While some countries like South Africa are ramping up R&D and production of fuel cells because this country sits upon 80-percent of the world’s supply of platinum, the most expensive part of most fuel cells, many scientists are experimenting with alternatives to this costly metal. One of the benefits of switching to hydrogen fuel cells • Read More »
Archives: Fuel Cells
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells is $5.6 Billion Industry
November 4, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Fuel Cells.According to PATH (Partnership for Advancing the Transition to Hydrogen) the worldwide hydrogen and fuel cell industry includes over 20 countries and is worth at least $5.6 billion a year. In addition, the hydrogen and fuel cell industry current accounts for over 40,000 jobs worldwide. By the year 2020, this same industry is expected to • Read More »
Titanium-Doped Aluminum Breakthrough in Hydrogen Storage and Fuel Cells
October 27, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 3 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Fuel Storage, Hydrogen Fuel Tanks, Uncategorized.There’s been a lot of research in materials sciences in finding cheaper alternatives in which to store hydrogen or use as catalysts for hydrogen reactions. Most of this breakthrough technology perpetually seems to be 10 to 20 years away before commercialization. This is why when I heard about what the researchers at the University of • Read More »
Apple May Make Fuel Cells Go Mainstream
October 20, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Apple May Make Fuel Cells Go Mainstream | Filed in: Fuel Cells.Even with Steven Jobs’ recent passing and all of the legacies he’s left behind including computers, iPods, iPhones and iPads there is also another legacy he may be leaving behind now, posthumously as we speak. And that legacy is the mainstreaming of hydrogen fuel cells. Usually I talk about hydrogen cars and vehicles in this • Read More »
Hydrail: Putting the Car Before the (Iron) Horse
June 24, 2011 | By Stan Thompson | 2 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Hydrogen Cars, Hydrogen Economy.by guest blogger Stan Thompson Perhaps the single greatest impediment to the advent of the hydrogen economy has been the media-led insistence that hydrogen fuel cell technology is an automotive design experiment that has not yet been made to work. The ubiquity issue—the controlling obstacle unique to the car application—is never examined. Mention hydrogen and • Read More »
HYDRAIL AND THE GREAT COPPER RIP-OFF
May 2, 2011 | By Stan Thompson | Comments Off on HYDRAIL AND THE GREAT COPPER RIP-OFF | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrail, Infrastructure.by guest columnist Stan Thompson You are so unlikely to believe this that I’ll let Google tell you; enter this search argument in your browser: copper + church + (steal OR stolen OR theft) As of this writing, that entry nets well over ten million Google responses and over five million from Yahoo. An EPA • Read More »
Platinum Free Fuel Cell Developed by LANL Researchers
April 26, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 5 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells.Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have developed a platinum free fuel cell that uses carbon, iron and cobalt on the cathode end of the PEM hydrogen fuel cell. With platinum currently priced at $1,800 per ounce this element is one of the major costs when producing fuel cells. According to LANL, “The Los • Read More »
Intelligent Energy Raises Capital to Commercialize Fuel Cells
April 25, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 4 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Scooters.On January 27, 2011 I had asked Intelligent Energy to stop demonstrating their products and start commercializing them. Now, 4 months later they have made the announcement that they plan to do just that. The same company that has demonstrated vehicles such as the ENV, London Black Cabs, the Burgan scooter and the Suzuki Crosscage • Read More »
Mercedes-Benz Opens Fuel Cell Production Facility in Canada
March 24, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 7 Comments | Filed in: Fuel Cells.Mercedes-Benz has decided to open up a new fuel cell production facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver is the site of one leg of the current British Columbia Hydrogen Highway system. In the future, it is also supposed to be part of the West Coast Hydrogen Highway system that will run all the way • Read More »
Future Fuel Cells Could be Platinum-Less Against South Africa’s Wishes
March 23, 2011 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Fuel Cells.South Africa, which is rich in platinum deposits is late to the game in tapping into the fuel cell market. In fact, South Africa has lost a decade in trying to cash into this lucrative market and they are just now realizing this and trying to play catch up. But, it may be too late • Read More »