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May 23, 2003
Hydrogen may soon replace oil
Zero emission fuel cell vehicles will at last be available on
the market.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Most commuters have done it in some way or another. Driving around
as the gas tank starts to inch closer to empty, hoping that if you
can just make it to the next day - or even just later that afternoon
– gasoline prices could drop half a cent.
It's a game of chance that has become a significant part of our
lives since crude oil prices began to jump drastically in recent
years.
However, Burnaby's Ballard Power Systems Corp. is the world leader
in the research and development of a technology that could put an
end to the gas station game - proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel
cell technology.
PEM fuel cells chemically combine stored hydrogen with oxygen. When
the two are mixed, electricity is formed without any sort of combustion,
and water and heat are the only by-products. PEM fuel cells deliver
a higher power density, resulting in reduced weight, cost, volume
and improved performance. And, unlike a battery, a fuel cell doesn't
run down and eventually become useless. As long as hydrogen is supplied
it can continue to operate at full power.
But more than offering an opportunity to avoid paying high oil prices,
the development of PEM fuel cell systems will take a serious run
at cutting down the world's pollution problems by creating zero
emission vehicles.
Since 1997, Ballard has developed vehicles equipped with PEM fuel
cell technology, primarily for commercial use. In late 2002, they
began the delivery of 30 fuel cell engines for Mercedes-Benz Citaro
buses to be delivered to several European countries.
Just recently, however, Honda announced that they will be releasing
the new FCX, what they call the first real-world fuel cell vehicle.
The four-seater FCX, which should soon be released in California
and Japan, has an electric motor that produces 201 pound-feet of
torque – equal to an average six-cylinder gas engine. The fuel
cell tank holds enough to take the car approximately 350 kilometres,
at a maximum speed of 150 kilometres per hour.
For refuelling, Honda is involved in developing the infrastructure
for hydrogen gas stations, including a prototype solar-powered station.
General Motors (GM) has also developed the Hy-Wire, which features
a skateboard-like platform that holds the car's major components,
like the drive train and fuel storage compartment, under the floor,
leaving more interior room. The fuel cell power source comes with
a computerized joystick and hand controls instead of pedals and
a steering wheel. With a lot of testing still to be done, GM hopes
to release the Hy-Wire in 2010.
While North Americans consider SUVs to be our biggest polluters
on the roads, in many parts of Asia, motor scooters are the number
one smog producers. One solution to that problem could come out
of another Burnaby-based company, Palcan Fuel Cells, which recently
developed a hydrogen-powered bicycle.
Equipped with a 500-litre canister of hydrogen, the bike comes with
a 500-watt electric motor and it can travel 60 kilometres at up
to 20 kilometres per hour. Unfortunately, the prototype currently
costs about $6,000.
Though the development of PEM fuel cells for vehicles is fairly
new, the concept of the fuel cell was originally developed in 1839
by Sir William Grove. The technology was first used in practical
applications in the 1960s to provide electricity for the Gemini
and Apollo space programs, then for systems on Earth in the 1970s.
Testing began for utility companies a decade later.
As for the risks of using hydrogen as a fuel, all fuels have combustible
properties and must be handled with the appropriate safety precautions.
And hydrogen, like gasoline, is highly flammable. However, hydrogen's
lighter-than-air properties allow it to dissipate rapidly in case
of a leak, instead of pooling in a dangerous manner like gasoline
does.
For those interested in learning more about fuel cell technology,
from June 8-11, the Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina will host
the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003 Conference and Trade Show. Organized
by the Canadian Hydrogen Association, Fuel Cells Canada, the National
Research Council and Natural Resources Canada, the conference will
discuss the latest developments in fuel cell research and products.
Participants will have the chance to attend plenary sessions, view
presentations, demonstrations and exhibits, or meet industry, government
and academic leaders in the industry. More information about the
conference can be found online at www.hydrogenfuelcells2003.com.
Kyle Berger is an award-winning freelance journalist and
a graphic designer living in Richmond.
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