Electrolyte
The researchers at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at TU Delft were concentrating their efforts on improving electrolyte materials. This is the material between two electrodes, for example in a fuel cell or a battery. The better the characteristics of the electrolyte, the better, more compactly or more efficiently the fuel cell or battery works.

Solid matter
The electrolyte material is usually liquid, but this has a number of drawbacks. Liquids need to be very securely enclosed, for example, and this takes up a relatively large amount of space. “It would therefore be preferable to have an electrolyte made of solid matter,” says PhD student Drs. Lucas Haverkate. “Unfortunately though, that has disadvantages as well. The conductivity in solid matter is not as good as it is in a liquid.”

Traffic jam on the motorway
“In a solid matter you have a network of ions, in which virtually every position in the network is taken. This makes it difficult for the charged particles (protons) to move from one electrode to another. It’s a bit like a traffic jam on a motorway. What you need to do is to create free spaces in the network.”

Nanocrystals
One way of accomplishing this, and thus increasing conductivity in solid electrolytes, is to add nanocrystals (of seven nanometres to around fifty nanometres), of Titanium Dioxide in this case. “A characteristic of these TiO2 crystals is that they attract protons, and this creates more space in the network.” The nanocrystals are combined in the electrolyte with a solid acid (CsHSO4). This latter material ‘delivers’ the protons to the crystals. “The addition of the crystals appears to cause an enormous leap in the conductive capacity, up to a factor of 100,” concludes Haverkate.

Neutrons
Chan conducted measurements on the electrolyte material using the neutron diffraction method. This requires transmitting neutrons through the material. The manner in which the neutrons are dispersed enables us to determine certain characteristics of the material, such as the density of protons in the crystals. Haverkate: “It is the first time that measurements have been taken of solid-material electrolytes in this way, and on such a small scale. The fact that we had nuclear research technologies at the Reactor Institute Delft at our disposal was tremendously valuable.”

Temperature
However, combining TiO2 and CsHSO4 doesn’t mark the conclusion of the quest for an appropriate solid-material electrolyte. Other material permutations will be analyzed which could achieve better scores in the area of stability, for instance. Professor Fokko Mulder, who is Haverkate’s and Chan’s PhD supervisor, says. “At this stage, we are more concerned about acquiring a fundamental understanding and a useful model, than the concrete issue of finding out what the most suitable material is. It is important that we identify the effect of nanocrystals, and give it a theoretical basis. I think there is great potential for these electrolytes. They also have the extra benefit of continuing to function well over a wide range of temperatures, which is of particular relevance for applying them in fuel cells.”

This achievement by TU Delft has already resulted in two publications in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials. Last December, Haverkate published an article on the theory behind the research. His fellow PhD student, Wing Kee Chan, is the main author of a second article that appeared in the same publication this week. Chan concentrated on the experimental side of the research. “The nice thing about these two publications is that the experimental results and the theoretical underpinning strongly complement each other,” says Haverkate.

The Original Post is Located Here: Huge Potential of Nanocrystals to Raise Efficiency in Fuel Cells

The generation of electricity and heat with no pollution and with considerably less emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 sounds too good to be true. However, it is possible with the so-called SOFC fuel cells, which Risø has been conducting research into for over 20 years. The technology is now on its way to reach Danish and international companies including consumers.

An SOFC fuel cell produces electricity and heat with a very high efficiency. That means less carbon emissions for each kW produced. Furthermore, the production of electricity happens with nearly no emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen and sulphur oxides. Thus, SOFC fuel cells are a strong card in the future climate-friendly energy supply. SOFC fuel cells are flat and thin as a piece of paper, providing a voltage of approx. 1 volt. They are put together in stacks to achieve the desired voltage and wattage.

Dantherm Power’s micro CHP plant will in its final shape in 2015 be the size of a dishwasher. (Credit: Image courtesy of Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, the Technical University of Denmark)

Each home will have a micro CHP plant of its own

To accommodate more renewable energy, the future electricity system will look significantly different from now. E.g. it is believed that today’s large, central CHP plants will be supplemented with numerous quite small CHP plants of a few kW, in each home. These micro CHP plants in homes can help balance energy in the future energy system, where more energy will be coming from renewable energy sources such as the wind and the sun. The micro CHP plants will be taking over energy production, for example, when there is no wind, and when the sun is hiding behind a cloud.

“Topsoe Fuel Cell provides the engine, we produce the rest of what is to surround the engine in order to finally end up having a fully operational micro CHP plant,” says Jesper Themsen from Dantherm Power. The core technology at Topsoe Fuel Cell is based on fuel cells developed at Risø DTU.

“At the moment, we are developing compact micro CHP plants, similar to a conventional oil or gas furnace when it comes to generating heat for the home. What’s new about micro CHP plants, is that they also produce the power the home needs. In this way, you avoid transmission loss in the electricity and district heating network,” says Jesper Themsen, technical director at Dantherm Power. Simultaneously, the micro CHP plants emit no or very little pollution and less carbon.

“In the spring of 2010 we produced a few micro CHP plants as part of the project ‘Danish micro cogeneration’. Now we’re doing tomorrow’s micro CHP plant in cooperation with Topsoe Fuel Cell, and in October 2010, we produced two systems that we will put into operation among professional users, for example plumbers or electricians. People with craftsman experience who can help us solve the problems that naturally arise with the plants during the first phase, “says Jesper Themsen. The first plants will generate 1 kW of power and 1 kW of heat and will be powered by natural gas.

“Subsequently, we will produce five micro CHP plants, which will also be put into operation among professional users. We are still in the early process of the technological launch and need to gather as much experience with these systems as possible,” says Jesper Themsen.

The micro CHP plants are based on Topsoe PowerCores™. Dantherm Power will build the rest around them. It should be possible to add natural gas purified of sulphur and with the correct pressure. There must be supply of fresh air, a heat exchanger and a heat store. The necessary electronic control for the micro CHP plant to be connected to the grid will be incorporated. Last but not least, the micro CHP plants will have to gain security clearance.

Currently, micro CHP plants are the size of an overgrown American fridge. “It’s not that we cannot make them smaller, but here to start with it should not be too compact, but easy for one to supervise and maintain the various parts of the plant,” says Jesper Themsen.

Dantherm Power expects to have seven micro CHP plants in operation in early 2011, which will be in operation throughout the entire heating season and well into spring 2011.

In September 2011, Dantherm Power plans to produce 15 new micro CHP plants based on experiences from the first seven. “They’ll be so reliable that we can install them in private homes in Southern Jutland,” says Jesper Themsen and continues: “In 2012, we believe that SOFC micro CHP plants will be affordable and have the desired properties, allowing ordinary people to easily replace their old furnace with a SOFC micro CHP plant.”

Jesper Themsen expects a major breakthrough to happen in 2013 — 2015 and that many Danish families in 2015 will be having a SOFC micro CHP plant, which will not take up more space than a dishwasher. Fuels will initially be natural gas, later it could be methanol and liquefied petroleum gas. In the long term, biofuels could also prove useful.

“We are having a long-term strategic cooperation with Topsoe Fuel Cell on SOFC micro CHP plants, and we are working mutually to make SOFC fuel cell power plants a commercial success,” says Jesper Themsen.

In the long term, he imagines that fuel cell power plants will replace generators powered by diesel or gas. They are used as backup in countries where the grid is not as stable as in Denmark. Here they are in operation continuously for many hours with the purpose of using the fuel efficiently.

Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, the Technical University of Denmark (2010, November 29). ‘Green’ way to generate heat and electricity with use of fuel cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/11/101129111733.htm

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The Original Post is Located Here: ‘Green’ Way to Generate Heat and Electricity With Use of Fuel Cells

Fuel cells could create a breakthrough for electric cars, because refuelling them is fast and easy, just like your traditional gas guzzler. But there’s an obstacle. Current fuel cells need platinum in order to work. And that’s expensive. Now chemists from Copenhagen, Potsdam and Hanau have taken the first step towards producing fuel cells using very little of the precious metal. Testing problemsolver

At the University of Copenhagen Matthias Arenz has specialized in testing the catalysts that do the actual work in fuel cells. Presented with a so called “Core Shell catalyst” developed by Clarkson University chemist Dan Goia for fuel cell company Umicore, he soon realized that this catalyst was special and testing it would deserve an unusual effort. Et spørgsmål om overflade.

A question of surface
The catalyst in a fuel cell taps electrical current from a reaction fusing hydrogen and oxygen into water. This takes place in a complex reaction at the surface of the platinum, so more surface means more electricity. In traditional fuel cells the surface area of platinum is maximized by grinding the precious metal into exceedingly small particles and suspending them in a frame of carbon. But there’s a catch or two. If the particles become too small, they lose their converting power. Tend to clot together. And over time the carbon-frame tends to burn away which again leads to clotting. These scenarios make the particles lose surface area, and with less surface area, catalysts produce less current.

Avoid clotting
Larger spheres don’t need the fragile carbon scaffold, and they tend not to clot as badly. But they would require much more platinum to make. Until now. The novel catalyst from Umicore has gotten around this problem by coating larger spheres of less precious metal with a thin skin of platinum. If these do not clot the catalyst should keep producing electricity at top capacity for much longer than cells with small particles of platinum.

Molecular needle in a nano-haystack
Unfortunately figuring out whether particles clot or not is hard, explains Matthias Arenz. “In an electron microscope we find a particular particle. Then we run the fuel cell. After running gasses over the catalyst, finding that same particle is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. But we have our ways,” smiles Dr. Arenz.

Full steam from fuller spheres
Having done a series of tests, Dr. Arenz is able to conclude that the novel large-sphere catalyst retains its full converting power. The catalyst produces the same amount of electricity as small particle models. But with bigger spheres, chances are that it will keep on producing at top capacity for a longer time..

Expensive heart
Only one problem remains. The less precious spheres coated with platinum is…Gold. “Dan Goia and Umicore have been the first to show, that it is possible to create these thin shells of platinum using simple and cheap chemistry. Now they need to show, that they can do it on spheres of a somewhat cheaper material. If they succeed in this, I’m sure my tests will show, that cheap and efficient fuel cells are on their way,” concludes Copenhagen chemist Matthias Arenz.

University of Copenhagen (2010, November 24). Novel fuel cell catalyst lowers need for precious metal. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/11/101123112218.htm

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The Original Post is Located Here: Novel Fuel Cell Catalyst Lowers Need for Precious Metal

Future of Electric Cars? Running Fuel Cells on Biodiesel

A smart diesel reformer and a tolerant fuel cell are the core components of a new type of electric power supply unit. Environmentally friendly and flexible, the unit could be a serious contender in the market for generators in electric vehicles and other applications.

The power supply unit can run on biodiesel as well as regular diesel.

This combination of two advanced technologies is now undergoing testing, thanks to funding under the Research Council’s RENERGI programme. In trials, a 200-W solid-acid fuel cell ran on both pure hydrogen and on hydrogen produced from diesel by the unit’s reformer — with only an insignificant difference in performance.

Low CO2 emissions

The reformer converts hydrocarbons into hydrogen, CO2 and heat. Due to the unit’s high efficiency, CO2 emissions are substantially lower than in conventional combustion engines, and no other demonstrable exhaust is discharged — meaning that diesel particulates, black carbon soot, nitrous oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) are elimi¬nated. An added plus is that the reformer emits no smoke or odour.

The silent electric generator is being developed and produced by the Norwegian company Nordic Power Systems (NPS). The California firm SAFCell Inc. is developing and will deliver the new type of fuel cell. Also on the team is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Dag Øvrebø, Technical Director of NPS, has many years’ experience with fuel cells and has been working closely with Caltech on this new technologyGerman conversion technology

It all began in Germany. In 2006 the NPS founders came across an interesting conversion technology developed at RWTH Aachen University in the late 1990s. NPS acquired the licensing rights, envisioning a clear market potential for an electric power supply unit based on a fuel cell that is not dependent on hydrogen filling stations, and that can run on regular, easily available fuel without surrendering the environmental benefits of fuel cells.

In 2009 NPS secured usage rights to the new US solid-acid technology for use with various fuel types such as diesel and biofuels.

Tor-Geir Engebretsen, Managing Director and co-founder of NPS, is very pleased with this summer’s tests. “Now we have demonstrated that the solid-acid technology works. The next step is to test a larger unit of 1 200 W.”

Armed Forces first user

Engebretsen points out that since the technology is scalable, it is well suited for future generators in electric vehicles. But NPS is taking the development in stages. The company’s first market is power supply for the defence industry; NPS has a technology development agreement with the Royal Norwegian Armed Forces. In addition, NPS has a product development agreement with Marshall Land Systems, of the UK, with the aim of supplying silent-running generators for the British Armed Forces.

If all goes according to plan, the unit being developed with Marshall will be ready for market launch by mid-2011, while the solid-acid fuel cell will be phased in somewhat later. An assembly plant in Høyanger, Norway, is scheduled to open in early 2012 with Industrial Development Corporation of Norway (SIVA) as contractor.

Nordic Power Systems (NPS)

NPS currently has seven employees in Norway, and six in the USA through a contract with SAFCell in California.

• So far NOK 50 million has been spent on development and market preparations.
• Financing has come from a score of private investors and from: o Research Council of Norway o Innovation Norway o Royal Norwegian Armed Forces o Høyanger Næringsutvikling AS

The project

• Name: Development of cutting-edge fuel cell technology, integration and testing of NPS’ proprietary fuel cell generator for industrialisation in Norway
• Project manager: Nordic Power Systems/Dag Øvrebø
• Partners: SAFCell, Caltech, Nordic Power Systems
• Overall budget: NOK 11.8 million. Funding under the RENERGI programme: NOK 5.9 million

The Research Council of Norway (2010, October 12). Future of electric cars? Running fuel cells on biodiesel. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/10/101011090143.htm

You can never have too much information about such an important issue. Do you agree? Are you feeling better informed about fuel cells? When all around you are scratching their heads, it’s a great feeling to have clear vision and know which direction you are heading.

The Original Post is Located Here: Future of Electric Cars? Running Fuel Cells on Biodiesel

Every living cell in our body can do it: covered with a thin membrane known as a cell membrane or nanomembrane, the cells can deliberately let specific substances in and out. Although it is thousands of times thinner than a human hair, this nanomembrane has an extremely complex structure and function. Three Nobel prizes have already been awarded for improving our understanding of these nanomembranes.

Microscopic ducts convey water, electrical charges and nutrients around and in doing so, create an equilibrium within the cell. However, we still do not know about many of the functions and structural details, as it is only the water and proton exchange that has been researched in depth. “These extremely fine cell membrane ducts, with the ability to selectively convey protons, function in exactly the same way as fuel cells created by humans,” explains Dr Werner Brenner, “only this naturally occurring process is considerably more efficient.”

Fuel cells: an alternative to oil

Today, fuel cells are seen as a serious alternative to oil, which until now has been the basis for electrical energy and mobility. However, the earth’s oil reserves are rapidly running out, under economic pressure to drill ever deeper into the seabed. Oil combustion also generates CO2, soot and other residues. The only waste product from a fuel cell is water.

The EU project focuses on the design of the main component of every fuel cell — i.e. the membrane — with the intention of conveying protons more efficiently than in previous solutions. “The first results have been encouraging. It will not be easy, but it is possible. Nature has been producing these structures for billions of years and their effectiveness can be seen in every living organism. Our task is to transfer the structure of these natural nanoducts to an artificial nanomembrane, which is itself only a few hundred nanometres thick,” explains Dr Jovan Matovic.

A wide range of scientific approaches are required for this project, ranging from solid state physics and nanotechnology through to chemistry. Therefore, international cooperation with six universities, research institutes and businesses is also of great importance. The EU project is being coordinated by the TU Vienna research team of Assist Prof Dr Werner Brenner, Dr Jovan Matovic and Dr Nadja Adamovic at the Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems.

The University research team is confident: “The results of this project should have far-reaching significance for our society. If we succeed in creating the nanoducts exactly as planned, then completely different fields of application will open up, such as the accurately controlled delivery of medicine, water desalination or even new types of sensors,” explains Dr Nadja Adamovic, “In this project, the boundaries between “artificial and “natural” are becoming even more blurred.”

Vienna University of Technology (2010, October 6). Nano design, just like in nature. ScienceDaily http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/06/100615151705.htm

The Original Post is Located Here: Nano Design, Just Like in Nature

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.

The Original Post is Located Here: Hydrogen Hybrid Cars

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 Original Post is Located Here: Fuel Cells Technology

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.

The Original Post is Located Here: A Basic Overview Of Fuel Cell Technology

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

The Original Post is Located Here: Hydrogen Powered Municipal Vehicle Being Tested In Everyday Use

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]

The Original Post is Located Here: Breakthrough to Advance Hydrogen Car Production