero impact on the environment.
Brady Chuck
July 20, 2020 at 12:50 am
Or you can go nuclear have y’all seen a u.s aircraft carriers nuclear baby
Piotr R
July 20, 2020 at 7:11 am
Is there a trick to avoid panels stop producing energy when in shade of mast?
From what I know shading even small part of solar panel causes entire panel to not produce energy. That is because individual cells are connected in series.
Or is it just tradeoff – losing power from 20 panels for power of wind?
Wayne Flanigan
July 20, 2020 at 3:23 pm
WTF doesn’t mean what you say it means.
nico
July 20, 2020 at 7:18 pm
Hydrogen energy or simply water has been used on modified cars for a while now, but for some reason never improved and just disappear.
Andric Caldor
July 20, 2020 at 7:47 pm
My problem with hydrogen cars is not the absence of refueling stations, it’s the explosive nature of the fuel. If they can mix the hydrogen with something to make it less explosive, I might reconsider it. Also, the energy to put hydrogen into a tank is higher than the energy that is put into the tank. It creates a larger carbon footprint, which needs to be mitigated more.