During World War I, the UK and Germany were sworn enemies. Today, however, they are no longer enemies, but they do have a friendly competition going regarding the use of renewable resources to create clean hydrogen fuel. In the UK, ITM Power is teaming up with several different partners in an EcoIsland project.

According to ITM Power, “The EcoIsland project brings together within a single island energy system a critical mass of smart energy technologies to demonstrate how a future energy system can be configured. With renewable generation including wind, solar, tidal and geothermal the island will need to match supply and demand using battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage and demand side management. These technologies will be coordinated centrally by smart grid technologies supplied by IBM, Cable&Wireless Worldwide, SSE and Toshiba.

“ITM Power is the hydrogen fuel partner and will supply hydrogen refueling equipment controlled by smart grid technology to optimize both renewable energy storage and the provision of fuel to both fuel cell vehicles and Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine commercial vehicles. The intention is that the island will also be a showcase for advanced low emission hydrogen vehicles being launched from 2013.”

And in Germany, just outside of Berlin a groundbreaking has occurred for a one of a kind, hydrogen hybrid fueling station.

According to DB, “The aim of this groundbreaking project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a safe and sustainable supply and storage of energy by using a mix of purely renewable energy sources in practical testing. The hydrogen-hybrid power station unites for the first time wind, hydrogen and biogas to one compound. The electricity generated by three wind turbines is proportionately used to manufacture CO2-free hydrogen. This green hydrogen is stored and used to produce electricity and heat by means of a combined hydrogen-biogas power plant at times of high demand and simultaneously low supply of wind energy. Moreover, this hydrogen is also used in the pumps at TOTAL hydrogen filling stations in Berlin and Hamburg. In this way, green hydrogen from the Uckermarck guarantees CO2-free mobility in our capital city.”

So, you see, the UK and Germany are charging full bore ahead when it comes to novel ways to produce hydrogen cleanly in anticipation of the influx of H2 vehicles that will start to be sold commercially within the next few years.

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On the island of Taiwan in the central city of Taichung, Feng Chia University opened its first renewable energy bio-hydrogen filling station.

According to Taiwan Today, “At the opening of the new facility, the university presented its research achievements in using microbial technology to transform agricultural waste biomass into fuel for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

“The university said a hydrogen concept vehicle has been test driven on the campus for the past year, adding that the findings of this testing could be used for future hydrogen energy research. Lee Bing-jean, vice president of the university, said the hydrogen fuel cell car produces only water vapor and no air pollutants and is therefore 100-percent environmentally friendly.”

In November 2010, I had talked about Taiwan setting up swappable hydrogen canister stations throughout the country for H2-powered motor scooters and microcars. In July 2011, I had talked about how APFCT was building 10 fuel cell microcars and 10 fuel cell scooters and had just gotten permission to build another 80 hydrogen fuel cell scooters.

While I’ve talked before about the Hawaiian Island of Oahu potentially becoming the first true Hydrogen Island in existence, it looks like Taiwan keeps cranking up the pressure in this race and this country may ultimately claim this achievement as their own.

But, no matter who wins the crown of First Hydrogen Island, the competition is the important aspect that will drive both locations to achieving their goals faster and will more urgency that they would without any competing forces. And we will all benefit as a result.

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According to PATH (Partnership for Advancing the Transition to Hydrogen) the worldwide hydrogen and fuel cell industry includes over 20 countries and is worth at least $5.6 billion a year. In addition, the hydrogen and fuel cell industry current accounts for over 40,000 jobs worldwide.

By the year 2020, this same industry is expected to add over 660,000 new jobs with worldwide revenues of over $38 billion.

According to PATH, “Among other findings, the report concluded that both developed and developing countries are actively transitioning to using fuel cells and hydrogen. Developed countries have implemented hydrogen and fuel cell technology mostly as a way to diminish their reliance on fossil fuel imports for transportation, stationary and portable power. Developing countries, on the other hand, are turning to hydrogen and fuel cells as a source of clean, quiet and reliable power, which in turn can grow GDP and allow for economic growth.”

Since parts of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry are still considered emerging technologies it’s important that standards and practices be put in place to aid this commercial growth. ASTM is an international organization that is doing just this.

According to Jacquelyn Birdsall who chairs ASTM’s subcommittee D03.14, “Since 2008, D03.14, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, has approved nine ASTM methods to support the commercialization of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel. These standards were identified by the industry as essential to commercialization and will be part of international and national hydrogen quality codes and standards.”

So even though the world economy has been in an economic downturn for the past 3 years, hydrogen and fuel cell technology has continued to expand. If you happen to be looking for a job in this growing industry, here is one resource and here is a second resource for starting or continuing your career.

And of course, here is one more resource indeed.

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The goal of the U. S. Department of Energy and the manufacturers of hydrogen fuel tanks and other storage vessels have been to find a material that bonds with H2 that is lightweight and that can be used at ambient temperature and pressures.

The problem with hydrogen atoms bonding with other elements is that either those bonds are too weak or too strong. If the bonds are too strong then heat is needed to separate the hydrogen atoms from the material. If the bonds are too weak, then there is instability in the storage.

Researchers from China and the U. S. have been using computer modeling to find a material with moderate bonding qualities.

According to Physorg.com, “As the researchers explained, the greatest difficulty in finding a sufficient hydrogen storage material for onboard storage systems lies in meeting multiple requirements with a single material. For example, in previous studies researchers have found that light metal hydrides can store hydrogen with a gravimetric density of 20 wt. %, but the material is not reversible, meaning it cannot be reused. Also, the hydrogen desorbs only at very high temperatures.

“In contrast, other materials such as carbon nanotubes and metal or covalent organic frameworks can store hydrogen reversibly, but the hydrogen adsorbs only at very low temperatures. The difference is due to bonding: in light metal hydrides, hydrogen is held in much stronger bonds than in the second group of materials. The researchers explain that, ideally, hydrogen should be bound with an intermediate binding energy.”

The article goes onto say, “The researchers systematically investigated 10 Pc-based porous sheets with transition metal atoms from scandium (Sc) through zinc (Zn), and found that porous Pc sheets with Sc atoms could store up to 4.6 wt. % hydrogen. In addition to the Sc atoms’ regular distribution in the Pc sheet, Sc has two other attractive features. First, it is lighter than other transition elements, allowing the overall storage material to be relatively light. Second, Sc atoms have a large size, so that they stick out and can capture more hydrogen molecules.”

I’ve talked about hydrogen fuel storage many times in this blog. Both inside and outside an H2 car the efficiency of hydrogen storage needs to go up and the price needs to come down in order for these vehicles and the supporting infrastructure to become commercially viable.

Sometimes I think we are just one small breakthrough away from disrupting the paradigm of fossil fueled vehicles. As long as knowledgeable scientists and researchers keep working the issue from different angles, the solution I believe will happen sooner rather than later.

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Phantom Eye UAV

The last time I had talked about the unveiling of the Boeing Phantom Eye was in July 2010. Since then the military has been very quite about the progress, until now.

The Phantom Eye is a high-altitude long endurance (HALE) vehicle that can fly at 65,000 feet and stay aloft for 4 days carrying surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. The Phantom Eye is also powered by hydrogen.

The maiden voyage will take flight from California’s Edwards Air Force Base within the next few days and is expected to last between 4 and 8 hours.

According to the Daily Mail, “Boeing also is developing a larger unmanned plane that will stay aloft for more than 10 days and ‘Phantom Ray,’ a fighter-sized UAV that will be a test bed for more advanced technologies, which made its inaugural flight in April.

“The drone technologies being developed by Phantom Works mean the day when dog fights take place between unmanned aircraft is getting much closer … Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-litre, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload.”

The Phantom Eye and Phantom Ray are expected to help out on the war on terror especially on the Pakistan border or any other types military situations where surveillance and reconnaissance is needed that will have the added benefit of keeping U. S. soldiers out of harm’s way.

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UTD Researchers

There’s been a lot of research in materials sciences in finding cheaper alternatives in which to store hydrogen or use as catalysts for hydrogen reactions. Most of this breakthrough technology perpetually seems to be 10 to 20 years away before commercialization.

This is why when I heard about what the researchers at the University of Texas, Dallas are doing in regard to titanium-doped aluminum I got a bit excited since this seems to me to be more of a near-term solution rather than a longer term pie-in-the-sky idea.

The UTD researchers noticed that light-weight aluminum hydrides can be made to release its hydrogen bond by slightly increasing the temperature which is an advantage over current metal hydride systems that require more energy in order to release their bonds.

According to UTD graduate student Irinder Singh Chopra, “We investigated a certain class of materials called complex metal hydrides (aluminum-based hydrides) in the hope of finding cheaper and more effective means of activating hydrogen.

“Our research into an aluminum-based catalyst turned out to be much more useful than just designing good storage materials. It has also provided very encouraging results into the possible use of this system as a very cheap and effective alternative to the materials currently used for fuel cells.”

So, let’s think about this statement for a moment. If it is true that titanium-doped aluminum holds the key for both hydrogen storage and as a catalyst in fuel cells, this will bring the price of storage tanks and FC’s way down without giving up any effectiveness. In fact, in the case of storage, hydrogen tanks will be more effective at releasing H2 at lower temperatures. And this, my friend, is a very Big Deal.

Pictured above are UTD researchers Irinder Chopra (left) and Jean-Francois Veyan.

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Hydrogen Car Fueling

A Honda FCX Clarity, Opel HydroGen4, Mercedes B Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Toyota FCHV-adv and Hyundai ix35 FCEV were all tested recently at a racetrack 15 miles outside of Paris, France. All vehicles were fueled courtesy of industrial gas company Air Liquide.

I had talked a few days ago about Air Liquide being high on hydrogen forklifts, palette trucks and other kinds of lift trucks. But this major industrial specialty gas company also sees a bright future in selling hydrogen gas especially in the European marketplace.

The five hydrogen-powered cars previously mentioned were tested on a racetrack called Circuit de Marcoussis. On this racetrack, people and companies can test everything from go karts to ATVs to hydrogen cars to racecars and all types of vehicles in-between.

This was a media event appealing to French journalists. The reporters quickly saw the value of the hydrogen cars in regard to quiet ride, zero emissions, refueling in 5 minutes and a range of 270 mile – 350 miles, depending upon the make and model of vehicle.

As of 2008, the European Hydrogen Highway had about as many hydrogen fueling stations open as the United States. Now, I believe there are a few more open in the EU than the U. S. because of the aggressive approach Europe has taken towards building out the needed infrastructure. France has 5 hydrogen fueling stations and with a little more promotion such as this media event, they will likely be building out substantially more within the next 5 years.

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The U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been testing prototype hydrogen fuel cells, both stationary and mobile, for years now to see if they are up to the challenge of fitting into the military’s goals. All of this testing has finally paid off. The DoD is now recommending that they buy commercial fuel cells for a number of stationary and vehicle applications.

The DoD has released a study titled, “Beyond Demonstration: A White Paper on the Role of Fuel Cells in the Department of Defense’s Energy Strategy”.

According to the press release, “The DOD assessment validates technological and commercial progress made to date by developers of fuel cell technology, recommending that the U.S. Department of Defense proactively evaluate and acquire fuel cell systems for distributed power generation, backup power, material handling equipment, ground support equipment and unmanned vehicles.”

In the first three of these areas the DoD has let the private sector take the lead on testing of fuel cell powered equipment. On the last, unmanned vehicles, the DoD has done its own independent research.

For distributed power generation, the DoD cites companies like Google, Walmart, Whole Foods, eBay, FirstEnergy, and Toyota leading the charge for successful testing. For backup power, the DoD cites Verizon, Wind Mobile, AT&T Wireless, Motorola, T-Mobile, and Sprint as early adopters to test their fuel cell powered equipment.

For material handling equipment and ground support, the DoD cites Walmart, Coca-Cola, Whole Foods, FedEx, BMW and Sysco as not only early adopters of testing prototypes but also early adopters of buying commercial fuel cell vehicles as I’ve pointed out on my many posts about fuel cell forklifts.

For unmanned vehicles testing the DoD has done a lot of its own work in collaboration with private companies such as Boeing for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) and Adaptive Materials for unmanned ground vehicles.

The U. S. DoD has come to the conclusion after years of either its own testing or following the private sector testing of fuel cells in different applications that fuel cells are now ready for prime time commercialization within the military setting. The DoD has decided that hydrogen fuel cells provide more power, durability, energy and cost savings than other comparable technology.

And as the military starts a widespread rollout of hydrogen fuel cells in many different applications including vehicles and transportation, so will go the American public as well.

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Last week I talked about how industrial gas supplier Air Liquide was making money from installing hydrogen fueling station infrastructure inside of large commercial warehouses for use by fuel cell powered lift trucks, forklifts and palette trucks. This week I want to talk about another manufacturer in a different segment of the industry profiting from selling hydrogen fuel cells for those vehicles.

Plug Power has announced that it has just developed its next generation GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell system that is meant to drop in as a replacement for lead acid batteries inside industrial lift trucks. The improvements in the GenDrive system include advances in reliability and towing capacity.

According to Plug Power, “GenDrive units have accumulated more than 5 million hours of runtime at customer sites across North America. Plug Power remains the leader in fuel cell system product deployments, including live sites at Walmart, Sysco, BMW and Coca-Cola. On average, GenDrive customers increase productivity by up to 15 percent, lower operational costs by up to 30 percent and reduce site greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent.”

Commercialization and competition continues in this hydrogen-based marketplace. And with the successes in this industry you can expect the biggest players with largest warehouses to also start jumping onboard (as they already have been). With the ability to retrofit current materials handling vehicles from lead acid batteries to hydrogen fuel cells, one only wonders how long it will take before H2 lift trucks are the standard in all warehouses across the nation.

Filed under: Hydrogen Forklifts | 1 Comment »

Even with Steven Jobs’ recent passing and all of the legacies he’s left behind including computers, iPods, iPhones and iPads there is also another legacy he may be leaving behind now, posthumously as we speak. And that legacy is the mainstreaming of hydrogen fuel cells.

Usually I talk about hydrogen cars and vehicles in this blog and occasionally I talk about fuel cells for small electronic devices. And the invention of the hydrogen fuel cell for small electronic devices has already happened. They are in use now. But what Apple could do is spread small fuel cells everywhere in the world.

Let me explain. Apple computers has recently filed a couple of patents with the U. S. Patent and Trademark office for the development of small hydrogen fuel cells to power electronic devices. According to Apple Insider, “The first application, entitled ‘Parallel Fuel Stack Architecture,’ describes how Apple could arrange a set of fuel cells into a fuel stack. In the second filing, named ‘Reduced-Weight Fuel Cell Plate,’ Apple describes how it could use lightweight electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant material to build a fuel cell.”

Fuel cells are already in the marketplace helping to charge Apple products. There is a product called the Casemate Fuel Cell Battery Backup which says it can extend the life of an iPhone battery by up to 100 hours. This device costs between $20 – $30.

But even though fuel cells are in the marketplace they have not gained market acceptance nearly as much as traditional batteries have. What Apple could do with the power of their innovation, marketing and reputation is bring hydrogen fuel cells for small electronic devices to a whole new level of consumer acceptance.

And, once the consumer accepts a fuel cell as a viable replacement for a battery for small devices it will be less of a leap for consumers to accept fuel cells in larger devices such as vehicles, home refueling stations, and home heating and cooling units.

So, even though Steven Jobs is no longer with us, his saga and influence continues. And in this way, he is still with us.

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