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Technology Stocks : Ballard Power -world leader zero-emission PEM fuel cells -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Urlman who wrote (5463)	9/8/2001 9:59:56 PM
From: CH4	Respond to of 5827

New fuel cell can run on conventional diesel Researchers in the US have developed a new fuel cell that cuts out the current infrastructure problems associated with using hydrogen as a fuel. The fuel cell, developed by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, can use conventional diesel, and produces water, carbon dioxide and heat. “In our earlier work, we were unable to feed liquid diesel to the fuel cell because we did not have a means for vaporising fuels that have low vapour pressure at room temperature,” said Raymond J Gorte, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and research leader. Now, however, he and his team have demonstrated that liquids can be fed to a fuel cell using a method similar to a fuel injector in an internal combustion engine. The prototype still requires very high temperatures in which to operate – one of the main drawbacks of fuel cells - and currently operates in a furnace set at 700ºC (1292ºF), although the researchers say that a commercial fuel cell would ideally generate that heat itself using the fuel placed in it. “We are excited by the progress that Professor Gorte and his colleagues are making in the area of direct oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels using solid oxide fuel cells,” said David Bauer, team leader for the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell project at the Ford Research Laboratory in Dearborn, Michigan. “The ability to utilise conventional fuels with little or no reforming is particularly important in transportation applications where fuel storage and system packaging are such critical issues.” “There used to be a saying that you could run a fuel cell on any fuel as long as it’s hydrogen,” notes Gorte. The researchers suggest that this fuel cell could be used to power cars and laptop computers. edie.net ... Edie weekly summaries 07/09/2001

To: Urlman who wrote (5463)	9/12/2001 6:19:03 PM
From: riposte	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5827

The Incredible Lightness of Being (Hydrogen) The Incredible Lightness of Being (Hydrogen) By MARK VAUGHN Like Raymond, everybody loves hydrogen. We’ve already told you about BMW’s hydrogen world tour and its opening of a hydrogen refueling station in California for a fleet of internal-combustion 7 Series sedans. Now Honda jumps into the fray with a solar-powered hydrogen refueling station for its very small fleet of hydrogen fuel cell-powered FCX-V3 hatchbacks. The FCX-V3 paced the Los Angeles Marathon in March, emitting no foul pollutants to clog runners’ lungs. The refueling station splits hydrogen from water molecules, powered by a huge panel of solar cells. Toyota can’t resist pleasing the California Air Resources Board (CARB), either, importing a pair of hydrogen fuel cell-powered Highlanders (photo above) called FCHV-4s. Unlike many automakers who buy fuel cell stacks from suppliers, Toyota made the entire FCHV-4. The fuel cell stack replaces batteries as the source of electricity for a hybrid drivetrain taken straight from the Prius. Ford has its own plans. While Ford has already announced it will offer a fuel cell-powered Focus in 2004, it is also pursuing a hydrogen-fueled internal-combustion engine. Ford’s P2000 research vehicle uses a Focus 2.0-liter gasoline engine modified to run on hydrogen. Ford sees the idea as a bridge to the future because it helps create demand for a hydrogen filling station infrastructure that fuel cell cars of the future will need. To support its hydrogen efforts, Ford, too, has built a hydrogen refueling station at its Dearborn, Michigan, research laboratories. Why are carmakers going to such lengths? You could say they have an interest in making the Earth cleaner. Or you could say they’re sucking up to CARB. CARB chairman Alan Lloyd was present at Toyota’s unveiling of the FCHV-4. CARB standards call for 2 percent zero-emission vehicles, 2 percent hybrid ZEVs and 6 percent SULEVs (super, ultra low-emission vehicles) in California showrooms by 2003. We asked Lloyd if any manufacturer could meet the standard. Said the doctor, “I don’t know.” What, we asked, would be the penalty if a manufacturer can’t meet the standards? “We’ll address that when the time comes.” Now there’s a reason to invest in technology no one may ever use. Remember the electric cars due in ’98? Despite having one of the largest alternative fuel research programs in the world, GM doesn’t want to play ball. It filed a lawsuit earlier this year claiming CARB has no authority to require a zero-emission vehicle. That’s from a company that lost a pile of cash on the EV1 electric. “That law is a joke,” said GM spokesman Donn Walker. “It is politically one of the most obscene abuses of power by a state regulatory agency ever.” Can’t wait till 2003! URL: autoweek.com