Hydrogen generator makes fuel cells more practical
A hydrogen-generating system from Millennium Cell Inc., Eatontown, NJ, may provide the capability that has been needed to make fuel cell cars a practical reality—a safe means of storing enough hydrogen to equal the range of gasoline powered vehicles. Unveiled at the 12th annual American Tour de Sol, which got under way on 12 May in New York City, the system stores its fuel in an aqueous solution of sodium borohydride, a nontoxic and nonflammable chemical derived from borax. To generate hydrogen, the solution is made to flow over a rhodium-based catalyst, a process that releases hydrogen and produces as a waste product, an aqueous borax solution.
The Millennium Cell system is being incorporated into a car known as the New Jersey Genesis, now being built by Team New Jersey, a partnership of State government, high-technology companies, and academic institutions. The car is built on an unusual platform—an all aluminum Mercury Sable donated to the team by Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich. It is propelled by a 75-kW Solectria electric motor that gets its energy from a pair of 5-kW hydrogen fuel cells made by H Power Corp., Belleville, N.J.
To reduce the peak power load on the fuel cell, advanced NiMH batteries providing intermediate energy storage are used. With a 70-liter tankful of sodium borohydvide solution, the Genesis is expected to have a range of about 800 km (500mi) according to project manager Mike Strizki of the Office of Transportation Technology, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Trenton, NJ.
An important safety aspect of the hydrogen-based propulsion system is that the gas is produced only as needed and is immediately converted into electricity. At any given time, therefore, very little hydrogen gas is present aboard the vehicle, making it much safer than any gasoline powered vehicle in an accident, according to its developers.
The American Tour de So is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (Nesea), Greenfield, Mass., as part of its program to promote awareness, understanding, and development of non-polluting, renewable-energy technologies. The rally is run in fairly short stages to leave time for public displays, demonstrations, and other events—like autocross (handling) competitions in cities along its route. Indeed, though the event began on 12 May, the vehicles did not actually begin driving toward their first stop, in West Windsor, N.J., until midafternoon on 14 May. The finish line was in Washington, D.C., about 500 km away, where the rally was scheduled to end on
18 May. (This column went to press before that date.)
Since all its systems are not yet integrated, the Genesis is not competing in this years rally. Still, Team New Jersey will be represented by another zero-emissions car the New Jersey Venturer which is powered by a single hydrogen fuel cell, but stores its fuel in standard pressurized tanks.
This year, for the first time, the event featured hybrid electric vehicles (Honda Insights) that could be purchased at a conventional automobile dealership. ‘What is really exciting about this car is that from a consumer perspective, it is just like the car you drive today," commented Nancy Hazard, director of Nesea, who organized the event.
June 2000 IEEE Spectrum
Jim |
