Introduction
Nowadays, people are aggressively searching for more ways on how they could save on gas. In effect, companies are being pressured to offer something new to consumers other than their conventional cars. This is evident with their notable development of new technologies that are obviously aimed for fuel economy; one of which would be the hydrogen hybrid car.

Combining Two Innovative Technologies
Hydrogen technology and hybrid technology are two different innovations that are used to save gas, increase your vehicle’s power and most of all, make your car more environmental friendly in contrast to conventionally fuelled vehicles. Considering each of them are already powerful solely by themselves, just imagine if these two technologies are combined!

Well, here’s the good news, manufacturers have been working on hydrogen hybrid cars and they have finally come up with vehicles that support both of the said technologies! So, here are the essentials on what you should know about hydrogen powered hybrid cars.

How Does It Work?
Hydrogen hybrid cars actually make use of fuel cells. Major carmakers, focus on fuel cells, since they say it’s more clean and efficient than mere hydrogen internal combustion engines alone. Rather than burning fuel inside the engine, fuel cells would act more like batteries, where they would use electrochemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity.

One company that is known to develop fuel cells would be Anuvu, which is actually almost prepared to produce large cargo vans and Nissan Frontier pickups that run on hydrogen and fuel cells.

A Deeper Look
What the company is selling are actually hybrid fuel cell vehicles. This kind of vehicle is the kind that utilizes a quite small fuel cell system in order to provide power to an electric motor, which supplies all the heavy work for the vehicle to move. The car is quite similar to gas-electric hybrids, which are currently on the market. However, this time, the vehicle makes use of fuel cells rather than internal combustion engines.

The stack of fuel cells has the ability to recharge the hybrid battery. Nevertheless, the latter could also be recharged simply by plugging it to a wall. Experts consider it to be an electric car that has all advantages that a car of its kind could have minus the disadvantages.

Trouble Shooting
You wouldn’t have to worry about hydrogen leaks either. If ever one occurs, hydrogen hybrid car censors would shut down your fuel cell stack. Nevertheless, there’s no need to worry since you could still drive your vehicle for another 30 miles simply by using your vehicle’s hybrid battery.

Looking At Mazda
On the other hand, Mazda also has their mixed hybrid and hydrogen car to offer. This would be the Mazda 5, which is known as the Premacy Hydrogen Hybrid in Japan. Nevertheless, whatever name you want to call it, this car is actually a concept vehicle. It is a hydrogen minivan in style. They say that it was based on RX-8 Hydrogen RE car. Mazda 5 is a rotary mild-hybrid bi-fuel which is considered to be the first mass-marketed car of its kind.

The Specs
This car actually runs using both compressed hydrogen gas and gasoline. All you have to do is just press a button on its dashboard and you would transform this minivan to a green vehicle. Press again to change back again whenever you need more distance to be covered.

It introduces a gasoline / bi-fuel hydrogen internal combustion engine. This solves one of the major infrastructure issues circling around where users could buy hydrogen when fuel stations still dominate the main scene. By doing this, hydrogen manufacturers and distributors would be given the incentive and chance to take their distribution network to a massive scale.

This hydrogen hybrid car’s rotary engine and hybrid unit are transversely mounted in front of the car having a layout for a front-wheel drive. Additionally, it has a high-voltage battery underneath its 2nd row of seats. The gasoline tank is also near the high-voltage battery, while you can find the hydrogen tank next to the back seats. This kind of arrangement provides you a roomy and comfortable interior. It also gives you excellent driving performance along with environmental benefits.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices similar to batteries that directly convert chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy and heat. They are different from batteries in that they consume reactant, which must be replenished, while batteries store electrical energy chemically in a closed system.

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 where conventional power may be difficult to obtain.

Although fuel cells are usually classified by their operating temperature and the type of electrolyte they use, they are not constrained by the maximum Carnot cycle efficiency as combustion engines are, because they do not operate with a thermal cycle.

There are many benefits to fuel cells, first, they are not dependent on dwindling oil supplies, running instead on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and second, fuel cells are much less polluting and about twice as efficient as typical steam-turbine electricity production. They are an extremely clean source of power because they combine hydrogen and oxygen the two elements that make up water, the main byproduct.

Fuel cells are no longer tomorrow’s technology, the stuff of science fiction and space travel. They are used in many different applications that may not seem like a significant achievement, however the ways in which they can be used are growing every day.

Fuel cells are proof that there are smart, safe, and clean alternative power sources. It is proof that we can be self sustaining and that dependence on fossil fuels will one day soon be obsolete. Fuel cells have been referred to as continuous batteries when they are supplied with fuel as the can be sustained for a long periods of time.

Fuel cells are ideal for power generation, either connected to the electric grid to provide primary power, supplemental power or backup assurance for critical demand, or installed as a grid-independent generator for on-site power in areas that are inaccessible by power lines. They are being used in many different ways in the world today.

· Buses

· Boats

· Trains

· Planes

· Scooters

· Laptop computers

· Cell Phones

These are just a few of the things that can fuel cells can power. There are many more and still more are in development.

Fuel cells are used in many different commercial and industrial applications, and are being seriously scrutinized to become the key component of the nations plan to secure energy for the future.

The technical name for a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity. Other electrochemical devices that are in use these days and for many decades is the well-known battery. The distinguishing difference between a simple battery and a fuel cell is that all the chemicals are stored inside the battery. The battery in turn converts those chemicals into electricity but in due course it “goes dead” as the chemicals are used up and at times you can either throw it away or recharge it.

Then again with a fuel cell, chemicals continually flow into the cell so as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell; the electricity flows out of the fuel cell. Combustion engines the gasoline engine burn fuels and batteries converted chemical energy back into electrical energy when needed. However, fuel cells should do both tasks more efficiently.

Simply put the construction and materials in a fuel cell release electrons from the hydrogen gas creating electricity and the waste product after the electricity is used to power an electrical device is water, formed with the negative hydrogen and the oxygen.This reaction in a single fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts. To get this voltage up to a reasonable level, several separate fuel cells must be combined to form a fuel-cell stack.

However one major problem with using hydrogen is that it is cannot be stored easily for consumer use. Among the other alternatives, it could be natural gas, propane, and methanol gas. The main objective of using fuel cell technology is pollution reduction. Fuel cell is also very efficient; 80% of the fuel use in these cells is converted into usable energy as compared to only 20% for a gasoline powered engine and about 30% overall for a battery powered electric vehicle.

Evidently there is no question that the fuel cell holds greater promise for the future. However, the fuel cell technology must still gather all the pieces of finding the right ‘fuel’ source that is both easy to store and deliver to the consumer, efficiency of the vehicle using fuel cells, and the cost for the total package.

Empa and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have, in cooperation with industrial partners, developed a hydrogen powered municipal street cleaning vehicle

Empa and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have, together with Bucher Schoerling, Proton Motor, BRUSA Elektronik AG und Messer Schweiz, developed a hydrogen powered municipal street cleaning vehicle which was presented to the public on 14th May 2009 in Basel. The vehicle is named the “Bucher CityCat H2″ and is the first municipal utility vehicle in the world powered by fuel cell technology. For the next 18 months it will be tested in everyday usage.

Fuel cells are considered to be clean energy sources well-suited for our future mobility needs. They convert hydrogen directly into electrical current, which is then used to drive a vehicle’s electric motor. The great advantage is that no pollutants are emitted in the vehicle’s exhaust, just water vapor produced by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell. When such vehicles are used in sensitive areas such as pedestrian precincts, railway station halls or even in enclosed structures such as exhibition halls, air pollution is reduced significantly compared to conventional vehicles, which are generally powered by diesel engines.

Project creates a window of opportunity for hydrogen technology
“Our aim is to take fuel cell technology from the laboratory onto the street”, explains Project Leader Christian Bach, Head of Empa’s Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory. In addition, the project scientists want to test the operational characteristics and ageing behavior of the new technology under typical, everyday conditions of use. But it doesn’t stop there. Beyond these obvious aims, the project, called «hy.muve» («hydrogen-driven municipal vehicle») also serves as a research platform for socio-economic studies in which questions regarding the acceptance of hydrogen technology, its market introduction and its cost effectiveness will be investigated.

Because of their low power operational cycles, municipal vehicles are particularly well-suited for these kinds of drives and can be used to good effect in areas where the refueling infrastructure is limited. “They therefore offer an important window of opportunity for introducing other hydrogen powered vehicles onto the market,” according to Bach.

Significantly less pollution emitted
Computer simulations made at Empa show that the amount of energy consumed can be halved by using fuel cell drives instead of conventional diesel engines. This means that CO2 emissions can be reduced by some 40%, even when using conventional hydrogen production techniques based on natural gas. The project is financed by the ETH Domain’s Competence Centre for Energy and Mobility (CCEM), the Swiss Federal Office for Energy (SFOE), the various project partners and pilot regions where the vehicle will be tested.

Empa. Hydrogen Powered Municipal Vehicle Being Tested In Everyday Use. ScienceDaily

Mudawar discusses a hydrogen-storage system for cars

The current technology consists of a system involving a very fine powder, known as metal hydride. This powder is able to absorb hydrogen very effectively, but, unfortunately, the entire process releases very large amounts of heat. Therefore, having a good cooling system at all refilling terminals is very important.

“The hydride produces an enormous amount of heat. It would take a minimum of 40 minutes to fill the tank without cooling, and that would be entirely impractical,” Purdue University (PU) Professor of Mechanical Engineering Issam Mudawar, who is also the leader of the new research, says.

“The idea is to have a system that fills the tank and at the same time uses accessory connectors that supply coolant to extract the heat. This presented an engineering challenge because we had to figure out how to fill the fuel vessel with hydrogen quickly while also removing the heat efficiently. The problem is, nobody had ever designed this type of heat exchanger before. It’s a whole new animal that we designed from scratch,” he adds. Mudawar is also working with Hydrogen Systems Laboratory (HSL) Manager Timothee Pourpoint, who is also a research assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics.

As a response to these challenges, the team has created a system where the hydride is contained in small “pockets” inside a pressure chamber, where hydrogen is injected at pressure and gets quickly absorbed. “This process is reversible, meaning the hydrogen gas may be released from the metal hydride by decreasing the pressure in the storage vessel. The heat exchanger is fitted inside the hydrogen storage pressure vessel. Due to space constraints, it is essential that the heat exchanger occupy the least volume to maximize room for hydrogen storage,” Mudawar explains.

Basically, the finished cooling system relies on regular automotive coolant, which circulates inside a U-shaped tube, between the pressure chamber and the aluminum heat exchanger. The intricate construction of the exchanger ensures a smooth temperature absorption when the hydrogen hits the metal hydride. “As newer and better metal hydrides are developed by research teams worldwide, the heat exchanger design will provide a ready solution for the automobile industry,” Darsh Kumar, a researcher at General Motors Corp., underlines.

[relatedposts] ]]> http://www.alternative-energy-fuels.com/fuel-cells-batteries/breakthrough-to-advance-hydrogen-car-production/feed 0 http://www.alternative-energy-fuels.com/biofuels/biogas/new-hydrogen-purification-method http://www.alternative-energy-fuels.com/biofuels/biogas/new-hydrogen-purification-method#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:11:03 +0000 John http://www.alternative-energy-fuels.com/?p=306

Hydrogen Molecule

Hydrogen is the simplest element known to us, with it’s atom containing just one proton and one electron. It is lighter than air but doesn’t exist alone – it is always found in combination with other elements. Many see hydrogen as the ultimate alternative fuel particularly in fuel cells, but it does have drawbacks, the main one being it’s purification. The current methods of purification are not very efficient or effective.

However, a Northwestern University chemist Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, together with postdoctoral research associate Gerasimos S. Armatas, have come up with a solution. They have developed new porous materials shaped like honeycomb which is very effective at separating the hydrogen from gas mixtures. Carbon dioxide and methane carry hydrogen gas in substantial amounts and this honeycombed shaped porous structure shows great selectivity in separating hydrogen from these two gases. The materials used in constructing the hydrogen purification structure are a new family of germanium-rich chalcogenides. “We are taking advantage of what we call ’soft’ atoms, which form the membrane’s walls,” said Kanatzidis. “These soft-wall atoms like to interact with other soft molecules passing by, slowing them down as they pass through the membrane. Hydrogen, the smallest element, is a ‘hard’ molecule. It zips right through while softer molecules, like carbon dioxide and methane take more time.”

Why is this separation method better than current methods? Up till now scientists have been depending on the size of the gas molecules when separating hydrogen from carbon dioxide or methane. Firstly, they get hydrogen in combination with carbon dioxide and methane which involves more steps and is difficult to execute. Kanatzidis and Armatas method doesn’t depend on the size of the gas molecules for hydrogen separation. They use the process of polarization, making the interaction of gas molecules with the surface of the honeycombed like structure crucial. Kanatzidis and Armatas tested their membrane on a complex mixture of four gases, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide. As the smallest and hardest molecule, hydrogen showed the least affinity with the membrane, and carbon dioxide, as the softest molecule of the four, interacted the most.

Kanatzidis, Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison, Professor of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and the paper’s senior author, speaks out, “A more selective process means fewer cycles to produce pure hydrogen, increasing efficiency.” He further adds, “Our materials could be used very effectively as membranes for gas separation. We have demonstrated their superior performance.” Heavy elements such as germanium, lead and tellurium make the selection of hydrogen separation from carbon dioxide four times more effective.

According to Kanatzidis, another advantage of the process is “convenient temperature range.” which varies from zero degrees Celsius to room temperature!
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Fuel Cell Schematic

Hydrogen-powered fuel cells hold enormous promise as a power source for future generations. Hydrogen is the simplest element known to humans. Each atom of hydrogen has only one proton. It is also the most abundant gas in the universe. Hydrogen has a unique property. It carries the highest energy content of any common fuel by weight (about three times more than gasoline), but interestingly it has the lowest energy content by volume (about four times less than gasoline). Hydrogen is the lightest element, and it is a gas at normal temperature and pressure. Hydrogen is not a widely used fuel today but it has great potential as an energy carrier in the future. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources (water, fossil fuels, and biomass) and is a byproduct of other chemical processes.

Large quantities of hydrogen can be easily stored for the future use, unlike electricity. Another advantage is hydrogen can also be used in places where it’s hard to use electricity. Hydrogen can store the energy until it’s required and can be moved to the place where it’s needed. Hydrogen is pollution free energy source in a fuel cell. Inside a fuel cell, the hydrogen and oxygen combine and produce electricity, water and heat as a waste. No poisonous fumes emit in this whole process. Another advantage is hydrogen is found in plenty in the universe, constituting about 93% of all atoms. Hydrogen is regarded as perfect fuel. Water is its major reserve on earth which is almost inexhaustible. The use of hydrogen is compatible with nature, rather than invasive.

Scientists all over the world are working hard to make hydrogen as fuel of the future. Hydrogen has the potential to be clean fuel in the future, but storage of hydrogen in a form suitable for mass transport is arduous. Hydrogen is a fuel and in gas form hydrogen is highly explosive, but solid materials come to our rescue here. These solids can absorb and store the fuel in a much safer way. But solid hydrogen storage materials can be very heavy. Lithium ion batteries are used for electric transportation but these lithium batteries can also be pretty weighty.

Dutch researchers are trying out a new method for discovering hydrogen storage materials. They have one candidate metal alloy that could provide a much lighter storage system. Dutch-sponsored researcher Robin Gremaud and his team are developing a mixture of magnesium, titanium and nickel for storing hydrogen. This alloy could be up to 60% lighter than a lithium battery giving out a similar amount of energy for a car. They are using a new technique “hydrogenography” to find out the right kind of metal alloy. They are not going for the normal and laborious method of synthesizing various combinations of alloys. They are using very thin film of thousands of different metal alloys and watching out the changes in their response to light after soaking up the hydrogen. Commercial production of these alloys will take time. But this new technique hydrogenography could bring into light many new candidate materials for hydrogen storage. Gremaud, is currently working on another family of alloys at Empa in Switzerland that could potentially achieve hydrogen storage of up to 18 wt%. A UK company Ilika is also testing Gremaud’s technique to find out potential candidates for hydrogen storage.

Fuel Cell Schematic

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert a fuel’s chemical reaction in an electrolyte directly into electrical energy from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side).

While they are similar to batteries in that they have no moving parts, batteries store their energy whereas fuel cells can produce electricity continuously as long as there is fuel and air.

As fuel cells combine a fuel (typically hydrogen) and an oxidant the resultant energy is captured directly and does not require the usual conversion of heat or movement to electrical energy and therefore is extremely efficient and pollutant emmissions are practically zero.

Many combinations of fuel and oxidant are possible, however, the most common combination is a a hydrogen cell that uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as an oxidant. Other fuels available include hydrocarbons and alcohols, while other oxidants used include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
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