21 Apr 2010
Hydrogen in glass tubes.
Sounds like crash testing will be a blast!
21 Apr 2010
Hydrogen has to be more viable than resource intensive batteries which have limited mileage and enable the large power companies to retain their supply stranglehold. If electric is the way forward, it will require significantly more infrastructure than is currently available (the grid is unlikley to cope with the addtional demand from 30m (my estimate - may be many more or less) electric cars being plugged in overnight), so providing Hydrogen infrastructure via existing petroleum facilties is not likely to cost any more. If the hydrogen can be supplied form renewables, all the better.
23 Apr 2010
electric cars, the future as portayed by many,
problem with batteries, they are fickle, prone to faliure in managed wrongly, dischage too far ou cause irreperable damage.
Hydrogen, much paranoia over safety, less dangerous in vehicle that petrol. The cylineders are designed not to break. HSE would ban petrol if it emerged as a new fuel form today
Stick a fuel cell on board as a battery charger to any electric vehicle you have extened the range but as much as the gas tank you put on. Don't mess with the battery or car managemen regime.
It is easy, safe, hydrogen infrastructure easy, how fast did telecom infrasructure and internet structure go in?
23 Apr 2010
H2 has many issues. Sorage, production, distribution etc .It's just an energy carrier and 90% id made from fossil fiels and it takes 4 times more energy to make ,store, comprress and distribute than electricity.
We already have clean choices for electric right at your home with wind and or solar. The GRID has an excess of electricity at night right now and dumps power every night. Why not chrge efficient vehicles with safe ,long lasting non toxic lithium batteries ? I do right from my solar GRID ties hoem.
25 Apr 2010
Hi,
The answer to the hydrogen and the electric car should be known soon after testing is completed on a new project.
To me the hydrogen car in its present state and even with the nano tube is not viable.
The electric car while it is being ‘recharge’ on electricity being produced by coal or by nuclear energy is not really going to fix the CO2, problem, that is if we have a problem there. To me with information that I have found it is all a rouse to make us pay more taxes in one form or another.
So what about us all generate our own power, not sell it to the money grabbing power companies.
You think that is not possible or a dream, well indications from the testing show me that it is now possible.
The scale is set to generate 6, 15, 20 or 30kW depending on your needs, no fuel, oh another scam, no real. The same process will then be looked at to fit a family size car, not to drive it but to extend or to give the electric drive unlimited range, with no power from the grid to recharge.
I am hoping that there will be no need for the large amount of batteries to give the very high and dangerous voltages that are in the hybrids and the planed ‘all electric’ cars.
You may think that this is a fairy tale, then you will be wrong if later you suddenly see advertising for the P.A.M.M.A.S, a system that would give you power any where you want it.
Regards
Brian Bayliss
Bayliss Controls
26 Apr 2010
The debate as to what will supply our energy for transport in the future should not be seeking the sole or even dominant solution. We have had a long time where the easy answer has been available and this is now changing. Electric cars will increase in number and diversity but will not meet our needs for independent transport across the board. Many considerations will apply and these will be different in various regions. Electric cars will have limitations in battery longevity, cost and vehicle range as well as power supply. The electric car that is ideal for transport around a city such as London will not be suitable for that weekend in Scotland or probably even Wales and with one space to park a car the car selected will have to meet all needs.
Automotive OEMs and governments often do not make sound technology decisions and the GM volt is a good example. Adding complexity to the car will not provide a mass vehicle solution. Light weight, compact, simple and well executed design will provide the best products for the high volume car market. Hydrogen vehicles will play a considerable role tin the mix of vehicles in the future and the simple Pivotal engine with its hydrogen friendly attributes will provide a soultion with wide appeal. www.pivotalengine.com
Yours
Paul Mclachlan
26 Apr 2010
The answer is in fact that all large car manufactures have started scrambling to create hydrogen powered cars and that in fact they are already successfully demonstrating them. Using Hydrogen in ICE faces technical energy efficiency barriers that seem difficult to be resolved. Hydrogen vehicles with a fuel cell on the other hand are in fact also electric vehicles which are very energy efficient, have a normal action radius, normal refuelling times, and zero tailpipe emissions. As for battery electric cars this change to zero emissions will require infrastructure investments: grid upgrades (eventually) or Hydrogen distribution infrastructure. For Hydrogen and battery electric vehicles alike the overall CO2 balance depends on the primary energy used to produce the electricity or the hydrogen. I recommend to read the well to wheel analysis report published on the website of the JRC (CONCAWE). In any event the debate should really not be about "OR" but about "AND": I strongly believe we will need both technologies eventually because both types of vehicles answer to different specific consumer needs.
Yours,
Anthony Brenninkmeijer
Director/ www.fuelcelleurope.org
Partner/ www.hinicio.com
26 Apr 2010
The answer is in fact that all large car manufactures have started scrambling to create hydrogen powered cars and that in fact they are already successfully demonstrating them. Using Hydrogen in ICE faces technical energy efficiency barriers that seem difficult to be resolved. Hydrogen vehicles with a fuel cell on the other are in fact also electric vehicles which are very energy efficient, have a normal action radius, normal refuelling times, and zero tailpipe emissions. As for battery electric cars this change to zero emissions will require infrastructure investments: grid upgrades (eventually) or Hydrogen distribution infrastructure. Hydrogen like battery electric vehicles have an overall CO2 balance that depends on the primary energy used to produce the electricity or the hydrogen. I recommend to read the well to wheel analysis report published on the website of the JRC (CONCAWE). The debate is not about “OR” but about “AND”: I strongly believe we will need both technologies eventually because both types of vehicles answer to different specific consumer needs.
Yours,
Anthony Brenninkmeijer
Director / www.feulcelleurope.org
Partner/ www.hinicio.com
01 May 2010
Hi it seems that you did not understand, quote from above
(The same process will then be looked at to fit a family size car, not to drive it but to extend or to give the electric drive unlimited range, with no power from the grid to recharge.
I am hoping that there will be no need for the large amount of batteries to give the very high and dangerous voltages that are in the hybrids and the planed ‘all electric’ cars.)
the teststing was sucsessful and a full prototype is to be stated shortly, it could vastly extent the range of the electrica car or even give it unlimted range. As for the main object the of the P.A.M.M.A.S, house owners, small bussinesess will benefit from free power, and would be able to clain 'carbon credits' where they are in place, and the carbon emmissions is zero.
Brian Bayliss
Bayliss Controls
Australia
21 Apr 2011
development & volume sales of electric vehicles are only just underway. Range & capacity will improve beyond belief over the next few years. The cost of all energy will rise anyway. Like the writer said both technologies will be running as one can forsee a day when electric cars could replace huge numbers of ICE vehicles but it will be a (very) long time before trucks carrying 20 tonne loads around the world every day to provide consumers needs will be able to run on electric only (though one can forsee hybrids coming along in the commercial vehicle world. If you look at the history of the first few years of development of petrol&deisel engined vehicles the developments that took place in a relatively short space of time were amazing.
Just wait & see - continually rising oil prices & the need for companies to make money by selling consumers new vehicles will 'drive' the whole thing along !
19 Dec 2011
I have no idea what the future will bring, but I do foresee yet an energy source not yet thought of. One day we may see waste materials being our most prized energy source and a return of family farms. Methane generators are a reality that have yet to be tapped for their free simple hydrocarbons which can be easily converted to safe natural gasses. Biocombustibles which can replace what the destruction of rain forests has destroyed is a real possiblity. Once people start thinking in terms of natural processes they'll find an answer to cooperating with nature for the benefit of a symbiotic relationship with not only earth but the whole solar system rather than just junking up space with more techno trash.
22 Dec 2011
telecommunting is the best, you can travel at the speed of light with little energy and it's very safe.
next would be a velomobile, an enclosed recumbent bicycle with a small amount of electric assist if needed. http://organictransit.com/models.php
local areas where you work, live and play saves a lot and it good for everyone, you could walk to work.
longer trips and bigger cargo can go by electric. regenerative braking on downhills and stopping can save a lot and solar and wind can power them. V2G Vehicle to GRID can help the GRID when your parked 20+ hour s a day.
22 Dec 2011
It isn't just in Israel that progress on safe and light weight hydrogen storage is being developed. See the following pages of hydrogen fuel news for what is happening in Leuven, Belgium and Oregon, USA:
http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/porous-material-may-solve-the-problem-of-hydrogen-storage-researchers-say/851582/
http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/new-liquid-material-from-university-of-oregon-could-store-hydrogen-gas/851801/
As for distribution and refuelling for ICE hydrogen powered vehicles ITM Power is well on the way to setting this up and have recently been featured on this site for their partnership in the Isle of Wight EcoIsland project.
http://www.itm-power.com/page/27/HFuel.html
http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/profile/itm_power/_news_and_press_releases/island_smart_grid_hydrogen_energy_storage_project/15704
I look forward to my next car being being powered by hydrogen; also to being able to refuel it locally.
