Replies to post #6364 on World Surveillance Group Inc (fka WSGI)

[guy6]

Hydrogen: Not dangerous?
I seem to recall reading somewhere that hydrogen in
lighter-than-air craft is not inherently dangerous,
although it does have a bad reputation because of the Hindenburg.
If my memory is correct, some sort of design flaw was
more to blame than the hydrogen.
I think flammable airplane dope was used on the skin,
and some heat source was not properly isolated.
If this is correct [anybody out there know for sure?],
then hydrogen might be a PR problem,
but not an engineering problem.

- guy6

[Danman48]

William D. Van Vorst proved that the aluminum coating of the Hindenburg caused the disaster. The substance used to coat its skin was flammable but also made the fabric more durable. It was a combination of iron oxide, cellulose acetate, and aluminum powder. Also the way the skin was attached to the frame allowed a large electrostatic charge to build up. This was what caused the explosion. Hydrogen is as flammable as gasoline and less than propane. But it burns clear not bright red like the explosion.

As for generating Hydrogen from 4 ppm in air. Hydrogen gas exists as a diatomic (H2) so you're looking at 4 parts per million in a litre of gas. The lifting power of 1 cu. ft. of hydrogen gas is about 0.076 lb at 0 deg C and 760 mmHg. So you're going to need a WHOLE lot of water on the order of gallons not ppm in the atmosphere. They're talking about full cells for batteries. I doubt they're going to be up there producing H2 gas to make the thing stay up there.

Trying to keep the science real.

-Dan