fuel cell Archives – The Green Optimistic

U.S. Navy Fuel Cells Produce More Fuel From Seawater

Courtney Lepping — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 03:36:06 +0000

The U.S. Navy is looking at a way to extract hydrogen from seawater while capturing carbon dioxide to be used in fuel cells. Fuel cells represent an efficient way of converting hydrogen to electricity without generating harmful byproducts. Current refueling operations at sea are risky, whereas the Electrolytic Cation Exchange Module would not require the […]

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Researchers Produce Energy from Rotten Tomatoes

Mila Luleva — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:46:02 +0000

Rotten tomatoes might be the latest source of renewable energy, courtesy of a research team from Princeton. The diversity of sources for production of renewable energy is incredible. Scientists keep finding new and exciting ways to stimulate the movement of electrons through mediums of all shapes, sizes and origins. Many of these sources, of course, are […]

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Quant F – Flow Cell Sports Car on Display at Geneva Motor Show

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 16:58:46 +0000

This year at the Geneva Motor Show, an exciting new technological wonder was on display: a sports car that runs off “flow cell” technology. The Quant F, as it’s called, from carmaker Nunzio La Vecchia, gets 746 kW (1,000 hp) of energy and can travel 500 m (805 km). The sports car was actually around […]

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Dutch University Discovers How to Reduce Platinum Use in Fuel Cells

Annika Tostengard — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 05:21:58 +0000

Researchers from Tufts University have discovered a way to make fuel cells cheaper by using less platinum. Platinum is used as a catalyst in fuel cells, inducing the chemical reactions that make green technology like electric vehicle batteries work. Platinum, however, is extremely scarce and so using it in any technologies generally prohibits them from being very […]

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Fuel Cell Technology Supplies Power To Al Gore’s New GIM Headquarters

Mila Luleva — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:53:04 +0000

Moving from NASA’s space shuttle to crown estate developments in central London, fuel cell technology will soon provide efficient and emission-free energy to one of the largest commercial buildings in the British capital city. The future home of Al Gore‘s sustainable investment company Generation Investment Management, will be fully powered by a fuel cell system, which […]

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Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Could Help Hydrogen Fuel Cells Get Cheaper

Mila Luleva — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 06:35:36 +0000

Researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, developed a method, which provides cheap and environmentally friendly mean to create nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets (NGnPs). The study published in the latest issue of Scientific Reports states that this technology could replace platinum-based catalysts used in dye-sensitized solar and fuel cells. Platinum-based […]

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New Fuel Cell With Five Times Less Platinum Developed in Copenhagen

Benji Jerew — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:07:06 +0000

Hydrogen fuel cells, which could find applications from vehicles to backup power supplies, suffer from one important drawback – expense. Current mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell catalysts employ a small amount of platinum to sustain the reaction necessary to generate electricity from hydrogen. Most importantly, platinum is non-corroding, which helps the fuel cell last a long […]

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New Fuel Cell Powers Mobile Phones Using Urine

Mila Luleva — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:07:26 +0000

Scientists from University of Bristol and Bristol Robotics Laboratory in Southwest England found a way to charge a mobile device using the power of urine. Their study was published in the latest issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. The team created a fuel cell, which uses bacteria to break […]

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GM and Honda Just Announced Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development Partnership

Benji Jerew — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 14:12:13 +0000

If two companies are working toward the same goal, in this case hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, then what better idea than to come together to achieve it together? Some companies choose to go it alone, such as Tesla Motors and the Model S, the most successful automotive startup in the last fifty years. On the […]

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Mercedes Benz to Ditch Electric/Fuel Cell Vito, Van Chief Says

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 29 May 2013 15:15:55 +0000

Mercedes Benz seems to want to shelve electric vans, be them battery or fuel cell powered. The E-Cell version of their successful Vito van hasn’t had too much success. Volker Mornhinweg, the van division boss told Car and Driver that demand is “virtually nonexistent” and that the company is putting the model into “hibernation mode.” As […]

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Low-Cost Fuel Cells Run on Fire

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:10:42 +0000

Craig Jacobson, an entrepreneur, scientist, and CEO of startup Point Source Power, has chosen what is usually considered an improbable technology, the fuel cell, as a power source for off-grid villagers in Kenya. Typically, fuel cells are more expensive than grid power in both 3rd world countries and the developed world. Portable fuel cells have […]

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Hydrogen Fuel Generation – Breakthrough Catalyst Investigated in India

Benji Jerew — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:50:03 +0000

Hydrogen fuel used in hydrogen fuel cells, as a replacement for natural gas, or even in an internal combustion engine, burns clean and emits zero carbon dioxide. This is great news for those concerned about increasing carbon dioxide emissions, but the current-best method for generating hydrogen fuel isn’t very efficient. Electrolysis uses electricity to split […]

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New Hydrogen Generator is More Efficient and Less Expensive

Benji Jerew — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:56:20 +0000

The basics of a fully functional hydrogen economy have to include both efficient and inexpensive hydrogen generators and fuel cells. Electrolytic cells generate hydrogen and oxygen gas from water using an electric current. They are not particularly efficient however, as the energy in the resulting hydrogen and oxygen is less than that which was used […]

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BMW Proud of In-House Fuel Cells Used in Forklifts

Benji Jerew — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:06:30 +0000

While generalized hydrogen infrastructure is very slowly gaining ground on the nation’s highways, BMW fuel cell vehicles are already inhouse at BMW Spartanburg, South Carolina. A warehouse or manufacturing facility is the last place that you want to have an internal combustion engine running, which is why materials handling equipment, from fork trucks to man […]

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H2USA Plan Pushes for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles and Infrastructure

Benji Jerew — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:10:10 +0000

Several automakers have already decided that they want to release fuel cell vehicles as early as 2017 or so, and the Department of Energy’s [DOE] H2USA plan could expand the infrastructure. There are already a few hydrogen fueling stations in the US, but only a couple dozen or so are available for public access. This […]

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Forze VI – Fuel Cell Race Car to Compete in Dutch Caterham Cup

Benji Jerew — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:48:13 +0000

The Dutch Caterham Cup is a Lotus 7 race league. These cars weigh in at just 1,212 pounds and are powered by 200hp engines. There should be a newcomer this year, one with a completely different powertrain, a hydrogen fuel cell and electric motors. The Forze VI hydrogen fuel cell race car has been under […]

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Iron-Based Fuel Cell Catalyst to Make Hydrogen Cars Cheap

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:07:40 +0000

An efficient iron-based fuel cell catalyst has been discovered by PNNL scientists. It uses a hydrogenase molecule to split hydrogen and create electricity. For years, scientists have been playing around with various alternatives to platinum, an expensive catalyst used in hydrogen fuel cells today to create electricity directly from hydrogen. Fortunately, platinum has the intrinsic […]

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in the UK – Future in Doubt

Benji Jerew — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:30:29 +0000

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles may very well be the future, and administrators in the UK are expecting to have the first on the road by 2015. By 2030, they expect to have maybe 1.5 million on the road, which is pretty ambitious, to say the least. Of course, the fuel cell technology costs a bit […]

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New Japanese Fuel Cell Runs on Hydrocarbons at Record-Low Temperatures

Benji Jerew — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:37:10 +0000

During combustion, hydrocarbon fuels emit water and carbon dioxide. Really, all good fuels are rich in hydrogen, if only they didn’t have those nasty carbons attached to them. Pure hydrogen may just be the perfect fuel, as it emits nothing more than water upon combustion. While hydrogen can be burned an engine, it is finding […]

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Toyota Licenses Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology to BMW

Benji Jerew — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:01:58 +0000

Hydrogen fuel cells [HFC], which convert pure hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity, is nothing new. As a matter of fact, the technology exists as far back as the late 1930s. Fuel cell technology was also used to generate electricity on the NASA Space Shuttle program until it was dismantled last year. While being […]

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New Foam Material Could Improve Batteries and Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Mila Luleva — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 06:05:53 +0000

The latest issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie published a study that reveals a new cheap material that can be used in electrodes of electrochemical cells. The material discovered by a team of Korean and American scientists is based on affordable carbon black and melamine foam. The high number of catalytically active centers, combined with the […]

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Innovative Micro Fuel Cell Could Power Future Electronics

Benji Jerew — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:41:45 +0000

The first hydrogen fuel cells [HFC], much like the first mobile phones, were large, bulky, and expensive. Technologies in various fields, such as metallurgy, electronics, and chemistry, have made the mobile phone, not only smaller, but more available than ever before. With the advent of the smartphone, battery and smartphone manufacturers have been working to […]

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Mercedes-Benz’s Ener-G-Force Powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Mike Sandru — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:41:07 +0000

The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show brought some great new concepts this year. One of them is the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force. Big and bully, like the oversized Hummers, the G-Force only looks like a notorious SUV. This model is equipped with fuel cells, whose only emission is water. Following the lines of the G-class models, back […]

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Microsoft Testing Biogas Fuel Cell for Future Sustainable Data Centers

Benji Jerew — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:16:13 +0000

Well-known software company, Microsoft, in its efforts toward sustainable data centers, has teamed up with Danbury Connecticut’s FuelCell Energy to test a combination of energy technologies. “With the demand for renewable energy resources outstripping available power supplies today, Microsoft is researching new methods to help our operations become more efficient and environmentally sustainable,” said Gregg […]

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Platinum-Cobalt Alloy Boosts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Output by 12

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:33:54 +0000

A cost-effective new alternative to fuel cell’s catalyst have been developed at Cornell University, promising a 5X reduction in cost, an output of 12X more than the conventional platinum catalyst, and a high stability even after more than 5,000 cycles. An efficient and cheap hydrogen fuel cell would be an ideal renewable energy device as […]

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Fuel Cell Micro-CHPs Provide Efficient Power and Heat for Homes

Mila Luleva — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:08:52 +0000

Micro combined generation of heat and power (CHP) have been added to the qualities of fuel cells. These smaller scale CHPs can be used as a replacement of conventional household boilers or as an addition to gas and heating systems. Used either way, this energy efficiency technology could place Germany in a very favorable position […]

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New Conductive Polymer Coating to Dramatically Reduce Fuel Cell Cost

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:00:32 +0000

HyperSolar Inc. has recently filed for a joint patent with University of California – Santa Barbara for a recent discovery on a polymer coating that acts as both protective and electrically conductive layer, which may find a broad field of applications, especially fuel cells. Unlike metals and semiconductors, polymers are intrinsically electrically non-conducting. That’s why […]

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Cobalt – Graphene Catalyst Might Replace Platinum in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Mila Luleva — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:08:20 +0000

Platinum is undoubtedly quite an expensive element to use as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells. For that reason, scientists at Brown University are trying to find a cheaper material that can act in this same way and be just as effective. Shouheng Sun and a group of his students developed a catalyst for the […]

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New Hydrogen Fuel Cell for Mobile Devices Unveiled by Rohm and Aquafairy

Benji Jerew — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:19:49 +0000

Portable electricity generation has always been the realm of non-rechargeable chemical batteries, and more recently, various formulations of rechargeable batteries, such as Nickel-Cadmium [NiCAD] and Lithium-ion [Li-ion]. Hydrogen Fuel Cell [HFC] technology has been under development for years, and technological advances have reduced HFC generators from the size of cargo vans to, now, the size […]

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Experimental Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train Built by Birmingham Researchers

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:28:52 +0000

An experimental train built by University of Birmingham researchers for the IMechE Railway Challenge is setting an example for how a hydrogen fuel cell-powered locomotive can carry 4 tons for a distance of 2.7 kilometers on 5000 liters of low-pressure hydrogen. The fuel cell train is not proving anything new here – electric trains already […]

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Scientists Discovering Why Nanoporous Gold Can Be a Good Fuel Cell Catalyst

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:11:39 +0000

An international team of scientists have made a breakthrough discovery by realizing why nanoporous gold (NPG) has a high catalytic activity and can be used for making fuel cells and durable catalytic converters, as opposed to bulk gold, which is inert. The team, comprising of Dr. Keith McKenna, from the University of York and other […]

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Airbus A320 to Be Equipped With Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Increased Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:29:34 +0000

Though the hydrogen fuel cells used nowadays are not powerful enough that commercial aircraft engines can be replaced by them, it doesn’t mean that they are not effective enough to make air travel more efficient. Airbus flight tests have shown 15% decreases in fuel consumption. The environmental controls, entertainment system, and lights of the Airbus […]

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New Iron Catalyst Modeled from Nature Developed for Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Maria Reyes — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:01:47 +0000

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is using nature to model a more efficient catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells. The new catalyst uses an iron center with molecular chains composed of nitrogen atoms that can extract electrons from hydrogen atoms. This can potentially replace the expensive commercial platinum catalyst, which can lead to the production of […]

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New UK-Led Project Aims to Combine Biofuel and Microbial Cell in Cheap Fuel Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:16:57 +0000

Biofuel cells (BFCs) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are about to get a boost in efficiency thanks to a project aimed at creating hybrid electrodes. In this particular meaning, “hybrid” means that the UK-led project will combine inorganic with organic electrodes to make them more efficient and cheap, and avoid the use of platinum, nowadays […]

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Phoshporic Acid Fuel Cells Explained by International Team of Scientists

Guest Contributor — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:04:22 +0000

The molecular workings of a promising fuel cell electrolyte have been unraveled by chemists. A team of investigators from the New York University and the Max Planck Institute (Stuttgart) have revealed how protons migrate in phosphoric acid (H3PO4), a mineral acid, in a study published in Nature Chemistry. A mystery has always surrounded the understanding of […]

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Apple to Build 4.8MW Fuel Cell System Powered by Biogas at Its NC Data Center

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:02:26 +0000

If you remember, we’ve been talking about Apple’s new and bold green statement recently. At that time we’ve been telling you about the plans to power their new North Carolina data center with solar panels and biogas. Now, the company that Steve Jobs saved from peril in 1997 is building world’s largest private owned fuel […]

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German Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Completes 40,000 Hours Endurance Test, Exceeds Expectations

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:45:33 +0000

“Time will tell,” they say. Well, time has told good things about a planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) used in industrial purposes, which has recently completed and even exceeded 40,000 hours of continuous operation. The fuel cell, originally designed and built at the Jülich Institute of Energy and Climate Research in Germany, is operating […]

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Japanese Power Systems Company Sells Salt Water Fuel Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:09:43 +0000

A new magnesium fuel cell using saltwater as electrolyte is now being commercialized by Tokyo-based Furukawa Battery, a company specialized in power systems. The electrolyte, just like in any other fuel cell, carries charged particles from one electrode to another, and electricity is generated following this reaction. “It is now possible to install an inexpensive […]

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Osaka Student Team Creates Hydrogen-Powered Car From Scratch

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:51:21 +0000

Everyone started building battery-powered electric vehicles lately, but few are those who built cars whose power comes from hydrogen fuel cells. Such an example comes from a team of students at Osaka Sangyo University, who built a fuel cell-powered car from scratch, creating Japan’s first non-industrial team to ever accomplish this. Actually, they haven’t been […]

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BMW to Use GM and Toyota Technology for Future Hydrogen-Powered Cars

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:25:23 +0000

BMW is seemingly looking for ties in the auto industry with Toyota and General Motors to develop future battery and hydrogen fuel cell-powered EVs, says Motorauthority.com, quoting the German Wirtschaftswoche (Business Week). So GM’s Volt technology may not be officially a secret any longer, and Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive could enhance the power of all […]

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Wachsman's Fuel Cell Can Transform Various Fuels Into Electricity – Not Only Hydrogen

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:18:36 +0000

A new fuel cell that uses not only pure hydrogen to generate electricity has been discovered by Eric Wachsman, an engineering professor at the University of Maryland. It could be used in applications ranging from laptops to powering entire buildings, emitting only a fraction of the pollution today’s fuel-burning engines do. We’ve been used to […]

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Apple-Patented Fuel Cell Innovation Could Make Portable Devices Lighter & More Powerful

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:45:19 +0000

Apple has always been seen as the leader in technical innovation of the IT sector. Now Apple seems to getting involved in more than just IT: hydrogen fuel cells… …for computers, that is. The Cupertino-based company has patented in April two ways which describe how fuel cells could be made smaller, lighter and more efficient […]

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New Aluminum Alloy Helps Generate Clean Water and Cheap Electricity

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:07:12 +0000

A new aluminum alloy could soon clean out water and at the same time generate electricity for afflicted areas. Purdue University researchers Jerry Woodall and Go Choi have been working on the alloy of aluminum, gallium, indium and tin that could split polluted or salt water into hydrogen and oxygen and then reunite them to generate electricity and pure water.

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Delft Students Make Titanium Dioxide Nanocrystals Help Fuel Cells Become More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:23:54 +0000

Fuel cells can have a hope of improvement due to a discovery by TU Delft researchers in Holland. They added minuscule titanium dioxide crystals to solid electrolytes to make them more conductive. Unlike liquid electrolytes, solid ones have the advantage of being more stable and easier to be contained. Electrolytes are also used mainly in batteries, between their two electrodes.

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Volvo Tests Petrol-Powered Fuel Cells For Extending EV Range

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:19:19 +0000

Volvo has been testing lately their newest innovation in the field of electric cars - an electric car range extender based on a hydrogen fuel cell powered by liquid organic fuels, such as petrol. In collaboration with Powercell Sweden AB, Volvo's range extender could take the EV for up to 250 kilometers more and at the same time only emit minute carbon dioxide quantities.

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Mercedes Benz Starts Leasing B-Class Fuel Cell Vehicles In Europe and US

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:07:41 +0000

Only to the visually-impaired it may look like fuel cells and electric cars don't enjoy success nowadays. Daimler AG has just started a pilot program of leasing Mercedes-Benz hydrogen fuel cell cars to 5 to 15 users in the US, to see how their car acts in real life conditions and how people receive them. To me this looks like a postpone of the real thing, just like GM did to EV1.

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Catalothermionic Generator: A New Blend of Solar and Fuel Cell Nanotechnology Produces Electricity

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:59:48 +0000

...it's like hydrogen and the Sun are related in a way... the star's energy comes from burnt hydrogen, on one hand, and on the other, here on Earth, solar cells are the best means of generating hydrogen out of water and have it used as an energy source. There's an interesting symmetry between the two.

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Market Analysis Company Predicts Cheaper Fuel Cells Within Few Years

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:19:18 +0000

RNCOS, a market analysis company, has evaluated the development of the fuel cell industry and recently published a research report called "Fuel Cell Industry Analysis." The report says that the global fuel cell industry will sustain its development trend in the near future.

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Hyundai FCV Fuel Cell Car To Be Launched 3 Years Earlier Than Toyota's

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:13 +0000

Fuel cell cars have just begun to show up shyly, and the competition is already high in this field. Toyota, who announced a $50,000 price tag on their first hydrogen fuel cell car, is being beaten by Hyundai, who announced their first fuel cell vehicle three years earlier than Toyota

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New Mitochondria Fuel Cells Could Generate Electricity From Sugar or Fats

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:08:18 +0000

Mitochondria, also called "the cells' powerhouses", may one day replace batteries as we know them. Scientists from the University of Missouri invented and developed a new fuel cell based on these also called "organelles" (the internal organs of cells). The fuel cell is able to feed on sugars and fats, just like mitochondria in the organisms do.

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Horizon's Aeropak Fuel Cells Doubling Unmanned Aircraft Flight Time

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:27:42 +0000

Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) are usually the prototypes preceding manned ones, and hence new technologies have to be tested thoroughly before applied to manned, real-life situations. UAVs have been tinkering with fuel cells lately to show that they're capable to perform flight for an increasing period of time.

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Lung-Shaped Fuel Cell Decreases Platinum Usage, Increases Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:45:13 +0000

An interesting case of biomimetrics comes from Norway's Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo, where Signe Kjelstrup designed a fuel cell having the interior structure similar to that of the lungs. This is a case where both the shape and the function were imported from naturally-developed organisms.

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New Urine Fuel Cell From UK Could Piss Off Oil Companies Badly

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:09:11 +0000

In the not-so-distant future, you'll probably be able to take a leak, or ease yourself, or drop some in your fuel tank to get that electric motor spinning, because scientists have figured out a material that could create that fuel cell which transforms urine into electricity. Cheap electricity.

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MIT Researchers Discover Perovskite Sheets Can Improve Solid Oxide Fuel Cells' Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:22:59 +0000

Sometimes, materials in bulk sizes exhibit properties totally different than when they are sliced in pieces only a few molecules wide. A news report from the MIT says that prof. Yang Shao-Horn and a team of researchers have discovered how a very thin sheet of a material called "strontium-substituted lanthanum cobalt perovskite," aka LSC, can help solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) produce a lot more electricity from the same amount of fuel.

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Scientists Use Palladium as Core to New Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Improving Nanoparticle

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:18:49 +0000

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity when fed with hydrogen, which combines with oxygen and results water. Still, hydrogen fuel cells are expensive due to the catalyst used in the cathode for the reaction known as oxygen reduction. That catalyst is 100% pure platinum, which is a rare and expensive material.

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Whey Could Be Used as Power Source For Microbial Fuel Cells, Greek Scientist Discovers

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:41:14 +0000

Dr. Georgia Antonopoulou, a biochemical engineer from the University of Patras in Greece, has discovered that whey coming from cheese factories can be used by cultures of bacteria contained in microbial fuel cells to generate electricity. Whey is a lactose-rich organic material, and it is usually disposed.

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Reducing Platinum and Adding Gold: Three Inventions That Increase Fuel Cell Efficiency and Decrease Price

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:05:05 +0000

Fuel cells are indispensable for hydrogen powered cars, and it looks like hydrogen may be the ultimate energy storage that meets all the demands of a clean "fuel" (though it's only a carrier, not a fuel). Fuel cells, are expensive, though, and their price is due to platinum, which is a rare metal.

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New Metal Catalyst 70 Times Cheaper Than Platinum Splits Water Efficiently

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:31:56 +0000

A team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, has discovered a catalyst metal 70 times cheaper than platinum for use in electrolysis systems, to generate hydrogen from water.

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Dealloying Process Creates More Efficient and Cheaper Platinum for Fuel Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:20:46 +0000

Fuel cells are usually expensive because they use platinum as a catalyst. To make them more appealing to the market, researchers from the DOE's National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of Houston, have created a new type of platinum catalyst, reducing the use of the pure metal down to 80 or even 70 percent, thus reducing the overall cost.

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Microbial Fuel Cell Could Propel Navy Ships for Years, Feeding on Sea Microorganisms

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:35:17 +0000

The microbial fuel cell is meant to use naturally occurring fuels and oxidants in the sea to power ships, replacing batteries and fossil fuels.

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Bloom Energy Releases 100 KW Fuel Cell Module Working on Various Fuel Types

Cristi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:51:37 +0000

Bloom Energy has just brought to the market a new fuel cell system that is able to run on various fuels. While working on natural gas, it can decrease the CO2 emissions by half compared to conventional power sources.

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Scientists Develop a Quantum-Dot Process to Split Water and Generate Hydrogen

Cristi — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:16:57 +0000

Fuel cells can be used in various applications such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, military applications and automotive industry. Fuel cells have hydrogen as the base element for their power.

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Impressive Fuel Cell Stack on Kia Borrego FCEV Uses 98% of the Hydrogen

Cristi — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:13:05 +0000

The partnership between Kia and Hyundai resulted in some huge steps forward regarding fuel cell technology. Kia has just released some footage about their latest FCEV prototype called Borrego (Mohave for the Korean market).

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Mercedes Releasing Fuel Cell Powered B-Klasse, Pessimistic About Diesel Future

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:59:45 +0000

Recently, Thomas Weber, Head of R&D at Mercedes, said that the upcoming Euro 6 is expected to skyrocket the prices of diesel cars. This is because the automakers are forced to use expensive technology in making the new fine injectors and filters, and this is going to be felt in the customers' pockets.

The post Mercedes Releasing Fuel Cell Powered B-Klasse, Pessimistic About Diesel Future appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

French Nickel Catalyst Promises Cheaper Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:02:09 +0000

A group of researchers from France revealed some tests in this week's issue of the journal Science that shows how platinum can be substituted with nickel, by mimicking the process going on in anaerobic-living algae. These have an enzyme, called hydrogenase, and use it to metabolize hydrogen.

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Daniel Nocera's Sun Catalytix Receives $7.1 Million for Developing Photosynthesis System

Cristi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:47:27 +0000

Daniel G. Nocera of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the inventor of the most important solar energy system of the century. His 2007 designed system is able to create cheap solar energy based on the photosynthesis process.

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Boosting Power Output of Fuel Cell Systems Using Flowcath Technology

Cristi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:59:16 +0000

Taking into consideration some field experts, fuel cells seem to be the future in alternative energy. The researchers try to prove with every chance they got that fuel cells which can provide the required energy for a certain application and that they are very reliable. ACAL Energy (Cheshire, UK) has recently developed a liquid cathode […]

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Toshiba Releases Dynario DMFC Fuel Cell Charger

Cristi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:39:38 +0000

The market is in a continuously search for a battery pack that should be able to power portable electronic devices for a longer period of time and with shorter charging times. Toshibas' Dynario Charger is the perfect solution for the moment.

The post Toshiba Releases Dynario DMFC Fuel Cell Charger appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Hydrogen Created by Artificial Photosynthesis Process

Cristi — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:12:59 +0000

A team of scientists from the University of Rochester has a tough mission creating a hydrogen fuel cell that not only burns cleanly but the fuel itself has to be created from clean sources. They have developed a process that uses artificial photosynthesis and nanotubes to finalize this project.

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Toshiba's Methanol Fuel Cell Might Power Your Future Gadgets

Cristi — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:29:37 +0000

Toshiba recently unveiled one of their master batteries used for mobile phones. They have presented a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) battery which can be easily charged in just a few seconds.

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AFC Developing Cheaper Fuel Cells Immune to CO2 Poisoning

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:31:06 +0000

UK-based company AFC Energy has developed an alkaline-based hydrogen fuel cell technology and tested it at a chlor-alkai plant in Germany, where they demonstrated it can generate electricity and feed it to the grid as efficiently as older, more expensive platinum-based fuel cells.

The post AFC Developing Cheaper Fuel Cells Immune to CO2 Poisoning appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Ceramic Material Makes Fuel Cells Capable of Using Normal Fuels

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:28:40 +0000

Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology have invented a new type of ceramic material that could widen the uses of SOFCs, so they could also be used with a wide range of liquid or gaseous fuels, without the need of separating hydrogen or cleaning them.

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Toyota's Future Fuel Cell Vehicles Able to Work at Minus 37 degrees Celsius

Cristi — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:52:59 +0000

Fuel cell vehicles have been criticized by a lot of car manufacturers around the world. Still there are some that think they are able to transform the world’s thinking into a GREEN ONE and prove that fuel cell vehicles are as reliable as any gas cars available on the market. This year’s Air Resources Board’s […]

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XX55: Military Designed Methanol Fuel Cell Lasting for Weeks

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:26:14 +0000

The company that produced the XX25 methanol fuel cell we talked about last year, Ultracell, came up with an improved version of it, the XX55. This fuel cell outputs 55watts at 4 amps (10-30 volts), and can last for days or even weeks on a single methane cartridge.

The post XX55: Military Designed Methanol Fuel Cell Lasting for Weeks appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

The Napa Winery Making Hydrogen from Grape Wastewater

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:20:14 +0000

Napa Wine Company in Oakville found an interesting way of producing hydrogen by using the winery's own wastewater, using naturally-occurring bacteria and a small amount of electricity to extract hydrogen the organic material they usually throw away,with a generator the size of a refrigerator.

The post The Napa Winery Making Hydrogen from Grape Wastewater appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Clean Hydrogen Obtained Through Thermolysis of Water by H2 Power Systems

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:07:50 +0000

H2 Power Systems, based in the UK, has designed an on-site and on-demand hydrogen producing system based not on electrolysis, but on thermolysis, which is the splitting of water at very high temperatures.

The post Clean Hydrogen Obtained Through Thermolysis of Water by H2 Power Systems appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Discovery Could Make Platinum Fuel Cells Much More Durable

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:31:04 +0000

Engineering assistant prof. Dane Morgan and Ph.D. student Edward (Ted) Holby, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that making the fuel cells from very small platinum nanoparticles decreases their lifetime. Making them bigger is, though, better.

The post New Discovery Could Make Platinum Fuel Cells Much More Durable appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Geobacter Microbe Produces Electricity From Mud and Wastewater

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:04:39 +0000

Derek Lovley, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently experimented with a microbe named "Geobacter", who loves to live in sediments and mud, and whose hairlike filaments can produce electricity from the muddy environment it loves to live in.

The post Geobacter Microbe Produces Electricity From Mud and Wastewater appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Efficient Electricity Production from Onion Juice

Cristi — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:00:34 +0000

The future life style is quite different than we could imagine right now. Many experts predict that we will not need to transport our energy around the world as it will be produced in our community.

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Sub-Nano Platinum Particles Make Fuel Cells 13 Times Better

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:05:04 +0000

Nano-sized machinery makes me shiver. Thinking at a molecular and atomic level when speaking about technology makes me wonder even more. Even if I consider myself a logic person, extremely small and extremely large objects impress me.

The post Sub-Nano Platinum Particles Make Fuel Cells 13 Times Better appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Obama's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Budget Cut Doesn't Stop Researchers

Ovidiu Sandru — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:31:22 +0000

Although Obama's recent budgeting won't be allowing more than 40% of what's been allowed until May 9 for fuel cell research, others don't find his decision to quit financing this technology as easy as he or his administration does. Furthermore, there are people and institutions actively searching for other investment resources to pursue the fuel cell business and dream.

The post Obama's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Budget Cut Doesn't Stop Researchers appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Butane Fuel Cell, a Viable Solution to Replace Lithium-Ion Batteries

Cristi — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:37:51 +0000

A company called Lilliputian Systems has developed a fuel cell to replace Lithium-Ion Batteries in electronics industry. It will be very interesting to see how science will be able to evolve from this point on as the new fuel cell system that runs on butane cartridges is able to replace heavy laptop and mobile batteries.

The post Butane Fuel Cell, a Viable Solution to Replace Lithium-Ion Batteries appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Extremely Long Platinum Nanowires Will Improve Fuel Cells

Cristi — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:35:38 +0000

An article published in a paper in the Nano Letters journal, has described the use of nanowires to provide significant increase in both longevity and efficiency of fuel cells. These long platinum nanowires have been developed at the University of Rochester and could improve fuel cells into a commercially viable solution.

The post Extremely Long Platinum Nanowires Will Improve Fuel Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Small Methanol Fuel Cells Powering Soldiers’ Equipment

Cristi — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:09:05 +0000

Germans have introduced this week a wearable fuel cell which is based on the award-winning unipolar stack technology design. Called Jenny 600S, the fuel cell delivers 25W for up to 20h. Jenny 600S uses replaceable liquid methanol fuel cartridges and can be worn in a vest.

The post Small Methanol Fuel Cells Powering Soldiers’ Equipment appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

World's Largest Fuel Cell Town is Built in Japan

Cristi — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:58:45 +0000

The ÃƒÂ¢€Ã…â€œFukuoka Hydrogen Town" project could be the beginning of what organizers say will be the largest hydrogen-powered city in the world.

The post World's Largest Fuel Cell Town is Built in Japan appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanotubes Make Fuel Cells Compete with Gasoline Engines

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:40:27 +0000

Hydrogen is the most looked for energy storage, but using it is very expensive due to the fuel cell - the device that has to convert the hydrogen into energy, with its only output pure water. Because fuel cells use a platinum based material to work, they are very expensive - about $4,000 for powering a normal passenger car. Solutions are being searched for making fuel cells cheaper, more efficient and more durable, with millions of dollars poured in every year.

The post Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanotubes Make Fuel Cells Compete with Gasoline Engines appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Liquid Fuel Cell Cathode Technology Breaks the Power Density Record

Cristi — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:11:18 +0000

ACAL Energy Ltd. has broken a new record in fuel cell output power with a liquid platinum-free cathode system. The scientists from ACAL Energy obtained, from a development proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell using platinum-free cathode technology, a peak power that constantly exceeded 570mW/cm2.

The post Liquid Fuel Cell Cathode Technology Breaks the Power Density Record appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Toshiba DMFC-Based Battery Charger Close to Market Release

Cristi — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:44:47 +0000

Toshiba has announced for a while that they will introduce on the market a direct methanol fuel cell-based battery charger(DMFC) at the end of march 2009. The company also announced it will releases for market DMFC packs for cellphones and laptops starting with April.

The post Toshiba DMFC-Based Battery Charger Close to Market Release appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Catalyst Makes Ethanol Fuel Cells Feasible at Room Temperatures

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:28:22 +0000

I don't know the solution to the perfect energy equation, but as long as we're producing CO2 it's not the final one. Anyway, until a new and better method is found to be feasible enough, this is a good one, too.

The post New Catalyst Makes Ethanol Fuel Cells Feasible at Room Temperatures appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Man in Jail After Researching Fuel Cells at Home

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:28:49 +0000

Instead of focusing on state-of-the-art, smiling and richly-tied burglars, federal prosecutors in Sheridan, Oregon have convicted a man for something he did (or did not do) during his study of cleaner and cheaper fuel cells.

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered by Alternative Sources

Cristi — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:41:09 +0000

The fact that hydrogen fuel cells are powered by gas coming from fossil fuel made Japanese scientists invent other alternative sources of hydrogen like dough and sewage.

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Aberdeen Researchers to Find Low-Temp Fuel Cell Solutions

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:25:49 +0000

Current hydrogen fuel cells work at temperatures for up to 100°C for PEM types, and up to 300°C for SAFC (solid acid). The problem with these, although I don't agree with their developmental direction, is that they don't tolerate carbon very easily, and pure hydrogen is very hard to obtain from carbon-rich sources, such as methane or petrol.

The post Aberdeen Researchers to Find Low-Temp Fuel Cell Solutions appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

BlueZERO, Mercedes Green Project Unveiled at NAIAS in Detroit

Cristi — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:51:08 +0000

Mercedes presented their latest fuel cell car, BlueZero, at NAIAS in Detroit. The vehicle is built on modular architecture with a range of powertrains including fuel cells.

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Smallest Hydrogen Fuel Cell for Use in Tiny Portable Gadgets

Cristi — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:59:24 +0000

The smallest hydrogen fuel cell of just 3mm diameter was created by US chemical scientists and could replace batteries in portable electronics devices.

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Superprotonic Solid Acid Fuel Cells: a Hidden, Cheap, Easy Way to Maintain Power Source

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:30:00 +0000

While nobody seems to speak much about them, solid acid fuel cells are actually a much cheaper way to produce energy from impure hydrogen sources, with much more flexibility than PEM fuel cells have.

The post Superprotonic Solid Acid Fuel Cells: a Hidden, Cheap, Easy Way to Maintain Power Source appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

World's First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Tractor

Mike Sandru — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:36:09 +0000

In February, at the French SIMA show, NEW Holland will launch the world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered tractor, named NH2. The company has not revealed the full details, what we know for sure is that the diesel engine has been replaced by a fuel cell and the vehicle's only emission is water.

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New Membrane by Chinese Scientist Can Make Fuel Cells Cheaper

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:20:07 +0000

Currently, platinum is used as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells, making them so expensive and hence unappetizing to customers. Lin Zhang, a Chinese scientist, has discovered a membrane that could make the usage of platinum history, and make fuel cells cheaper than ever.

The post New Membrane by Chinese Scientist Can Make Fuel Cells Cheaper appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

MRC-201: Water Powered Fuel Cell For the US Army

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:36:07 +0000

It's no wonder technology evolves so fast: the Army uses it first. For their needs, the US Army will equip their troops in isolated areas, without any source of energy with a different kind of fuel cells: ones you put water in. The device's name is also military: MRC-201.

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Sleekest Hydrogen Powered Sportscar: Honda FC Sport

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:52:24 +0000

Though some blogs take it as a surprise, it's not something new coming from Honda: their vision of a sportscar powered entirely by a hydrogen fuel cell... not surprisingly, the same that's into their FCX Clarity, released this summer.

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Trametes Versicolor Fungi Could Make Fuel Cells Cheaper

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:29:43 +0000

Fungi grown on rotten wood could one day be harvested and genetically engineered for providing future fuel cells with an alternative to the platinum that they nowadays have inside, playing the role of a catalyst.

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