Bac2's technology can drastically reduce the cost of fuel cells
At the Fuel Cell Pavilion at the Hannover Messe 2008, British company Bac2 has announced that it's introducing blank bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells made from their proprietary polymer, called ElectroPhen. This allows easy prototyping because they're easier to produce and thus 30 percent cheaper than metal plates.
According to Bac2, the plates exceed the U. S. Department of Energy specifications for use in automotive applications. Bac2 also claims that material has a raw state conductivity one billion times higher than commonly used resin binders, which means that no post-processing is needed. You can also adapt it in any shape or with almost any material to make your own fuel cell.
[Source: Bac2]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KarenRei 1:33PM (4/01/2008)
And they reduce the platinum how...?
I mean, if you want to lower the cost of a fuel cell by a relevant amount, you need to get rid of platinum.
Not that fuel cells would be a good idea even *if* they were affordable, and even *if* the fuel was affordable, and even *if* the fuel was safe, and even *if* the cells weren't heavy, and even *if* there weren't problems with cold, and even *if* there weren't infrastructure problems, and even *if* hydrogen didn't leak and destroy ozone (and on, and on). Bottom line, they're a heck of a lot less efficient than EVs, and with hydrogen made from electricity, always will be. And hydrogen made from other sources has oodles of problems of its own (mostly economic, but also environmental).
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Tim 1:56PM (4/01/2008)
The only "green" in hydrogen is our tax money!
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jake 2:19PM (4/01/2008)
@Tim
I'm okay with all the extensive hydrogen research as long as it's not my tax money. Who knows, maybe they will have a breakthrough. If it's my money, I think EVs are a better place to spend it because they at least can be made and operated relatively affordably, unlike h2 fuel cell cars, which are probably going to remain lease only for the next couple of years.
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Das Boese 8:06AM (4/02/2008)
There are a lot more (and much better) uses for fuel cells besides putting them in a car. Research is always good, it's narrow-minded fixation on automotive use that's idiotic.
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Noah 2:51PM (4/02/2008)
Das Boese- Exactly right.
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