Today is the first day of the Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo - a few updates
Mike Hugh from Fuel Cell Today is at the Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo today. As you are all aware, there are many roadblocks holding back the "hydrogen economy". Besides getting the vehicles themselves to run on hydrogen, the hydrogen delivery infrastructure is a huge hurdle, according to Dr. Haruki Tsuchiya, President of the Research Institute for Systems Technology in Japan. He believes that as petroleum runs out, the first replacement would be gasoline/electric hybrids, which are already flooding the marketplace. The next step seems a little more far-fetched, which he claims will be "solar assisted vehicles", where the electricity needed to generate the hydrogen for the fuel cell will be via solar cells on the roof.
The Vice President of the Institute of Information Technology in Japan, Hideo Takeshita, then went on to predict that fuel cells will someday duke it out with lithium-ion batteries as the dominant source of electricity production for electric cars. There is more information available at this link, if you would like to read about it.
[Source: Mike Hugh / Fuel Cell Today]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 1:19PM (2/07/2007)
If Mr. Takeshita thinks that someday fuel cells will duke it out with lithium-ion batteries as the dominant source of electricity production for electric cars, then he subscribes to the greater fool theory. Fuel cells won’t even make it to the final bout because they are based on bad science. In fact, using Hydrogen to store electrons to power an electric vehicle is 4X LESS efficient than just using batteries. http://www.physorg.com/news85074285.html I’m certain that he knows this but doesn’t want to loose face (or his job) by admitting how much time, intellectual energy and money they are really wasting by chasing the wild H2 goose. http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/h_scam.htm
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Tim 2:02PM (2/07/2007)
Here is Jack Nicholson way back in 1978 with his H2 powered ICE car. Promises, promises… http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/23265/vsu/wmv-hi-319/VideoSyndication/060828_retrobites_jacknicholson_car.wmv
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Chris M 9:54PM (2/07/2007)
Fuel cells are already "duking it out" with Lithium batteries, and loosing badly. LiIon is less expensive, more durable, more compact, runs on a far cheaper "fuel" and can be refueled almost anywhere. How long before hydrogen waves the white flag and surrenders?
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Lion Kuntz 1:09AM (2/10/2007)
Hydrogen production in the clean alternatives means that the Hydrogen itself comes from clean energy and the energy required to make the parts for the clean energy also come from clean energy.
Any time somebody gets off the track talking about biomass or coal, of natural gas, or oil reforming, gently but firmly put them back on track by telling them that every fuel with carbon in it is excluded from the discussion. The carbon solutions go into The Dirty Temporary Measures or The Dirty Temporary Measures With Carbon Sequestration, which also includes "carbon-neutral" suggestions such as ethanol or biodiesel.
Nuclear power is also off the table until confirmed dependable waste neutralizations measures exist which completely and effectively eliminate the biohazard properties in the wastes.
NOTHING WHICH BURDENS
FUTURE GENERATIONS
WITH CLEAN-UP BILLS
IS PART OF THE
HYDROGEN ECONOMY.
That leaves for consideration:
* Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power
* Solar Thermal Energy
* Wind Electric Generation
* Hydroelectric Generation
* Geothermal Electric
* Direct Solar Catalysis
* Biological Catalysis>
* Tidal Power
Since H2-PV will be universal within 41 years (2048) providing 100% of the world's energy needs, if not as soon as 10 years (2017), it deserves and receives the most explanation. The others are backups, of which H2-WIND could also provide 100% of global requirements, although H2-PV-WIND is the fastest route.
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Chris M 2:07AM (2/10/2007)
Lion K, people will vote for their wallets, and H2 from photovoltaics, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, etc. costs more than H2 made with fossil fuels.
Electricity is 1/5 the cost of H2. LiIon or NiMH batteries cost less and last longer than fuel cells. Batteries take up less space than bulky H2 tanks.
Moreover, using electricity with batteries is far more efficient - electrolyzer and fuel cell less than 30%, vs. battery and charger at 85%. Photovoltaics for electricity is pricy, why throw most of the energy away?
40 years from now the H2 hype will be mostly forgotten. H2 will only be used for rocket fuel, and maybe some aircraft, where low weight overrides all of the hydrogen disadvantages.
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Mike Hugh 10:51AM (2/21/2007)
I have been poorly paraphrased!
In my daily updates from the FC Expo I did not say that Mr Takeshita suggested that LIBs would "duke it out" with fuel cells. On the contrary, I said:
"His central line of inquiry was to speculate whether fuel cells might achieve a similar assault on the prevailing LIB technology. Despite a number of dramatic and well-publicised problems with LIBs in recent years (exploding laptops), he says that they will remain a viable technology for many years to come and in fact will assist the market growth of fuel cells as they will be deployed in tandem. Outright competition would probably not lead to a sole winner, but to ever-better integration of the two technologies leading to more powerful consumer products."
In misrepresenting what I said, I feel that Mr Takeshita has been done an injustice. And contrary to what one respondent suggested, he is also nobody's fool.
However I am glad that my FC Expo updates have been of interest, and have sparked a discussion on what is a fascinating and important area of fuel cell market development.
Regards,
Mike Hugh, Fuel Cell Today.
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