by Hydrogen Power on November 9, 2005
Around here, we look at hydrogen as a potential answer to energy problems but it has to prove itself like any other technology. Jeremy Rifkin, author of The Hydrogen Economy, perpetually prophesizes doom if we don't get on board with hydrogen immediately. We've mentioned before how he sounds so alarmist about everything that everyone starts to steer clear.
Compounding the problem is his connection with many other organizations where utter doom and catastrophe is predicted because of certain technologies or ideas. Chances are, he makes a good living predicting doom, unfortunately, his predictions are demonstrably wrong as others have noted.
Like we said, he gives hydrogen a bad name.
via Instapundit
by Hydrogen Power on November 9, 2005
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has a research project under way with the goal of developing a robotic assembly process for fuel cell stacks for PEM fuel cells:
“Many of the materials in PEM stacks are thin, flexible, soaked in corrosive acids, or highly sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature,” Puffer says. “This makes material handling orders of magnitude more difficult than methods used for simple flexible materials such as paper.” The researchers will use existing automated methods to gain a deeper understanding of how PEM stack materials respond to various handling techniques, while also researching new ways to sense material properties throughout the process.
source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
by Hydrogen Power on November 6, 2005
Randall Mills of Harvard, who has also studied at MIT, claims to have developed a power source that generates 1000 times more heat than conventional fuel. It is said in reports from the company that independent scientists have verified Mills' claim. The company, Blacklight Power, is supposed to already have tens of millions of dollars in investment lined up and Mills plans to reveal his invention in a few months.
If all of that isn't enough, Mills has announced "hydrino," a new form of Hydrogen where the electron sits closer to the proton than normal. Forming the new hydrogen releases enormous energy. Since having an electron move its orbit closer to the proton violates rules set down in quantum mechanics, Mills simply states that quantum mechanics must be wrong. [click to continue…]
by Hydrogen Power on November 4, 2005
Reality has a way of forcing itself back into the picture whenever dreamers get too carried away. Hydrogen car advocates have been touting the wonders of fuel cells and the emission free cars just around the corner but engineering the hard parts and making actual fuel cells that work reliably and can be built affordably is still just out of reach.
Auto companies who have to build real cars for real dealers facing customers with money in their hands are finding hybrids do a lot of the heavy lifting in the fuel economy and lower emission segment of the market. This technology is here now and improving plus, as we've said many times, the old reliable internal combustion engine is getting much more efficient, powerful and emission friendly. Hydrogen fuel cells keep promising the world while other technologies deliver the goods.
The race to improve technologies has many participants and they are all working hard to win. Hydrogen fuel cells may be making progress, but so is everyone else.
Autoweek: Hybrid choices likely to multiply
by Hydrogen Power on November 3, 2005
As we've noted many times here, beyond the problems of developing hydrogen fuel cells is the basic problem of efficient ways to produce hydrogen in the first place. Nuclear power is one very good possibility for providing both power for the grid and the electricity necessary for large scale electrolysis.
This solution, a floating wind power station and hydrogen production unit, is an ambitious plan from inventor Tom Lee. These platforms could be positioned in water from 15 meters to 15,000 feet and can move under their own power at speeds up to 20 knots if weather conditions dictate. They could be operated by remote control. Power could be transferred onshore by an underwater cable, hydrogen would be stored in pressurized containers. He envisions locations in the Great Lakes and many other areas. [click to continue…]
