This web page contains a set of discussion sections that may helpful in explaining how the project moved forward.
With the grand push for Electric Vehicles well underway, there seems to be a huge stumbling block. That stumbling block is the Lithium battery technology. The state of the Lithium battery technology seems to offer a reasonable 225 mile to 320 mile range depending upon cost, weight, and power options. A range of 250-300 miles begins to make people comfortable with EV's. But the weight and cost of Lithium batteries plus reliability greatly inhibit acceptance.
In 1966-1967 while attending a junior college in Oklahoma I supported myself working after classes at the Ft Sill Post Exchange Branch in Snow Hall. I had an opportunity to visit the Snow Hall Library many times.
It was there that I read about hydrogen fuel cell propelled electric vehicles. The source of this discovery was a declassified study produced in the med-50's projecting how the US Army was likely to engage in war in 1975.
The study had a number of projections correct like fire-and-forget ordinance, laser guide ordinance, small caliber assault rifles, hydrogen fuel-cell propelled electric vehicles/rovers, large body troop/cargo transports,
ultra-light aircraft for troop transport. There were also a number of blind alleys down which the study wandered. The study missed the advent of semiconductors and the space race. Asymmetric warfare had no place in the
study's projections.
Subsequently, I was able to gain admission to West Point in 1968. In the early fall of 1971, the Mechanical Engineering
Department (LTC Radler or CPT Mlakar) "threw down" a design challenge. The challenge was to field an electric vehicle
for the 1972 Clean Air Car Race or more realistically, 1974. At that first meeting the team's Engineering Staff Advisor
informed the few cadets who responded that USMA would provide various resources such as a Jeep, batteries or a hydrogen
fuel cell, electric motors, and advisors from various engineering disciplines. There was a good deal of initial enthusiasm
going head-to-head with Cal Tech, MIT, and Wayne University.
More realistically the team thought it would be more likely that a competitive vehicle might be ready for the test track in the
1973-74 trimeframe. My participation waned as I proceeded toward June 7, 1972 graduation. Following the closure of my
service obligation I pursued a career in the electronic and software industries. I retired in August 2017. A quick review of
my web site should reveal a broad spectrum of interest that I have been lucky enough to pursue.
As a long-time advocate of efficient propollusion and high mileage vehicles I have logged over 68,000 miles on motorcycles and ove
500,000 miles in three different diesel powered vehicles. I have been engaged in solar charging automotive batteries since 2006. I am
currently in-line to purchase a basic Aptera EV
with a minimum 250 mile full charge range coupled with solar charge capabilty range increment.
Below are the shortcomings of the Floating Gate Electron Reservoir Power Source: