Efficient Hydrogen Fuel Generation Technology from SPERI, Korea

Scientist conducting research in to CO2 reduction and other forms of greenhouse gases control at SPERI, S&P Energy Research Institute has come out with a lower cost Hydrogen generation.
Dr. Sen Kim who is a member of European Academy of Natural Science has been developing methods to scrub green house gases from sources.
The research has revealed that the low energy bondage between greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, or N2O also extend to the Hydrogen in the water vapor (H2O). So according to a press release by the S&P Energy Research Institute, it will be a profitable Hydrogen generation. Profitable in the sense of amount of energy spent in the process. Currently the favorite method of Hydrogen generation is by electrolysis. The electrolytic method uses 4-4.5 kwh energy for getting 1 cubic meter of hydrogen. The new method of SPERI, use 0.1 kwh for the same volume of hydrogen. This is will make the use of Hydrogen in energy generation actually feasible. Currently even though Hydrogen is one of the cleanest method, that is offset by dirty energy spent generating it.
With this method, it will be much easier to have very clean hydrogen based energy generation.

Dr. Sen Kim said “Our laboratory tests show that CO2, CH4, or N2O was dissociated by low energy. We also confirmed that hydrogen (H2) and vapor(H2O) was dissociated with similar efficiency (90% or more). Traditionally hydrogen is made by electrolysis. The electrolytic method uses 4-4.5 kwh energy for getting 1 cubic meter of hydrogen. Our method uses 0.1 kwh for the same volume of hydrogen. As known the high cost of electrolytic H2 does not allow to use it as a fuel."

News Source: S&P Energy

Media Contact: S & P Energy Co Ltd. 82-31-777-3121

Web Site: http://www.clean-energy.kr

Tags: Hydrogen Fuel, SPERI, greenhouse gases

FCX Clarity, Honda's Hydrogen Fuel Based Car On US Roads!

Honda's latest addition to the fleet, a four-door sedan, called the FCX Clarity, runs on electricity generated from a fuel cell battery that is powered by hydrogen. The cat itself produce only Steam (read H2O or water) as byproduct no CO or CO2 or other bad stuff. But current technology producing Hydrogen uses non renewable energy and it is not widely available either.
According to Honda, the FCX Clarity can get a combined (city and highway driving) fuel efficiency of about 72 miles per kg of H2 which, according to Honda's own estimates, is the equivalent of getting about 74 mpg on a gas-powered car. The car can be driven for about 280 miles before needing to be refueled.
Many Other car makers are testing or having prototypes of Hydrogen based vehicles but only Honda so far come out with a production model!
Now Someone figure out how to create Hydrogen from renewable energy sources. I remember creating Hydrogen from water in the high school lab but as I remember the transformer provided DC, Direct Current was plugged on the lab's electricity supply!.
You can learn more about FCX Clarity here.

Tags: Hydrogen Fuel, Hydrogen car, Honda, FCX Clarity

FCX Clarity Business Plan and Commencement of Customer Selection Process

Honda Press Release
Honda Announces FCX Clarity Business Plan and Commencement of Customer Selection Process
Program marks first-ever large-scale retail initiative for a fuel cell vehicle

Honda plans to deliver about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles to customers in the first three years of production, with leases beginning in July, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The lease program marks the world's first large-scale retail initiative for fuel cell vehicle technology, and Honda has begun the process of identifying customers from a group of over 50,000 individuals who have expressed interest in the FCX Clarity on the company's website.

Honda will announce its first customers when the first FCX Clarity rolls off the production line at a ceremony on June 16, 2008 in Japan, where Honda will also showcase the world's first dedicated fuel cell vehicle production facility. Additionally, Honda will announce further plans for involvement by Honda dealerships in the U.S., as well as future customer care and customer qualification initiatives.

"Our customers for the current generation FCX have played an important role in our advancement of Honda fuel cell vehicle technology," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "The first FCX Clarity customers represent the early adopters who will play a critical role in the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars.

"We remain firmly convinced that the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car represents one of the best long-term solutions to the world's growing environmental and energy concerns," added Mendel. "With the launch of the FCX Clarity lease program, we will begin making fuel cell vehicles a market reality allowing customers to participate in creating a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future."

The FCX Clarity launch began in October 2005 with the unveiling of the next-generation FCX Concept vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show, which was followed in November 2007 by the debut of the FCX Clarity production model at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the company announced plans to begin leasing vehicles to customers in the U.S. Initially, the program will be based on a 3-year lease term with a price of $600 per month and will be targeted at consumers in Southern California.

Customer selection process
Honda expects to lease several dozen FCX Clarity models per year in the U.S. and Japan to reach the total of about 200 units in the first three years. Since its Tokyo concept debut, Honda has received requests from more than 50,000 individuals who have indicated their interest in receiving further updates about the vehicle and about being considered as future customers of Honda fuel cell technology. The company is now working to narrow the list through a four-step customer qualification process:

• Step 1 -- Based on respondents' residential location, the list of potential customers has been narrowed to approximately 500 people living in very close proximity to publicly-accessible hydrogen fueling stations, including planned or existing stations in Santa Monica, Torrance and Irvine.
• Step 2 -- Customers meeting the geographical criteria will receive an e-mail prompting them to take a customer selection survey if they are serious about wanting to lease an FCX Clarity.
• Step 3 - The survey will qualify customers based on driving patterns, vehicle needs, vehicle storage and financial criteria.
• Step 4 - Customers qualify for the next steps, including an interview with American Honda.

Everyone who has expressed an interest in the FCX Clarity will be kept abreast of new developments via the FCX Clarity web site and by e-mail communications. All interested prospects' information will be retained for future consideration.

About the FCX Clarity
The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell, its only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile.

Based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by a highly compact, efficient and powerful new Honda V Flow fuel cell stack, the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the fuel cell car. Significant advances over Honda's previous generation FCX include:

• an advanced new four-passenger sedan design
• a greater than 30 percent increase in driving range to 270 miles¹
• a 20 percent increase in fuel economy to 68miles/kg-H2²
• a 50 percent increase in fuel cell stack power density
• a 40 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter new lithium-ion battery pack

Honda is responsible for the development of the world's first fuel cell car to be certified for regular commercial use by the U.S. EPA and California Air Resources Board; the first commercial lease of a fuel cell car to a fleet customer; and the first individual retail customer for a fuel cell vehicle.

Honda and the Environment
Based on its philosophy of being a company "society want to exist", Honda has been a leader in the development of cleaner and more fuel efficient products for more than thirty years, beginning in 1975 with the introduction of the Civic CVCC, the first vehicle to meet U.S. Clean Air Act exhaust emissions standards without a catalyst. Honda introduced the world's first Low (LEV), Ultra-Low (ULEV) and Super Ultra-Low (SULEV) emissions gasoline vehicles, and America's first low emission gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, the Honda Insight, in December 1999.

The company has been recognized four consecutive times as America's "greenest automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists, most recently in 2007, and has maintained the highest automobile fleet-average fuel efficiency (lowest fleet-average CO2 emissions) of any U.S. automaker over the past 15 years³. The company is accelerating its efforts to introduce more fuel-efficient vehicles, including an all-new, more affordable hybrid Honda slated for introduction in 2009.

¹ Preliminary Honda estimate, based on existing EPA range methodology
² Honda estimate of EPA city-highway combined fuel economy rating for FCX Clarity
³ Average sales-weighted fuel consumption for 1992-2007 mid-model year passenger-car and light-truck fleets sold in the U.S. based on final CAFE reports through 2006 and 2007 mid-year reports

Honda

Tags: Honda, Hydrogen car, Hydrogen Fuel, FCX Clarity

Mobile Hydrogen Fueling Technology In Service For A Hydrogen Fuel Demonstration Project

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (March 24, 2008) – Air Products (NYSE: APD) mobile hydrogen fueling technology has been placed into service for a hydrogen fuel demonstration project in Aiken County, South Carolina. The fueler is providing hydrogen for a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine pick-up truck which is being used as a development, demonstration and educational tool in coordination with a program involving the Aiken County Economic Development Partnership.

“We commend the Economic Development Partnership and Aiken County for its commitment to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen and alternative fuels. Air Products has been involved in demonstration projects around the world to show how hydrogen can be used effectively as an energy carrier for fuel cell and internal combustion engine cars, trucks, buses, fork lifts and even submarines. We are pleased to be part of this project team,” said Tom Joseph, business development manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products. Joseph said the fueling station will provide hydrogen at 5,000 psi (350 bar) to the truck, which will be used daily to conduct routine business.

“Aiken County is committed to supporting the development, demonstration and early deployment of technologies and products which use clean hydrogen as a replacement for increasingly expensive, foreign-based and polluting petroleum-based fuels,” said Fred E. Humes, director of the Economic Development Partnership. “By working with Air Products, we have access to the latest in vehicle fueling equipment and a reliable supply of hydrogen. The project team will provide tangible and visible proof that the use of hydrogen as a replacement for gasoline is feasible, safe and reliable. It is important we start laying the ground work today.” Humes added that the hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle is the first hydrogen vehicle registered in South Carolina and appropriately carries the license plate SCH2 1.

Air Products’ mobile fueler technology is in operation today in over 20 United States and worldwide locations. The versatile Air Products mobile hydrogen fueler comes complete with fuel storage and dispensing, and can be transported from location to location to provide hydrogen fueling for promotional demonstrations or remote endurance testing. The fueler can be remotely monitored and is designed to ensure daily, around-the-clock hydrogen vehicle fueling availability. Last year, the mobile fueler was part of a separate demonstration program for fuel cell fork lifts at six different industrial customers in Columbia, South Carolina.

Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and is on the forefront of hydrogen energy technology development. Air Products has placed over 75 fueling stations on-stream in 12 countries, including for mass transit fueling in Beijing, China for buses to be used to shuttle athletes and visitors for the 2008 Olympic Games. Over 45,000 vehicle fuelings have already taken place using Air Products’ technology. As the world’s largest supplier of merchant hydrogen, Air Products is a leader in the development of the hydrogen infrastructure necessary to fuel hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen internal combustion engine automobiles, HCNG (hydrogen/compressed natural gas) vehicles, and hydrogen powered forklifts, lift trucks and automated guided vehicles in the developing materials handling market. Air Products has an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology.

More information on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies and activities can be found at www.airproducts.com/h2energy.

tag: Hydrogen Fuel, Air Products, HCNG, hydrogen fueling Station, first hydrogen vehicle, SCH2 1,