Are you kidding? What do you think water is? It is burned hydrogen. Also, water vapor is much more of a 'greenhouse gas' than CO2. Do you know what the CO2 percentage in the atmo is?
Fuel From a Garden Hose - Hydrogen Fuel
by BlackPearl 25 Replies latest jw friends
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JeffT
Supposedly the Hindenburg didn't ignite because of hydrogen. It was something else, i forget what, it's mentioned on several sites...
No it didn't ignite from the hydrogen. Hydrogen was the fuel, not the ignition source. There are a lot of questions about the ignition source - static electricity, sabatoge etc. The skin of the ship was also coated with flammable paint (not unusual in the 1930's, but it wouldn't have made much difference once the hydrogen lit up.
Also supposedly the fuel cells are no more combustible than a gas tank.
Supposedly is a big word in this context, and sometimes cars burn. Hydrogen may have its uses, but it is hardly a panacea for all our problems.
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heathen
They already are building and using vehicles powered by hydrogen , it works , no question about it. I agree there should be no excuse other than greed as to why we can't use the technology and get off fossil fuels. Our economy is based on oil prices so if they continue to force it on us then the economy is maintainable.
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JamesThomas
Are you kidding? What do you think water is? It is burned hydrogen. Also, water vapor is much more of a 'greenhouse gas' than CO2. Do you know what the CO2 percentage in the atmo is?
Just before you burn hydrogen or hydroxy (hydrogen/oxygen gas mix), you have separated the hydrogen and oxygen molecules from water. Upon burning hydrogen or hydroxy, the by product is water. No more than what you started with. What's the problem? Is carbon and sulfur emissions some how better? Of course CO2 would be generated if fossil fuel plants where being used to supply electricity for electrolysis. However, there are other pollution free means. Little wonder we are stuck in fossil-fuel consciousness with the fear and negativity exhibited by many people. Personally, I don't feel that hydrogen is the big wave of the future, so much as up coming developments in new high efficient solar and wind technologies to produce electricity, and new generations of fast charging super-capacitors as energy storage. It's not unlikely that in ten years we'll have exceptionally practical, pollution free, electric vehicles with range and speed better than gas powered cars. It would likely be sooner if there was more help from the government, but they are the epitome of foolish-fossil-fuel-consciousness. They are a dying breed. j
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rassillon
What people often forget to count is the material production and energy usage in producing and the raw material and finished products which take advantage of these forms of energy. Sometimes the materials which are specialized are petrochemicals, meaning basically it was produced by the oil industry. Plastics esters epoxies urethanes etc etc... It is much harder to brake ones dependence on "OIL" than one may think. What will you use for engine oil, electric wire insulation or numerous other petro products? I don't think the world except for the most diehard tree hugger is prepared for what you will have to give up.
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JamesThomas
What people often forget to count is the material production and energy usage in producing and the raw material and finished products which take advantage of these forms of energy. Sometimes the materials which are specialized are petrochemicals, meaning basically it was produced by the oil industry. Plastics esters epoxies urethanes etc etc... It is much harder to brake ones dependence on "OIL" than one may think. What will you use for engine oil, electric wire insulation or numerous other petro products? I don't think the world except for the most diehard tree hugger is prepared for what you will have to give up.
Plastics can be made from canola oil. Actually making products -- other than fuels -- with petroleum, is not nearly as unhealthy as burning the crap. Indeed petroleum products degrade over time, but much can be recycled. It's not that big a problem. Perhaps if we opened our minds to healthier alternatives, rather than discrediting and discounting low pollution technology, we'd actually have a healthier place for our children to live. It's amazing that one has to actually argue this. j tree-hugger class
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PrimateDave
Hi BP, I'm not an expert on any of this, but I will try to answer based on what I know.
1. Why can't solar power be used as the energy source at an individuals home to produce the Hydrogen and store it? Then fill the tank once a week with the collected Hydrogen.
Yes, this is possible. In my original post my only caveat was cost. A large part of this cost is due to scalability. We made hydrogen in science class in high school. That's not the problem. But, how much hydrogen does it take to drive the average 250 miles per week in a typical 2000lb. vehicle? How much electricity does it take to produce that amount? Depending on weather conditions and hours of daylight available, how many solar panels would it take to make more than enough electricity? Then you need special storage and pumping systems. Hydrogen has to be stored under great pressure. How much of your electricity will it take to achieve that pressure. All this is to say that it is expensive, and in my opinion it is not a "green" solution for transportation.
2. If we're using solar power to produce the Hydrogen, then I guess the question arises, why not just use the energy produced by the solar collector to power a vehicle in a battery and skip the Hydrogen process?
Exactly. You can use readily available materials all the way and it would be far cheaper. On top of that, you can plug in just about anywhere to get a recharge too.
3. Can the Hydrogen be collected onboard the vehicle while traveling? Could we put solar panels on the rooftop (or some sort of wind generated form of collecting energy in the grill- like the windmills that produce energy by virtue of generating energy with the wind passing by) of the vehicle to capture the electrical power needed to produce the Hydrogen, then use that DC power to extract Hydrogen when the car needs it as opposed to storing it?
To answer the first part of your question check out the solar car. As you can see from the link, these vehicles are extremely aerodynamic and lightweight because the energy from sunlight, even on a clear summer day, is still relatively diffuse. That is to say, sunlight is not concentrated energy. It is interesting to note that these solar cars use compact rechargeable batteries to save space and weight. A hydrogen conversion, storage, and combustion apparatus would add too much unnecessary weight.
Now, I'm not entirely sure if I understand what you are getting at with the second part of that question. If you are referring to land sailing, then I must admit that that sounds like a lot of fun. However, if you are referring to using the apparent wind generated by a vehicle's motion, then I must say that it cannot work as it violates the laws of thermodynamics. As you can see from the pictures of the solar cars, designers try to make vehicles as aerodynamic as possible because energy loss from wind resistance is unrecoverable.
4. Why can't we use Hydrogen as a fuel and burn it like gasoline in our engines as it's being produced onboard?
You can burn hydrogen in an ICE. I honestly don't know what kind of conversion is necessary beyond the obvious fuel system differences. I think that fuel cells are supposed to be much more efficient, giving far greater range on the same amount of hydrogen. Even at high storage pressures, hydrogen tanks take up lots of vehicle space. I think that they are specially made of carbon fiber due to the corrosive effects of hydrogen gas on metals. Can hydrogen be made from solar panels on the car? Yes, but you wouldn't have much range if you only relied on them, same as with recharging batteries using solar cells on a car.
Any "green" solution will involve a radical shift in our priorities. I think that the solar car I linked to above is a good example of that. It is small, lightweight, and aerodynamic. A Ford Expedition it is not.
Like it or not, we are products of the oil age. Oil is stable at room temperature. Oil is a very concentrated energy source. Oil can be transported easily in common metal and plastic containers. Oil is an unparalleled substance, not even equaled by natural gas and coal in it's versatility and usefulness. That is why the human race has become locked into it and utterly dependent on it. I believe technology won't save us from our addiction.
Dave -
poppers
"Supposedly the Hindenburg didn't ignite because of hydrogen. It was something else, i forget what, it's mentioned on several sites... "
As somebody mentioned earlier, it was the "doping" compound on the outside of the Hindunburg that ignited first, most probably from a build up of static electricity. The compound was found on a surviving piece of the Hindunburg fabric and analyzed. It was like rocket fuel, and that, combined with the hydrogen, made for an especially lethal combination. -
BlackPearl
Dave,
Seems to me the best alternative we have, or ever will have is the electric motor. We can plug in at home, recharge and run the next day. If only a small percentage of the population, (like me, who only travel short distances to work) would use this technology, we could cut down on a lot of CO2 in the atmosphere. If we can't get Hydrogen to work safely, effectively and cheaply then I think electric cars must be the future.
BP
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Terry
Fuel Cell
History
The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and published in the January 1839 edition of the "Philosophical Magazine". [7] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was developed by Welsh scientist Sir William Robert Grove in 1843. The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today's phosphoric-acid fuel cell . In 1955, W. Thomas Grubb, a chemist working for the General Electric Company (GE), further modified the original fuel cell design by using a sulphonated polystyrene ion-exchange membrane as the electrolyte. Three years later another GE chemist, Leonard Niedrach, devised a way of depositing platinum onto the mebrane, which served as catalyst for the necessary hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions. This became known as the 'Grubb-Niedrach fuel cell'. GE went on to develop this technology with NASA, leading to it being used on the Gemini space project. This was the first commercial use of a fuel cell. It wasn't until 1959 that British engineer Francis Thomas Bacon successfully developed a 5 kW stationary fuel cell. In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants. Later in 1959, Bacon and his colleagues demonstrated a practical five-kilowatt unit capable of powering a welding machine. In the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney licensed Bacon's U.S. patents for use in the U.S. space program to supply electricity and drinking water (hydrogen and oxygen being readily available from the spacecraft tanks).
UTC 's Power subsidiary was the first company to manufacture and commercialize a large, stationary fuel cell system for use as a co-generation power plant in hospitals, universities and large office buildings. UTC Power continues to market this fuel cell as the PureCell 200, a 200 kW system. [8] UTC Power continues to be the sole supplier of fuel cells to NASA for use in space vehicles, having supplied the Apollo missions and currently the Space Shuttle program , and is developing fuel cells for automobiles, buses, and cell phone towers; the company has demonstrated the first fuel cell capable of starting under freezing conditions with its proton exchange membrane automotive fuel cell.
In 2006 Staxon introduced an inexpensive OEM fuel cell module for system integration. In 2006 Angstrom Power , a British Columbia based company, began commercial sales of portable devices using proprietary hydrogen fuel cell technology, trademarked as "micro hydrogen." [9] [10]
Types of fuel cells
Fuel Cell Name Electrolyte Qualified Power (W) Working Temperature (°C) Electrical efficiency Status Metal hydride fuel cell Aqueousalkaline solution (e.g. potassium hydroxide ) ? above -20 50%P peak @ 0 ? Commercial/Research Electro-galvanic fuel cell Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., potassium hydroxide) ? under 40 ? Commercial/Research Direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) Polymer membrane (ionomer) to 50 W under 40 ? Commercial/Research Zinc-air battery Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., potassium hydroxide) ? under 40 ? Mass production Microbial fuel cell Polymer membrane or humic acid ? under 40 ? Research Upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) ? under 40 ? Research Reversible fuel cell Polymer membrane ( ionomer ) ? under 50 ? Commercial/Research Direct borohydride fuel cell Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., sodium hydroxide ) ? 70 ? Commercial Alkaline fuel cell Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., potassium hydroxide) 10 kW to 100 kW under 80 Cell: 60–70%
System: 62%Commercial/Research Direct methanol fuel cell Polymer membrane (ionomer) 100 kW to 1mW 90–120 Cell: 20–30%
System: 10–20%Commercial/Research Reformed methanol fuel cell Polymer membrane (ionomer) 5W to 100 kW (Reformer)250–300
(PBI)125–200Cell: 50–60%
System: 25–40%Commercial/Research Direct-ethanol fuel cell Polymer membrane (ionomer) up to 140 mW/cm² above 25
? 90–120? Research Formic acid fuel cell Polymer membrane (ionomer) ? 90–120 ? Research Proton exchange membrane fuel cell Polymer membrane (ionomer) (e.g., Nafion ® or Polybenzimidazole fiber ) 100W to 500 kW (Nafion)70–120
(PBI)125–220Cell: 50–70%
System: 30–50%Commercial/Research RFC - Redox Liquid electrolytes with redox shuttle & polymer membrane (Ionomer) 1 kW to 10MW ? ? Research Phosphoric acid fuel cell Molten phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ) up to 10MW 150-200 Cell: 55%
System: 40%
Co-Gen: 90%Commercial/Research Molten carbonate fuel cell Molten alkaline carbonate (e.g., sodium bicarbonate NaHCO 3 ) 100MW 600-650 Cell: 55%
System: 47%Commercial/Research Tubular solid oxide fuel cell (TSOFC) 600-650 Research Protonic ceramic fuel cell H + -conducting ceramic oxide ? 700 ? Research Direct carbon fuel cell Several different ? 700-850 Cell: 80%
System: 70%Commercial/Research Solid oxide fuel cell O 2- -conducting ceramic oxide (e.g., zirconium dioxide , ZrO 2 ) up to 100MW 700–1000 Cell: 60–65%
System: 55–60%Commercial/Research Efficiency
Fuel cell efficiency
The efficiency of a fuel is dependent on the amount of power drawn from it. Drawing more power means drawing more current, which increases the losses in the fuel cell. As a general rule, the more power (current) drawn, the lower the efficiency. Most losses manifest themselves as a voltage drop in the cell, so the efficiency of a cell is almost proportional to its voltage. For this reason, it is common to show graphs of voltage versus current (so-called polarization curves) for fuel cells. A typical cell running at 0.7 V has an efficiency of about 50%, meaning that 50% of the energy content of the hydrogen is converted into electrical energy; the remaining 50% will be converted into heat. (Depending on the fuel cell system design, some fuel might leave the system unreacted, constituting an additional loss.)
For a hydrogen cell operating at standard conditions with no reactant leaks, the efficiency is equal to the cell voltage divided by 1.48 V, based on the enthalpy , or heating value, of the reaction. For the same cell, the second law efficiency is equal to cell voltage divided by 1.23 V. (This voltage varies with fuel used, and quality and temperature of the cell.) The difference between these number represents the difference between the reaction's enthalpy and Gibbs free energy . This difference always appears as heat, along with any losses in electrical conversion efficiency. [2]
Fuel cells are not constrained by the maximum Carnot cycle efficiency as combustion engines are, because they do not operate with a thermal cycle. At times, this is misrepresented when fuel cells are stated to be exempt from the laws of thermodynamics. Instead, it can be described that the "limitations imposed by the second law of thermodynamics on the operation of fuel cells are much less severe than the limitations imposed on conventional energy conversion systems". [11] Consequently, they can have very high efficiencies in converting chemical energy to electrical energy , especially when they are operated at low power density, and using pure hydrogen and oxygen as reactants.
In practice
For a fuel cell operated on air (rather than bottled oxygen), losses due to the air supply system must also be taken into account. This refers to the pressurization of the air and adding moisture to it. This reduces the efficiency significantly and brings it near to the efficiency of a compression ignition engine. Furthermore fuel cells have lower efficiencies at higher loads.
The tank-to-wheel efficiency of a fuel cell vehicle is about 45% at low loads and shows average values of about 36% when a driving cycle like the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) is used as test procedure. [12] . The comparable NEDC value for a Diesel vehicle is 22%.
It is also important to take losses due to production, transportation, and storage into account. Fuel cell vehicles running on compressed hydrogen may have a power-plant-to-wheel efficiency of 22% if the hydrogen is stored as high-pressure gas, and 17% if it is stored as liquid hydrogen . [13]
Fuel cells cannot store energy like a battery, but in some applications, such as stand-alone power plants based on discontinuous sources such as solar or wind power , they are combined with electrolyzers and storage systems to form an energy storage system. The overall efficiency (electricity to hydrogen and back to electricity) of such plants (known as round-trip efficiency) is between 30 and 50%, depending on conditions. [14] While a much cheaper lead-acid battery might return about 90%, the electrolyzer/fuel cell system can store indefinite quantities of hydrogen, and is therefore better suited for long-term storage.
Solid-oxide fuel cells produce exothermic heat from the recombination of the oxygen and hydrogen. The ceramic can run as hot as 800 degrees Celsius. This heat can be captured and used to heat water in a combined heat and power (CHP) application. When the heat is captured, total efficiency can reach 80-90%. CHP units are being developed today for the European home market.
Fuel cell applications
Fuel cells are very useful as power sources in remote locations, such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, and in certain military applications. A fuel cell system running on hydrogen can be compact, lightweight and has no major moving parts. Because fuel cells have no moving parts, and do not involve combustion, in ideal conditions they can achieve up to 99.9999% reliability. [15] This equates to less than one minute of down time in a six year period.
A new application is micro combined heat and power , which is cogeneration for family homes, office buildings and factories. This type of system generates constant electric power (selling excess power back to the grid when it is not consumed), and at the same time produce hot air and water from the waste heat. A lower fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency is tolerated (typically 15-20%), because most of the energy not converted into electricity is utilized as heat. Some heat is lost with the exhaust gas just as in a normal furnace , so the combined heat and power efficiency is still lower than 100%, typically around 80%. In terms of exergy however, the process is inefficient, and one could do better by maximizing the electricity generated and then using the electricity to drive a heat pump . Phosphoric-acid fuel cells (PAFC) comprise the largest segment of existing CHP products worldwide and can provide combined efficiencies close to 80% (45-50% electric + remainder as thermal). UTC Power is currently the world's largest manufacturer of PAFC fuel cells. Molten-carbonate fuel cells have also been installed in these applications, and solid-oxide fuel cell prototypes exist.
However, since electrolyzer systems do not store fuel in themselves, but rather rely on external storage units, they can be successfully applied in large-scale energy storage, rural areas being one example. In this application, batteries would have to be largely oversized to meet the storage demand, but fuel cells only need a larger storage unit (typically cheaper than an electrochemical device).
One such pilot program is operating on Stuart Island in Washington State. There the Stuart Island Energy Initiative [1] has built a complete, closed-loop system: Solar panels power an electrolyzer which makes hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in a 500 gallon tank at 200 PSI,and runs a ReliOn fuel cell to provide full electric back-up to the off-the-grid residence. The SIEI website gives extensive technical details.
Suggested applications
- Base load power plants
- Electric and hybrid vehicles .
- Auxiliary power
- Off- grid power supply
- Notebook computers for applications where AC charging may not be available for weeks at a time.
- Portable charging docks for small electronics (e.g. a belt clip that charges your cell phone or PDA ).
Hydrogen transportation and refuelling
Toyota FCHVPEM FC fuel cell vehicle - For more details on this topic, see Hydrogen station .
The first public hydrogen refueling station was opened in Reykjavík , Iceland in April 2003. This station serves three buses built by DaimlerChrysler that are in service in the public transport net of Reykjavík. The station produces the hydrogen it needs by itself, with an electrolyzing unit (produced by Norsk Hydro ), and does not need refilling: all that enters is electricity and water. Royal Dutch Shell is also a partner in the project. The station has no roof, in order to allow any leaked hydrogen to escape to the atmosphere.
- For more details on this topic, see Hydrogen highway .
The GM 1966 Electrovan was the automotive industry's first attempt at an automobile powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The Electrovan, which weighed more than twice as much as a normal van, could travel up to 70 miles an hour. [16] [17]
The 2001 Chrysler Natrium used its own on-board hydrogen processor. It produces hydrogen for the fuel cell by reacting sodium borohydride fuel with Borax , both of which Chrysler claimed was naturally occurring in great quantity in the United States. [2] The hydrogen produces electric power in the fuel cell for near-silent operation and a range of 300 miles without impinging on passenger space. Chrysler also developed vehicles which separated hydrogen from gasoline in the vehicle, the purpose being to reduce emissions without relying on a nonexistent hydrogen infrastructure and to avoid large storage tanks. [18]
In 2005 the British firm Intelligent Energy produced the first ever working hydrogen run motorcycle called the ENV (Emission Neutral Vehicle). The motorcycle holds enough fuel to run for four hours, and to travel 100 miles in an urban area. Its top speed is 50 miles per hour. [19] Honda is also going to offer fuel-cell motorcycles . [20] [21]
There are numerous prototype or production cars and buses based on fuel cell technology being researched or manufactured. Research is ongoing at a variety of motor car manufacturers. Honda has announced the release of a hydrogen vehicle in 2008. [22]
Currently, a team of college students called Energy-Quest is planning to take a hydrogen fuel cell powered boat around the world (as well as other projects using efficient or renewable fuels). Their venture is called the Triton. [citation needed]
Type 212 submarines use fuel cells to remain submerged for weeks without the need to surface.
Boeing researchers and industry partners throughout Europe are planning to conduct experimental flight tests in 2007 of a manned airplane powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries . The Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane research project was completed recently and thorough systems integration testing is now under way in preparation for upcoming ground and flight testing. The Boeing demonstrator uses a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell/ lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor, which is coupled to a conventional propeller.
Hydrogen economy
- Main article: Hydrogen economy
Electrochemical extraction of energy from hydrogen via fuel cells is an especially clean and efficient method of meeting our power needs, and introduces the need for establishing the infrastructure for a hydrogen economy. It must however be noted that regarding the concept of the hydrogen vehicle , burning/ combustion of hydrogen in an internal combustion engine (IC/ICE) is oftentimes confused with the electrochemical process of generating electricity via fuel cells (FC) in which there is no combustion (though there is a small byproduct of heat in the reaction). Both processes require the establishment of a hydrogen economy before they may be considered commercially viable. Hydrogen combustion is similar to petroleum combustion (minus the emissions) and is thus limited by the Carnot efficiency , but is completely different from the hydrogen fuel cell's chemical conversion process of hydrogen to electricity and water without combustion. Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water, while direct methane or natural gas conversions (whether IC or FC) generate carbon dioxide emissions.
Hydrogen is typically thought of as an energy carrier , and not generally as an energy source, because it is usually produced from other energy sources via petroleum combustion, wind power , or solar photovoltaic cells . Nevertheless, hydrogen may be considered an energy source when extracted from subsurface reservoirs of hydrogen gas, methane and natural gas ( steam reforming and water gas shift reaction ), coal ( coal gasification ) or shale oil ( oil shale gasification ). Electrolysis, which requires electricity , and high-temperature electrolysis / thermochemical production , which requires high temperatures (ideal for nuclear reactors ), are two primary methods for the extraction of hydrogen from water.
As of 2005, 49.7% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal , 19.3% comes from nuclear , 18.7% comes from natural gas , 6.5% from hydroelectricity , 3% from petroleum and the remaining 2.8% mostly coming from geothermal , solar and biomass . [3] When hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, the energy comes from these sources. Though the fuel cell itself will only emit heat and water as waste, pollution is oftentimes produced to make the hydrogen that it runs on; unless it is either mined, or generated by solar, wind or other clean power sources. If fusion power were to become a viable energy source then this would provide a clean method of producing abundant electricity. Hydrogen production is only as clean as the energy sources used to produce it. A holistic approach has to take into consideration the impacts of an extended hydrogen scenario. This refers to the production, the use and the disposal of infrastructure and energy converters.
Nowadays low temperature fuel cell stacks proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) make extensive use of catalysts . Impurities poison or foul the catalysts (reducing activity and efficiency), thus higher catalyst densities are required. [23] Limited reserves of platinum quicken the synthesis of an inorganic complex very similar to the catalytic iron-sulfur core of bacterial hydrogenase to step in. [24] Although platinum is seen by some as one of the major "showstoppers" to mass market fuel cell commercialization companies, most predictions of platinum running out and/or platinum prices soaring do not take into account effects of thrifting (reduction in catalyst loading) and recycling. Recent research at Brookhaven National Laboratory could lead to the replacement of platinum by a gold - palladium coating which may be less susceptible to poisoning and thereby improve fuel cell lifetime considerably. [25] Current targets for a transport PEM fuel cells are 0.2 g/kW Pt – which is a factor of 5 decrease over current loadings – and recent comments from major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) indicate that this is possible. Also it is fully anticipated that recycling of fuel cells components, including platinum, will kick-in.
Research and development
- August 2005: Georgia Institute of Technology researchers use triazole to raise the operating temperature of PEM fuel cells from below 100 °C to over 120 °C, claiming this will require less carbon-monoxide purification of the hydrogen fuel. [26]
- September 2005: Technical University of Denmark (DTU) scientists announced in September 2005 a method of storing hydrogen in the form of ammonia saturated into a salt tablet. They claim it will be an inexpensive and safe storage method. [27]
- January 2006: Virent Energy Systems is working on developing a low cost method [28] for producing hydrogen on demand - from certain sugar/water mixtures (using one of glycerol , sorbitol , or hydrogenated glucose derivatives). Such a technology, if successful would solve many of the infrastructure ( hydrogen storage ) issues associated with the hydrogen economy. [29]
- May 2007: Purdue University researchers have developed a method that uses aluminum and gallium alloy to extract hydrogen from water. They state that "the hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it." [30]
