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| The Hydrogen News # 18 |
| 09.18.04 (9:58 am) |
The evolution of the "Flash" hydrogen generator.
Way back when I started my own research into hydrogen energy I took a look at the many different types of devices which are presented on the web as being the Great White Hope for more efficient hydrogen production from water. One of the one's that immediately struck me as being kind of cool was a system which has come to be called the "Layo Device" (http://www.layo.com ). The inventor took a MIG welder, (which operates by feeding a wire from a roll, through an electrified nozzle onto the metal to be welded and inert gas is used to protect the metal of the weld from contamination during the welding process ) and used it to separate water. He did this by using the welder to feed aluminum wire into a container of water in which was a rotating aluminum drum. When the welding arc became established the aluminum wire dissolved into AlO3 and precipitated to the bottom of the container and liberated H2 gas. The Inventor claimed that BMW had been interested in his system.
I thought the process was interesting because of all of the elements that were brought into play. The inventor focused mainly on the electrolytic formation of AlO3 as the source of the hydrogen produced but I saw the potential for other elements also contributing to this process outside of the electrolysis reaction. You see a welding arc produces light of a sufficiently high UV frequency to split water on it's own by photodisassociation of the molecule. The high frequency UV photons hit a water molecule and excite it's oxygen atom enough for it to release the electrons that it has taken from the hydrogen atoms to which it is bonded back to those hydrogen atoms and so form H2 and O2 gas. In addition a welding arc (in air) can easily reach temperatures of 6000 degrees Fahrenheit or more and this is ( coincidentally enough ) a high enough temperature to separate water by thermal disassociation which is similar to photodisassociation except that heat energy instead of light e!
nergy is used.
So there are three separate process by which water can be separated which are all happening simultaneously. This seems to be a very interesting avenue for further research. I didn't bother with it personally as I like to do somewhat new things and this concept is already (in my opinion) public domain. Shortly after this (a year or two) other people started experimenting with this system. There was a company in Florida who replaced the aluminum MIG welder with carbon electrodes. Their system produced a combination of H2 gas and CO gas (and probably some O2 as well) which is a gas usually referred to as "Coal Gas or Water Gas" and has been around for longer than natural gas and is usually made by passing steam over coal. But this was a new way to do it and I thought it was a cool evolution of the process from the original Layo design. I unfortunately no longer have a link to that company in Florida, however a French researcher named Jean Louis Naudlin
(http://jlnlabs.imars.com/bing... ) replicated the device and does have a description of his work on the web.
His contribution to furthering the evolution of this design was to make his own unit and then hook it up to a power source in a rather interesting way. The power source he used was a self contained welder. In other words a welder that had it's own internal combustion engine which turned a generator which powered the welder. There is a movie on his site of him starting the unit up with gasoline powering the IC engine and then, once sufficient gas is produced in the carbon "flash" unit he switches the IC engine from gasoline to run on the fuel being produced by the flash unit. It runs for a minute or two on this fuel source. This is obviously a very crude unit (no offense Jean) like any invention in it's early stages and there are numerous ways in which talented engineers could improve the system.
What is really neat is that an IC engine can produce it's own fuel from water and carbon (as I mentioned in last week's edition). In my opinion the downside of the process is that, in either the aluminum or the carbon version of this system, a consumable material is used. To satisfy my own requirements the process would have to work without sacrificing the electrodes. Is this possible? I think that it may be. At the time that this research was being done I commented on the email lists that a good modification would be to use electrodes made from a substance that would resist heat and be somewhat inert to oxidation. One possibility might be tungsten. The TIG welding process uses little tungsten electrodes and that would be a good source for test pieces. You see, as I said above, the oxidation of the electrodes in these units are only one way in which the hydrogen in water might be released, there are two others present. So eliminating the consumable electrodes would only e!
liminate one of these avenues for H2 production. My own "boiling cell" experiments were another way of doing this without the high current requirements of the previous designs. This happened unintentionally as I explain in the paper on that experiment but is related nonetheless.
It has come to my attention that a company in the United States may (they won't give out details) be trying to patent this system as their own at this time, calling it the "Flash Hydrogen Generator" and, depending on the type of patent they are seeking, I think this is wrong. If they are only going for a design patent then fine but if they are trying to patent it as their own discovery then I plan to protest as it is so obviously based on the work of others. After all it is a fairly simple process. I am not even sure of it's commercial viability in the application that they plan for it (as an on board vehicle fuel production device). Somehow that hot electrical spark in the midst of the explosive gas that is being produced within it just begs for an accident to occur and I think they might have a hard time getting it past the National Transportation Safety Board.
Related Link: Here is a paper I wrote a couple of years ago on the potential of using a Water Gas based system to produce both electricity and surplus hydrogen
http://www.geocities.com/mj_1...
(#) Harry Braun a long time supporter of hydrogen energy ( http://www.phoenixproject.net... ), who made an independent bid for President this year in hopes of raising public awareness of critical issues facing the United States and the world has withdrawn from the race and is urging his supporters to vote for John kerry in November. He aparrently has plans for the future though and is hinting at forming an activist/advocacy group to continue to bring these issues into the public arena. Following is a quote from his most recent newsletter in which he makes this announcement and briefly outlines his plans for the future:
"My independent candidacy was an attempt to provide the American public with a vision of a solar hydrogen economy for America and Spaceship Earth. Unfortunately, none of the major news media were interested. We sent out over 40 email press release position papers that outlined detailed solutions on a wide-range of critical issues, including energy, the economy, education, healthcare, foreign policy and the environment, we were not successful in attracting any media interest. My campaign has sadly documented that the quality of ideas in this presidential campaign are irrelevant to the news media. Given this reality, and given how close this election may be, I implore those who have supported my campaign to give your vote to Senator Kerry this November. While Kerry supports many of Bush’s energy and foreign policy fiascos, he is in my view a far better choice than George Bush."
"Regardless of who wins in November, however, ignoring the exponential icebergs will not make them go away. It is why every citizen who understands that we are like passengers on the Titanic needs to join with us to create a new political force that will allow America to “change course,” while there is still time to make a difference. We need to organize hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who will be able to meet in Washington DC in order to press our case with the new President, the Congress, and the American people. It is critical to join this effort because we are as close to a nanotechnology utopia of molecular medicine that will eliminate the biological mechanisms of aging and disease, as we are to an ecological oblivion of mass-starvation and genetic mutations, which are graphically shown in the Chernobyl Heart documentary. It is because of the exponential nature of the age in which we live, that the decisions made in the next few years will determine whi!
ch future evolves."
Harry Braun
Analyst, Author, CEO
Former Independent Candidate for President
Email: hb@BraunforPresident.US
The Hydrogen News:
(1) Sustainable energy is nature’s gift
http://europa.eu.int/comm/res...
The planet provides energy in different forms. It’s up to us to choose how effectively and cleanly we harness nature’s gift to feed our growing need for power. The latest
issue of RTD info looks at what Europe is doing to keep the home lights burning.
(2) First Alternative Energy Index Spawns Exchange Traded Fund
http://www.socialfunds.com/ne...
"Up until now investors have had few options for investing in alternative energy mutual funds," said Zoë Van Schyndel, managing director of socially responsible
investment (SRI) hedge fund firm King StarFish Capital Management.
(3) Hydrogen seen as car fuel of the future
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ext...,14478,,00.html?overtureID=07001&dis playMode=trail&maxAdCount =3&isSearch=0&siteName=Gu ardian
Gas from nuclear power stations 'will power the world's vehicles'. ( Nukes? H2 from water, the ultimate clean, green energy source and we have to use nukes?)
(4) Alternative energy fund formed
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/59641...
With crude oil prices near record highs, a Houston firm has launched a venture fund to focus on fuel cells and other alternative energy investments. ( Arbusto, anyone?)
(5) Atofina membrane work seeks to drive down fuel cells cost
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com...
Atofina, the chemicals unit of the Paris-based oil giant Total, is collaborating with several corporate and university partners in the U.S. to come up with inexpensive
polymer membranes for fuel cells.
(6) Hy-Drive Technologies Ltd. Announces first round of fleet orders of HGS(TM) units from the test-to-own program
http://biz.yahoo.com/cnw/0409...
"Not only did the Hy-Drive unit more than pay for itself," said Windrem, "but performance-wise it has turned my worst truck into my best truck of the fleet." (Damn.)
(7) Ford tests a hydrogen F-350
http://www.detnews.com/2004/a...
Ford Motor Co. has a small secret that could have big implications for the advancement of hydrogen-powered vehicle development. The automaker has developed a
supercharged, 6.8-liter V-10 internal combustion engine that runs on clean-burning hydrogen instead of gasoline.
(8) Engineers Clear Bottleneck In Production Of Hydrogen
http://www.spacedaily.com/new...
Carbon monoxide, or CO, has long been a major technical barrier to the efficient operation of fuel cells. But now, chemical and biological engineers at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison have not only cleared that barrier - they also have discovered a method to capture carbon monoxide's energy.
(9) Record oil price has helped create opportunity for Stuart Energy
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm...
A record price for oil and worries about the security of its supply has helped create opportunities for Stuart Energy, a specialist in hydrogen energy systems, the
company's CEO says.
(10) International Energy Agency Hydrogen Implementing Agreement Releases 25th Anniversary Report, Strategic Plan
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm...
The International Energy Agency (IEA) Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to release its
25th anniversary report, In Pursuit of the Future, and introduce the 2004-2009 strategic plan for its second generation of R,D&D.
(11) Oil that is - black gold, Texas tea
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004...
Three books on the politics, economics, and depletion of oil.
(12) NRDC: Down a Risky Road: Energy Policies Harm Consumers and Workers While Benefiting Oil Companies
http://www.nrdc.org/air/trans...
This September 2004 NRDC analysis shows that American consumers and workers are paying a steep price for our current energy policy, while oil companies are
profiting handsomely. This paper also identifies the road to an energy policy that would lower prices, create jobs and protect the environment.
(13) Exploring the economics of oil
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/bu...
Can we talk about oil? When oil prices shot up in the 1970s, we knew exactly whom to blame. It was Arab oil producers, flexing the economic muscle that comes from
possessing two-thirds of the Earth's oil reserves.
(14) Fuel cell cars on the way, but slowly
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/...
Just imagine filling up your car at the windmill down the road. That s what Andreas Truckenbrodt dreams of, but DaimlerChrysler AG s director of fuel cell and
alternative powertrain vehicles knows there are still hurdles to clear before zero-emission cars become kings of the road. (isn't Honda introducing one this year?)
(15) Our readers write about oil and energy dependence and vegetation management
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/...
Regarding "An oil slick on Wall Street" [August 16-23]: There are two reasons why oil continues to sell for more than $44 a barrel. First, the worldwide production of
liquid fuels is very unstable, and second, we have been slow to devise alternative ways to power vehicles.
(16) PSM professor seeks better means for storing hydrogen
http://www.zwire.com/site/new...
A chemistry professor at Penn State McKeesport is working on basic research with a goal of new storage for environmentally friendly hydrogen. "We're looking at ways
hydrogen gas can be stored other than these huge steel cylinders," said Dr. Ed Bittner, professor of chemistry at PSM.
(17) Hydrogen In - Electricity Out
http://www.carlist.com/autone...
ABC's John Batchelor has talked about ridding ourselves of dependence on oil by finding alternatives.
(18) NYSERDA, NYPA team on hydrogen project funding
http://buffalo.bizjournals.co...
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York Power Authority is making $1.5 million available to fund hydrogen demonstration
technology projects.
(19) Why Hybrids Are Hot
http://www.wired.com/news/wir...,2167,64775,00.html
Have you seen gas prices? Purists can wait for hydrogen. The market can't. By James Surowiecki from Wired magazine.
(20) Hydrogenics Awarded Contract by The Toro Company to Provide HyPM Technology for Fuel Cell Program
http://www.theautochannel.com...
Hydrogenics Corporation , a designer and manufacturer of hydrogen and fuel cell systems, reported today that it has been awarded a contract by The Toro Company to
supply a HyPM fuel cell power module for integration into the company's development work in grounds maintenance equipment. ( H2 lawnmowers? I want one! )
(21) MIT jumps into the solar catalyst arena
http%3A//www.e4engineering.com/story.aspx?uid=0a0696a7-89cd-44 ef-a3d1-092dc6e3b79c&cuid =b96dad81-0ef4-4fcc-9e3d- a7bd9b6a4258
In a step toward creating energy from sunlight as plants do, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have invented a compound that produces
hydrogen gas with the help of a catalyst and a ray of light.
(22) Hydrogen Fuel Closer to Fruition
http://www.wired.com/news/tec...,1282,64797,00.html
Finding a cheap way to produce hydrogen fuel has been something of a Holy Grail to energy researchers for years. Recently, teams across the world announced
advances, but observers say some promises are running ahead of results.
(23) 2nd Annual AltWheels Festival Showcases Current and Future Transportation Alternatives
http://www.theautochannel.com...
Festival dedicated to sustainable, clean transportation pulls into Larz Anderson Museum, September 18-19, 2004 Brookline, MA, August 30, 2004 – Hydrogen fuel cell
vehicles, Segway scooters, eco-friendly transportation sources, even taxi rickshaws – plus dozens of diverse panel discussions and family-fun events -- will be in high
gear at the second annual AltWheels Transportation Festival, September 18-19, 2004, at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline.
(24) Waking Up in Time?
http://futurepositive.syneart...
The numbers show us that we have "overshot" the carrying capacity of our planet. Overshoot is always followed by die-off because that the way overshoot is defined.
( Not exactly a bright and hopeful little essay but an interesting read for morbidly depressed realists. ED.)
(25) What is Green Energy?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk...
Four organisations have joined forces to create the UK Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, following a government grant of £50m.
(26) Falling Oil Output
http://solutions.synearth.net...
Falling oil output from ageing fields, once insignificant compared with global production, has become large enough to impact world supply...
(27) Natural Gas Vehicle Fueling—At Home
http://www.greencarcongress.c...
American Honda is working directly with FuelMaker Corporation to complete development of a natural gas home refueling appliance.
(28) 1022 miles per gallon
http://www.debris.com/journal...
On September 7th, the fuel-cell vehicle Hysun 3000 will start its record ride from Berlin to [Barcelona] on only one hydrogen filling. The manufacturer claims it will
achieve a record 0.23 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers -- or about 1022 miles per gallon.
(29) New Fuel Reformer resource web site
http://www.martinandalex.com/...
Welcome to the Fuel Reformer Document Repository a new web site funded by US Army and run out of Spokane. Good place to track documents and current state of
Hydrogen fuel cell reformer stuff....
(30) Nanotechnology Definition From Amory Lovins
http://crnano.typepad.com/crn...
During a recent interview for Small Times on alternative energy solutions, Mr. Lovins was asked about nanotechnology.
(31) The Bottom of the Periodic Table
http://www.aoe.vt.edu/~cdhall/Space/archives/00 1191.html
The folks who are working on hydrogen fuel are making progress: Hydrogen Fuel Closer to Fruition. One of those folks is Virginia Tech's own Professor Karen Brewer.
(32) Korea plays catch-up in the development of hydrogen energy
http://joongangdaily.joins.co...
(Is this the Korea that is part of the "Evil Axis" or is this the "nice" Korea?)
(33) Renewable, Alternative & Hydrogen Energy Analysed
http://www.prweb.com/releases...
(This is from PR Web where you can print whatever you want to and call it news)
(34) Emerging Technologies in Product Release Mode
http://www.prweb.com/releases...
Remember these guys from my (almost) interview? Well they post on PR Web too. Does this mean you can actually BUY their products now? I doubt it.
(35) Cold Fusion Back From the Dead
http://italy.indymedia.org/ne...
(Guess I will have to polish up the "boiling cell")
(36) The balance of power
http://www.guardian.co.uk/202...,15047,1299047,00.html
What will happen when the gas runs out, when the deepest oil well of the Arabian peninsula finally runs dry, when the giant drills of the offshore platforms reach nothing
but dry rock?
(37) Renewing America's Economy:
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_e...
The Union of Concerned Scientists modelled the results of a national renewable electricity standard (RES) with a gradually increase in US renewable energy from about
2.5 percent today to 20 percent by 2020, with net benefits of $49B in that period.
(38) NASA's Grace Gravity Mission Weighs In On Earth's Changing Climate
http://www.sciencedaily.com/r...
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that precise measurements of Earth's changing gravity field can effectively monitor changes in the planet's climate and
weather.
(39) Western Canadian Study Concludes Large-scale CO2 Storage Is Safe
http://www.sciencedaily.com/r...
A report released today at the international Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference in Vancouver concludes that geological
conditions in the Weyburn oil field in western Canada are favourable for long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). ( Sigh. ED. )
(40) Envisat Witnesses Return Of The South Polar Ozone Hole
http://www.sciencedaily.com/r...
The smudges of dark blue on this Envisat-derived ozone forecast trace the start of what has unfortunately become an annual event: the
opening of the ozone hole above the South Pole...
(41) The “Chernobyl Heart” documentary
(Please refer to the www.ccp-intl.org website for future broadcast dates for this extraordinary film).
President Bush secretly and quietly extended the licenses of aging nuclear plants and allowed their corporate operators actually increase power levels, even though the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reported that every nuclear power plant in the country is suffering from stress corrosion in the primary core cooling system. This
means every nuclear plant is a ticking time bomb, and while terrorists may attack a nuclear installation, the stress corrosion accidents are inevitable, which is why all
of the existing reactors need to be decommissioned with wartime-speed. Anyone who has seen the images of the tens of thousands of grotesquely deformed children
from the Chernobyl nuclear accident, which were shown in graphic detail in the “Chernobyl Heart” documentary aired on HBO, will understand the horrific sense of
urgency to decommission the nuclear industry. (Excerpt from a newsletter produced by the Harry Braun for president campaign; http://www.braunforpresident....
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| The Hydrogen News # 17 |
| 09.06.04 (4:13 pm) |
First off, a note on the on-board reformer type technology. Remember that from a couple weeks ago? That was where an on-board device had been developed which would allow you to produce hydrogen fuel from hydrocarbons while the vehicle rolls along. Pretty cool, right? Well here is another wrinkle which you won't see in the news (yet). By utilizing the same amount of energy that is used in the aforementioned hydrocarbon reformer you could also use a carbon reformer. What is the difference? Simple, a hydrocarbon reformer passes hot water (steam) and the hydrocarbon (gasoline or diesel) over a catalyst with the result being the release of hydrogen as the carbon from the hydrocarbon unites with the oxygen from the water and both the hydrocarbon and the water release their hydrogen atoms. In a carbon reformer you use pure carbon (such as coal) and pass hot water (steam) over it. This results in the release of hydrogen (from the water) as the carbon unites with the oxygen from the water. It was nice of the government lab to prove that you can run a car while it produces it's own fuel by the reformation reaction. That saves me the trouble of arguing that you could just as easily power a car using hydrogen released from water through a similar reformation process. The lab has already proved it.
Lets see, coal is around $100 a TON and gasoline is $2 a gallon (roughly 6lbs) so one ton of gasoline would cost $667 dollars and a ton of coal only $100. After all the hydrogen from the water is free. That would be roughly a 600% savings over today's fuel prices. I wonder why no one is mentioning that to us? Why isn't it even a talking point in thinking about America's energy future?
As long as we are on the subject of water let's have a look at turning water into gasoline. Yep, that's what I said and no, I am not crazy (ok, not TOO crazy). It is possible you know. Let me explain how it is done. Imagine a device at your house into which you throw a couple of shovelfuls of coal into a day and then hook up to a water faucet and at the end of each day you drain several gallons of gasoline or diesel fuel (heating oil) out of the other end of the machine. Would that be cool or what? No more relying on someone else to meet your energy needs. What if the coal companies jacked up their prices though? Easy, use other carbon or hydrocarbon sources such as vegetable oil, old tires, charcoal, etc.
Surprisingly enough it seems as though it would be possible to build such a machine. In fact it has been possible since at least WW II when German scientists developed the process. For some reason though such machines were never made, even though research has continued in ways to improve the process. For example, check out this patent for a process which was invented by two Russians and is owned by (guess who) Mobil ( http://www.fischer-tropsch.or... ). Sure there were a couple of pilot plants built in the US right after the war but those were later abandoned when oil from the ground became the preferred energy source of the world. More patents of this type here: http://www.fischer-tropsch.or...
Maybe underground oil was cheaper to produce at the time, when America still had vast reserves, but if anyone had really taken the initiative to start building these home gas producing machines all those years ago then the technology would surely have been improved enough till now so that the fuel they produced would be economically competitive with (if not cheaper than) oil from the ground (initial estimates were for gasoline from petroleum to cost 10.5 cents per gallon to produce and synthetic gasoline 11 cents per gallon). This is especially true since America now imports most of it's oil from half way around the world. The US did run pilot pants and coal to gasoline research centers until the 1960's and one or two may still be in operation today. As shown above there is now a renewed interest in improving this process but there is still not much mention made of it in the regular public news outlets.
I grew up in a rural area and most of the farms around me had their own gasoline storage tanks with little hand cranked pumps attached to them. This fuel was for the farm equipment and the farmer's personal vehicles as well. Many trucking companies also have fuel tanks on their property so they can buy bulk fuel and save a few pennies per gallon and trucking, like modern farming is a game of pennies and anywhere you can save one you have to just to survive. If you would have gone to those types of customers back then and told them they could produce their own fuel from locally available resources cheaper than they could buy it from the petrochemical companies they would have listened. Not only because of the savings but because both types of people are known to be, by nature, self reliant and fiercely independent. Those two types of businesses alone would have provided a large enough customer base so that the hypothetical manufacturer of these small scale gasoline from water and coal machines could have built a thriving, growing business.
But this never happened. Instead we have a few huge petrochemical corporations which have been granted a virtual monopolistic sort of control on the energy supply of the world and by default the world's economy as well. This situation is in direct opposition to the free market concepts of Capitalism where many businesses compete for the available customers and, as a result, consumer prices are kept low. In that scenario the customer is king and the people are in control. In the existing situation of subsidies and prices being set by only a few people and supply being manipulated so that demand always slightly exceeds supply and therefore justifies ever increasing prices giving the corporations virtual control of the money of the nation and of the people. After all who's money is it? The government's? No, because the government is just an institution, established by the people to enact the will of the people. The corporations? No, corporations are just paper entities who exist solely to serve the needs of people (their customers) not to control those people. But the people, who are the true owners of the Earth, have consistently, through apathy, given away their birthright to whoever has the ambition to claim a piece of it. So, in order to restore the true benefits of the Capitalist ideology we must diversify our energy sources and thereby establish a climate of competition within the energy industry which will provide real benefit to the consumer unlike the "fake" sort of "Trickle Down" capitalism which has been preached to us so fervently of late by the representatives of the corporate giants who are, in actuality, destroying true Capitalism.
Back to the question of energy sources. Is gasoline/diesel that is produced from petrochemicals really cheaper than gasoline/diesel which is produced on site from water and carbon? That would be good to know as it is the main reason given for petrochemicals having gained virtually 100% of the energy market and the real reason why the world is as we know it today. To answer that question we will have to make a comparison between the two processes and then decide for ourselves.
Gasoline from petrochemicals is not pumped out of the ground ready to go into your car. There are many costs associated with producing it. The first is the cost of finding oil fields. Next comes the cost of the equipment and personel to drill the wells and the electricity to run the pumps and then to build pipelines and storage facilities to move the oil to ports where it is loaded onto hugely expensive supertankers. From there you have the cost of building and maintaining refineries in the areas where the oil is processed into the fuels that you need. here you have to build more storage facilities and you have the cost of the tanker trucks and trains which move the finished product to distribution facilities and then, finally to your local fuel dealer or gas station. At the refinery more energy is needed to process the oil and then you have the energy used at the local level. All in all quite a complex and costly process. You can add to this the cost of cleaning up the inevitable spills that occur when something goes wrong in this process.
Whew! That is a lot of expense in order to bring you your hydrogen fuel stored on carbon atoms, isn't it? But how about the other way of doing it? Let's think about what would be involved cost wise in producing our gasoline locally from local resources and then compare the two in our minds just to see which makes the most sense. After all the DOE is thinking about it. There is a grant available now to develop better ways to produce liquid fuels from coal and hydrogen: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Appl...%23032%3B&%23032%3B&%2303 2%3B/Grant.html
What would be required is a carbon source such as coal, a water source and a heat source (such as the sun through either solar panels producing electricity to turn into heat or a solar concentrator to heat water into steam directly). All of these things can be readily available to the small scale producer and are easy to handle. The final thing needed would be the conversion reactor/refinery unit. This too could be a rather simple device and would undoubtedly be the single biggest expense of the whole operation unless the small scale producer could build their own. That might be an interesting project for someone to tackle. Design and build such a small scale conversion unit from readily available materials. Things like pipe to carry the steam and the gasses produced could be obtained fairly easily. Joints would probably have to be welded as pressurized steam is being used. The Platinum catalyst (if needed) could come from used automotive catalytic converters (or new ones). And so everything that is needed could be gotten together for a reasonable amount of money and put together with a bit of ingenuity. Then they could share their design with the rest of us and we could all have our own little oil refinery at home. Then who cares what the OPEC folks do? Won't matter to us.
I think it is surprising that so many people spend so much time working on various "free' energy devices and the like but ignore something as simple and potentially beneficial as small scale synthetic gasoline production. Luckily there are other people who have invested time in similar technologies such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, methanol and other renewable fuels. But even those people have missed out on exploring the potentials of synthetic gasoline. It is true that, environmentally speaking, synthetic gasoline is no better than "regular" gasoline but I wanted to just look at the process itself and wonder how things might have been different if this energy source had been allowed to develop over the years in an economic sense.
So which is cheaper? That seems pretty obvious. There are carbon sources all around and water is free (still) and beyond that all that is needed are common mechanical parts and some ingenuity to do it the small scale way. Compare that to what is needed to produce gasoline the "traditional" way and it is obvious that the small scale method will win hands down. So all that remains is for someone to put one together and promote the technology.
Link: http://www.fe.doe.gov/aboutus...
Hydrogen News Links:
(1) Clean Energy Inc: Convert to Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines From Gasoline
http://www.theautochannel.com...
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Aug. 23, 2004--Clean Energy, Inc. (Pink Sheets:CLER) has finalized the acquisition of an international exclusive license from HPA, LLC for a
turnkey hydrogen delivery system for internal combustion engines. The hydrogen system has been in development in the United States with two US patents issued in
1998 and 2000. The hydrogen is delivered into an existing internal combustion engine by an innovative hydrogen injector system. Compressed hydrogen is stored in
proven government certified pressurized hydrogen storage tanks onboard the vehicle.
(2) Alternative Fuel Options Hit High Gear, MotorWeek Predicts
http://www.theautochannel.com...
BALTIMORE--Aug. 25, 2004--"In a time of sky high gasoline and diesel prices," says MotorWeek host John Davis, "people are more receptive than ever to the idea of
using alternative fuels--that is, fuels other than petroleum--to power their cars. Especially since, as gas prices go up, alternative fuel may actually become a bargain, all
while lessening our dependence on foreign oil and making the air we breathe cleaner."
(3) Honda puts fuel cells and hybrids in scooters
http://newstrove.com/cgi-bin/...://www.iht.com/articles/535575.html
TOKYO Honda Motor, the world's biggest motorcycle maker, said Tuesday that it had built scooters powered by fuel cells and gasoline-electric engines, extending those
technologies for the first time to two-wheeled vehicles.
(4) Pollution Hides Global Warming
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
The true extent of global warming is being hidden by atmospheric pollution, a German scientist is warning. The Earth could heat up more quickly as the cooling effect of
this pollution is reduced.
(5) Rising Oceans
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
"The distance these large boulders are being moved is spectacular. They are being ripped from cliffs up to 120ft above sea level and thrown about to form boulder
beaches,"
(6) Boiling Point
http://solutions.synearth.net...
Climate change is not just another issue. It is the overriding threat facing human civilization in the twenty-first century, and so far our institutions are doing dangerously
little to address it.
(7) Desert Planet!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
Heat waves in the 21st Century will be more intense, more frequent and longer lasting, US experts report....
(8) Will hydrogen soon kill Middle East crude?
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cf...%20Affairs&objectid=1549B A27-8F0C-11D4-867000D0B74 A0D7C
You mean to tell me we invaded Iraq for nothing?!?
(9) UPS tiptoes into hydrogen fuel cell age
http://in.news.yahoo.com/0408...
United Parcel Service Inc., the world's largest package delivery company, said three trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells began carrying its packages in the United
States on Thursday, and it hopes increased use of the alternative-fuel trucks one day will help it save on fuel costs and cut emissions.
(10) Mahindra & Mahindra joins Indian Oil Corporation to research hydrogen engine
http://www.just-auto.com/news...
Utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has signed an agreement with oil major Indian Oil Corporation to research alternative fuels and energy that may lead to
the roll-out of India's first hydrogen engine in the next two years.
(11) Compound Turns Water to Hydrogen Gas
http://www.solaraccess.com/ne...
Research into hydrogen production for fuel cells was the hot topic for Virginia Tech researchers attending the American Chemical Society National Meeting.
(12) Ford Said to Be Close on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
http://www.aiada.org/articles...
On a slow-moving assembly line in an undistinguished concrete-block building on Mt. Elliott on Detroit s east side, Ford has been quietly assembling Focus sedans
powered by hydrogen fuel cells rather than gas-burning internal combustion engines.
(13) Salad oil may fuel hydrogen car of future
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lif...,12976,1291380,00.html
Researchers yesterday unveiled a new fuel: clean, green and also good in a salad dressing. Sunflower oil is light in taste and rich in vitamin E, and Valerie Dupont of
the University of Leeds believes it could also prove a handy portable source for the cleanest fuel of all, pure hydrogen.
(14) Focus on hydrogen economy has things backward
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
As summer slides towards fall, fuel-cell manufacturers and automakers are out on the streets of major cities around the world, showing off million-dollar prototypes of
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.(Finally starting to see my point? ED.)
(15) Cars running with water as fuel! India’s pioneering research on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel surprises the world!
http://www.indiadaily.com/edi...
Cars running with water as fuel! India’s pioneering research on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel surprises the world! The Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of
Technology joint program on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel has surprised the world. (You know there has to be a catch here somewhere,right? ED.)
(16) Penn State's Hydrogen Energy Center hosts 'Hydrogen Day'
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub...
Penn State's Hydrogen Energy Center will present its second "Hydrogen Day at Penn State" Monday, Oct. 25, at the University Park campus.
(17) Japanese Companies Lead the World in Micro Fuel Cell Commercialization, Says ABI Research
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit...
Laptops, PDAs and phones powered by hydrogen are not yet a commercial reality. But micro fuel cells (MFCs) that can replace batteries in portable electronics are in development, and the majority of companies leading the pack are Japanese. (Tiny tech from Japan. What a surprise..not. ED.)
(18) Charring Peanut Shells for Hydrogen Fuel
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr...
Donald C. Reicosky, an Agricultural Research Service soil scientist at the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory in Morris, Minn., has teamed up with an inventor of a patent-pending process to turn agricultural biomass—wastes like peanut shells—into hydrogen fuel and charcoal fertilizer. ( remember, one or two more steps and you'd have gasoline. ED.)
(19) Clintons, John McCain Visit Iceland
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm...
U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain visited Iceland on Tuesday to study its use of alternative energies, but they were upstaged
by former President Bill Clinton, whose separate 11-hour visit captivated the local media. (Kind of a day late and a dollar short. But
better than nothing. ED.)
(20) Alternative energy still awaits its day
http://www.iht.com/articles/5...
When oil prices rise, public interest in alternative energy often does, too. Tapping into renewable sources of power like wind, solar power
and hydrogen, which are inexhaustible but far from inexpensive, seems to make more commercial sense when crude oil costs around
$48 a barrel.
(21) Ready to Bet on Alternative Energy? Well, Think Again
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/0...
When oil prices rise, public interest in alternative energy often does, too. But the logic is evidently escaping Wall Street.
(22) Project to Produce Hydrogen from Wind Power
http://www.solaraccess.com/ne...
Behind the push toward a future hydrogen economy are many important debates -- perhaps most important of all is where the hydrogen
will be obtained. So far, many hydrogen/fuel cell projects rely on hydrogen sourced through fossil fuels.
(23) NASA SAYS: VAST NEW ENERGY SOURCE ALMOST HERE !
http://earthobservatory.nasa....
"Australian scientists predict that a revolutionary new way to harness the power of the sun to extract clean and almost unlimited energy
supplies from water will be a reality within seven years.
Using special titanium oxide ceramics that harvest sunlight and split water to produce hydrogen fuel, the researchers say it will then be
a simple engineering exercise to make an energy-harvesting device with no moving parts and emitting no greenhouse gases or
pollutants."
(24) Sun will power us into paradise
http://www.smh.com.au/text/ar...
In the not too distant future silent cars will glide around our city streets, rooftop panels harnessing the sun's energy will generate enough power for the whole country,
the pace of global warming will have slowed and power lines will be replaced by underground pipes. That at least is the vision of T. Nejat Veziroglu, director of the
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. And it gets better. Australia will be one of the wealthiest countries in the world - the new OPEC - having beaten the
rest of the world in harnessing the power of the sun to produce hydrogen from solar energy.
(25) Urban Planning, Transportation, Automotive Technology Luminaries to Gather in Boulder for ``Sustainable Communities'' Public Dialogue
http://www.theautochannel.com...
"We'll be examining the integration of mobility systems which enhances our personal freedoms while taking into consideration our finite resources and environmental
stewardship," Sturges said. "We're also looking for communities who want to take the next step and showcase these solutions." Going will feature renowned experts
from the fields of transportation, urban planning and land-use, as well as advanced automotive technology.
(26) Oil rally not enough to spur renewables investment
http://www.planetark.com/dail...
(27) ITM Power says it is on track with hydrogen power technology.
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/...,1602,4915,00.html
ITM Power PLC, a maker of fuel cells and electrolyser technology, said it has made "important progress" in the development of its
hydrogen power technology.
(28) FUEL cell hydrogen technology in Brazil
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com...
Fuel cell converts chemical energy into electric power energy, uses hydrogen and can be powered by ethyl alcohol, biodiesel, natural
gas and other fuels.
(29) PEUGEOT shows the way with new fuel cell vehicle.
http://www.platinum.matthey.c...
(30) HE SAID, SHE SAID -- EXCEPT HE'S RIGHT
http://www.gristmagazine.com/...
Study Shows Systematic Deficiency in Climate-Change Reporting
(31) AEP to build plant with clean-coal technology
http://www.planetark.com/dail...
(32) Technology already exists to stabilize climate, say experts.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
Existing technologies could stop the escalation of global warming for 50 years, and work on implementing them can begin immediately,
according to an analysis by Princeton University scientists.
(33) FUELCELL'S Burning Cash
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/...
(34) STUDY Finds Electricity Beats Hydrogen for Power Storage/Delivery
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com...
(35) BATTTERY-FREE backup power system achieves 2 hour runtime
http://www.eet.com/sys/news/s...
... it to continue spinning and the resulting kinetic energy is converted to ... the technology requires no toxic materials, diesel fuel or
hydrogen for operation. ...
(36) Mexico detects huge new deep-sea oil finds.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
Mexico's Pemex has detected vast new oil deposits in the Gulf of Mexico that could double the country's total reserves and boost its oil
output to rival Saudi Arabia's, the state oil monopoly said Monday. (Amazing how, after price gouging for as long as they think they can
get away with it, the oil industry always has some "miraculous" thing happen to bring prices down just a bit, isn't it?)
(37) ALTAIR Nanotechnologies Begins Work on Carbon-Coated Nanotubes ...
http://nanotechwire.com/news....
ALTAIR is committed to participating in advanced/alternative energy industries and developing projects related to hydrogen generation
and fuel cells. ...
(38) THE Wait for the Hydrogen Age Ends!
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/...
The Hydrogen Engine Center (HEC) has introduced the world's first production-ready hydrogen fueled engine.
(39) THE High Road
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/58299...
Beijing is undaunted in its ambitions to become a world leader in hydrogen-fuel-cell-powere d cars. The dream is not farfetched. ...
(40) Solar Hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Cell Fuel Hydrogen Technology by Roy McAlister
http://www.knowledgepublicati...
Another new hydrogen book. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain a copy of this one so that I could review it for you. I never knew that
the American Hydrogen Association was a private enterprise!?(ED.)
(41) Amory Lovins to speak at enviornmental education center in Washington state
http://www.islandwood.org
(42) Green Fueled Cart Racing
http://www.greenmotorsports.c...
I got an email from this site looking for sponsors. It looks like a fun concept.
(43) MBA in Sustainable (green) Business being offered
http://www.bgiedu.org
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| The Hydrogen News # 17 |
| 09.06.04 (3:52 pm) |
First off, a note on the on-board reformer type technology. Remember that from a couple weeks ago? That was where an on-board device had been developed which would allow you to produce hydrogen fuel from hydrocarbons while the vehicle rolls along. Pretty cool, right? Well here is another wrinkle which you won't see in the news (yet). By utilizing the same amount of energy that is used in the aforementioned hydrocarbon reformer you could also use a carbon reformer. What is the difference? Simple, a hydrocarbon reformer passes hot water (steam) and the hydrocarbon (gasoline or diesel) over a catalyst with the result being the release of hydrogen as the carbon from the hydrocarbon unites with the oxygen from the water and both the hydrocarbon and the water release their hydrogen atoms. In a carbon reformer you use pure carbon (such as coal) and pass hot water (steam) over it. This results in the release of hydrogen (from the water) as the carbon unites with the oxygen from the water. It was nice of the government lab to prove that you can run a car while it produces it's own fuel by the reformation reaction. That saves me the trouble of arguing that you could just as easily power a car using hydrogen released from water through a similar reformation process. The lab has already proved it.
Lets see, coal is around $100 a TON and gasoline is $2 a gallon (roughly 6lbs) so one ton of gasoline would cost $667 dollars and a ton of coal only $100. After all the hydrogen from the water is free. That would be roughly a 600% savings over today's fuel prices. I wonder why no one is mentioning that to us? Why isn't it even a talking point in thinking about America's energy future?
As long as we are on the subject of water let's have a look at turning water into gasoline. Yep, that's what I said and no, I am not crazy (ok, not TOO crazy). It is possible you know. Let me explain how it is done. Imagine a device at your house into which you throw a couple of shovelfuls of coal into a day and then hook up to a water faucet and at the end of each day you drain several gallons of gasoline or diesel fuel (heating oil) out of the other end of the machine. Would that be cool or what? No more relying on someone else to meet your energy needs. What if the coal companies jacked up their prices though? Easy, use other carbon or hydrocarbon sources such as vegetable oil, old tires, charcoal, etc.
Surprisingly enough it seems as though it would be possible to build such a machine. In fact it has been possible since at least WW II when German scientists developed the process. For some reason though such machines were never made, even though research has continued in ways to improve the process. For example, check out this patent for a process which was invented by two Russians and is owned by (guess who) Mobil ( http://www.fischer-tropsch.or... ). Sure there were a couple of pilot plants built in the US right after the war but those were later abandoned when oil from the ground became the preferred energy source of the world. More patents of this type here: http://www.fischer-tropsch.or...
Maybe underground oil was cheaper to produce at the time, when America still had vast reserves, but if anyone had really taken the initiative to start building these home gas producing machines all those years ago then the technology would surely have been improved enough till now so that the fuel they produced would be economically competitive with (if not cheaper than) oil from the ground (initial estimates were for gasoline from petroleum to cost 10.5 cents per gallon to produce and synthetic gasoline 11 cents per gallon). This is especially true since America now imports most of it's oil from half way around the world. The US did run pilot pants and coal to gasoline research centers until the 1960's and one or two may still be in operation today. As shown above there is now a renewed interest in improving this process but there is still not much mention made of it in the regular public news outlets.
I grew up in a rural area and most of the farms around me had their own gasoline storage tanks with little hand cranked pumps attached to them. This fuel was for the farm equipment and the farmer's personal vehicles as well. Many trucking companies also have fuel tanks on their property so they can buy bulk fuel and save a few pennies per gallon and trucking, like modern farming is a game of pennies and anywhere you can save one you have to just to survive. If you would have gone to those types of customers back then and told them they could produce their own fuel from locally available resources cheaper than they could buy it from the petrochemical companies they would have listened. Not only because of the savings but because both types of people are known to be, by nature, self reliant and fiercely independent. Those two types of businesses alone would have provided a large enough customer base so that the hypothetical manufacturer of these small scale gasoline from water and coal machines could have built a thriving, growing business.
But this never happened. Instead we have a few huge petrochemical corporations which have been granted a virtual monopolistic sort of control on the energy supply of the world and by default the world's economy as well. This situation is in direct opposition to the free market concepts of Capitalism where many businesses compete for the available customers and, as a result, consumer prices are kept low. In that scenario the customer is king and the people are in control. In the existing situation of subsidies and prices being set by only a few people and supply being manipulated so that demand always slightly exceeds supply and therefore justifies ever increasing prices giving the corporations virtual control of the money of the nation and of the people. After all who's money is it? The government's? No, because the government is just an institution, established by the people to enact the will of the people. The corporations? No, corporations are just paper entities who exist solely to serve the needs of people (their customers) not to control those people. But the people, who are the true owners of the Earth, have consistently, through apathy, given away their birthright to whoever has the ambition to claim a piece of it. So, in order to restore the true benefits of the Capitalist ideology we must diversify our energy sources and thereby establish a climate of competition within the energy industry which will provide real benefit to the consumer unlike the "fake" sort of "Trickle Down" capitalism which has been preached to us so fervently of late by the representatives of the corporate giants who are, in actuality, destroying true Capitalism.
Back to the question of energy sources. Is gasoline/diesel that is produced from petrochemicals really cheaper than gasoline/diesel which is produced on site from water and carbon? That would be good to know as it is the main reason given for petrochemicals having gained virtually 100% of the energy market and the real reason why the world is as we know it today. To answer that question we will have to make a comparison between the two processes and then decide for ourselves.
Gasoline from petrochemicals is not pumped out of the ground ready to go into your car. There are many costs associated with producing it. The first is the cost of finding oil fields. Next comes the cost of the equipment and personel to drill the wells and the electricity to run the pumps and then to build pipelines and storage facilities to move the oil to ports where it is loaded onto hugely expensive supertankers. From there you have the cost of building and maintaining refineries in the areas where the oil is processed into the fuels that you need. here you have to build more storage facilities and you have the cost of the tanker trucks and trains which move the finished product to distribution facilities and then, finally to your local fuel dealer or gas station. At the refinery more energy is needed to process the oil and then you have the energy used at the local level. All in all quite a complex and costly process. You can add to this the cost of cleaning up the inevitable spills that occur when something goes wrong in this process.
Whew! That is a lot of expense in order to bring you your hydrogen fuel stored on carbon atoms, isn't it? But how about the other way of doing it? Let's think about what would be involved cost wise in producing our gasoline locally from local resources and then compare the two in our minds just to see which makes the most sense. After all the DOE is thinking about it. There is a grant available now to develop better ways to produce liquid fuels from coal and hydrogen: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Appl...%23032%3B&%23032%3B&%2303 2%3B/Grant.html
What would be required is a carbon source such as coal, a water source and a heat source (such as the sun through either solar panels producing electricity to turn into heat or a solar concentrator to heat water into steam directly). All of these things can be readily available to the small scale producer and are easy to handle. The final thing needed would be the conversion reactor/refinery unit. This too could be a rather simple device and would undoubtedly be the single biggest expense of the whole operation unless the small scale producer could build their own. That might be an interesting project for someone to tackle. Design and build such a small scale conversion unit from readily available materials. Things like pipe to carry the steam and the gasses produced could be obtained fairly easily. Joints would probably have to be welded as pressurized steam is being used. The Platinum catalyst (if needed) could come from used automotive catalytic converters (or new ones). And so everything that is needed could be gotten together for a reasonable amount of money and put together with a bit of ingenuity. Then they could share their design with the rest of us and we could all have our own little oil refinery at home. Then who cares what the OPEC folks do? Won't matter to us.
I think it is surprising that so many people spend so much time working on various "free' energy devices and the like but ignore something as simple and potentially beneficial as small scale synthetic gasoline production. Luckily there are other people who have invested time in similar technologies such as biodiesel, vegetable oil, methanol and other renewable fuels. But even those people have missed out on exploring the potentials of synthetic gasoline. It is true that, environmentally speaking, synthetic gasoline is no better than "regular" gasoline but I wanted to just look at the process itself and wonder how things might have been different if this energy source had been allowed to develop over the years in an economic sense.
So which is cheaper? That seems pretty obvious. There are carbon sources all around and water is free (still) and beyond that all that is needed are common mechanical parts and some ingenuity to do it the small scale way. Compare that to what is needed to produce gasoline the "traditional" way and it is obvious that the small scale method will win hands down. So all that remains is for someone to put one together and promote the technology.
Link: http://www.fe.doe.gov/aboutus...
Hydrogen News Links:
(1) Clean Energy Inc: Convert to Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines From Gasoline
http://www.theautochannel.com...
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Aug. 23, 2004--Clean Energy, Inc. (Pink Sheets:CLER) has finalized the acquisition of an international exclusive license from HPA, LLC for a
turnkey hydrogen delivery system for internal combustion engines. The hydrogen system has been in development in the United States with two US patents issued in
1998 and 2000. The hydrogen is delivered into an existing internal combustion engine by an innovative hydrogen injector system. Compressed hydrogen is stored in
proven government certified pressurized hydrogen storage tanks onboard the vehicle.
(2) Alternative Fuel Options Hit High Gear, MotorWeek Predicts
http://www.theautochannel.com...
BALTIMORE--Aug. 25, 2004--"In a time of sky high gasoline and diesel prices," says MotorWeek host John Davis, "people are more receptive than ever to the idea of
using alternative fuels--that is, fuels other than petroleum--to power their cars. Especially since, as gas prices go up, alternative fuel may actually become a bargain, all
while lessening our dependence on foreign oil and making the air we breathe cleaner."
(3) Honda puts fuel cells and hybrids in scooters
http://newstrove.com/cgi-bin/...://www.iht.com/articles/535575.html
TOKYO Honda Motor, the world's biggest motorcycle maker, said Tuesday that it had built scooters powered by fuel cells and gasoline-electric engines, extending those
technologies for the first time to two-wheeled vehicles.
(4) Pollution Hides Global Warming
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
The true extent of global warming is being hidden by atmospheric pollution, a German scientist is warning. The Earth could heat up more quickly as the cooling effect of
this pollution is reduced.
(5) Rising Oceans
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
"The distance these large boulders are being moved is spectacular. They are being ripped from cliffs up to 120ft above sea level and thrown about to form boulder
beaches,"
(6) Boiling Point
http://solutions.synearth.net...
Climate change is not just another issue. It is the overriding threat facing human civilization in the twenty-first century, and so far our institutions are doing dangerously
little to address it.
(7) Desert Planet!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sc...
Heat waves in the 21st Century will be more intense, more frequent and longer lasting, US experts report....
(8) Will hydrogen soon kill Middle East crude?
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cf...%20Affairs&objectid=1549B A27-8F0C-11D4-867000D0B74 A0D7C
You mean to tell me we invaded Iraq for nothing?!?
(9) UPS tiptoes into hydrogen fuel cell age
http://in.news.yahoo.com/0408...
United Parcel Service Inc., the world's largest package delivery company, said three trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells began carrying its packages in the United
States on Thursday, and it hopes increased use of the alternative-fuel trucks one day will help it save on fuel costs and cut emissions.
(10) Mahindra & Mahindra joins Indian Oil Corporation to research hydrogen engine
http://www.just-auto.com/news...
Utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has signed an agreement with oil major Indian Oil Corporation to research alternative fuels and energy that may lead to
the roll-out of India's first hydrogen engine in the next two years.
(11) Compound Turns Water to Hydrogen Gas
http://www.solaraccess.com/ne...
Research into hydrogen production for fuel cells was the hot topic for Virginia Tech researchers attending the American Chemical Society National Meeting.
(12) Ford Said to Be Close on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
http://www.aiada.org/articles...
On a slow-moving assembly line in an undistinguished concrete-block building on Mt. Elliott on Detroit s east side, Ford has been quietly assembling Focus sedans
powered by hydrogen fuel cells rather than gas-burning internal combustion engines.
(13) Salad oil may fuel hydrogen car of future
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lif...,12976,1291380,00.html
Researchers yesterday unveiled a new fuel: clean, green and also good in a salad dressing. Sunflower oil is light in taste and rich in vitamin E, and Valerie Dupont of
the University of Leeds believes it could also prove a handy portable source for the cleanest fuel of all, pure hydrogen.
(14) Focus on hydrogen economy has things backward
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
As summer slides towards fall, fuel-cell manufacturers and automakers are out on the streets of major cities around the world, showing off million-dollar prototypes of
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.(Finally starting to see my point? ED.)
(15) Cars running with water as fuel! India’s pioneering research on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel surprises the world!
http://www.indiadaily.com/edi...
Cars running with water as fuel! India’s pioneering research on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel surprises the world! The Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of
Technology joint program on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel has surprised the world. (You know there has to be a catch here somewhere,right? ED.)
(16) Penn State's Hydrogen Energy Center hosts 'Hydrogen Day'
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub...
Penn State's Hydrogen Energy Center will present its second "Hydrogen Day at Penn State" Monday, Oct. 25, at the University Park campus.
(17) Japanese Companies Lead the World in Micro Fuel Cell Commercialization, Says ABI Research
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit...
Laptops, PDAs and phones powered by hydrogen are not yet a commercial reality. But micro fuel cells (MFCs) that can replace batteries in portable electronics are in development, and the majority of companies leading the pack are Japanese. (Tiny tech from Japan. What a surprise..not. ED.)
(18) Charring Peanut Shells for Hydrogen Fuel
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr...
Donald C. Reicosky, an Agricultural Research Service soil scientist at the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory in Morris, Minn., has teamed up with an inventor of a patent-pending process to turn agricultural biomass—wastes like peanut shells—into hydrogen fuel and charcoal fertilizer. ( remember, one or two more steps and you'd have gasoline. ED.)
(19) Clintons, John McCain Visit Iceland
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm...
U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain visited Iceland on Tuesday to study its use of alternative energies, but they were upstaged
by former President Bill Clinton, whose separate 11-hour visit captivated the local media. (Kind of a day late and a dollar short. But
better than nothing. ED.)
(20) Alternative energy still awaits its day
http://www.iht.com/articles/5...
When oil prices rise, public interest in alternative energy often does, too. Tapping into renewable sources of power like wind, solar power
and hydrogen, which are inexhaustible but far from inexpensive, seems to make more commercial sense when crude oil costs around
$48 a barrel.
(21) Ready to Bet on Alternative Energy? Well, Think Again
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/0...
When oil prices rise, public interest in alternative energy often does, too. But the logic is evidently escaping Wall Street.
(22) Project to Produce Hydrogen from Wind Power
http://www.solaraccess.com/ne...
Behind the push toward a future hydrogen economy are many important debates -- perhaps most important of all is where the hydrogen
will be obtained. So far, many hydrogen/fuel cell projects rely on hydrogen sourced through fossil fuels.
(23) NASA SAYS: VAST NEW ENERGY SOURCE ALMOST HERE !
http://earthobservatory.nasa....
"Australian scientists predict that a revolutionary new way to harness the power of the sun to extract clean and almost unlimited energy
supplies from water will be a reality within seven years.
Using special titanium oxide ceramics that harvest sunlight and split water to produce hydrogen fuel, the researchers say it will then be
a simple engineering exercise to make an energy-harvesting device with no moving parts and emitting no greenhouse gases or
pollutants."
(24) Sun will power us into paradise
http://www.smh.com.au/text/ar...
In the not too distant future silent cars will glide around our city streets, rooftop panels harnessing the sun's energy will generate enough power for the whole country,
the pace of global warming will have slowed and power lines will be replaced by underground pipes. That at least is the vision of T. Nejat Veziroglu, director of the
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. And it gets better. Australia will be one of the wealthiest countries in the world - the new OPEC - having beaten the
rest of the world in harnessing the power of the sun to produce hydrogen from solar energy.
(25) Urban Planning, Transportation, Automotive Technology Luminaries to Gather in Boulder for ``Sustainable Communities'' Public Dialogue
http://www.theautochannel.com...
"We'll be examining the integration of mobility systems which enhances our personal freedoms while taking into consideration our finite resources and environmental
stewardship," Sturges said. "We're also looking for communities who want to take the next step and showcase these solutions." Going will feature renowned experts
from the fields of transportation, urban planning and land-use, as well as advanced automotive technology.
(26) Oil rally not enough to spur renewables investment
http://www.planetark.com/dail...
(27) ITM Power says it is on track with hydrogen power technology.
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/...,1602,4915,00.html
ITM Power PLC, a maker of fuel cells and electrolyser technology, said it has made "important progress" in the development of its
hydrogen power technology.
(28) FUEL cell hydrogen technology in Brazil
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com...
Fuel cell converts chemical energy into electric power energy, uses hydrogen and can be powered by ethyl alcohol, biodiesel, natural
gas and other fuels.
(29) PEUGEOT shows the way with new fuel cell vehicle.
http://www.platinum.matthey.c...
(30) HE SAID, SHE SAID -- EXCEPT HE'S RIGHT
http://www.gristmagazine.com/...
Study Shows Systematic Deficiency in Climate-Change Reporting
(31) AEP to build plant with clean-coal technology
http://www.planetark.com/dail...
(32) Technology already exists to stabilize climate, say experts.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
Existing technologies could stop the escalation of global warming for 50 years, and work on implementing them can begin immediately,
according to an analysis by Princeton University scientists.
(33) FUELCELL'S Burning Cash
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/...
(34) STUDY Finds Electricity Beats Hydrogen for Power Storage/Delivery
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com...
(35) BATTTERY-FREE backup power system achieves 2 hour runtime
http://www.eet.com/sys/news/s...
... it to continue spinning and the resulting kinetic energy is converted to ... the technology requires no toxic materials, diesel fuel or
hydrogen for operation. ...
(36) Mexico detects huge new deep-sea oil finds.
http://www.enn.com/news/2004-...
Mexico's Pemex has detected vast new oil deposits in the Gulf of Mexico that could double the country's total reserves and boost its oil
output to rival Saudi Arabia's, the state oil monopoly said Monday. (Amazing how, after price gouging for as long as they think they can
get away with it, the oil industry always has some "miraculous" thing happen to bring prices down just a bit, isn't it?)
(37) ALTAIR Nanotechnologies Begins Work on Carbon-Coated Nanotubes ...
http://nanotechwire.com/news....
ALTAIR is committed to participating in advanced/alternative energy industries and developing projects related to hydrogen generation
and fuel cells. ...
(38) THE Wait for the Hydrogen Age Ends!
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/...
The Hydrogen Engine Center (HEC) has introduced the world's first production-ready hydrogen fueled engine.
(39) THE High Road
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/58299...
Beijing is undaunted in its ambitions to become a world leader in hydrogen-fuel-cell-powere d cars. The dream is not farfetched. ...
(40) Solar Hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Cell Fuel Hydrogen Technology by Roy McAlister
http://www.knowledgepublicati...
Another new hydrogen book. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain a copy of this one so that I could review it for you. I never knew that
the American Hydrogen Association was a private enterprise!?(ED.)
(41) Amory Lovins to speak at enviornmental education center in Washington state
http://www.islandwood.org
(42) Green Fueled Cart Racing
http://www.greenmotorsports.c...
I got an email from this site looking for sponsors. It looks like a fun concept.
(43) MBA in Sustainable (green) Business being offered
http://www.bgiedu.org
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| Photocatalyst boost |
| 09.01.04 (11:32 pm) |
This week there were several stories in the news regarding new developments within the area of photocatalysts which I find particularly interesting.
1)Compound Turns Water to Hydrogen Gas
http://www.solaraccess.com/ne...
2)NASA SAYS: VAST NEW ENERGY SOURCE ALMOST HERE !
htttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom /MediaAlerts/2004/2004082 417536.html
This is, of course, the process by which light is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The usual light source that is mentioned for this process is the sun. Makes sense, being free and all. But another interesting possibility is the creation of a light source within the cell itself. A light source which will not use any extra energy and thereby diminish the H2 output of the cell. Is this possible though? Yes, I think it is.
If you look at the paper I wrote on my experiments with using AC electricity in an electrolysis cell (http://www.geocities.com/mj_1...) and go down near the bottom of the page you will see the illustration of what I saw happen when I inserted a "neutral" electrode into the cell in various positions ( http://www.geocities.com/mj_1... ). The illustration in the middle of the three is the one of interest. In it the "neutral" electrode is touching the cathode with the result being an electrical arc being produced between the two. A nice bright white/blue arc of LIGHT.
Is it enough light to separate water though? That was what I thought when I noticed the effect. If you are looking at only the photocatalytic disassociation of pure water then perhaps the light from the arc would not be of the right UV frequency. But if not then you could increase the current through the cell and thereby make a brighter, hotter arc and probably achieve the necessary frequency. With the improvements in photocatalysts though new possibilities emerge as they can utilize sunlight and the sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface has had much of the "hard" UV energy removed while it passes through the ozone layer and so the light produced by the arc should be of sufficient intensity to allow these photocatalysts to split water or even a photoelectric cell to produce energy for that matter.
The really interesting thing is the advantage that can be achieved by producing light in this manner. You see by touching the neutral electrode to the cathode you are essentially creating a single electrode which is split into two halves. In this way all of the electrons that enter the cell are still leaving the cell and the potential difference between the electrodes (overall voltage drop) is not affected. Some of the electrons are just being made to "jump" from one half of the electrode to the other and by doing so release energy into the cell in the form of light and heat which can be utilized to increase the overall H2 production of the cell without increasing it's energy demand thereby increasing the efficiency of the cell.
My experiments involving the introduction of various electronic components into electrolysis cells can also come into play here as the electric arc between the two electrode halves could just as easily be replaced by LEDs or a capacitor or induction coil (made to be resistant to the electrolyte being used) with different results. All happening within the cell itself and so not affecting the normal hydrogen production rate of the cell. This is totally different than creating an underwater arc between the cathode and anode as that allows a lot of the current that is flowing through the cell to bypass the electrolysis process and so reduces the overall output of the cell. As I said though, by splitting one of the electrodes and creating the spark between those two halves all the electrons that enter the cell through the split electrode, even the ones that make the jump between the two halves, must still exit at the anode and the only way for that to happen is for them to produce H2 at the cathode and then be released through the production of O2 at the anode.
So then, I think that exploring this underwater light source could greatly enhance the production of normal electrolysis by allowing photocatalysts to be employed within the cell to augment it's normal production.
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