fuel cells Archives – The Green Optimistic

How Hydrogen Can Become the Fuel of Choice in the Future

Arsenij Percov — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 19:39:29 +0000

The idea of using hydrogen fuel as an energy source is amazing since it doesn’t produce any pollution. However, producing pure hydrogen from water (the only clean way to do it) requires more energy than it will generate. Hydrogen fuel can be used as storage The solution to the problem mentioned above is using hydrogen […]

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Revolutionary Ceramic Membrane Makes Hydrogen Fuel Cells Highly Efficient

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 13:30:44 +0000

Hydrogen is known as an energy carrier for fuel cells. It also finds significant application in various industrial processes from food processing to the manufacturing of glass, semiconductors, and ammonia-based fertilizers. A team of scientists supported and headed by CoorsTek, the world’s leading manufacturer of engineered ceramics, have developed a ceramic membrane that generates compressed hydrogen […]

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Next-Gen Hydrogen Fuel Cells Could Use Graphene-Wrapped Nanocrystals

Guest Contributor — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 07:48:14 +0000

Scientists at the Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a mix of metal nanocrystals wrapped in graphene that may be a huge step in storing hydrogen and may lead to the creation of a new type of fuel cell. Graphene is a thin sheet of carbon that is approximately 200 times stronger than steel and is […]

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Newly Discovered Property of Graphene to Boost Fuel Cells Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:22:20 +0000

The founder of graphene discovered one more incredible property of the material that can give the ever-so-needed to boost fuel cells and hydrogen-based technologies. The strongest, thinnest, and initially known as impermeable material, in fact allows hydrogen protons to pass through. No wonder graphene is labelled as the “miracle material”. Every property or use of […]

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SMILE FC: Suzuki and Intelligent Energy’s Partnership to Produce Fuel Cells

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:34:19 +0000

Suzuki and Intelligent Energy have come together to establish a new corporation, SMILE FC System Corporation, in order to mass-produce fuel cells for Suzuki vehicles. With the ongoing development of hydrogen fuel cell concept vehicles, work is already underway to establish supporting infrastructure, including hydrogen generation, storage, and delivery systems. Of course, these concepts also need fuel cells, […]

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DoD Researching Fuel Cells to Help Soldiers and Marines In The Field

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:26:12 +0000

On January 30, military experts agreed that more efficient portable power sources are critical in order to lighten the load of soldiers and Marines. The Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is currently designing and testing fuel cells for missions. While the DoD recognizes the individual combatant’s value, the focus has often been […]

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Apple’s Data Center and the Clean Energy Paradox

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:32:57 +0000

According to the North Carolina Utility Commission, Apple intends to double the amount of fuel cells it will use at its data center in Maiden, North Carolina. In November, Apple filed to increase its fuel cell size but kept the endeavor completely confidential. Bloom Energy is installing 50 Bloom boxes for Apple to produce 10 […]

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Fuel Cells in Ontario Wastewater Treatment Plant Producing Cleaner Electricity

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:19:52 +0000

From anaerobic digestion of biomass to produce biogas, which in turn is burned to produce electricity and power up their plant in California, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) is now venturing into utilization of fuel cells in its Ontario plant for a cleaner and more direct means of producing renewable energy. Due to tighter […]

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New Microbial Fuel Cell Generates Hydrogen in Self-Sustaining Fashion

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:21:26 +0000

Penn State University researchers have recently demonstrated a system that produces hydrogen from water. Nothing fancy so far. What’s interesting is that they use salt water, tap water, bacteria and membranes to make the process self-powered. Unlike the experiments performed so far, where bacteria inside watery solutions could produce hydrogen only in the presence of […]

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World's First Tri-Generation Fuel Cell System Open in California

Mike Sandru — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:47:06 +0000

After a collaboration between the US Department of Energy, California Air Resources Board, the Orange County Sanitation District, and private industry, California now has the world’s first tri-generation fuel cell and hydrogen station commissioned a few days ago in Fountain Valley. The tri-generation fuel cell is a combined electricity, heat and hydrogen generating system. The […]

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Polish Researchers Discover New Cheap Catalyst for Formic Acid Fuel Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:23:37 +0000

Fuel cells usually need hydrogen to function, or at least a compound containing hydrogen. The rule is the same for the new direct formic acid fuel cells, developed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which can use formic acid to power virtually anything from phones to cars.

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Cheap Hydrogen Obtained By Using Ethanol and Sunlight

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:58:23 +0000

Not only one time had ethanol been tested as a reliable source of hydrogen. Now, a multi-national team of scientists from Spain, Scotland and New Zealand have devised a method to use ethanol and sunlight to extract hydrogen for use in fuel cells to generate electricity.

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Singapore Initiative to Encourage Research Projects on Development of Maritime Fuel Cell

Mike Sandru — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:00:22 +0000

Mainly, the objective of the initiative is to encourage and provide funds in the early stages of development to projects that prove conducive to improvements and breakthroughs in the fuel cell field and other technologies relevant to the maritime industry.

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EZlab Fuel Cell Test Station Launched by NuVant Systems

Mike Sandru — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:22:41 +0000

According to the company, the station aims to make it easier for scientists to compare the performance of electrode components in fuel cells, which produce energy from fuels like alcohols, hydrogen and hydrocarbons.

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Aquafairy's New Range of Cheap Fuel Cells for Portable Electronic Devices

Mike Sandru — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:20:52 +0000

Today, the commercially available devices powered by fuel cells are still pretty pricey. But Kyoto-based Aquafairy has presented a new range of affordable fuel cells for portable electronic devices.

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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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New Discovery: Generating Electricity With Ground Bacteria Shewanella

Cristi — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:42:43 +0000

Bio-chemist David Richardson of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom said that Shewanella is the ideal candidate for environmental-cleanup tasks as it lives in the underground: "Understanding their biochemistry could help to develop strategies to stimulate their activities [at the cleanup sites]."

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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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Scientists Researching Fuel Cell Powered by Sugars

Cristi — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:44:22 +0000

Researchers from Brigham Young University have a plan to make different fuel cells than those we actually know, and turn them into something very efficient and reliable. Their goal is to make a cheap fuel cell with a cheap catalyst, which can be even more efficient than a PEM and which can use something easier to make and store than hydrogen and which has no net emissions.

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Natural Gas Powered Fuel Cells Project Presented to US Congress

Cristi — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:10 +0000

ClearEdge Power has addressed a proposal to the Congress for a new and interesting project. They found a way to obtain heat and power with fuel cells working on natural gas. The investment can be payed back after a six or seven year period as mentioned by Bill Sproull, senior vice president of the company.

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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.

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Crude Glycerin from Biofuel Production has Great Unexpected Uses

Cristi — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:43:50 +0000

Glycerin in its pure form is used to manufacture soap, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and many other products, but the crude glycerin is an impure form that is unsuitable for these products. But what if we could use it putting back biodiesel in its correct position of green alternative power source?

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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.

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Tiny Biological Fuel Cells Could Power Future Implants

Mike Sandru — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:13:37 +0000

Scientists at the University of Georgia have discovered a new way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges. According to the researchers, this discovery is the first step in developing fuel cells for devices such as cochlear implants, prosthetic limbs and pacemakers.

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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.

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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.

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First Biogas Plant That Runs on Waste Biomass Feedstocks

Cristi — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:26:51 +0000

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden have recently developed a biogas plant that utilizes waste materials such as corn stalks and other agricultural waste.

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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.

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Fuel Cells to Become a Viable Business Only 15 Years from Now

Mike Sandru — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:10:45 +0000

Vehicles based on hydrogen fuel cells are still 15 years away to becoming a viable business for manufacturers, informs Reuters. In the best case, the manufacturers will be able to sell only two million electric vehicles based on fuel cells until 2020, according to a study conducted by the National Research Council. This figure represents less than 1% of the cars located at that time on U.S. roads.

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An Engine Fueled by Hydrogen Obtained from Water

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:49:32 +0000

Ex-President Bush has made a challenge to the American people to begin running cars on hydrogen as soon as possible, and has allocated over one billion dollars for research to find out how to do that. In a suburb of Toronto, Canada, a small company called Rothman Technologies, Inc., has in fact discovered not one […]

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Minesotta turning biomass into hydrogen

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:02:06 +0000

An efficient, super-fast new method of turning waste biomass into hydrogen has been developed by scientists in Minnesota, US. The researchers say it could help significantly reduce many nations’ dependence on fossil fuels. Hydrogen represents a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels but is both costly and dangerous to transport, leading many to argue that it […]

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NASA using hydrogen fuel cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:01:23 +0000

Astronauts have been using them for power aboard spacecraft since the 1960s. Soon, perhaps, they’ll be just as common on Earth–powering cars, trucks, laptop computers and cell phones.They’re called fuel cells. By combining hydrogen fuel with oxygen, fuel cells can produce plenty of electric power while emitting only pure water as exhaust. They’re so clean […]

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