Archives: Fuel Cells

Researchers in Canada and Japan are working on two different methods to eliminate expensive platinum from fuel cells bringing down the costs of future hydrogen cars as much as $5,000. Researchers in California, on the other hand, are using nanotechnology to greatly reduce the amount of platinum needed in hydrogen fuel cells. All of the • Read More »

In the past I’ve talked about the need to both reduce and eliminate the need for platinum in fuel cells in order for hydrogen cars and vehicles to become economically viable. It makes no sense to pour a million or so hydrogen cars on the road only to be hit with a worldwide shortage of • Read More »

Horizon Fuel Cell is raising the stakes this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, I’ve talked about Horizon Fuel Cell several times in the past. In May 2007, I talked about how this company used hydrogen fuel cells to power bikes, cars, boats and jets. In October 2007, I • Read More »

The U. S. Fuel Cell Council is asking the Congress and new Obama administration for $1.2 billion to stimulate the hydrogen fuel cell industry and create high tech jobs. At stake are around 24,000 jobs that could be created in this narrow sector of the alternative energy field. Most of the jobs would come from • Read More »

In 2004, in London’s Trafalgar Square the first hydrogen fuel cell powered Christmas tree went online for the holiday season. In 2006, in the same location the Crib lights were powered by fuel cell. Also, in 2006 in Sacramento, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver lit the first U. S. fuel cell • Read More »

I’ve written quite a bit about hydrogen fuel cells over the past couple of months from those who are reducing the need for platinum in FC’s to those who are eliminating it altogether. But in tough economic times like these the hydrogen fuel cell is taking quite a roller coaster ride. On the positive side, • Read More »

In 2004, a publication from Harvard University came out titled “Plasma Sputtering Deposition of Platinum into Porous fuel Cell Electrodes” that talked about using nanotechnology to increase the surface area and reduce the platinum used in fuel cells. Now, the Australian National University is reporting that they have created “hairy” fuel cell electrodes that only • Read More »

A week ago I talked about how the U. S. Army decided to install hydrogen fueling stations to cleanly refuel their test fleet of hydrogen cars. The fueling stations are solar powered and use water so zero emissions are generated from well to wheel, as they say (in the oil industry). Now, the U. S. • Read More »

The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) of India has developed a critical, cheaper fuel cell component that is expected to reduce the overall costs of fuel cells significantly. The scientists have developed a polymer variant of polybenzimidazole, used in making spacesuits, which will be utilized in the membranes of the PEM fuel cells. What is unique • Read More »

It’s no secret that engineering is still a male dominated profession. Women have tried to crack this “electric barrier” for years with only moderate success. In an attempt to break the “gas ceiling” along with the men, the Women’s Fuel Cell Network will be launching at the 30th Annual Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition in • Read More »