|
Hydrogen On Demand
Hydrogen-on-demand systems within the automotive industry may one
day rock the world. If the current hydrogen on demand systems that
are being developed pan out or if future hydrogen-on-demand systems
take hold, this could mean that building a huge hydrogen gas infrastructure
is not necessary. A hydrogen generator
may one day start with just the turn of an ignition key.
| |
Hydrogen
Power Inc.'s Converted 2006 Ford Ranger XL |
|
Currently, the hydrogen-on-demand systems that are being developed
for the automotive industry either use electrolysis or a chemical
reaction in order to generate hydrogen as needed for a car equipped
with either an internal combustion engine (ICE) or a fuel cell.
The hydrogen-on-demand systems that use electrolysis generally use
some other metal catalyst such as aluminum or magnesium to help
aid in the process.
The hydrogen-on-demand systems that use a chemical reaction usually
start with sodium borohydride (or another boron / hydrogen derivative),
which is a hydrogen-rich chemical compound and force a reaction
that releases the hydrogen as needed. In the case of sodium borohydride
(NaBH4), the result of the chemical reaction is to degrade into
inert salt, which can then be recycled back into sodium borohydride
again.
Some of the companies currently developing hydrogen-on-demand technology
include Hydrogen Power Incorporated, who have developed a Hydrogen
Now system, which they have demonstrated at the 2007 International
Auto Show in Seattle, Washington. The Hydrogen Now system was
retrofitted inside a 2006 Ford Ranger XL. Another company that
currently has a retrofit hydrogen insertion device on the market,
Hypower Fuel Incorporated is testing its new Hydrogen Reactor
(H2R) on-demand system and is expected soon to demonstrate its
device.
HyPower Fuel has also teamed up with scientists and researchers
from Middle Tennessee State University to produce a plug-in hybrid
electric flex fuel vehicle that uses hydrogen on demand technology.
Dr. Clifton Ricketts is leading the project and expects to be able
to develop a racecar using this same technology that will be run
at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Ecotality out of Scottsdale, Arizona is developing its Hydratus
system to power a bus using a combination of magnesium and water.
Ecotality and is expecting a bus tour demonstration sometime in
the latter part of 2007.
In 2002, the Duffy fuel cell boat made waves by testing out a hydrogen-on-demand
system developed by hydrogen battery maker, Millennium Cell. The
boat also was equipped with a fuel cell. The hydrogen-on-demand
Duffy boat used borax as its source for sodium borohydride to power
the vessel. Millennium Cell also demonstrated its hydrogen-on-demand
systems in the 2001 DaimlerChrysler Town & Country Natrium and
the Peugeot-Citroen H2O concept vehicles.
Millennium Cell has a 5-year $3 million contract with the Department
of Energy to continue research on sodium borohydride technology.
Millennium Cell is also working with the Los Alamos National Lab
and Dow Chemical on methods to lower the cost of manufacturing the
chemical compound.
Samsung Engineering has also developed a prototype scooter that
uses sodium borohydride for its hydrogen-on-demand applications
to power the vehicle.
So far, hydrogen-on-demand technology has not gained much attention
but the implications of such technology are immense. One day in
the future, it might just be that the Big Chemical companies are
fighting with the Big Oil companies over who will be fueling the
nation's cars. Wouldn't this be interesting?
|
