By guest blogger Stan Thompson In 2005 in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the benefit of society a handful of citizens, companies and agencies set about changing the railroad traction paradigm for the first time since 1925 when diesel began replacing steam. The societal benefits being pursued were climate change mitigation; air pollution reduction; and the • Read More »
Archives: Infrastructure
The Case for High MPGe Hydrogen FCEVs and Clustered H2 Stations
January 19, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on The Case for High MPGe Hydrogen FCEVs and Clustered H2 Stations | Filed in: Infrastructure.Critics of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have often stated that building a hydrogen fueling station refueling infrastructure is overwhelmingly impossible. Even those who are neutral on hydrogen cars state the same concern. So, let me present a couple of different models of H2 Refueing to reduce those fears. High MPGe H2 Fuel Cell Vehicles • Read More »
The Finns Get Going with Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure
December 16, 2015 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Infrastructure.Earlier this week, two Finnish companies joined forces to create a hydrogen production demonstration in Italy using the local wastewater. Being of partly Finnish heritage myself, I share great interest in what the Finns are up to in regard to hydrogen and fuel cell technology. In May, 2013 Finland unveiled its Hydrogen Roadmap. And in • Read More »
Hydrail Conferences: “Mission 1” Accomplished!
July 27, 2015 | By Stan Thompson | 1 Comment | Filed in: Conferences, Hydrail, Hydrogen Economy, Infrastructure.by guest blogger Stan Thompson The Tenth International Hydrail Conference (“10-IHC”) came home to Mooresville, North Carolina, on June 22-23 and it was a resounding success for a number of reasons. Our twenty presenters were a delightful mix of pros from previous IHCs, academics, railroad professionals, VIPs and Brad Read, President of TIG/m, who built the hydrail • Read More »
Yes, Google, there is a hydrail
June 12, 2015 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on Yes, Google, there is a hydrail | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Economy, Hydrogen Vehicles, Infrastructure, News.by guest blogger Stan Thompson Dear Google: “hydrail” is really a word, and has been since at least February of 2004 when it appeared in an invited article in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (volume 29, issue 4, page 438). It was used as early as 2003 in an invited presentation at the US DOT’s • Read More »
Hydrail commercializing: the 2015 Mooresville conference
June 4, 2015 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on Hydrail commercializing: the 2015 Mooresville conference | Filed in: Conferences, Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Organizations, Infrastructure, News.by guest blogger Stan Thompson For ten years now, the Appalachian State University and Mooresville NC originators of the International Hydrail Conference series have predicted, explained and advocated hydrogen railway traction. Now, like a teenager suddenly outgrowing all her clothes, hydrail is coming of age—commercially and with a vengeance! This is the theme of 10-IHC, • Read More »
Hydrail in Germany: another welcome first
February 28, 2015 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on Hydrail in Germany: another welcome first | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Vehicles, Hyrail, Infrastructure.by guest blogger Stan Thompson About 12 years ago, when I first became interested in what’s now called hydrail (hybrid hydrogen fuel cell and battery railway traction), I caught a glimmer of the idea online from Germany in the State of Schleswig-Holstein. Someone there had seen that wireless electric trains could be powered by wind turbines via hydrogen • Read More »
Preview: hydrail in 2015
January 3, 2015 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on Preview: hydrail in 2015 | Filed in: Hydrail, Hydrogen Cars, Hydrogen Vehicles, Infrastructure.by guest blogger Stan Thompson Long before he was honored with with his own automobile brand, Serbian inventor-engineer Niccola Tesla had an annual tradition of predicting on his birthday the future of technology. Lesser lights, including myself, use the birthday of the New Year to make predictions. Here are ten for 2015: 2015-1 The announcement last year • Read More »
President Putin prods hydrail ahead
October 18, 2014 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on President Putin prods hydrail ahead | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Infrastructure, News.by guest blogger Stan Thompson By fiddling with his oil faucets and natural gas valves, Vladimir Putin may be having the same unintended acceleration effect on Europe’s diesel-to-hydrail transition that John L. Lewis had on the coal-to-diesel transition in the USA during the last century. Recently I’ve heard two ambassadors from European countries explaining to American audiences what • Read More »
Forty Alstom hydrail trainsets for Germany !
September 25, 2014 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on Forty Alstom hydrail trainsets for Germany ! | Filed in: Conferences, Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Infrastructure, Political Issues.by guest blogger Stan Thompson Since you’re reading this, you already know how indebted the hydrogen community is to Kevin—the originator of this blog—for his role in keeping us up to date with the biggest news about the littlest atom. Today, though, I’m more grateful than ever; Kevin just tipped me off about an article in • Read More »