GM isn't the only one ready for a lot of hydrogen fuel cell cars. Daimler chairman Dieter "Dr. Z" Zetsche believes that the technology for fuel cell vehicles is here today and that vehicles using the hydrogen-for-energy system will be available in five to eight years time. Zetsche also believes that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will compare favorably with their competition, which we assume means other alternative powertrains like full-electrics and hybrids. One reason he cites as a fuel cell benefit over electric cars is range, suggesting that hydrogen electrics could travel 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. One unanswered question, though, is how far will pure electrics be able to go on a single charge in five to eight years time. Still, by refilling a hydrogen tank, the driver gets another 300 miles while it will likely take another full charge for the electric car. Zetsche recognizes that a potential problem area exists regarding the infrastructure that a hydrogen fueling system would require. We remain intrigued by the technology, but recognize that major advancements must be made before jumping on the fuel cell bandwagon. We also believe that other extended-range electric vehicle technologies will allow for many of the same benefits as hydrogen fuel cells.

[Source: Just-Auto (sub. req'd.)]

During a keynote speech at the National Hydrogen Association conference in Sacramento, CA, GM's VP for Research and Development declared automotive fuel cell technology ready. However he said it can't move forward without a supply of hydrogen to feed mass quantities of cars. Between General Motors, Daimler, Toyota, Honda and Ford, automakers have demonstrated that the technology works and is reliable. GM and Honda in particular are working aggressively to create fuel cell designs that can be mass produced at an affordable cost. The latest designs have improved efficiency, durability and greatly reduced requirements for catalyst materials.

At the conference, Burns is stepping up the call for the energy industry and government to start implementing a fuel distribution system. Previous analysis done by General Motors has concluded that supplying upwards of ninety-five percent of the population would only require 12,000 hydrogen stations nationwide. That compares to 170,000 gas stations currently in operation. That number of stations placed at roughly two mile intervals in all the populated areas and twenty-five miles apart on major highways would be sufficient to supply the nation with hydrogen for transportation. The estimated cost of that would $10-15 billion or about 1/3 of ExxonMobil's profits for one recent quarter. Without this investment, the U.S. will get left behind.

[Source: Hydrogen Forecast]

The National Research Council (NRC) has finished conducting research into the possibility of powering vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells and other alternatives. Despite mixed reviews, the report suggests that even without ready solutions to quite a number of major issues, taxpayer-funded research into hydrogen "is justified by its potentially enormous benefits to the nation."

Also in the report was a suggestion that too much money is being spent on reducing the cost of lightweight materials, and some of it "should be redistributed to areas of higher potential payoff." Interesting ... like what? Could be plug-in hybrids, which they suggest are not being researched with enough verve. Not surprisingly, the target date being thrown around for hydrogen cars (2020) is now seen as a bit unrealistic; the NRC sees 2030-2035 as a more likely possibility. The question that remains is whether we'll even need hydrogen fuel cells by then, what with battery technology potentially getting good and cheap enough. View the entire press release after the break.

[Source: NRC via Automotive News (sub. req'd)]

The idea of using solar power to split hydrogen from water is one that many propose will make the hydrogen economy a reality. Naysayers point out that the solar power might be better spent just charging up electric cars or providing power to homes. But, what if there was a better way to use sunlight to extract hydrogen from water - one that didn't involve using solar cells at all. This is what researchers at Penn State University are working on. And, they might not be that far off, "only a few problems away", according to Craig Grimes, who is working on this project. Read more about the project here. According to the article, they may have found an "inexpensive and easily scalable technique for water photoelectrolysis - the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using light energy - that could help power the proposed hydrogen economy." They are doing this by "the fabrication of thin films made of self-aligned, vertically oriented titanium iron oxide (Ti-Fe-O) nanotube arrays."

Again, we are not suggesting that anything like a complete "hydrogen economy" will be a reality any time soon, but it would be foolish to completely dismiss hydrogen from our future energy needs. Yes, today most of the hydrogen that is commercially available is recovered from natural gas, but researchers are working on methods like this one from Penn State that could change that.

[Source: Penn State]

If you go to promotional events (like the public ride & drive that was part of the EDTA conference last year and pictured at right), you can drive hydrogen fuel cell vehicles around the block. If you're really lucky, you can go 300 miles in one. But if you can't make these event - and you're not a celebrity - the chances that you'll be cruising down the street in a car that emits nothing but water vapor are awfully slim. Chris Nelder, solar designer and writer, says over at Renewable Energy Access that your chances are actually zero.

Here's his intro graph:

I'm going to make a prediction today: you will never drive a hydrogen fueled car. Although hydrogen does indeed have some benefits in certain applications, it's my task today to separate the reality of useful fuel cells from the hydrogen hype. That may seem like a bold statement to you now, but by the end of this article, you'll understand why.

Good, huh? You can read the whole thing, but for the time-impaired, here's the short, short version. The "hydrogen economy" so many people are talking about is really nothing but hype, and because it takes energy to make hydrogen (which then needs to be compressed or liquefied), the energy return on investment (EROI), what we really get is The Hydrogen Buzzkill. Cut to the chase:

In the end, about 80% of the original energy generated in order to produce the hydrogen is lost, for an EROI of 0.25. Since it doesn't pay to have an energy regime with an EROI of less than one, hydrogen cars seems a permanent improbability.

These numbers, of course, won't stop people from making hydrogen-powered cars, but it's still difficult to see why we'll need them once battery technology can meet the needs of people who drive. Of course, if batteries can't meet those standards, then Nelder might need to rethink his prediction.

[Source: Renewable Energy Access]

Recently, Bibi van der Zee, a writer for the Guardian Unlimited, took a test drive in one of BMW's Hydrogen 7s. It's a damn comfortable ride, as I experienced at the AFVI conference a few months ago. Van der Zee calls the chance "irresistible," but quickly confronted the question (as we all must when hydrogen cars come up): "What's the point of making hydrogen-powered cars if there's no fuel for them?"

The article, then, is a look at the problems facing adoption of a hydrogen infrastructure here in May, 2007. We've heard a lot of this before: how to make the hydrogen in the first place, electric cars as a better choice, the constant "five to ten years from now" timeframe. I think she makes too much of a stumbling block out of the way different manufacturers are designing hydrogen cars (ICE vs. fuel cells), since the engineers are way ahead of the curve on this one and they'll have plenty of time to reconfigure powertrain parts in time for the appearance of widespread hydrogen fuel pumps.

Van der Zee even says that the hydrogen pipe dream is a bit of an American fantasy (even though it a BMW she was riding in), which I found interesting. Another bit that we don't hear much (but should be pretty obvious), is that, "an oil company insider tells me that very few people in their industry take hydrogen (or electricity for that matter) very seriously at all; it's just not considered a viable mainstream prospect. The majority of the industry believes that the future will lie in bio-fuels (which, as we are increasingly hearing, come with their own major pitfalls) and perceives hydrogen and electricity as having little more than novelty value." We do hear a lot from Chevron and the like about their biofuels programs. Could they be one of the largest factors holding back the hydrogen economy?



[Source: Guardian Unlimited]

Just yesterday, Sam wrote about the environmental clean-up measures that are taking place in China. These clean-up measures are necessary because China is on the development fast-track, so to speak. The country is being built up at an extremely rapid pace, much like the United States was during the Industrial Revolution. The buildup in China can be seen clearly in Shanghai, as the pollution levels in that city are similar to those found in Los Angeles, California, which happens to have the worst air quality in all of the United States.

China plans to do something about their environmental concerns before it is too late, according to this article from the Detroit Free Press. Might China be the first country to install a hydrogen infrastructure in a city? Possibly, and a date as early as in 2010 is mentioned in that same article. As automakers push forward hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, an infrastructure will be necessary in order to fuel those vehicles. If the target dates of 2010 from companies such as General Motors - which sells lots of cars in China - is to believed, then the 2010 date for the refilling stations would make sense. That is, if you believe the hydrogen as a fuel source makes sense in the first place. Speaking of the General, they have at the very least shown proof that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could in fact be made, and can travel lengthy distances on a single tank, as Sam witnessed first hand.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

A Virginia company, H2Gen, makes a hydrogen-extraction device that basically (very basically) sucks the hydrogen right out of natural gas (see the graph for a (somewhat) more detailed explanation). An Orlando Chevron station has acquired one of their units and is currently testing the viability of using it for producing hydrogen right at the point of purchase. If the test works out, one more stumbling block, transportation of hydrogen, could be removed in some cases.

As you know, from an emissions standpoint, hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels available. Unfortunately, our most abundant source is water, and with current technology, breaking those two H atoms away from that one O atom (electrolysis) uses more energy that it creates. H2Gen claims its process is as much as six times more efficient than conventional electrolysis.

Now let's hope automakers' hydrogen programs, like BMW's test of its Hydrogen 7, work out. Then stand back and watch gasoline-powered cars go the way of the dinosaurs.

[Source: H2Daily via EvWorld]

Greg Blencoe, CEO of Hydrogen Discoveries, asks us to "do the right thing" in his message urging us to begin our transition into the hydrogen economy now. He believes that the transition from fossil-fuels to hydrogen will cost $100 trillion, and can be done by the year 2020.

We all know that it takes power to release the hydrogen trapped in various forms on the earth, and the paper outlines the use of solar and wind power for the job. The Blencoe duo also have proposals for the safe storage of hydrogen on vehicles and the safe transportation of hydrogen to refueling stations.

Call me a bit skeptical on whether this is actually doable. I did read it, and I am not ready to give up on hydrogen as a fuel carrier, but, I don't think that the replacement of all gasoline, natural gas, diesel and coal will come from hydrogen. We will need the electricity generated from solar and wind for other uses as well, not just the releasing of hydrogen. Granted, I am not an expert on the subject, and I'm sure they are more knowledgeable on the subject than I am. Draw your own conclusions.

[Source: Hydrogen Discoveries via Treehugger]

I almost feel silly doing it, as it has been covered ad nauseam, but here is a list of a few of hydrogen's pluses and minuses, courtesy of Robert Zubrin., author of The New Atlantis,

Good:

• Hydrogen is super abundant
• Hydrogen burns clean
• Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water

Bad:

• There is no current infrastructure to support it
• The energy needs to be removed, which takes energy
• Hydrogen is difficult to contain in autos

That was simple, wasn't it? All of these points and more are covered in this post on Boing Boing, and here on our site.

[Source: Boing Boing via Seattle PI]

As part of a four-part seminar held in January entitled, "Hydrogen: Hype or Hope?", Caetano Rodrigues Miranda and Francesca Baletto give a possible glimpse into the future technical challenges of a hydrogen economy, which include hydrogen production, fuel cell design, storage, distribution and transportation.

As has been noted too many times to even try linking, experts and developers are debating whether the so called hydrogen economy will ever come about. There are many challenges, not the least of which is the distribution of the gas in a very high pressure form. As is par for the course in these types of discussions, Miranda and Baletto disagree on whether hydrogen will be the replacement that is necessary for our current use of fossil-fuels or not.

[Source: MIT News]

Mike Hugh from Fuel Cell Today is at the Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo today. As you are all aware, there are many roadblocks holding back the "hydrogen economy". Besides getting the vehicles themselves to run on hydrogen, the hydrogen delivery infrastructure is a huge hurdle, according to Dr. Haruki Tsuchiya, President of the Research Institute for Systems Technology in Japan. He believes that as petroleum runs out, the first replacement would be gasoline/electric hybrids, which are already flooding the marketplace. The next step seems a little more far-fetched, which he claims will be "solar assisted vehicles", where the electricity needed to generate the hydrogen for the fuel cell will be via solar cells on the roof.

The Vice President of the Institute of Information Technology in Japan, Hideo Takeshita, then went on to predict that fuel cells will someday duke it out with lithium-ion batteries as the dominant source of electricity production for electric cars. There is more information available at this link, if you would like to read about it.

[Source: Mike Hugh / Fuel Cell Today]

Last week, the Department of Energy started a program for first responders (fire fighters, EMS/ambulance teams, etc.) on hydrogen safety. The on-line course, "tutorial acquaints first responders with hydrogen, its basic properties, and how it compares to other familiar fuels; its use in fuel cells for transportation and stationary power; potential hazards; and initial protective actions responders should take if they witness are called to an incident." Never too early to start, I guess.

The Hydrogen Program at the DOE is offering the course, which was designed with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training and Education Center.

You might say the course helps you gain skills to use in an emergency; the DOE calls it "Increas[ing] Your H2IQ."
While there is no link to the course as today, the description does say that "other individuals" can take the course, so perhaps we'll be able to learn about the dangers of hydrogen ourselves (I think Section One might be: "How hydrogen raises hopes in otherwise sensible people").

[Source: EERE]

There are multiple issues waiting to be addressed if the hydrogen economy is ever to come about. So many, in fact, that many don't believe that it will EVER come about. Like I said in my editorial the other day, I am not writing anything off, and I think that it is safe to say that with all the research and development and money being spent on hydrogen, something will come of it. If that includes powering our cars by it, one such stumbling block is where to get the hydrogen from. How about your garage?

A company in Australia, CSIRO, has created a cabinet-sized hydrogen refueling station that is designed to fit in a corner of your garage. It would include solar panels to power the unit, and would not produce any emissions at all. The technology behind it, using electricity to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in water, is not new. As a matter of fact, Honda uses such a system in their hydrogen fuel stations in California. But I am not aware of any commercial units currently available for sale. I imagine an enterprising person could do it himself, but there are less and less enterprising types around these days. A question that is sure to be on the minds of many readers here is this: Why not use the solar panels on the roof to charge an electric car? Options people, options. The company suggests that wind-power is also being considered.

The unit is undergoing testing in Australia as we speak, and commercial tests are to start in two years. Will that coincide at all with the availability of more cars to use it with, or will the only choice be from BMW?

[Source: Green Wombat via Treehugger]

It is no secret that the "hydrogen economy," as proposed, requires very large amounts of hydrogen if it will ever come to reality. One reason proponents of hydrogen as fuel wish to pursue their ideas is because hydrogen is in no short supply, being that it is a part of water, helping to make it the most abundant chemical element in the universe. However, it is rather expensive to separate the hydrogen from the water, and right now it's more attractive to extract it from natural gas.

The Ohio State University was just chosen out of twenty applicants to receive an award of $1.6 million to research and develop a method of capturing hydrogen using coal. Their process would separate hydrogen, carbon dioxide and chlorides, as well as sulfur from coal made into a synthetic gas, and then into pure hydrogen via a process known as chemical looping.

According to this article, "Once the coal has been transformed, the syngas is then put through a reactor where it encounters steam. Fan said at a certain temperature and pressure a reaction will turn the syngas into hydrogen, without using any catalyst."

"It is a very efficient, economical and technology-viable way to generate hydrogen," according to Dan Ciccero, technology manager for hydrogen and syngas for the National Energy Technology Laboratory, a branch of the Department of Energy.

A single stage chemical looping reactor will be built at the University to make this research possible.

Related:

• "The Hydrogen economy is a bad idea - a really, really bad idea"
• Terry Tamminen gets passionate about hydrogen
• America's hydrogen and fuel cell projects pinpointed in new DOE online database
• Does a hydrogen economy make sense? Ulf Bossel says no

[Source: The Lantern]