We're not in Kansas anymore: Toto to offer home solid oxide fuel cell
Toto is a Japanese company best known for their high tech toilets. If you haven't seen them, they're pretty amazing doing everything except the actual pushing for you. Toto has been applying their expertise in working with ceramic materials to other endeavors as well. The latest is solid oxide fuel cells. These fuel cells operate at temperatures of 500C which is why they need ceramic materials to keep from breaking down. Toto has reportedly developed a home use co-generation fuel cell that will initially sell for about $10,000/kW. That makes it about 1/3 of the cost of fuel cells from other manufacturers. The fuel cell could operate on fuels such as butane and propane to both provide electricity and heat water. They will have prototypes running this spring in test applications and hope to have the fuel cells on the market by their fiscal 2011. Now if they could just get one to run on what goes in their toilets, we'd really be set.[Source: Green Car Congress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
A.Brien 11:52AM (3/31/2008)
We trow so much energy down the sewage. It's abouth time to use it.
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Chris M 3:52AM (4/01/2008)
Solid Oxide fuel cells have certain advantages. They can run directly on hydrocarbon fuels without needing a separate fuel reformer, and are much more efficient as a result. They are quieter and much more efficient than IC engine powered generators, or gas turbogenerators.
The downside is that at a price of $10,000 per Kw or $10 per watt makes it nearly 3x more expensive than solar cells! It still needs fuel that must be paid for, unlike the really cheap fuel free operation of solar cells.
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kevin 6:33PM (4/01/2008)
Whay a way for the Japanese to lead the worlds innovation . ins't this already expected
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