Hinton, 16, a junior at Southwest Open School in Cortez who assembled a model-size hydrogen car from a kit as a project in a renewable-energy class, says the day is coming.

"It'll probably be 50 years before they're in common use," Hinton said in a telephone interview. "But they possibly could be marketing some (other than current prototypes) in five years."

Hinton's hydrogen car consisted of a solar panel mounted on the car frame that contains a fuel cell and a tank with distilled water. The solar panel provides heat for the fuel cell to split the oxygen and hydrogen. In recombining the two elements, an electron is stolen from the hydrogen for electrical current.

Hinton has demonstrated the car at schools, including last month at Sunnyside Elementary School in Durango.

The project also won him an interview with radio's Paul Harvey.

At least one person who heard about Hinton's project called to urge him not to let anyone rip off his patent.

Hinton said there is no patent and that he hardly invented anything. The Apollo astronauts used hydrogen fuel cells as back-up energy.

"Micah always has been technically oriented," said father Eddie Hinton.

"It's his bent. He likes the thought process involved in creating."

Colin Biard is Micah Hinton's math teacher and was the adviser on the hydrogen car project.

"It was an alternative-energy class combining math and physics with a focus on alternative energy sources," Biard said. "Micah, as a musician, wanted to investigate sound waves as an energy source.

But there was too little research done, so he chose the hydrogen cell.

"I'm impressed with Micah in that he allows himself to get curious about learning new things," Biard said. "He never shies way from a challenge."

Hydrogen-car development still interests Hinton, but there are other things to do, too.

"I still study the hydrogen car, but it's not the main thing for me," Hinton said. "I'm doing 3-D animation at school now. I'm going to take college-level courses next year."

In fact, he's eyeing a career in designing video games or feature films with graphics.

And there's still music to play.

Hinton, who took up drums about seven years ago, is a member of Sower of Discord, a heavy metal band he formed with friends Joe Cornett, guitarist, and Jason Lanyon, bassist.

daler@durangoherald.com