Jack Nicholson Supported Hydrogen and Solar Power in 1978
Jack Nicholson was an early adopter of the green scene, as can be seen below. Nicholson supported hydrogen power, which, judging by the reactions of the others in the video, was a very strange idea back then. Alternative energy sources weren’t a blip on the radar at this point.
Clearly Nicholson’s support didn’t help hydrogen power at all.
A couple of years after one flew over the cuckoo’s nest. In the comments on this post on the huffingtonpost.com a discussion about the feasibility. One commenter sums up some disadvantages from Skeptic:eSkeptic.
Energy density is poor, the tank pressure is so high at 3000 PSI (requiring thick HEAVY tanks). You need allot of energy just to move the heavy tank around.
Producing it requires alot of energy.
Gaskets and seals at this pressure don’t last long and require expensive maintenance. A tiny microscopic leak can drain a tank fast.
Range is poor. a 400kg hydrogen tank/fuel gives 165 miles, a 73 kg gas tank/fuel gives 493 miles.
Another commenter puts forward
Technology exists today to release hydrogen from H2O easily at over-unity. Yes, I said it now make fun. Some know that the 2nd law of thermodynamics has been broken thanks to the efforts of a few people but most won’t tell you and will even lie about it. We no longer have to carry high pressure vessels of hydrogen the way Jack demonstrated you just have a tank of non-volatile water.
I haven’t got a clue myself, anyone? Was nice to see those old days again.
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April 18, 2015 @ 5:44 am
It is just NOT true that alternative power was just a “blip” on the screen back in 1978. Industrial designer, Brooks Stevens, had put several vehicle proposals before the public by that time. He even did an extensive design of a fuel-cell motor home. I knew of four engineers working on electrical cars. Windmills as sources of electric power were being used on a limited scale. There was even an engineer at Cornell who got into the news when he proposed a vast “net” to be placed in outer space above the earth to collect the energy of the sun in a more efficient manner than collecting the energy after it had been diluted by our atmosphere.