v/r Ken Carrigan
http://www.discover.com/99awards/transportation.html
The world's smallest oil refinery sits in a first-floor lab at MIT. Called a
plasmatron, it looks a bit like a spark plug that ate too much. And what an
appetite it has! MIT researcher Daniel Cohn has fed the plasmatron gasoline,
diesel, even canola oil. Eagerly swallowing anything that burns, the device
lets go with a belch of electricity that turns the fuel and surrounding air
into plasma, a hot collection of charged atoms and electrons. What comes out
is a hydrogen-rich gas that burns far more cleanly than garden-variety
gasoline
http://www.fuelcells.org/fuel/fcnews.shtml
Fuel Cell Technology Update
August 1999
* Siemens, Shell Join to Make Fuel Cell. Siemens AG and Shell Hydrogen
are teaming up to develop a fuel cell power plant system. The system would
combine a SiemensWestinghouse solid oxide fuel cell and carbon dioxide
sequestration technology being developed by Shell. Shell Hydrogen is a unit
of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. According to a Reuter's story, the first
commercial units will range from 250kW to 10MW in size.
* Yamaha Orders Ballard Fuel Cells. Yamaha has contracted with Ballard
for $365K worth of fuel cells, related equipment and support services.
Yamaha will use the fuel cells in its R&D program.
* 250kW Hydrogen Generator Being Developed. Solar Hydrogen Energy
Corporation (SHEC Labs) announced it is assembling a prototype of a 250kW
Hydrogen Generator. The generator uses a water-splitting technology powered
by sunlight. SHEC Labs says testing of the prototype should begin within the
next several months.
* Shell Joins With Energy Conversion Devices on Hydrogen Storage.
Shell Hydrogen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Energy
Conversion Devices (ECD) to develop and commercialize ECD's solid hydride
storage technology. Hydrides are materials that can store hydrogen as a
solid.
* Toyota To Have Commercial Fuel Cell Vehicle in 2003. Toyota Chairman
Hiroshi Okuda told reporters that the company would commercialize a fuel
cell vehicle in 2003, a year before commercialization dates expected from
DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors.
* Honda Also Projects Fuel Cell Fleet in 2003. Earlier in June, Honda
also announced it plans to built 300 fuel cell vehicles per year beginning
in 2003. The car will be based on the EV Plus electric vehicle, and will
utilize methanol as fuel.
http://www.gri.org/cgi-bin/re?url=http%3A//www.gri.org/pub/abstracts/gri77_0
001.html
HTGR Thermochemical Water Splitting for Hydrogen Production
http://www.ott.doe.gov/oaat/dhfuel.html
High-Efficiency, Direct-Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems for Automobiles
Background
Fuel cells are clean, fuel efficient, and fuel flexible. Any hydrogen-rich
material can serve as a potential fuel source for this developing
technology. Possibilities include fossil-derived fuels, such as natural gas,
petroleum distillates, liquid propane, and gasified coal, or renewable
fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, or hydrogen.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnered with Ford Motor Company to
develop full functional, zero-emission fuel-cell power-system technology for
automotive applications. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate the
technology in a complete laboratory propulsion system