Technologue has second thoughts on hydrogen
It's all about the membrane?Oh no. Here I go again talking about hydrogen and fuel cells.
Listen, I understand that there are a ton of reasons why either fuel cell hybrid vehicles will never happen or why other technologies, such as plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles, are more important now. Six months ago I was completely against fuel cell vehicles and the hydrogen economy, but a few fuel cell vehicle test drives opened my mind.
More important, however, I just believe that science and technology will find solutions to every problem with hydrogen, maybe even multiple solutions. One such possibility that made Technologue reconsider his hydrogen and fuel cell position is a new Power+Energy plan to power fuel cells with the dirty hydrogen created from petroleum production using a palladium alloy membrane. Read more...
Labels: hydrogen highway
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:04 AM
3 Comments:
I am glad to see this second thought. I hate to be emotional in this conversation- but if you could please entertain my thoughts. This is not intended as a flame post!
I am often puzzled by the 'battery vs fuel cell' speak within the energy blogosphere. It seems electric motors (the real alt. to combustion engines) need all three systems- battery, fuel cells and capacitors. Not one rules them all. Automakers know this b/c they know powertrains- and they don't bet on transitions of combining mechanical and electric systems. Plug-in advocates seem only to see hope in companies like Tesla which use 6,000 Li-ons to boost performance. Add a FC and you cut that # in third. I also think they completely overstate the 'ease of plugging in'. Just look around in any city and you'll see cars parked in places (not garages) with no sockets around. That plug in infrastructure would need to be built. And I just don't see the case for batteries from a scalability standpoint of electric propulsion systems on a factory line. FCs are just too appealing with densities and I.C.E like performance. Once we get the membrane/bipolar plate costs down- the game is on. Its a nanoscale catalyst challenge- and R&D efforts have been right on path (though missing 'hype' path of change!) '07 was a great year for FCVs with major commitments from GM (moving 500 engineers to production mode), Honda (beautiful performing FCV), Mazda, Hyundai, India's Tata, and even Nissan. Yet Toyota delayed its plug-in by two years? Having watched R&D developments since '98 I do not believe H2 production and storage solutions are 'twenty years away'. It is a materials science challenge that nanoscale engineering resolves. And of course cost is what matters. All the skeptical cases 'takes more energy input than out' are more complicated than presented. Electricity is also a carrier and awful from an energy loss standpoint. And obviously not always green. So what are we saying about H2? The same case. Cost is what matters. Nanoscale catalysts change the game of efficiency- increasing yields. Bio-based energy re-write input/output by taking inputs from CO2 and sunlight. I really believe that Electric Vehicles are coming sooner rather than later- and that batteries & fuel cells are not at odds here. We just need to kill the combustion engine! Taking a second look at H2 FCVs is a great next step. We can't do it alone with batteries!
Cheers--- Garry
www.garrygolden.net
Gary,
Several months ago, I didn't want to hear about fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen. While I believed they would eventually become a reality, I didn't want them to distract from what could be accomplished today.
Then I test drove the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle and started checking into the newest studies regarding hydrogen production, etc., and I was converted.
I completely agree with you. We should be striving as fast as possible fuel cell vehicles. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids can still play a role, I believe, even a very important role, but I have no doubt that as the technology advances, the best electric vehicle will be a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle.
It seems pretty obvious Honda feels the same.
Also I think the path to fuel cell vehicles can be complementary to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which I believe is what GM' E Flex drive and Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive are all about.
Gary,
Several months ago, I didn't want to hear about fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen. While I believed they would eventually become a reality, I didn't want them to distract from what could be accomplished today.
Then I test drove the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle and started checking into the newest studies regarding hydrogen production, etc., and I was converted.
I completely agree with you. We should be striving as fast as possible fuel cell vehicles. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids can still play a role, I believe, even a very important role, but I have no doubt that as the technology advances, the best electric vehicle will be a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle.
It seems pretty obvious Honda feels the same.
Also I think the path to fuel cell vehicles can be complementary to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which I believe is what GM' E Flex drive and Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive are all about.
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