Basic information:
Fuel Cells 2000
http://216.51.18.233/index_e.html
Fuel Cell Online
http://www.fuelcellonline.com/
List of Companies
http://www.fuelcellonline.com/company.htm
California Fuel Cell Partnership
http://www.drivingthefuture.org/
Technology Partners:
Ballard Power Systems
Fuel Cell Power Association
http://www.advocatesinc.com/fcpa/
Small-scale Fuel Cell Commercialization Group, Inc.
Newspaper Article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/99/03/st031019.html
Do it yourself instructions:
http://www.humboldt1.com/~michael.welch/extras/fuelcell.pdf
Companies:
Ballard Power Systems, Inc.
9000 Glenlyon Parkway
Burnaby, Burnaby, Canada
604.454.0900
http://www.ballard.com/default.asp
IdaTech
P.O. Box 5339
63160 Britta Street
Bend, Oregon, 97701
541.383.3390
http://www.northwestpower.com/
Fuel Cell Energy, Inc
3 Great Pasture Road
Danbury, Connecticut 06813
203.825.6000
International Fuel Cells
195 Governors Highway
P.O. Box 739
South Windsor, Connecticut 06074
860.727.2200
http://www.onsicorp.com/index_fl.shtml
Where does the hydrogen come from?
Hydrogen made from renewable energy resources provides a clean and abundant energy source, capable of meeting most of the future's high energy needs. When hydrogen is used as an energy source in a fuel cell, the only emission that is created is water, which can then be electrolyzed to make more hydrogen – the waste product supplies more fuel. This continuous cycle of energy production has potential to replace traditional energy sources in every capacity – no more dead batteries piling up in landfills or pollution-causing, gas-guzzling combustion engines. The only drawback is that hydrogen is still more expensive than other energy sources such as coal, oil and natural gas. Researchers are helping to develop technologies to tap into this natural resource and generate hydrogen in mass quantities and cheaper prices in order to compete with the traditional energy sources. There are three main methods that scientists are researching for inexpensive hydrogen generation. All three separate the hydrogen from a 'feedstock', such as fossil fuel or water - but by very different means.
Reformers - Fuel cells generally run on hydrogen, but any hydrogen-rich material can serve as a possible fuel source. This includes fossil fuels – methanol, ethanol, natural gas, petroleum distillates, liquid propane and gasified coal. The hydrogen is produced from these materials by a process known as reforming. This is extremely useful where stored hydrogen is not available but must be used for power, for example, on a fuel cell powered vehicle. One method is endothermic steam reforming. This type of reforming combines the fuels with steam by vaporizing them together at high temperatures. Hydrogen is then separated out using membranes. One drawback of steam reforming is that is an endothermic process – meaning energy is consumed. Another type of reformer is the partial oxidation (POX) reformer. CO2 is emitted in the reforming process, which makes it not emission-free, but the emissions of NOX, SOX, Particulates, and other smog producing agents are probably more distasteful than the CO2. And fuel cells cut them to zero.
Enzymes - Another method to generate hydrogen is with bacteria and algae. The cyanobacteria, an abundant single-celled organism, produces hydrogen through its normal metabolic function,. Cyanobacteria can grow in the air or water, and contain enzymes that absorb sunlight for energy and split the molecules of water, thus producing hydrogen. Since cyanobacteria take water and synthesize it to hydrogen, the waste emitted is more water, which becomes food for the next metabolism.
Solar- and Wind- powered generation - By harnessing the renewable energy of the sun and wind, researchers are able to generate hydrogen by using power from photovoltaics (PVs), solar cells, or wind turbines to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. In this manner, hydrogen becomes an energy carrier – able to transport the power from the generation site to another location for use in a fuel cell. This would be a truly zero-emissions way of producing hydrogen for a fuel cell.
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