Don Meaker
2008-07-06 14:50:01
Nickel-Cadmium batteries have a memory, and wear out. Lead Acid leak hydrogen gas and sufuric acid can be a hazard. Lithium ion batteries finally come with a circuit that controls the discharge rate and recharge rate, so that they don’t blow up, don’t overheat, and don’t wear out.
The best battery would be a fuel cell, which skims off the hydrogen from hydrocarbons, then uses it with atmospheric oxygen as a battery, emitting water. That would use the hydrogen with 70% efficiency, compared with 25% efficiency for normal combustion engines. The carbon core from the hydrocarbon could be burned (releasing carbon dioxide) to provide energy needed to release the hydrogen.
