9.30.2009
National H-Prize Competition Offers $1 Million for Advances in Hydrogen Storage
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9.30.2009
Researchers Ready $30 Fuel Cell Mobile Phone Recharger
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9.28.2009
GM to Launch Fifith Generation Fuel Cells, Commercial Hydrogen Vehicles in 2015
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9.25.2009
Hydrogen's prospects for autos refreshed
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9.23.2009
Hydrogen Cars Are Still Headed for the Highway
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9.18.2009
South Carolina Researchers Making the Fuel Cell Industry More Sustainable
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9.16.2009
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Command Attention at the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Awards
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9.14.2009
Germany to launch Nationwide Hydrogen Fuel Network by 2015
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9.14.2009
RoseStreet Labs Scientists Discover Carbon-Free Hydrogen Fuel Source Utilizing Thin Film Solar Cell
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9.11.2009
1 million miles later, fuel cells on a roll
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9.10.2009
Daimler Ramps Up Effort To Launch Hydrogen-Powered Cars
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9.9.2009
Hydrogen House Groundbreaking in Aiken on Sept. 9 on Country’s First Net Zero Solar to Hydrogen Fuel Cell House
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September 30, 2009
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National H-Prize Competition Offers $1 Million for Advances in Hydrogen Storage
Sponsors and Contestants are Encouraged to Participate. Deadline is February 15, 2010.
Washington DC--September 30, 2009--The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the H-Prize competition, offering a $1 million cash award to the individual or team that creates the most advanced materials for hydrogen storage in vehicles.
The H-Prize is open to U.S. companies, U.S. citizens and legal U.S. residents, with certain restrictions. Participants must register on the H-Prize website by February 15, 2010.
The U.S. Congress authorized the H-Prize in Section 654 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and directed the Secretary of Energy to implement a robust competition that awards large cash prizes in three categories. In all, the Act could provide up to $4 million per year and a single $10 million cash prize in public funding over a 10-year period for the most significant innovations in hydrogen storage, production, utilization and distribution. To augment prize funds, private donors are encouraged to contribute. In a competitive solicitation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the National Hydrogen Association's Hydrogen Education Foundation, Technology Transition Corporation and SCRA to assist in administering the initial, pilot prize competition.
"The hydrogen and fuel cell industry has come a long way in expanding the use of hydrogen from its common use as an industrial chemical in making fertilizers and cleaning gasoline. New emerging markets for materials handling and emergency power are providing real benefits - but in some technology areas innovations in materials, efficiency and cost will make those benefits even more substantial," said Jeffrey Serfass, President of the Hydrogen Education Foundation.
"The H-Prize has the potential to unite researchers to create new advancements that will utilize domestic resources to sharply lower greenhouse gases in transportation and distributed electricity generation."
"SCRA is pleased to be a partner in administering the H-Prize for the DOE and the Hydrogen Education Foundation," said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO. "This not only reflects SCRA's consistent ability to achieve assured outcomes, but it also demonstrates our excellence as a partner in deploying important alternative energy technologies."
SCRA has demonstrated proven ability to manage and execute both national and regional hydrogen fuel cell programs, from the Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell "Market Transform" program that is deploying fuel cell technology at Ft. Jackson, SC, to the nationally recognized Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge. SCRA's principal role within the administration team will be as fundraiser for the competition, a role which has proven successful in similar responsibilities executed by SCRA's affiliate, SC Launch, in raising private funds to support knowledge economy initiatives within South Carolina.
The H-Prize bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Bob Inglis of South Carolina and Dan Lipinski of Illinois. The bill has been authorized to include up to $40 million in additional funds from non-federal sources, including up to $10 million in "transformational technologies." These technologies include innovations that exceed established criteria, with minimal environmental impact and a significant potential for market success. Sponsors are needed and are encouraged to contact HEF or SCRA to support this effort.
More info about the H-Prize competition, including eligibility, the registration process and technical criteria, as published in the Federal Register, is available at www.HydrogenPrize.org.
CONTACT:
Patrick Serfass
Hydrogen Education Foundation
202-223-5547, ext. 366
serfassp@HydrogenAssocation.org
Jill Hirsekorn
SCRA
843-760-3329
jhirsekorn@scra.org
About the Hydrogen Education Foundation
HEF is the charitable, education-focused arm of the National Hydrogen Association, the largest hydrogen trade association in the world. The HEF currently administers three hallmark programs: the H2 & You outreach program, the Hydrogen Student Design contest and the H-Prize Competition. www.HydrogenEducationFoundation.org
About SCRA
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in South Carolina, Ohio and in the Washington, D.C. area. SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing technology-based solutions with assured outcomes to industry, government, and research universities in SC, the US and worldwide. www.scra.org
September 30, 2009
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Researchers Ready $30 Fuel Cell Mobile Phone Recharger
Taiwanese researchers have built a new mobile-phone recharger based on fuel cell technology they say will cost little once manufacturing partners are on board.
The handset rechargers, which contains the fuel cell, will cost around US$30, while the fuel itself will come in small blue plastic tubes for about US$0.30 each, said Jerry Ku, a researcher at the Industrial Technology Research Institute, a government funded lab in Taiwan.
"The fuel canisters are inexpensive and small. They could be sold at 7-Eleven," he said.
The real innovation by ITRI is the fuel for the recharger, plasticized solid-state hydrogen. The plastic is soft enough that it can be shaped to suit the needs of different devices. It's designed to react with water to release the hydrogen to a fuel cell to produce electricity.
Commonly, electricity is produced in a fuel cell when oxygen reacts with hydrogen, giving off water as a by-product. Fuel-cell technology is viewed as more environmentally friendly than traditional batteries because the chemicals used are typically more earth friendly than those in regular batteries.
ITRI has already created working prototypes of the mobile phone charger and the blue fuel tubes, which house the plasticized solid-state hydrogen and water. The research group has already started developing laptop battery chargers as well, but Ku was unable to say when prototypes might be ready.
People using the handset recharger will get a two-hour charge per $0.30 tube of fuel, then they'll need to buy a new tube.
There are other kinds of fuel cells.
Toshiba has been promising a portable battery charger for electronic devices based on a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell). In DMFCs, methanol, water and air react to produce electricity, giving off a small amount of water vapor and carbon dioxide as by-products. The methanol needed for the chargers will come in cartridges.
The company has said its first DMFC charger could be out within the next few months, though it was originally due out earlier this year.
Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service
September 28, 2009
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GM to Launch Fifth Generation Fuel Cells, Commercial Hydrogen Vehicles in 2015
Despite a strong push for electric, GM isn't skimping on hydrogen, another popular "green" vehicle technology
Hydrogen is an attractive alternative fuel for the auto industry in some respects. The technology to produce it with electricity already exists, and it would provide an ideal way to store energy from alternative energy sources such as clean nuclear fission, wind, solar, and (eventually) nuclear fusion.
However, many obstacles remain to its commercial deployment. One challenge is developing a production, delivery, and fueling station network capable of sustaining commercial numbers of hydrogen vehicles. Thanks largely to Toyota and Honda, the roots of such a network have been planted in America's largest urban centers: Los Angeles, California and New York, New York.
Now one of the American automakers is preparing to step up its efforts to solve the other key challenge -- designing vehicles capable of using hydrogen efficiently. GM has announced plans to bring vehicles powered by the universe's most abundant gas to the market in only six years. GM is targeting the 2016 model year for a commercial deployment of its fifth generation fuel cell system. By the time the fifth generation lands, GM believes the system's size, cost, reliability, and capabilities will be ready for viable mass produced vehicles.
Currently, GM is wrapping up testing its second generation fuel cells. These cells feature impressive advances over GM's first generation cells. In total, GM's second generation fuel cell system is 220 pounds lighter than the previous generation, half the size, and uses half the precious metals, while delivering comparable power.
States Charles Freese, executive director of GM Fuel Cell Activities, "The improvements the team has been able to achieve are remarkable. Hardware mechanization has been dramatically simplified, which will help reduce cost, simplify manufacturing and improve durability."
GM says that it has spent $1.5B USD of its own money on fuel cell vehicles, but it warns it won't be able to deploy the vehicle's commercially without government and industry-wide support. Mr. Freese adds, "GM has invested more than $1.5 billion in fuel cell technology and we are committed to continuing to invest, but we no longer can go it alone. As we approach a costly part of the program, we will require government and industry partnerships to install a hydrogen infrastructure and help create a customer pull for the products."
To drum up interest in fuel cell vehicles, GM has deployed 100 hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric Chevrolet Equinox midsize crossovers powered by its first generation cells. The vehicles have been driven over 1 million miles by ordinary citizens and celebrities, since 2007. Two DailyTech staffers drove one of these vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2008, and came away with favorable impressions.
GM and its competitors Toyota and Honda are hoping that fuel distributors and the U.S. government support a greater U.S. deployment over the next several years. The German government just announced plans to build 1,000 hydrogen fueling stations by 2015. In Japan, 13 oil and gas companies have announced similar plans. That leaves the U.S., which only has 73 existing and 44 planned stations, far behind these foreign competitors. GM has high hopes, though, that the U.S. deployment will pick up and it will catch up before 2015.
GM is also aggressively pursuing commercial electric vehicle deployment – next year it will deliver the 2011 Chevy Volt EV.
September 23, 2009
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Hydrogen's prospects for autos refreshed
GM touts progress in fuel cells; fed research funds may be restored
Washington -- The long-delayed hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, overshadowed by the clamor over electric cars, may be getting a new lease on life.
General Motors Co. announced Thursday that its next generation hydrogen fuel cell system will be half the size and 220 pounds lighter than before, and use half the precious metals.
The announcement comes as Congress moves to restore most of the $100 million in fuel cell research money the Obama administration wanted to cut. That represented about half of the total.
GM's executive director of fuel cell activities, Charles Freese, said Thursday fuel cell vehicles could be "commercialized" by 2015, and cost "competitive" by 2022.
"It hits this tipping point in a roughly 2022 timetable," he said.
Still, that's substantially behind GM's initial timetable. In 2002, GM said it was "possible" that hundreds of thousands of fuel cell vehicles could be on the road by 2010. In 2006, GM revised that estimate to 1,000 by 2010. Now, GM says it won't make that 1,000-vehicle goal, in large part because of the lack of a network of refueling stations and a high cost.
No automaker has committed to bringing a fuel cell vehicle to the mass market before 2015.
GM says progress is being made toward resolving the refueling and price obstacles. Its new-generation vehicle will be cheaper than the previous model, because it will have the same amount of precious metals as gas engines.
And GM believes a $100 million to $200 million investment could provide a network of 40-50 hydrogen fueling stations for the 15 million residents of metropolitan Los Angeles.
Compared with 180,000 gas stations, there are about 60 hydrogen fueling stations nationwide -- mostly in California.
GM, which has spent $1.5 billion in hydrogen fuel cell research, has a test fleet of about 100 fuel cell Chevy Equinox vehicles on the road.
They've traveled more than 1 million miles since late 2007. The fleet was supposed to end its run this year, but GM has been able to double the estimated lifespan of the vehicles.
"We expect to run some of them much longer than we envisioned," Freese said Thursday.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have significant benefits: zero emissions, unlike gas-powered vehicles; 300-mile range, unlike electric vehicles; and a quick refueling time, unlike plug-ins. They also have 60 percent fewer parts and 90 percent fewer moving parts.
On Sept. 9, Germany said it would provide $1.3 billion to underwrite half the cost of building a nationwide network of 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations across the country by 2015, joining Royal Dutch Shell and Daimler AG.
Japan and 13 oil and gas companies announced similar plans to boost hydrogen stations and Honda Motor Co. recently reiterated its plans to sell a commercial version of its FCX Clarity by 2015.
And despite the exploding worldwide interest in electric vehicles, the automakers maintain their support for fuel cell vehicles.
Daimler AG, Ford Motor Co., GM, Honda, Hyundai Motor Co., Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., and Toyota Motor Corp. this month released a joint statement endorsing fuel cell vehicles.
"The signing automobile manufacturers strongly anticipate that from 2015 onwards, a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cells could be commercialized," they said.
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
September 23, 2009
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Hydrogen Cars Are Still Headed for the Highway
Advances in fuel-cell technology and a commitment from the German government to build a fueling network mean automakers haven't given up on hydrogen
No self-respecting automaker would have dared appear without a zippy-looking plug-in prototype at the annual Frankfurt Auto Show in September. Amid all the hype about electric cars, it was a surprise to hear Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche declare that hydrogen fuel cells, not batteries, are the ultimate way to move beyond oil.
"The chances further down the road seem to me better on the fuel-cell side than on the battery-electric side," Zetsche told reporters at the show on Sept. 15.
Hydrogen, he said, beats electric batteries at moving cars long distances without refueling. Hydrogen can also power big, roomy sedans much more readily than batteries.
Hydrogen was much hyped early in the decade only to be upstaged by hybrids and electrics. Yet on Sept. 10, the German government, along with Daimler (DAI) and a group of energy companies including Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) announced plans to build 1,000 hydrogen filling stations in Germany by 2015. Two days earlier, automakers including Toyota (TM), Ford (F), General Motors, and Hyundai called on energy companies to build an international network of hydrogen filling stations. By then, automakers say, there could be hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road that use fuel cells to convert hydrogen to electrical power, with no emissions except steam.
Electric cars will probably be commercially available sooner than hydrogen cars, and they certainly enjoy higher public awareness. But little-noticed advances have helped hydrogen regain credibility with carmakers. Daimler and other companies like Honda Motor (HMC) have reduced the size of hydrogen fuel-cell systems to the point that they fit into a standard midsize car. Honda has 35 test versions of its FCX Clarity fuel-cell cars on Japanese and U.S. roads. Daimler's prototype, a hydrogen-powered Mercedes B-Class compact, can travel 240 miles before taking three minutes to refuel.
A New Kind of Hybrid?
By contrast, battery-powered test versions of BMW's Mini can travel a little over 100 miles before they need a three-hour recharge. The ideal combination may turn out to be a hydrogen hybrid that runs on a battery for shorter trips, while drawing on the fuel cell for longer jaunts. The technologies complement each other since both use electric motors to drive the wheels and require sophisticated software to work.
Government money helps drive the technology. Germany is expected to cover half of the $2.6 billion cost of creating a hydrogen-fueling network. And the cost of generating an hour of electricity with a hydrogen fuel cell has recently dropped more than 20%, to $78. A drop to $30 is possible by 2015, which would make hydrogen competitive with gasoline.
Plenty of people still doubt that fuel cells are practical. "Explain to me where the energy comes from to produce the hydrogen," says Rupert Stadler, CEO of Volkswagen's (VOWG.DE) Audi unit. The central problem is to produce hydrogen in a way that doesn't cancel out the environmental gains. Most hydrogen available today is refined from natural gas. Deployed in a fuel-cell car, such hydrogen cuts CO2 emissions 30% more than a diesel engine—significant, but hardly revolutionary. That's why U.S. automakers put more emphasis on battery-powered cars such as GM's Volt: Its gasoline engine provides power on longer trips.
But automakers continue to invest in hydrogen, since they fear batteries will be practical only for short-range city runabouts. Car execs also doubt that drivers, especially in the U.S., will give up their long-distance land yachts. "Although batteries are evolving, I don't think they can catch up with fuel cells," says Honda CEO Takanobu Ito. So what technology do you pick? Both. To ignore either one, Zetsche warns, "would be extremely risky."
September 18, 2009
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South Carolina Researchers Making the Fuel Cell Industry More Sustainable
The development of Carbon Composite Catalyst for PEM Fuel Cells is critical to mass deployment of fuel cellsDr. Branko Popov, Director for the Center of Electrochemical Engineering at the University of South Carolina is making the fuel cell industry more sustainable by developing materials and methods that reduce the need for platinum and other precious metals in fuel cells while maintaining high levels of efficiency and durability. Regarded as one of the best materials for highly efficient fuel cells, platinum is very expensive and is mined from specific areas around the world contributing to its limited availability, high expense and carbon footprint.
Dr. Popov and his team of researchers recently developed a highly active and stable Carbon Composite Catalyst (CCC) process for oxygen reduction in PEM fuel cells. Using low-cost cobalt, nitrogen, and carbon, the Carbon Composite Catalyst showed a potential for oxygen reduction of approximately 90% of that of the best platinum/carbon catalysts. The CCC PEM fuel cell is capable of producing the same amount of energy that a typical platinum fuel cell would normally produce, but at a lower cost to the end user. Additionally, the CCC PEM fuel cell is as durable as platinum fuel cells. “After 480 hours of continuous fuel cell use, no significant performance degradation was observed” said Dr. Popov.
As the worldwide transportation industry expands, Dr. Branko Popov and his team are continuing their work on making the hydrogen and fuel cell industry much more sustainable and cost effective. Dr. Shannon Baxter-Clemmons, Executive Director of the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance, and University of South Carolina graduate said, “Dr. Popov’s work, as well as the many other fuel cell researchers at the University of South Carolina, is solving the challenges of hydrogen production, storage and cost. These breakthroughs have the potential to make the hydrogen and fuel cell industry more affordable sooner.”
About Dr. Branko Popov
Currently, Dr. Popov is professor at USC and Director of the Center for Electrochemical Engineering at USC. His research interest in the area of power sources focuses on new materials for cathodes and anodes for primary and secondary batteries capacitors and fuel cells and development of performance models for capacitors, fuel cells and to predict capacity fade for lithium ion batteries. Office of Naval Research and American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society have funded his research group in last ten years to develop alternative coatings to protect hard alloys from hydrogen embrittlement and to substitute cadmium plating.
About the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance
The Alliance is a non-profit partnership of government, business, academia and citizens working together to grow economies of local communities, the state and the nation, to enable energy security and to limit our environmental footprint with the use of hydrogen fuel cells.
September 16, 2009
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Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Command Attention at the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Awards
Columbia SC – Trulite and Fort Jackson were recently recognized for their commitment to hydrogen and fuel cell advancement at the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Awards. These awards are a testament to the bourgeoning hydrogen and fuel cell environment in the Columbia region and around the State.
Trulite won the Leading Edge Technology category for their manufacturing of small portable hydrogen fuel cells.
Fort Jackson won the Green Technology category for its implementation of ten hydrogen fuel cell generators for emergency backup power replacing pollution emitting diesel generators.
“Fort Jackson‘s award is a testament to the collaborative energy in Columbia. The region’s proven record in fostering federal, state and local collaborations in hydrogen and fuel cell technology was a key factor in securing the competitive award for this project. SCRA was pleased to contribute funding toward this effort” said Bill Mahoney, President and CEO of SCRA.
Columbia’s Information Technology Council (ITC), which hosted the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Awards for the 11th year, was formed in 1998 by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce to serve the greater Columbia Region. The ITC reaches out to, acknowledges and embraces all who are involved in the IT community. The ITC programs are designed to create awareness, provide networking opportunities and to recognize achievement of those in the IT community.
Green Technology
Sponsored by: Edens & Avant
The Green Technology Initiatives award recognizes a company or organization for the application or development of green technology-based projects and programs.
US ARMY – GARRISON COMMAND – FT. JACKSON: 2009 WINNER!
The Army takes proactive steps toward clean energy sources, and Ft. Jackson has taken a major step in its efforts to embrace “green” technology with the installation of 10 hydrogen fuel cells (replacing diesel generators), which will serve as a back-up power source for three critical on-post facilities; the Directorate of Emergency Services; the Energy Management Control Center, and the Directorate of Information Management.
This collaborative project (approximately $500,000) which involved Fort Jackson, The Army Corps of Engineers, Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), US Department of Energy, and the SC Research Authority, is the first of its kind in the state. Roswell, GA based LOGAN Energy Corp. was contracted to install the fuel cells.
The process involved: (1) identifying the most critical needs for reliable backup power; (2) segregating the mission-essential electrical loads at each site onto a dedicated circuit that would be backed up by the fuel cells; (3) connecting multiple 5kW systems together for those applications requiring greater than 5kW capacity; and (4) completing the electrical connections between the fuel cells and the critical load circuit(s). Each individual fuel cell system has its own dedicated hydrogen supply (nominally 6 bottles each pressurized to 2500 psi) that would provide up to 8 hours of continuous run time at full load.
Leading Edge Technology/ Trailblazers
Sponsored by: DP Professionals
The Trailblazer award recognizes a company, organization or individual for the best use of emerging technologies in the region.
TRULITE: 2009 WINNER!
Trulite designs and manufactures small (20 W - 2 kW) fuel cell and hydrogen generation systems with hydrogen storage cartridge technology (HydroCell) and a 250 watt PEM fuel cell power system (KH4). Their target market Portable and Residential Power is large ($3.7 billion) and expanding, They have their IP well secured with 3 patents awarded and 8 patents pending on their HydroCell, KH$ Power System and fuel cell technology, generating income ($ 1 M in 2009). Trulite started operations in South Carolina in 2008 becoming the first resident company at the Midlands Technical College’s Enterprise Campus. They current employ 2 people at this location and plan to add another 3 in 2009.
The Chamber and the Information Technology Council would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners of the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Technology Awards and to thank the sponsors:
Presenting sponsor: The Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management
Platinum sponsors: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Carolina First, DP Professionals, Embassy Suites, and Zero Gravity Project
September 14, 2009
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Germany to launch Nationwide Hydrogen Fuel Network by 2015
On behalf of the German government, the transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with eight industrial partners to set up the H2 mobility scheme. High profile participants include Daimler, EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.
Speaking about the groundbreaking plan, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, Tiefensee said, "Our aim is to continue consistent and systematic promotion of electromobility based on batteries and fuel cells. Today we can see that Germany is setting the pace when it comes to hydrogen and fuel cell technology. We are aiming at establishing the nationwide supply with hydrogen in Germany at around 2015 in order to support the serial-production of fuel cell vehicles."
The plan will take the form of two phases:
Phase 1 (2009-2011) will involve the assessment of various options for a nationwide hydrogen network and measures to increase public support. New hydrogen fuelling stations will also be installed to expand the existing small hydrogen network in urban areas such as Berlin and Hamburg.
Phase 2 will involve further development of the hydrogen fuel network and the introduction and commercialization of electric vehicles fitted with fuel cells. The industrial partners hope to have several hundred thousand such cars on the road by 2015.
According to Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, "The widespread adoption of fuel cells will only occur when drivers can readily refuel with hydrogen. To accomplish that end, we're working together with oil companies, energy providers and public policymakers to help drive the development of the necessary infrastructure."
By Andrew Williams
September 14, 2009
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RoseStreet Labs Scientists Discover Carbon-Free Hydrogen Fuel Source Utilizing Thin Film Solar Cell
PHOENIX, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- RoseStreet Labs Energy (RSLE) scientists announced a leap forward in generating hydrogen gas directly from sunlight by a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC). This hydrogen fuel is generated spontaneously in a single device without external power and without petroleum products such as natural gas. Hydrogen gas is a key resource for next generation hydrogen fueled cars, and also a key component in the renewable process of harvesting biofuels and biodiesel for replacement of oil based gasolines and jet fuels.
RSLE's discovery is coupled with RSLE's Full Spectrum photovoltaic development which is expected to start field trials in late 2010 with +25% efficiencies. Full Spectrum technology is primarily based on Nitride Thin Film semiconductors which have excellent robustness to extreme environments including solar radiation, heat and corrosive environments. RSLE's photoelectrochemical cell development is targeting the high performance terrestrial market for renewable energy.
Bob Forcier, CEO of RSLE, stated, "We are excited about this new development in capturing the full spectrum of the sun for not only instantaneous power generation, but also for energy storage via liquefied hydrogen or to assist the emerging biofuel and biodiesel efforts. Although this is a significant milestone in our scientific research in Nitride Thin Film photovoltaics, it also represents the opportunity to commercialize this technology to the next level with RoseStreet's partners."
Wladek Walukiewicz, CTO of RSLE, announced, "I am pleased with the great strides we have made in this Nitride Thin Film photoelectrochemical cell technology working with our distributed R&D teams. We are accelerating our efforts in carbon-free Full Spectrum photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical cells for the high performance energy market."
RoseStreet Labs Energy, Inc. (RSLE) is a privately held firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. RSLE is commercializing full spectrum photovoltaic devices for high performance applications. RoseStreet Labs LLC, the parent company of RSLE, is a privately held supplier of products and services for the renewable energy, semiconductor and life science markets. SOURCE RoseStreet Labs Energy
September 11, 2009
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1 million miles later, fuel cells on a roll
General Motors Corporation is now 1 million miles into its fuel cell experiment and company officials say having everyday people drive a test fleet of pollution-free cars has convinced them they are on the right track.
Columbia is working to become a hub of hydrogen fuel cell research with partnerships between the University of South Carolina and private businesses.
The automaker on Friday said it passed the 1 million-miles-driven mark in its fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, with about 5,000 people rotating in and out of more than 100 cars over the past 25 months.
"They'll tell you that after the first week, they pretty much forget it's a fuel cell car, which indicates to us that we have accomplished our goal of making the fuel cell transparent to the consumer,"
"They'll tell you that after the first week, they pretty much forget it's a fuel cell car, which indicates to us that we have accomplished our goal of making the fuel cell transparent to the consumer," said Daniel O'Connell, director of fuel cell commercialization at GM's research and development offices in Honeoye Falls, near Rochester.
"They get in the car and drive it like they've always driven their cars, and that really tells me that fuel cells are closer than most people would believe," he said.
Supporters see the fuel cell becoming a mainstream, eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-powered cars within the next decade. Powered by electricity, generated by a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, the only emissions are wisps of water vapor.
"You put your hand over the exhaust pipe and the only thing coming out is water. That was such a cool feeling,"
"You put your hand over the exhaust pipe and the only thing coming out is water. That was such a cool feeling," said Mike Schwabl, a marketing executive who drove an Equinox for 10 days in western New York earlier this year. Other drivers tried cars in Washington, D.C., and southern California.
The cars look and handle like any other car, Schwabl said. "I would love to drive one of these vehicles (permanently)."
But numerous obstacles remain for GM and its competitors in the fuel cell race. Toyota Motor Corp. introduced a car powered by hydrogen and electricity last year and will introduce an improved hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2015. Daimler AG has spent nearly $2 billion and plans to spend another $700 million by 2011 for the commercial production of fuel cell vehicles, while Honda has leased a small number of FCX Clarity vehicles in California to assess hydrogen's future.
Auto companies do not disclose costs, but the vehicles are expensive to produce because most are hand-built prototypes. Also, the nation lacks a network of fueling stations.
Improving technology should allow the next cars to go farther than the current 168 miles per fill-up, O'Connell said. Until then, drivers have to keep a close eye on the fuel gauge to avoid drifting too far from one of about 70 fueling stations in the United States.
Test driver Laurie DeRoller learned that the hard way, stalling out five miles short of the filling station in Honeoye Falls during a weekend test drive in May. GM sent a flatbed to take it away.
"It was a rural road, we're talking cars that are mostly farmland type vehicles and people are driving by, and here's myself on the side of the road with the fuel cell car," said DeRoller, executive director of the International Business Council of Greater Rochester. "And people are slowing down and looking," she laughed.
The experience didn't change her mind about wanting to own one, she said, and she felt confident a hydrogen highway will eventually exist. Refueling the cars with compressed hydrogen takes about five to seven minutes in a process similar to putting gasoline in a traditional car.
"I was the only parent allowed to idle my car in the pickup line at school," said Jeanine Behr-Getz, a Greenwich, Conn., author whom GM identified as having driven the millionth fuel cell mile.
"We've learned that the technology can be accepted by the consumer and that it is a viable means of powering our automobiles of the future," O'Connell said of the "Project Driveway" test.
He said the program will continue for five more months and then the cars will be pulled off the road and upgraded with technology developed while they've been in use.
Courtesy of the Associated Press and Newsday.
September 10, 2009
Daimler Ramps Up Effort To Launch Hydrogen-Powered Cars
BERLIN -(Dow Jones)- Daimler AG (DAI) Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche confirmed Thursday that hydrogen-powered cars should be ready for large-scale production by 2015, just after several major automakers pledged to ramp up efforts to commercialize the technology for emission-free driving.
"We will bring costs to a competitive level, prepare large-scale production and of course continue to work on the technology," Zetsche said at a press briefing in Berlin, according to a prepared statement.
At the briefing, representatives of several utilities, gas and energy companies such as Linde AG (LIN.XE), Vattenfall Group and OMV AG (OMV.VI) signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a network of hydrogen fueling stations in Germany as part of a joint initiative.
Ensuring that drivers can fill up their vehicles wherever they go is a precondition for a broader use of the technology.
But hydrogen technology still faces some prominent critics. In July, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said he wanted to axe funding for research and development on cars that run on hydrogen fuel cells, partly because they would require the creation of a network of fueling stations.
The U.S. government has spent roughly $1.5 billion since 2001 on hydrogen fuel-cell research. Chu argued that improved internal-combustion engines and plug-in electric vehicles were more realistic technologies for cutting oil consumption over the next 20 to 30 years.
However, Zetsche said General Motors Co., Adam Opel GmbH, Honda Motor Co. ( 7267.TO), Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.TO), Nissan Motor Co. (7201.TO), Renault SA ( RNO.FR), Ford Motor Co. (F) and Hyundai-Kia (005380.SE) will push hydrogen technology forward, in addition to Daimler.
He said from 2015 on "several hundred thousand electric cars with fuel cells will be produced," noting that Daimler will present a hydrogen fuel cell version of its compact Mercedes-Benz B-Class model at the Frankfurt auto show next week.
Electric cars and alternative drivetrains are expected to be in the spotlight in Frankfurt as automakers feel rising pressure to make their cars more environmentally friendly amid tightening emission regulations worldwide and a growing awareness among consumers for green issues.
According to previous statements, Daimler is starting small-scale series production of the hydrogen-powered B-Class model this year. Production is expected to be around 200 cars in 2009 and pave the way for large-scale production from 2015 on.
Daimler executive board member Thomas Weber told Dow Jones in a recent interview that Daimler has so far invested around EUR1 billion in research and development costs for fuel-cell technology and pledged to keep up investing in this field.
He said by 2015 hydrogen-powered cars would have to be cost-efficient enough to attract a broader range of customers. "Customers will only buy these cars if they're just about a few thousand euros more expensive than cars with a conventional engine, but not more," Weber said.
Company Web site: www.daimler.com
-By Christoph Rauwald, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29 725 512; christoph.rauwald@dowjones.com
(Stephen Power of The Wall Street Journal in Washington contributed to this article.)
September 9, 2009
(view original article)
Hydrogen House Groundbreaking in Aiken on Sept. 9 on Country’s First Net Zero Solar to Hydrogen Fuel Cell House
By: Stephen Hale (803) 221-4976 – stephendhale@eakinhale.com
AIKEN, SC --- A team of experts who have assembled the technology to build America’s first Net Zero Energy house to be powered by solar energy and a hydrogen fuel cell will break ground and begin construction of the energy independent house of the future at 3 p.m., Sept. 9, 2009 at The Ridge at Chukker Creek in Aiken, S.C.
Aiken County, S.C., is becoming known as Hydrogen County USA because of its remarkable combination of advanced hydrogen technologies and research. The County owns its own $10 million Center for Hydrogen Research (CHR), its own hydrogen vehicle fueling station and a demonstration hydrogen powered pickup truck. Also in Aiken County are the Savannah River Site and the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) where advanced hydrogen research has been conducted for nearly 60 years. These entities work closely with, and some are full members of, the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
The latest advance in renewable energy solutions in Aiken County is inspired by developer Ron Monahan and architect George Watt, who with CHR lead scientist Scott Greenway, Ph.D., have developed the technology to build a house that will have no net energy bill over a year’s time and will store its excess solar-created electricity in a hydrogen fuel cell for later use. Other partners in the project include the Economic Development Partnership, Aiken Electric Cooperative and Aiken Technical College.
The regenerative fuel cell system will move the hydrogen house from being a traditional net-zero energy home toward being an energy independent home. The key to energy independence is energy storage. The regenerative fuel cell system stores solar energy as hydrogen through electrolysis of water in a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. The hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is stored as a solid in a metal hydride bed designed at SRNL. When solar energy is not available, hydrogen gas is released from the metal hydride bed and is reacted electrochemically in a PEM fuel cell to produce water, electricity, and heat. In addition to providing electrical energy to the house, heat will be captured from the electrolyzer and fuel cell to pre-heat water entering the hot water heater.
A key step in the hydrogen house design is electrical load reduction through energy efficient design. Since renewable energy is currently one of the most expensive design elements, reducing the electrical demand from the heat pump by using spray foam insulation, a smart framing system, and a radiant barrier roof were important design features. In addition, energy efficient appliances were chosen to further reduce the base load on the house. With the low electrical demand of the house, the regenerative fuel cell system will provide up to one and a half days of on-site energy storage. The hot water from the regenerative fuel cell system should nearly eliminate energy consumption for hot water heating. Additionally, the regenerative fuel cell system will provide hot water for use in heating the house in winter. Since the regenerative fuel cell system provides heat in the winter, it helps reduce electricity usage during peak seasonal grid demand in the region.
The house is the first of many anticipated solar/hydrogen fuel cell houses at The Ridge. This house will be a demonstration project designed for thousands of people to explore. It is expected that many engineers, scientists, developers, builders, educators and prospective homeowners who would like to live in an energy independent home, will visit the house during the course of its inaugural year. The developer, architect and other out-of-town team members will stay in the house while they are in Aiken.
The project has extensive political support and many County Council, City Council and legislative representatives are expected to be on hand for the media event as well as leaders of the county school system, Aiken Technical College and USC Aiken.
Organizers plan to allude to the impact that this project could have on future generations with a fun twist on the usual hard hat and shovel groundbreaking ceremony.
Monahan, Watt and Scott as well as several political leaders, will be on hand for interviews beginning at 3 p.m., to be followed at 3:30 by a brief – and photogenic – groundbreaking ceremony.
Please see previous coverage of The Ridge at Chukker Creek at the News page of our Web site. http://theridgeaiken.com/news.php
Announcement compiled by Eakin-Hale Publicists. More information will be available at the event.
Also available for information are:
Ron Monahan, Developer (720) 352-4061 - ron@ronmonahan.com
George Watt, Architect – (303) 443-4848, (720) 938-2336 - george@gwattarchitect.com
Dr. Scott Greenway, Senior Engineer – (803) 381-1818 - scott@greenway-energy.com
