Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius [Paperback]

Gavin Harper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0071496599 | ISBN-13: 978-0071496599 | Edition: 1

FUEL YOUR EVIL URGES WHILE YOU BUILD GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS!

Go green as you amass power! Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius broadens your knowledge of this important, rapidly developing technology and shows you how to build practical, environmentally conscious projects using the three most popular and widely accessible fuel cells!

In Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius, high-tech guru Gavin Harper gives you everything you need to conduct practical experiments and build energizing fuel cell projects. You'll find complete, easy-to-follow plans that feature clear diagrams and schematics, as well as:

• Instructions for fascinating sustainable energy projects, complete with 180 how-to illustrations
• Explanations of how fuel cells work and why the hydrogen economy will impact our lives in the near future
• Frustration-factor removal-all the needed parts are listed, along with sources
• Science fair project ideas that are on the cutting edge of the latest technological developments

Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius gives you complete plans, instructions, parts lists, and sources to:

• Understand how hydrogen could meet our energy needs in a post-carbon economy
• Build a fuel cell car to race against your friends
• Build an intelligent fuel cell car which autonomously drives
• Build a simple fuel cell using adhesive bandages
• Hydrogen fuel your iPod
• Have a hydrogen barbecue-cook your food with zero carbon emissions!
• Discover how the amounts of hydrogen supplied to fuel cells affect the amounts of electricity produced
• And much more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

[inside book] ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gavin D.J. Harper is the author of 50 Awesome Auto Projects for the Evil Genius, Build Your Own Car PC, 50 Model Rocket Projects for the Evil Genius, and Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius (all from McGraw-Hill), and has had work mentioned in the journal Science. Gavin holds a Diploma in Design & Innovation and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Technology from the Open University. He went on to study towards a Master of Science in Architecture with Advanced Environmental & Energy Studies with the University of East London at the Centre for Alternative Technology. He also holds the Diploma of Vilnius University, Lithuania. He has undertaken further study with the Open University and with Loughborough University's Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology. He is currently reading for his Ph.D into the impacts of Alternative Vehicles and Fuels at Cardiff University, Wales.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (April 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071496599
• ISBN-13: 978-0071496599
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Science & Math > Experiments, Instruments & Measurement > Experiments & Projects

More About the Author

The following pages give a pretty good summary of my life up till now!

http://education.independent.co.uk/graduate_options/article350044.ece

http://www.iee.org/OnComms/Circuit/jobs/Profiles/gavin_harper.cfm

I am currently putting the polish on a BSc. (Hons.) Technology degree, studied with the Open University (www.open.ac.uk), the OU claim that if I graduate at 19, I will be their youngest student to recieve a full degree. I am also writing the thesis for my MSc. Architecture: Advanced Environmental & Energy Studies which I have studied at the Centre for Alterntive Technology (www.cat.org.uk/msc).

I am currently evaluating my options for studying towards a PhD.

I have been featured in the Journal Science (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5783/25d)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars unequivocally disappointing, June 19, 2008

By 

W. Carver "crafty_bastage" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

This text provides an exceptionally low level of information on a rather diverse and exciting field. I realize that I am probably not the target audience of this work, but it really could have stood to add some information digestible above the 8th-grade reading level. Secondarily, it reads like a product catalog for [...] with poorly written "projects" attached to the product descriptions.

I realize that a two star rating on Amazon.com is a rather scathing appraisal, but I feel it is appropriate in this case. I understand that this is a recently released book, indeed my copy is a first edition. Even considering that, this book should have never made it into print in its current condition. Typos and blatant errors infest the entire work. Captions are attached to the wrong pictures, pictures have text cut off of them, in fact entire paragraphs repeat the same information contained in the previous paragraph. Frankly it speaks to me of markedly poor copy editing (or in my opinion, no editing whatsoever) and provides a fine example of the failure of companies like McGraw-Hill to continue their production of quality material.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice introduction to fuel cell concepts, August 23, 2008

By 

Chad C. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

This book served as a nice introduction to fuels cells. It explains the basic concepts and how to build your own simple fuel cells without getting overly technical. It covers a lot of the different fuel cells types. I had previously only known about PEM and methanol fuel cells and this book has interested me into doing further research on microbial fuel cells.

My one issue with the book is with the part numbers listed for items from Fuel Cell Store (which the author mentioned working with to write this book). The part numbers listed were not always able to be found on the website. The alkaline fuel cell from the book is one example, it is no longer available from the store. I was able to find the manufacturer's website and they said they are no longer making it. For a book that was just published this seemed odd and these errors should been caught during proofreading. These errors are more of an issue with the earlier chapters and with experiments that most people are probably going to skip anyway to get to the more interesting ones.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars less than genius, June 9, 2009

By 

Robert Elliott - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius (Paperback)

I was very disappointed in this book as I was lead to believe that it held practical uses rather than the "model car" projects. The book index should have stated that the projects were all for model cars, etc. i would like to get my money back!!