Woz and Buz to the South Pole
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For those of you who aren't intimately familiar with the history of Apple, you are probably thinking the title of this article is for tonight's episode of Ren and Stimpy. But for some, it might make a little more sense. Steve Wozniak, or Woz for short, left Apple in 1985, and has kept himself busy with a variety of projects. During a recent conference at Stanford, Woz announced he plans to drive to the South Pole in a Hummer H1 in 2007. Before you all cry foul about the emissions he will leave behind, the Hummer will be fitted with a hydrogen powered fuel cell, so the only emissions will be water. Woz's co pilot will be Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon in 1969. The whole endeavor will be filmed in 3D by filmmaker James Cameron. From an engineer's perspective, this is quite a challenge, since running a fuel cell in extreme temperatures isn't particularly easy. Fuel cells contain water, acting as a humidifier for the membranes, and we all know water likes to freeze. The group has received advice from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which has been running some hydrogen fuel-cell powered buses. I'm not sure how much experience the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has with running fuel cells in South Pole-like conditions though.
[Source: Barron's Online, via tuaw.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1985 Gripen 1:38AM (8/04/2006)
I don't want to be a big buzzkill and all, but where did they get their hydrogen from? Depending on how it was generated, technically we COULD cry about emissions.
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Philip Miller 12:12PM (8/04/2006)
Why not all electric? Seems to make more sense. If you are going to stage a stunt, do it with something really pratical and inspiring. Control the pollution/power generation in local non movinging locations but liberate the storage. Battery Tech is months away from a breakout.
Peace in the middle earth.
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TSW 6:04PM (8/09/2006)
batteries operate less efficiently when in extreme heat or cold too.
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