Fuel Cells | Hydrogen Cars Now

Neumünster, Germany, Hosts 9th International Hydrail Conference

May 22, 2014Stan Thompson

by guest blogger Stan Thompson Neumünster, in the Northern German State of Schleswig-Holstein, will host the Ninth International Hydrail Conference (“9IHC”) on 16-18 June this year (2014). This year’s registration details, presenters and agenda information appear on the Appalachian State University hydrail web site, http://www.hydrail.org. German support for the Hydrail Conference has proved so strong that, for the […]

Bimetallic Nanocages Boost Performance for Fuel Cells and H2 Production

April 30, 2014Hydro Kevin Kantola

Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have developed a bimetallic nanocage that can reduce the amount of platinum used in fuel cells and electrolyzers. These 3D nanoframes made of platinum and nickel, far exceed the performance of traditional platinum-only catalysts. According to SAE International, “The order-of-magnitude jump […]

Mixed Reactant Fuel Cells May Be the Future

March 19, 2014April 23, 2014Hydro Kevin Kantola

Mixed reactant fuel cells may be the future according to Mantra Energy Alternatives Ltd. Two advantages of this type of fuel cell are no expensive platinum will be used and there will be no membranes to foul. According to CNN, “A version of Mantra’s ‘Mixed-Reactant Fuel Cell’ will be designed specifically for integration into vehicles […]

A Hydrail Update – Just Because

December 7, 2013October 1, 2014Stan Thompson

By guest blogger Stan Thompson It has been too long since I wrote here about hydrail so, to avoid any perception that the issue is coasting down, I’m taking a moment to update the Hydrogen Cars Now readership. So far from coasting down, hydrail activity has been so intense that I’ve haven’t found time to […]

Loofahs for Fuel Cells?

December 5, 2013Hydro Kevin Kantola

Loofahs, which come from the ripened fruit of the loofah plant, have long been used for exfoliating skin, turning calloused feet soft like a baby’s behind. Now scientists are using this fibrous loofah plant in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to treat waste and create electricity. According to ACS.org, “Recently, researchers have turned to plant […]

Say Jell-O to Fuel Cells

October 8, 2013Hydro Kevin Kantola

University of Birmingham researchers have created a gelatin (say Jell-O!) structure to take the place of expensive and rare metal platinum in fuel cells. The researchers use gelatin combined with iron and magnesium salts to create the catalyst. According to the University of Birmingham, “The Birmingham chemists have combined gelatin – the same gelatin that […]

Platinum on the Chopping Block in Fuel Cells

August 13, 2013August 13, 2013Hydro Kevin Kantola

In two separate stories today, platinum is either being drastically reduced or eliminated altogether in hydrogen fuel cells. In the first case, the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) has reduced the amount of platinum used in a fuel cell by five times in a recent experiment. According to PSI, “An international team of researchers involving the […]

ACAL Fuel Cell Delivers 300,000 Miles of Driving

July 10, 2013July 20, 2017Hydro Kevin Kantola

One of the long-time issues with hydrogen fuel cells for cars has been durability. If a fuel cell has to compete with gasoline or diesel engines for customers then they need to last nearly as long if not excel in durability. Up until now this hasn’t been the case. ACAL Energy has recently created such […]

Halogenated Graphene Nanoplatelets for Platinum-Free Fuel Cells

June 6, 2013April 2, 2015Hydro Kevin Kantola1 Comment

Yesterday I had talked about nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes for fuel cells which is a platinum-free invention created by the researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Today I would like to talk about how researchers in Korea, at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), invented edge-halogenated graphene nanoplatelets for use in […]

Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanotubes Can Be Key Catalyst for Fuel Cells

June 5, 2013July 16, 2014Hydro Kevin Kantola

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have invented a new type of catalyst that involves nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes that could lead to cheaper alkaline fuel cells and batteries. The new technology is robust and doesn’t rely on precious metals. According to LANL, “The new catalyst doesn’t use precious metals such as platinum, […]