by guest Blogger Stan Thompson Before 2014, the Caribbean island nation of Aruba will roll out the world’s first fleet of hydrogen hybrid, self-powered, rail transit vehicles. Los Angeles, CA, transit manufacturer TIG/m Modern Street Railways is building both the streetcars—resembling heritage open trolleys—and the hydrogen production infrastructure needed to power their fuel cells. Energy • Read More »
Archives: Fuel Cells
Hydrail: a boost from Warren Buffet?
March 6, 2013 | By Stan Thompson | 1 Comment | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Organizations, Hydrogen Vehicles, Infrastructure.by guest blogger Stan Thompson At first glance, Russell Gold’s March 5, 2013, Wall Street Journal story, “Berkshire’s BNSF Railway to Test Switch to Natural Gas,” looked like such a big splash that the hydrail boat might get swamped. But a closer look suggests that hydrail—the emerging hydrogen fuel cell hybrid technology for railroad propulsion—is • Read More »
2013 HYDRAIL CONFERENCE IN TORONTO
January 16, 2013 | By Stan Thompson | 1 Comment | Filed in: Conferences, Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Boats, Hydrogen Economy, Hydrogen Fuel Production, Hydrogen Organizations, News.by guest blogger Stan Thompson Toronto (Ontario) Canada will be the location of the Eighth International Hydrail Conference (8IHC) on 11 and 12 June, 2013. The venue and the first of the slate of presenters will be announced shortly. The International Hydrail Conferences are annual gatherings of academic, government and rail industry experts to expedite • Read More »
Pike Research versus Lux Research on the Future of Fuel Cells
January 9, 2013 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Pike Research versus Lux Research on the Future of Fuel Cells | Filed in: Fuel Cells.A person named P. Drucker tweeted, “Predicting the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.” And this may be a very good way of looking at the future of fuel cells as well. Two recent reports by two different research firms • Read More »
General Electric may play Santa with Hydrail Train
December 24, 2012 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on General Electric may play Santa with Hydrail Train | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Buses, Hydrogen Economy, Infrastructure.by guest blogger, Stan Thompson If I get my long-awaited hydrail “electric train” for Christmas, in may be the GE Global Research Electric Propulsion Systems Lab engineers who drop it down the chimney, not Saint Nick. So far they’re talking buses, not trains, but the rail application is a no-brainer. This month GE unveiled a dual-battery • Read More »
Plug Power Pulls the Plug on 22 Employees Just Before Christmas
December 19, 2012 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Plug Power Pulls the Plug on 22 Employees Just Before Christmas | Filed in: Fuel Cells.Plug Power, one of the leading fuel cell makers for warehouse lift trucks and airport tow vehicles is cutting 22 jobs (out of 120 employees) this holiday season. Now, you would think that a do-good green company would have a heart and make such a move after the holidays were over. To be a bit • Read More »
NIST Developing Ultra-Thin Platinum Films for Fuel Cells
December 18, 2012 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 2 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells.We all know that platinum is expensive. When I just checked the spot prices for today both platinum and gold are just under $1,700 per ounce. Now, even though platinum is expensive we still use it in our modern cars inside of the catalytic converters to fight pollution. With a battery electric car or fuel • Read More »
Brown University Picks Cobalt & Graphene to Replace Platinum in Fuel Cells
October 17, 2012 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 3 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells.Yesterday I was talking about how a venture capitalist was betting on iron and cobalt to replace platinum in fuel cells. Well, today, there is a new wager on the table. Scientists are Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island are laying their cards on the table, saying cobalt and graphene are a better choice to • Read More »
Venture Capitalist Bets on Iron and Cobalt for Fuel Cells
October 16, 2012 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Venture Capitalist Bets on Iron and Cobalt for Fuel Cells | Filed in: Fuel Cells.A venture capital company, the Verge Fund out of Albuquerque is placing its bets on iron and cobalt to replace platinum as the catalyst used in fuel cells. The venture capital firm formed a company called Pajarito Powder LLC to manufacture and market the new platinum-free fuel cells. The price of platinum continues to skyrocket, • Read More »
GM to Move Fuel Cell Techies from New York to Michigan
October 11, 2012 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on GM to Move Fuel Cell Techies from New York to Michigan | Filed in: Fuel Cells.GM invented the Electrovan in 1966, which arguably was the first fuel cell vehicle to be produced as a life size working prototype. Since then GM has worked in various fuel cell vehicles including for the past several years the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell under the Project Driveway program. The fuel cells for the multiple • Read More »