Hydrogen Cars, Vehicles and Infrastructure
Fuel Cell information is examined incluiding those powered by hydrogen.
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, […]
Continue ReadingAccording to an article in Reuters, Platinum companies have been investing heavily in fuel cells for the past few years hoping that hydrogen fuel cell cars will take off, increasing demand for the rare metal. The companies are worried that gasoline and diesel hybrids and battery electric cars may thwart the demand for fuel cell […]
Continue Readingby 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 […]
Continue ReadingThe French say “in your face” when it comes to introducing fuel cells to the Japanese market. Last month I had talked about 5 plug-in hybrid fuel cell Renault Kangoo ZE vehicles with Symbio FCell Range-Extenders rolling out in France. This month, 3 French fuel cell companies, McPhy, PaxiTech and Atawey (which a way?) will […]
Continue Readingby 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 […]
Continue ReadingResearchers at Rice University have discovered that graphene quantum dots (GQDs) serve as better catalysts in fuel cells than does platinum. And the quantum nanodots are made from (cover your eyes fossil fuel rejectionists) coal. According to Rice, “The Rice lab of chemist James Tour created dots known as GQDs from coal last year and […]
Continue Readingby 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 […]
Continue Readingby guest blogger Stan Thompson This update follows much farther behind the wonderfully successful 9th International Hydrail Conference in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (June 2014) than I had intended. The reason is one I can’t regret: the cast of international players on the hydrail stage has grown so large, and there are so many intertwining plots, that I can hardly keep up […]
Continue ReadingBengt Halvorson of Green Car Reports published an article yesterday called, “Should Fuel Cells Have Been Called ‘Hydrogen Batteries’ Instead?” This article begs the question as to whether the name ‘hydrogen fuel cells’ is holding back the technology from being readily accepted by consumers. One person who thinks so is former General Motors executive Larry […]
Continue ReadingResearchers at the University of Delaware have discovered that nano-scale nickel spheres may be the key to cheap and abundant hydrogen via electrolysis of water. Platinum, ruthenium and iridium rare metals often found in fuel cells or electrolyzers and the goal is the replace these elements with something that is cheaper and more abundant. According […]
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