Scientists make 'amazing' fuel cell breakthrough

[penguinz]

A team of Korean scientists has developed a new method of storing hydrogen as a solid, easing potential complications associated with the commercialisation of fuel cell technology.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology, touted as the answer to our dependence on fossil fuels to power vehicles, is more efficient than internal combustion and produces zero CO2 emissions.

However, "because it is a gas and therefore has large volume, storing enough hydrogen is a major obstacle in making hydrogen vehicles efficient", the hydrogen and fuel cell research and development head at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hong Seong-ahn, explained to the Korea Herald.

Development teams have often opted for tanks pressurising the gas at 700 times ground level atmosphere, or liquefaction of the element at high pressure and low temperature. Both options pose potential safety concerns.

Yet researchers from Seoul University's School of Physics and Astronomy, under the guidance of Professor Ihm Ji-soon, have pioneered a technique that binds hydrogen using titanium into a stable solid that can be stored at low pressure and relatively high temperatures.

Describing the "amazing" breakthrough, PhD student Lee Hoon-kyung said: "The material binds hydrogen with absolutely no energy input and the hydrogen can then be extracted using relatively small amounts of energy."

Though still in need of further testing, the discovery could potentially pave the way for the commercialisation of safe and efficient fuel cells in vehicles.


http://www.platinum.matthey.com/medi...155740404.html

[Donger]

Originally Posted by penguinz

A team of Korean scientists has developed a new method of storing hydrogen as a solid, easing potential complications associated with the commercialisation of fuel cell technology.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology, touted as the answer to our dependence on fossil fuels to power vehicles, is more efficient than internal combustion and produces zero CO2 emissions.

However, "because it is a gas and therefore has large volume, storing enough hydrogen is a major obstacle in making hydrogen vehicles efficient", the hydrogen and fuel cell research and development head at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hong Seong-ahn, explained to the Korea Herald.

Development teams have often opted for tanks pressurising the gas at 700 times ground level atmosphere, or liquefaction of the element at high pressure and low temperature. Both options pose potential safety concerns.

Yet researchers from Seoul University's School of Physics and Astronomy, under the guidance of Professor Ihm Ji-soon, have pioneered a technique that binds hydrogen using titanium into a stable solid that can be stored at low pressure and relatively high temperatures.

Describing the "amazing" breakthrough, PhD student Lee Hoon-kyung said: "The material binds hydrogen with absolutely no energy input and the hydrogen can then be extracted using relatively small amounts of energy."

Though still in need of further testing, the discovery could potentially pave the way for the commercialisation of safe and efficient fuel cells in vehicles.


http://www.platinum.matthey.com/medi...155740404.html

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Donger

[dirk digler]

Is this for real?

[Tribal Warfare]

did anyone have the old footage of German Zepplins in their heads when reading this

[Donger]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

Is this for real?

I was laughing at the 'breakthrough' part.

There are already a number of companies doing this commercially.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Donger

There are already a number of companies doing this commercially.

Beat me to it.

And Cal-ee-fawn-ee-a has already passed legislation touting their hydrogen highway with stations to service them.

Still a good read to post though.
People need to be reminded free-enterprise does work and can solve problems.

[DJ's left nut]

Coal to oil....

http://www.glennbeck.com/2006ads/jbluctl.pdf

It's a presentation put together by the chairman of JetBlue.

The technology is there, just not the spine. Nobody wants to invest billions of dollars only to see OPEC drop prices again and leave the investors holding the bag.

http://www.glennbeck.com/2006ads/Con...6-20%20_2_.pdf

This bill has been introduced in Congress. It essentially put the gov't in the position of insurer if oil prices fall below $38/barrel (thus making the coal-oil investment an economic loser). It's not terribly dissimilar to when the gov't backed the airlines casualty insurance after the insurance companies canceled their war-risk insurance post 9-11.

I'd urge anyone to take a peek at it, if you like what you see call your congressman and urge them to support it. This would be a huge boon for the MO economy with our large coal reserves, so I doubt you'd have to lobby very hard to get our guys to back it.

[whoman69]

I didn't see anywhere in the article if cars have to be modified to run on the coal fuel. I would also need more than the manufacturers' assurances of its clean energy potential.
To ween this country off of oil, its going to take more than one type of source. We also have to be sure that we don't change to reliance of one fossile fuel with finite supply to another. Eventually we need a source that will not be finite.

[teedubya]

I was Born a Poor Coal Miners Daughter...

[Discuss Thrower]

Coal makes environmentalists and Al Gore cry. I really don't see how anyone will be able to push forward coal as a fuel source... Unless it's somehow uber purified and used to increase power plants in the US (which I'm thinking will become a greater problem as electricity use outstrips the capacity).

The Oil problem wouldn't be so frakking bad if the US had some more refineries either...

[DJ's left nut]

that would be the plan.

Gassification is supposed to be extremely clean. The general consensus is that the process of converting the coal to oil would be similar in environmental impact to what we are already doing.

No, cars would not have to be modified, that's the major upside to this technology. It's supposed to produce straight up petro. That's why these plants cost upwards of $5 billion (with a B) a shot.

I'm not sure I buy it entirely, but I really don't have to. If the gov't signs off on this bill, the venture capitalists and other entrepreneuers will be the ones that develop and refine the technology. If it isn't feasible (even though i think that ultimitely it will be), then they simply won't invest and nobody is worse off.

Combine this with increased hybridization of our automobiles and continuing efforts in ethanol, and we just might be clear of that shithole in the next 15-20 years.

The spike in oil prices, if it remains, could well be the best possible thing that could have happened to this country over the long term. Someone probably oughta tell OPEC that pissing off the American public was not a good idea.