Hydrogen Fuel Cell

The holy grail is to store energy as hydrogen. Hydrogen can store 142 mega joules of energy per kilo gram. Our favorate energy source is gasoline(some hate it) at 46 mega joules per kilo gram. Better yet, If a hydrogen fuel cell is used to power a car it is 60 percent energy effecient versus an internal combustion energy at 16%. The Honda Clarity will travel 100 miles on a kilo gram of hydrogen while a Toyota Prius will tavel 7 miles on a kilo gram of gasoline.Theoretically the ICE is a Rube Goldberd design compared to the fuel cell. However; The hydrogen solution has been just as ellusive as the holy grail.

Here is good link for comparing energy storage densities. You will see that NG is a good energy storage "device".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density

PS: The exhaust is water vapor. No pollution from the fuel cell!

Tags: cell, fuel, hydrogen

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Permalink Reply by Mike Johnston on December 11, 2008 at 8:42am: I favor the electrolysis of water as the source of H2; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Thomas Dixon on December 11, 2008 at 9:30am: I agree that hydrogen as a fuel is the ultimate energy transfer system. It is perfect there are no other sources of energy that gives you lots of power and no pollution. But still, electrolysis requires electricity and this does not come free. If the power source that creates the electricity could be used directly to power the end user then why bother, why not just use the primary power source for the end user instead?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kenneth Koch on December 11, 2008 at 8:56am: Currently the least expensive way to make hydrogen is to extract it from natural gas using steam. It's called steam reforming. That is one reason why natural gas viehcles make soo much sense. The NG can power micro turbines, Internal combustion engines and fuel cells (when they become affordable). If we produce cheap electricity we can use electrolsys and extract the H2 from water. The most efficient way to ues this elecricity for transportation would be an electric train or a battery powered car of course.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mike Johnston on December 11, 2008 at 9:01am: Battery cars with the same range as CNG or hydrogen IC engine cars are still a long way off and battery big trucks aren't even a gleam in anyone's eye yet.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kenneth Koch on December 11, 2008 at 9:17am: Mike,

I agrree! I just wanted to point out some of the energy efficiency issues.

Micro turbine powered busses are here by the way. The micro turbine is twice as effecient as the ICE (33%). The micoturbine charges a battery and the drive train is an electric motor.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mike Johnston on December 11, 2008 at 9:21am: microturbines are great. Challenge right now is to produce H2 from water more efficiently. That has been my focus for some time now.

Don't know how into it you are but I think we are on the verge of some world changing advancements in that area.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kenneth Koch on December 11, 2008 at 9:30am: Mike,

Google for MIT develops new catalyst for the electolysis of water.

Ken

Permalink Reply by Thomas Dixon on December 11, 2008 at 9:40am: “The micoturbine charges a battery and the drive train is an electric motor.”

This sounds a lot like a trains power system.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mike Johnston on December 11, 2008 at 9:50am: yes it does and I suppose it could be adapted to large trucks as well.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Dixon on December 12, 2008 at 6:55am: Mike, thanks for the info. I Googled the MIT article and it sounds real promising.

Again, thanks

Permalink Reply by Thomas Dixon on December 11, 2008 at 9:37am: “Currently the least expensive way to make hydrogen is to extract it from natural gas using steam. It's called steam reforming. That is one reason why natural gas vehicles make soo much sense.”

I am one very determined person advocating geothermal heat mining to get the cheap electric power to do about everything else but still I must be a realist and settle on the second best choice and that is natural gas.

Natural gas will replace fuel oil, gasoline and diesel for the short term but in the long term we still need to do R & D on geothermal heat mining. In the long term this is where the world’s future energy supply is.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kenneth Koch on December 11, 2008 at 10:04am: Thomas,

I kinda aggree because I don;t know how far out that technology is. That is why I'm also for nucleat power using breeder reactors to recycle the fuel.; ▶ Reply to This