Richard, a lurker on this thread sent me an E-mail containing some interesting information about Chrysler activities in Fuel Cells and the need to avoid direct use of Hydrogen as a fuel for on board fuel cells.
media.chrysler.com
I hope it copies well:
Chrysler Breakthrough Brings Fuel Cells 10 Years Closer To Powering
The Family Car
Detroit, Michigan
Chrysler Corporation engineers are helping to develop a method for extracting hydrogen from gasoline which could shave
10 years off the introduction of fuel cells as a practical power source for tomorrow's family sedan.
The development of the on-board gasoline processing system was announced today at the North American International
Auto Show by Bernard Robertson, Chrysler's vice president of vehicle engineering.
Robertson said Chrysler's advancement in on-board fuel processing technology is significant because it addresses the fuel
cell's most significant challenge the lack of an infrastructure to supply hydrogen, the gas used in fuel cells to generate
electricity.
"We believe hydrogen needs to be processed from gasoline on-board vehicles because hydrogen isn't a practical fuel
choice today simply put, there's not any filling stations supplying it to a mass market," Robertson said.
"There's also $200 billion invested in the way gasoline is distributed today," he continued. "Basic economics tell us this
infrastructure is not going to change overnight just because the car companies have fuel cell prototypes that run on
hydrogen or methane."
In addition, Robertson said storing hydrogen on-board vehicles has been a challenge.
"Hydrogen simply takes up a lot of space," he explained. "You can't store it on-board a vehicle like you can gasoline
without a lot of added cost."
Robertson said Chrysler's approach of extracting hydrogen from gasoline on-board a vehicle could make the hydrogen
infrastructure and storage challenges "non-issues".
"By developing an on-board fuel processor, we're being very pragmatic by trying to adapt technology to meet consumers'
needs, not the other way around," Robertson said. "In our approach, people will still refuel their vehicles the same way they
always have, and the gas tanks on their vehicles may actually be smaller than they are today not bigger and more
cumbersome.
"In time, we think development of this processor will help open the door to the use of fuel cells as the primary power
source in a series hybrid vehicle that meets consumer demands for range and performance."
Fuel cells, used extensively on space craft, have potential because they can produce electrical energy at ambient
temperatures with virtually zero emissions, according to Christopher E. Borroni-Bird, Ph.D., advanced technologies
specialist at Chrysler.
"They can deliver the same range as conventional gasoline-powered vehicles and could significantly improve fuel economy,"
he added.
Chrysler's goal is a fuel-cell system in which the fuel tank, fuel processing components, fuel cell, batteries and electric
propulsion motor are all packaged in a mid-sized sedan, like a Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision,
Borroni-Bird said.
"Fuel cells pose a number of difficult technical challenges," he continued. "But we believe this approach to processing
gasoline could resolve the most daunting challenges hydrogen's limited energy storage capability and the lack of an
infrastructure to supply it."
Fuel cells powered by hydrogen or methanol are being evaluated by other vehicle manufacturers. But practical answers to
the fuel supply problem have not been developed until now, Borroni-Bird said.
The Chrysler fuel processing technology essentially converts gasoline a hydrocarbon into hydrogen, carbon dioxide
(CO2) and water (H2O) in a multi-stage chemical reaction process.
"Any fuel gasoline, diesel fuel, methane, alcohol, etc. is a likely candidate," observed Borroni-Bird, "because the
processor burns anything. All fuels burn by definition."
The approach is based on existing technologies, he added. For example, partial oxidation, one of the stages of the process,
is common in the oil refining industry.
Chrysler worked with Arthur D. Little, an international research consulting firm, and the U.S. Department of Energy in
refining the process and developing operating hardware. The next step is to develop working models of a complete system
to prove its feasibility.
"We hope to be able to demonstrate the system in a vehicle within two years," Borroni-Bird said.
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Gasoline Reforming Produces Hydrogen, Virtually No Pollution
Chrysler teamed with Aurthur D. Little and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a multi-step process to extract
hydrogen from gasoline for use in an automotive fuel cell which virtually eliminates all harmful emissions.
In addition to hydrogen, the process produces water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
The basic steps:
Fuel vaporizer The fuel is heated to convert it from a liquid to a gas. This ensures cleaner, soot-free combustion.
POX The vaporized gasoline is processed in a partial oxidation (POX) reactor, essentially a metal canister with a
spark plug. By limiting the amount of air in this low-pressure environment, hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO) are
produced. Sulfur in the gasoline is converted into hydrogen sulfide gas and then filtered from the vapor at this point.
Water-Gas Shift Since CO poisons fuel cells, it must be eliminated or reduced to extremely minute levels i.e. less
than 10 parts per million (ppm). Water (H2O) is introduced as steam and, acting with a copper oxide and zinc oxide
catalysts, converts nearly all of the CO to carbon dioxide (CO2). Additional hydrogen fuel also is produced in this
stage.
PROX While the vapor has been converted from about 30 percent CO to a hydrogen-rich gas containing only
about 1 percent CO in the water-gas shift, that is still 10,000 ppm. In the preferential oxidation (PROX) stage, air is
injected into this gas, which reacts with the remaining CO over a platinum catalyst to produce carbon dioxide,
leaving only a trace of CO (less than 10 ppm). This process requires heat exchangers to maintain effective
performance since the clean gas must then be cooled to about 80 degrees Centigrade, the temperature at which the
fuel cell likes to operate.
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Chrysler's Gasoline-Powered Fuel Cell
Fact Sheet
What is Chrysler's approach?
Chrysler teamed with Aurthur D. Little and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a method for using gasoline or other
readily available fuels to produce electricity with a fuel cell to power electric traction motors for passenger cars.
What is a fuel cell?
A device that produces electricity directly from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen triggered by a platinum
catalyst. They are stacked in series to produce sufficient electricity to power one or more electric traction motors, as well
as other systems and accessories.
Why is it significant?
For the first time gasoline can be used to operate a fuel cell, possibly bringing fuel cells 10 years closer to reality.
(Development has been hampered by difficulties in supplying and storing hydrogen, the fuel cell's fuel. Chrysler's fuel
processor extracts hydrogen from gasoline.)
Fuel cells have excellent potential as the power source of the future:
50 percent more fuel efficient than conventional gasoline engines
Up to 400-mile range
Virtually emission-free - the primary emission is water; for the fuel processor, it's also carbon dioxide
Quieter operation
Lower maintenance - few moving parts
Operates at ambient temperatures
0 - 60 in under 7 seconds with a 40% weight reduction
How does it work?
Gasoline is converted to hydrogen, carbon dioxide and water with an on-board fuel processor in a multi-stage, chemical
reaction process. The hydrogen is used to create electricity to power the vehicle.
Fuel cell challenges:
Major obstacles - Chrysler's approach addresses the first two:
Lack of an infrastructure to mass produce and supply hydrogen
Difficulty of storing hydrogen on board the vehicle (this approach solves those problems)
Cost - Ten times too expensive to be practical (but costs are coming down - once fuel cells were 1,000 times too
costly)
Start-up performance
Packaging the system:
The fuel cell stack which could be a five-foot-long, eight-inch-diameter cylinder could be in a tunnel in the center of the
vehicle. The fuel tank, battery packs and motor controller might be under the trunk. The fuel processor components can be
contained under the hood.
Timetable:
Chrysler expects to demonstrate a fuel cell with gasoline fuel processor in a vehicle within two years. Production
prototypes may be ready by the middle of the next decade, 10 years earlier than originally thought possible.
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Investments In Fuel Cells Could Bring Substantial Societal Payoffs
Detroit, Michigan
By the year 2015, fuel cells could be the primary source of power on vehicles such as Chrysler Concordes and Dodge
Intrepids and achieve levels of fuel economy and emissions performance only dreamed of today.
The promise of near-zero emissions, up to 80-mpg fuel economy, good performance and rapid refueling mean fuel cells are
worth the research and development investment, according to Christopher E. Borroni-Bird, Ph.D., advanced technologies
specialist at Chrysler Corporation.
"At Chrysler, we're technology-neutral, and we're pursuing a number of advanced propulsion technologies which could be
applicable to the vehicles of tomorrow," said Borroni-Bird, one of the industry's leading experts on fuel cell development.
"But we are not solely focused on short-term profits and technologies. We're investing in promising, long-term technologies
that can benefit society but are not being pulled by demand yet.
"Fuel cells are a good example of this kind of investment, and I think it's fair to say they have the potential to become the
ultimate power source if we can satisfactorily address the challenges."
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Fuel Cells: Producing Electricity From A Chemical Reaction
Fuel cells used extensively on space craft are potential long-term successors to the internal combustion (IC) engine
because they can produce electrical energy at ambient temperatures.
When used in a series hybrid vehicle configuration, a fuel cell stack (multiple fuel cell modules housed together) would
serve as the primary power source.
The stack in one design, a cylinder approximately eight-inches in diameter and 60 inches long - would be located in the
bottom center of the vehicle, where conventional drive shafts exist on today's IC powered sedans.
The fuel cell stack could easily be mistaken for a battery pack, but while batteries store energy in their electrodes, fuel cells
receive energy from hydrogen, which is either stored on-board the vehicle, or produced on-board by extracting hydrogen
out of gasoline.
In the case of the Chrysler fuel cell concept, regular gasoline would be stored in a fuel tank, then reformed on- board the
vehicle into hydrogen via a partial oxidation process (POX see Chrysler Breakthrough . . . ), and then delivered to the
fuel cell stack.
Each fuel cell module in the stack generates electricity directly from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen
triggered by a platinum catalyst. The cumulative electricity generated from the process is then applied to power a traction
motor or motors - that drive the vehicle's wheels.
Since each fuel cell module produces just under one volt, hundreds are packaged in a fuel cell stack to produce 20 to
50kW the necessary power range needed to meet desired performance targets.
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Innovative Gasoline Processor Enhances Fuel Cell Benefits
Detroit, Michigan
Chrysler's mid-size car two or three generations from now probably will be very comparable in appearance and
performance to a typical six-passenger sedan today.
But thanks to space-age fuel cell power and a process for extracting hydrogen from gasoline being developed by Chrysler
engineers, the family car circa 2015 could get up to 80 miles per gallon and be virtually pollution free. The primary
emissions would be water and carbodioxide.
It may have enough power and space for a full load of passengers and their luggage, be able to accelerate quickly and
smoothly to 60 miles an hour in under seven seconds assuming a 40 percent weight reduction, cruise nearly 400 miles
between fuel stops, and be able to use any readily available fuel, including inexpensive, low-octane gasoline with no
additives.
There may be a spark plug to change and a filter for removing sulfur impurities may need replacing, but there won't be any
oil to change and few moving parts to check or adjust.
Power will come from a stack of fuel cells energizing electric motors driving the rear wheels. Since the fuel cell stack is
modular, it can be configured into a wide array of shapes to fit available on-board space.
One possible configuration is a stack that is eight-inches in diameter and five-feet long in a tunnel down the center of the
vehicle, similar to the drive shaft tunnel in a rear-wheel drive vehicle.
Because of the improved efficiency of the fuel cell, the fuel tank will be smaller than today's 18- to 20-gallon tank. And,
because of the flexibility of Chrysler's on-board fuel processor, virtually any available fuel can be used.
Unlike batteries, fuel cells and the fuel processor generate some heat and this heat can be captured and used to warm the
passenger cabin.
Component Locations
The fuel tank will be in the rear of the vehicle just as it is today, along with the battery packs and motor controller. The
batteries probably will occupy several cubic feet, while the controller will be comparable in size to a large suitcase, but
there will still be plenty of trunk space for storage.
The fuel processing system components will be located under the hood. They will consist of:
a burner/vaporizer a canister currently six inches in diameter and 20 inches long;
POX (partial oxidation) fuel processor, which includes a spark plug to initiate partial burning another canister, this
one 14 inches in diameter and 22 inches long, as presently configured;
a unit incorporating a steam and air-injection process (water-gas shift and preferential oxidation [PROX]), along
with a filter for sulfur removal today about the same size as the burner/vaporizer;
a small air compressor probably about a foot in diameter and a foot long, although it could be even smaller; and,
a coolant radiator comparable in size to a radiator in today's cars (the fuel cell radiator would handle all waste heat
while about half the heat generated by today's engines goes out through the exhaust pipe).
The system may include an exhaust for the byproducts: non-polluting carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water, much of which
will be reused in the reforming process.
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Chrysler's Approach To Fuel Cells Removes Two Of Four Remaining
Hurdles
Just a year ago, four major obstacles stood in the way of applying fuel cells practically in cars: size, cost, start-up,
performance and the absence of an infrastructure for readily available hydrogen.
That scene changes dramatically with Chrysler's announcement to pursue gasoline-powered fuel cells. Size and
infrastructure are no longer issues, but fuel cells still cost 10 times too much and require too much time to warm up.
Cost
Cost reduction is the major challenge facing fuel cells, according to Chrysler Advanced Technologies Specialist
Christopher E. Borroni-Bird, Ph.D.
"Ten years ago, fuel cells were 1,000 times too expensive and now they're about ten times too costly," explained
Borroni-Bird. "That means if $3,000 is our cost bogey for a powertrain system, a fuel cell system is running at about
$30,000 and that's obviously still far too expensive."
Borroni-Bird explained that mass-produced fuel cells would cost more than $200/kW, using today's production
techniques. Conventional powertrain costs are under $30/kW today.
However, according to Borroni-Bird, industry research has focused on reducing the costs associated with the modules that
make up a fuel cell stack i.e. platinum catalysts, the membrane electrolyte and bipolar plates. The result has been a
sixty-fold reduction in the platinum content of a standard fuel cell module since 1984.
Hydrogen Infrastructure and Storage
Until now, a serious challenge to the fuel cell system had been the fuel itself, according to Borroni-Bird.
"No infrastructure exists for refueling vehicles with hydrogen and uncompressed hydrogen gas occupies 3,000 times more
space than gasoline," he said. "While hydrogen can be pressurized, our experience with natural gas vehicles tells us that it
would be difficult and costly to store on board a vehicle especially a sedan."
Chrysler engineers in conjunction with the research firm of Arthur D. Little and the U.S. Department of Energy -
addressed the challenge through development of a partial oxidation (POX) fuel processor for extracting hydrogen from
gasoline on-board a vehicle (see related release).
"We will demonstrate that the POX processor can provide a steady, unvarying stream of hydrogen that could be used with
a fuel cell," Borroni-Bird said.
However, questions regarding Chrysler's on-board POX fuel processor will need to be addressed.
"The biggest questions are whether the system will be cost effective and able to meet consumers' expectations in a
real-world environment," Borroni-Bird explained. "We're talking about achieving immediate system start-up, quick
response and acceleration, and efficient performance."
Key challenges also include maintaining low emission levels and keeping carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur from poisoning
the fuel cell.
Size
Progress is being made on shrinking fuel cells stacks, Borroni-Bird said, and fuel cell power density has increased
seven-fold since 1991 to more than one kW per liter, lessening the system size challenge.
"Our system will fit in a mid-sized sedan, leaving room for six passengers and luggage," Borroni-Bird said. "It's a cylinder
about five feet long that could fit under the passenger compartment where the transaxle currently is.
"The modular flexibility of fuel cells might enable a 50 kW fuel cell stack to be placed down the floor tunnel of an existing
Intrepid or Concorde," Borroni-Bird said.
"But there's still plenty of other issues when it comes to packaging a fuel cell stack and fuel processor with the rest of the
components needed for a hybrid configuration."
Start-up Performance
Batteries may be needed to heat the system to operating temperatures and energize spark plugs in the vaporizer and POX
fuel processor. They will also be needed to provide propulsion and auxiliary power at the same time before the fuel cell
reaches operating temperature, which takes five minutes with current technology.
A number of advanced batteries possibly lithium ion or lithium polymer may be needed to launch the vehicle while the
fuel cell is heated and for extra acceleration power. Even so, the battery pack would be one-fifth, maybe even one-tenth,
the size of a battery pack for an electric vehicle.
"In fuel cell system theory, when you start your car, you'd have to wait a minute or so before you back out of your
driveway," Borroni-Bird said. "Batteries would be used to compensate that but we can't rely on them too heavily, or we
may end up with a system too large and heavy to be practical."
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PNGV Springboard to Chrysler's Fuel Cell Effort
Detroit, Michigan
Auburn Hills, Mich. -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated fundamental research efforts with Arthur D. Little,
a technology-based consulting firm -- research which convinced Chrysler Corporation to pursue gasoline-powered fuel
cells.
According to Christine Ervin, DOE's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, "this breakthrough
technology will revolutionize the automobile industry while using our existing fueling infrastructure."
An industry-government collaboration -- the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) -- also deserves
credit for ongoing research in enabling technologies for fuel cells, according to Bernard Robertson, Vice President -
Engineering Technologies and General Manager- Jeep/Truck Operations.
Robertson also praised the U.S. Department of Commerce, under the direction of Dr. Mary Good, Undersecretary for
Technology, for coordinating automotive research efforts among seven federal agencies. Chrysler, Ford Motor Co.,
General Motors Corporation and the federal government are working together through PNGV on enabling technologies
that make it possible to build cars that get up to 80 miles per gallon, yet offer the affordability, performance and utility of
today's cars.
"Many of Chrysler's research and development activities are focused on PNGV objectives, and we regularly share
technology with our industry and government partners in this endeavor," Robertson said.
"We believe that technological breakthroughs are much more likely to occur when you focus on reaching a specific goal
with eventual production in mind," Robertson added. "That's one reason why we're enthusiastic participants in PNGV."
DOE, Arthur D. Little and Chrysler teamed to develop a four-step process which reforms gasoline (or any other fuel) into
hydrogen while making the system small enough to fit into a conventional automobile.
"Arguably, the most critical hurdle for placing fuel cells in cars is the issue of a fuel delivery infrastructure," Robertson said.
"We're now excited enough with a potential solution to that hurdle that we have decided to take this project to the next
stage -- by investing millions of dollars of our own money in the creation of a proprietary 'proof of concept' vehicle."
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