Dr. Michio Kaku, world famous physicist, gave a talk on Toyota's Mirai in early January of this year. The car combines oxygen and hydrogen to make electricity to power the car and Dr. Kaku believes that this is the car of the future. The car only emits water, has a range of 300 miles and can go from 0 to 60 mph in nine seconds. The Mirai, which has been priced at $57,000 in the U.S., is now being sold commercially in California.
When Dr. Kaku was asked for a description of his idea of the "perfect car," he gave characteristics that all described the Mirai:
1. The car had to be run on the most abundant element in nature: hydrogen.
2. The car had to have as few moving parts as possible. (The Mirai has no moving parts whatsoever.)
3. The car should only emit water and no smog.
4. The car must be consumer friendly.
For some, the characteristic is questionable as the price is still a bit too high for some. However, as Dr. Kaku states, "As mass production, competition, and economies of scale begin to kick in - and governments begin to subsidize the creation of refueling stations - you're going to see that cost drop even further."
Toyota has also stated back in January that all of its 5,680 patents dealing with fuel cells will be available to anyone that has hopes of improving the technology.
This article may be good to use in my final paper as it has a simple description of fuel cell vehicles and why they are so beneficial. It also shows why some researchers and engineers may be so willing to continue to work towards the image of the "perfect car." Also, the article gives some clearer information on the price of the Mirai. In a previous blog entry, it was recorded that the Mirai cost nearly $70,000. Though this is true for Germany, it is not the actual price of the Mirai that is being sold in California currently.
APA Citation:
Spoder, T. (2015, January 15). Here's why this expert physicist thinks Toyota's hydrogen fuel-cell car is 'perfect'. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from GeekWire: www.geekwire.come/2015/heres-expert-physicist-thinks-toyotas-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-perfect/
MLA Citation:
Spoder, Taylor. Here's why this expert physicist thinks Toyota's hydrogen fuel-cell car is 'perfect'. 15 January 2015. 10 April 2015. <www.geekwire.come/2015/heres-expert-physicist-thinks-toyotas-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-perfect/>.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Hydrogen, Hydrogen Everywhere
In this article from last week, BBC News covers why hydrogen fuel cell cars have not been able to hit the market until now. The simplest answer they give is that fossil fuels just came first. Fossil fuels were accessible and were the basis of the industrial revolution. It wasn't until the oil crisis faced in the 1970s that people realized oil and other fossil fuels are limited. Climate changes made a bigger push towards electricity as the answer and hydrogen just seemed like a distraction to alternative fuel advocates. Now hydrogen is making a comeback.
Fuel cell vehicles have been around for decades, but they have been too expensive and too bulky to sell on the mass market. However, the latest fuel cells are cleaner, quieter, and much more affordable. The technology has greatly improved over the past few years, but as Dr. Hamish Nichol states, "You need the infrastructure to fuel those cars - it's a chicken and egg problem." Hydrogen refueling stations are being built around the world, but the process is slow and costly. For example, Germany H2 Mobility consortium plans to build 400 refueling stations by 2023, the price racking up to roughly €350 million (about $385 million).
Another potential problem hydrogen fuel faces is how to extract it. The two main methods in use involve splitting hydrocarbons or electrolysis of water. Splitting hydrocarbons, though cleaner than burning coal or oil, is still not completely clean (some call the hydrogen fuel extracted from this process "grey hydrogen" because of it). Electrolysis is completely clean, can be run on site at refueling stations instead of at a plant, and ideally runs on solar and wind power, but it is 10 times more expensive than the industrial production of hydrogen. Oil companies like Shell are searching for a cheaper electrolysis method, but for now industrial production is what companies would rather do.
The article ends by asking if hydrogen is really the fuel of the future. Experts say that it is definitely possible, but it would take time. Infrastructure, regulations, and the entire transportation paradigm has to be changed, and it will not happen by tomorrow. It is unclear whether biomass, electricity, or hydrogen will be the dominant fuel in the future, but all researchers agree that it is necessary to "decarbonise our world."
This article gives a good summary of the benefits and problems of hydrogen fuel cells while giving more of a European view of it. It also gives quite a few examples of where hydrogen fuel cells have been successful in Europe, which may need to be looked into later for the final paper. The article is very recent and gives a pretty objective review of the possibility of hydrogen fuel cell cars.
APA Citation:
Wall, M. (2015, March 26). Hydrogen, hydrogen everywhere. BBC News. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31926995
MLA Citation:
Wall, Matthew. "Hydrogen, hydrogen everywhere." BBC News 26 March 2015. 3 April 2015. <http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31926995>.
Fuel cell vehicles have been around for decades, but they have been too expensive and too bulky to sell on the mass market. However, the latest fuel cells are cleaner, quieter, and much more affordable. The technology has greatly improved over the past few years, but as Dr. Hamish Nichol states, "You need the infrastructure to fuel those cars - it's a chicken and egg problem." Hydrogen refueling stations are being built around the world, but the process is slow and costly. For example, Germany H2 Mobility consortium plans to build 400 refueling stations by 2023, the price racking up to roughly €350 million (about $385 million).
Another potential problem hydrogen fuel faces is how to extract it. The two main methods in use involve splitting hydrocarbons or electrolysis of water. Splitting hydrocarbons, though cleaner than burning coal or oil, is still not completely clean (some call the hydrogen fuel extracted from this process "grey hydrogen" because of it). Electrolysis is completely clean, can be run on site at refueling stations instead of at a plant, and ideally runs on solar and wind power, but it is 10 times more expensive than the industrial production of hydrogen. Oil companies like Shell are searching for a cheaper electrolysis method, but for now industrial production is what companies would rather do.
The article ends by asking if hydrogen is really the fuel of the future. Experts say that it is definitely possible, but it would take time. Infrastructure, regulations, and the entire transportation paradigm has to be changed, and it will not happen by tomorrow. It is unclear whether biomass, electricity, or hydrogen will be the dominant fuel in the future, but all researchers agree that it is necessary to "decarbonise our world."
This article gives a good summary of the benefits and problems of hydrogen fuel cells while giving more of a European view of it. It also gives quite a few examples of where hydrogen fuel cells have been successful in Europe, which may need to be looked into later for the final paper. The article is very recent and gives a pretty objective review of the possibility of hydrogen fuel cell cars.
APA Citation:
Wall, M. (2015, March 26). Hydrogen, hydrogen everywhere. BBC News. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31926995
MLA Citation:
Wall, Matthew. "Hydrogen, hydrogen everywhere." BBC News 26 March 2015. 3 April 2015. <http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31926995>.
Friday, March 27, 2015
10,000 Hydrogen Cars Planned for US Northeast
Just recently, a new series of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Development plans from the Northeast Electrochemical Energy Storage Cluster (NEESC) claim that there will be 10,800 fuel cell vehicles and 110 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025. This new plan is an addition to the eight-state agreement from 2014 to have 3.3 million emission-free vehicles on the road by 2025. So far, the plan has been outlined for Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhone Island. The other three states - Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont - do not have specific plans as of yet.
Blanco also gave the press release of the announcement from the NEESC. According to them, the plans were created with support from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and from various industry stakeholders including automakers, gas suppliers, and fuel cell companies. As electric vehicles will slowly replace gasoline vehicles, stress will be put on the US electrical grid. If hydrogen vehicles are also integrated into the market, emissions will be cut down immensely and the stress on electricity will decline as hydrogen cars use other sources of power. Lastly, once these vehicles make it on the market, is is predicted that the hydrogen and fuel cell business will capture a huge share of the global energy and transportation market and will significantly increase the number of clean energy jobs in the Northeast.
As stated in the news press, the plan is to have about 1,300 megawatts of stationary fuel cell capacity, 10,800 fuel cell cars, 640 fuel cell buses, and 110 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025.
This is great information for the final essay. It shows just how much the fuel cell industry is going to grow and improve just within the next decade. It will take a while to implement fuel cells nationwide, but states are realizing the benefits of fuel cell technology and are becoming more willing to accommodate for it.
APA Citation:
Blanco, S. (2015, March 1). 10,000 hydrogen cars planned for US northeast. Retrieved March 27, 2015, from autoblog.com: www.autoblog.com/2015/03/01/10000-hydrogen-car-plan-us-northeast/
MLA Citation:
Blanco, Sebastian. 10,000 hydrogen cars planned for US northeast. 1 March 2015. 27 March 2015. <www.autoblog.com/2015/03/01/10000-hydrogen-car-plan-us-northeast/>.
Blanco also gave the press release of the announcement from the NEESC. According to them, the plans were created with support from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and from various industry stakeholders including automakers, gas suppliers, and fuel cell companies. As electric vehicles will slowly replace gasoline vehicles, stress will be put on the US electrical grid. If hydrogen vehicles are also integrated into the market, emissions will be cut down immensely and the stress on electricity will decline as hydrogen cars use other sources of power. Lastly, once these vehicles make it on the market, is is predicted that the hydrogen and fuel cell business will capture a huge share of the global energy and transportation market and will significantly increase the number of clean energy jobs in the Northeast.
As stated in the news press, the plan is to have about 1,300 megawatts of stationary fuel cell capacity, 10,800 fuel cell cars, 640 fuel cell buses, and 110 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025.
This is great information for the final essay. It shows just how much the fuel cell industry is going to grow and improve just within the next decade. It will take a while to implement fuel cells nationwide, but states are realizing the benefits of fuel cell technology and are becoming more willing to accommodate for it.
APA Citation:
Blanco, S. (2015, March 1). 10,000 hydrogen cars planned for US northeast. Retrieved March 27, 2015, from autoblog.com: www.autoblog.com/2015/03/01/10000-hydrogen-car-plan-us-northeast/
MLA Citation:
Blanco, Sebastian. 10,000 hydrogen cars planned for US northeast. 1 March 2015. 27 March 2015. <www.autoblog.com/2015/03/01/10000-hydrogen-car-plan-us-northeast/>.
Friday, March 20, 2015
How Soon for Hydrogen?
The article for this week is actually a collection of answers from a forum in Issues in Science & Technology. Most of the answers are a response to Joseph Romm's article titled "The Hype about Hydrogen," but some do not reference Romm's article and only discuss their opinions on hydrogen as a potential fuel source. Many of the writers do have some sort of expertise in hydrogen fuel research, but there are some notable contributions from the vice president of GM, an assistant secretary of the US Department of Energy, and a researcher from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
For the most part, the authors in the forum agree that hydrogen definitely has it's problems in becoming a primary fuel source in the future, but they also agree that hydrogen will be worth it. Many of the authors bring up the cost of hydrogen as a fuel, but refute the problem of price with the fact that hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels available and it is abundant. Larry Burns from GM argues completely against Romm saying that hydrogen is not just being hyped up, but it is becoming reality. He discusses the advances in fuel cell technology over the past few years and explains that GM is continuing to make fuel cells cheaper and consumer-friendly. David Garman sides with Burns and states that the government would not be spending over $90 million on fuel cell research if it was just a hype.
Overall, it seems from this forum that there is a group of people that greatly support the idea of hydrogen as a future fuel source. Of course, there is a bias in these opinions as all of the authors conduct or oversee research in improving hydrogen as a fuel source. However, it will give me a better idea of how the public may accept fuel cell vehicles in the future if they are educated about fuel cells. It helps me understand some of the criticism against FCVs (Romm's article) and how it might be countered. The forum has a lot of great information and statistics on what GM and the US Department of Energy have done the past few years to help forward this technology as well.
APA Citation:
Burns, L., Moore, J. F., Andrews, C. J., Freeman, S. D., & Mark, J. (2004). Forum. Issues in Science & Technology, 20(4), 12-17. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13872522&site=ehost-live
MLA Citation:
Burns, Larry, et al. "Forum." Issues in Science & Technology 20.4 (2004): 12-17. 20 March 2015. <https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13872522&site=ehost-live>.
For the most part, the authors in the forum agree that hydrogen definitely has it's problems in becoming a primary fuel source in the future, but they also agree that hydrogen will be worth it. Many of the authors bring up the cost of hydrogen as a fuel, but refute the problem of price with the fact that hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels available and it is abundant. Larry Burns from GM argues completely against Romm saying that hydrogen is not just being hyped up, but it is becoming reality. He discusses the advances in fuel cell technology over the past few years and explains that GM is continuing to make fuel cells cheaper and consumer-friendly. David Garman sides with Burns and states that the government would not be spending over $90 million on fuel cell research if it was just a hype.
Overall, it seems from this forum that there is a group of people that greatly support the idea of hydrogen as a future fuel source. Of course, there is a bias in these opinions as all of the authors conduct or oversee research in improving hydrogen as a fuel source. However, it will give me a better idea of how the public may accept fuel cell vehicles in the future if they are educated about fuel cells. It helps me understand some of the criticism against FCVs (Romm's article) and how it might be countered. The forum has a lot of great information and statistics on what GM and the US Department of Energy have done the past few years to help forward this technology as well.
APA Citation:
Burns, L., Moore, J. F., Andrews, C. J., Freeman, S. D., & Mark, J. (2004). Forum. Issues in Science & Technology, 20(4), 12-17. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13872522&site=ehost-live
MLA Citation:
Burns, Larry, et al. "Forum." Issues in Science & Technology 20.4 (2004): 12-17. 20 March 2015. <https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13872522&site=ehost-live>.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Fuel Cell Cars: Problems and Progress
In the article from Nature, Jeff Tollefson points out that although fuel cell development seemed to disappear into obscurity for nearly a decade, fuel cell vehicles may be the cars of the future. After the increase in funding towards fuel cell research in 2003, fuel cell progress fell out of the public eye due to the beginnings of electric vehicles. Yet research in hydrogen fuel continued and multiple car manufacturers - including Dailmer, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Nissan, and Toyota - signed a statement in 2010 that declared that fuel cell vehicles were going to come out by 2015. However, there are many problems that fuel cells still face, some are close to being solved and others will need lots of work. For now, researchers continue to argue over hydrogen and electric vehicles, trying to decide just which one would be best in the long run.
The second article is from USA Today and describes that hydrogen fuel is regaining its popularity among automakers. As of 2012, Nissan was added to the list of manufacturers that were promising hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2015. Over the last, decade fuel cell cars have only been available at auto shows but the talk centered on the new plug-in electric vehicles. With these vehicles receiving some criticism for their short range and high cost, hydrogen seems to be back in style. Automakers have now made brand new announcements on new cars including Nissan's TeRRa and Honda's FCX Clarity. Interestingly enough, GM, a leading company in fuel cell research, has yet to announce a new vehicle. According to Charlie Freese, the director of GM's research, fuel cell cars are a "challenging business case going forward," but there are problems that need to be solved. There are too few hydrogen stations, meaning there is no way for hydrogen cars to be released publicly, at least not yet.
Both of these articles, written within two years of each other, cover the same basic idea that hydrogen fuel is beginning to get public attention again after popularity went down in 2003. The articles agree that fuel cell cars would be a great technology to have in the near future, but there are many problems that still need to be solved. With multiple automakers working on these futuristic vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars are bound to be the cars of the future.
The most important point that comes from these articles is that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a near possibility and have come a long way, but they still have a ways to go to be released to the public. Researchers are doing what they can to improve fuel cell engines overtime, but it is possible that it may be a while for them to make it out and be available for anyone on the market. Then, it's also important to note just how many models are actually available as hydrogen vehicles. Many popular automakers are dedicated to making a fuel cell vehicle, one that the public will accept both in price and in style. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that fuel cell vehicles face and will face criticism. Just like with the first electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars will have to overcome public scrutiny.
MLA Citations:
Tollefson, Jeff. "Hydrogen vehicles: Fuel of the future?" Nature 29 April 2010: 1262-1264. 5 March 2015. <https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=49787283&site=ehose-live>.
Woodyard, Chris. "Automakers take fresh look at hydrogen fuel cells." USA Today 2 October 2012. 5 March 2015. <www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2012/10/02/hydrogen-fuel-cells-2015/1605229/>.
APA Citations:
Tollefson, J. (2010, April 29). Hydrogen vehicles: Fuel of the future? Nature, 464(7293), pp. 1262-1264. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=49787283&site=ehose-live
Woodyard, C. (2012, October 2). Automakers take fresh look at hydrogen fuel cells. USA Today. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2012/10/02/hydrogen-fuel-cells-2015/1605229/
The second article is from USA Today and describes that hydrogen fuel is regaining its popularity among automakers. As of 2012, Nissan was added to the list of manufacturers that were promising hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2015. Over the last, decade fuel cell cars have only been available at auto shows but the talk centered on the new plug-in electric vehicles. With these vehicles receiving some criticism for their short range and high cost, hydrogen seems to be back in style. Automakers have now made brand new announcements on new cars including Nissan's TeRRa and Honda's FCX Clarity. Interestingly enough, GM, a leading company in fuel cell research, has yet to announce a new vehicle. According to Charlie Freese, the director of GM's research, fuel cell cars are a "challenging business case going forward," but there are problems that need to be solved. There are too few hydrogen stations, meaning there is no way for hydrogen cars to be released publicly, at least not yet.
Both of these articles, written within two years of each other, cover the same basic idea that hydrogen fuel is beginning to get public attention again after popularity went down in 2003. The articles agree that fuel cell cars would be a great technology to have in the near future, but there are many problems that still need to be solved. With multiple automakers working on these futuristic vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars are bound to be the cars of the future.
The most important point that comes from these articles is that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a near possibility and have come a long way, but they still have a ways to go to be released to the public. Researchers are doing what they can to improve fuel cell engines overtime, but it is possible that it may be a while for them to make it out and be available for anyone on the market. Then, it's also important to note just how many models are actually available as hydrogen vehicles. Many popular automakers are dedicated to making a fuel cell vehicle, one that the public will accept both in price and in style. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that fuel cell vehicles face and will face criticism. Just like with the first electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell cars will have to overcome public scrutiny.
MLA Citations:
Tollefson, Jeff. "Hydrogen vehicles: Fuel of the future?" Nature 29 April 2010: 1262-1264. 5 March 2015. <https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=49787283&site=ehose-live>.
Woodyard, Chris. "Automakers take fresh look at hydrogen fuel cells." USA Today 2 October 2012. 5 March 2015. <www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2012/10/02/hydrogen-fuel-cells-2015/1605229/>.
APA Citations:
Tollefson, J. (2010, April 29). Hydrogen vehicles: Fuel of the future? Nature, 464(7293), pp. 1262-1264. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from https://hal.weber.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=49787283&site=ehose-live
Woodyard, C. (2012, October 2). Automakers take fresh look at hydrogen fuel cells. USA Today. Retrieved March 5, 2015, from www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2012/10/02/hydrogen-fuel-cells-2015/1605229/
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Hype about Hydrogen
Written in 2004, Romm explains the hype and problems behind hydrogen car systems. Romm brings up President Bush's announcement back in 2003 about putting $1.2 billion towards research in hydrogen cars, yet no such cars have yet to come out of Bush's promise that children born on that day would drive hydrogen-powered cars. Romm, who used to be an overseer for the US Department of Energy's program for clean energy, notes that the global warming issue is a big enough of a worry to begin finding emission-free technologies. Hydrogen fuel cells, though not yet perfected, can be a solution to the carbon emission problem faced in the US due to gasoline cars. Fuel cell engines are not only environmentally friendly, but the use of a nontoxic substance like hydrogen allows cars to become safer for humans as well.
However, with all the benefits that hydrogen engines could give to the world, they have many problems. Though hydrogen is nontoxic, it is highly flammable. Something as small as a cell phone or electrical storms can cause hydrogen to ignite. If these hydrogen engines were to leak, the cars have a much greater chance of igniting.
Another problem fuel cell cars face to this day is expense. Hydrogen overall is a very expensive fuel right now. About 95% of the hydrogen found in the US is found in natural gas and steam. Unfortunately, it is currently extremely expensive to extract hydrogen from both of these sources. Water can also be electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen, but the process consumes large amounts of energy, which defeats the idea of energy conservation.
A third problem with fuel cells is, as Romm calls it, a "chicken and egg" problem. In order for fuel cells to catch on to the mass market, it must be available in 30 to 50% of the market from the day the cars make it onto showroom floors. Even if this problem is somehow solved, hydrogen transportation and delivery infrastructure is not enough to keep these fueling stations running. Improvements in infrastructure that would be able to sustain these stations for about 40% of the market would take an estimated $500 billion.
The final problem Romm addresses in his article is the natural gas consumption problem. With such a large amount of natural gas available in the US, natural gas will most likely be the best source of hydrogen for these cars. However, Romm argues that this is the wrong source to use. The US consumes nearly 23 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas today, and by 2025, it is estimated that usage will increase to nearly 30 tcf. If it was possible to replace 40% of transportation fuels with hydrogen in the very near future, then it would require nearly 10 tcf more of natural gas use and nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, nearly 10% of the current electricity usage in the US.
With all of these problems, the DOE estimates that hydrogen fuel cells will most likely be used by most of the general public after 2030. The current emissions and energy use in the US is forcing the country to find newer, cleaner ways to continue life in order to reduce greenhouse gases to a more sustainable level. Romm agrees that fuel cells will most likely not make it onto the market in the next few decades, but he does believe they are an important step in helping solve the global warming crisis. Instead, he believe that major breakthroughs in the technology must be made first. He claims that hydrogen vehicles do not need to be rushed out. Research should continue on these devices, but importance should be placed on clean energy sources and limiting expansions of inefficient carbon-emission infrastructure first.
This article will be great for the most recent paper and the final paper as it addresses a less positive side of fuel cell cars while still supporting them. It addresses many of the problems that fuel cells are bound to face in the next few decades. The article is old and has some old numbers, but it will be a good support for solving the problems that may be encountered in the next few years. Some articles may even refute Romm's.
MLA Citation:
APA Citation:
However, with all the benefits that hydrogen engines could give to the world, they have many problems. Though hydrogen is nontoxic, it is highly flammable. Something as small as a cell phone or electrical storms can cause hydrogen to ignite. If these hydrogen engines were to leak, the cars have a much greater chance of igniting.
Another problem fuel cell cars face to this day is expense. Hydrogen overall is a very expensive fuel right now. About 95% of the hydrogen found in the US is found in natural gas and steam. Unfortunately, it is currently extremely expensive to extract hydrogen from both of these sources. Water can also be electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen, but the process consumes large amounts of energy, which defeats the idea of energy conservation.
A third problem with fuel cells is, as Romm calls it, a "chicken and egg" problem. In order for fuel cells to catch on to the mass market, it must be available in 30 to 50% of the market from the day the cars make it onto showroom floors. Even if this problem is somehow solved, hydrogen transportation and delivery infrastructure is not enough to keep these fueling stations running. Improvements in infrastructure that would be able to sustain these stations for about 40% of the market would take an estimated $500 billion.
The final problem Romm addresses in his article is the natural gas consumption problem. With such a large amount of natural gas available in the US, natural gas will most likely be the best source of hydrogen for these cars. However, Romm argues that this is the wrong source to use. The US consumes nearly 23 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas today, and by 2025, it is estimated that usage will increase to nearly 30 tcf. If it was possible to replace 40% of transportation fuels with hydrogen in the very near future, then it would require nearly 10 tcf more of natural gas use and nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, nearly 10% of the current electricity usage in the US.
With all of these problems, the DOE estimates that hydrogen fuel cells will most likely be used by most of the general public after 2030. The current emissions and energy use in the US is forcing the country to find newer, cleaner ways to continue life in order to reduce greenhouse gases to a more sustainable level. Romm agrees that fuel cells will most likely not make it onto the market in the next few decades, but he does believe they are an important step in helping solve the global warming crisis. Instead, he believe that major breakthroughs in the technology must be made first. He claims that hydrogen vehicles do not need to be rushed out. Research should continue on these devices, but importance should be placed on clean energy sources and limiting expansions of inefficient carbon-emission infrastructure first.
This article will be great for the most recent paper and the final paper as it addresses a less positive side of fuel cell cars while still supporting them. It addresses many of the problems that fuel cells are bound to face in the next few decades. The article is old and has some old numbers, but it will be a good support for solving the problems that may be encountered in the next few years. Some articles may even refute Romm's.
MLA Citation:
Romm, Joseph J. "The Hype about Hydrogen." Issues
in Science & Technology 20.3 (2004): 74-81. 27 February 2015.
<http://web.b.ebscohost.com.hal.weber.edu:2200/ehost/detail/detail?sid=151c0db2-2ac5-4914-8d88-a9e2598e1670%40sessionmgr111&vid=5&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZZ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=12875906>.
APA Citation:
Romm, J. J. (2004). The Hype about Hydrogen. Issues
in Science & Technology, 20(3), 74-81. Retrieved February 27, 2015,
from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.hal.weber.edu:2200/ehost/detail/detail?sid=151c0db2-2ac5-4914-8d88-a9e2598e1670%40sessionmgr111&vid=5&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZZ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=12875906
Friday, February 20, 2015
Making Fuel Cell Vehicles An Almost Affordable Reality
This article from the Chemical and Engineering News website describes the recent advances in technology that have allowed fuel cell cars to decrease in price. Due to these improvements, Toyota has begun mass producing its own fuel cell model in Japan called the Mirai. These cars cost nearly $70,000 but can drive 400 miles on one tank and are on the path to becoming cheaper. The Mirai is expected to begin sales in April of 2015 in Japan and in the summer in California's select Toyota dealers.
Estimates state that the price of these clean vehicles will have to go down by roughly 50% before they can be successful on the consumer market. Changes in infrastructure also needs to happen and a mass switch to the technology will be a key component to the success of the vehicles. Toru Hatano, an analyst from IHS Automotive, states that fuel cell vehicles will probably not become popular until 2025 because as long as we have other fuels, people will choose not to use fuel cell cars.
The automotive business is also facing a split on what types of fuel cells should be used in these cars. Toyota plans on using battery-like fuel cells, making improvements on the batteries used in the Prius. GM and Honda, on the other hand, have teamed up to improve the PEM fuel cells. For now, the use of platinum in catalysts is being changed and the durability, especially in cold weather, must be worked on before any successful model is released. Interestingly enough, no automotive company has ever gone to Ballard Power Systems, a major fuel cell maker, and instead choose to attempt to make their own fuel cells. It is estimated that these companies will spend about $5 billion on fuel cell research each. Most automotive companies are aware that conversion to fuel cell cars will take decades. Toyota claims that this is not an issue, saying that the Prius was once seen as crazy and is now at nearly every manufacturer's lineup.
This article will be great for the final paper as it shows that improvements are being made for fuel cell cars to be integrated into the consumer market. Many popular automotive companies are working toward fuel cell enhancements, allowing the price of fuel cell cars fall to a more affordable price.
MLA Citation:
APA Citation:
Estimates state that the price of these clean vehicles will have to go down by roughly 50% before they can be successful on the consumer market. Changes in infrastructure also needs to happen and a mass switch to the technology will be a key component to the success of the vehicles. Toru Hatano, an analyst from IHS Automotive, states that fuel cell vehicles will probably not become popular until 2025 because as long as we have other fuels, people will choose not to use fuel cell cars.
The automotive business is also facing a split on what types of fuel cells should be used in these cars. Toyota plans on using battery-like fuel cells, making improvements on the batteries used in the Prius. GM and Honda, on the other hand, have teamed up to improve the PEM fuel cells. For now, the use of platinum in catalysts is being changed and the durability, especially in cold weather, must be worked on before any successful model is released. Interestingly enough, no automotive company has ever gone to Ballard Power Systems, a major fuel cell maker, and instead choose to attempt to make their own fuel cells. It is estimated that these companies will spend about $5 billion on fuel cell research each. Most automotive companies are aware that conversion to fuel cell cars will take decades. Toyota claims that this is not an issue, saying that the Prius was once seen as crazy and is now at nearly every manufacturer's lineup.
This article will be great for the final paper as it shows that improvements are being made for fuel cell cars to be integrated into the consumer market. Many popular automotive companies are working toward fuel cell enhancements, allowing the price of fuel cell cars fall to a more affordable price.
MLA Citation:
Bomgardner, Melody M.
"Making Fuel Cell Vehicles An [Almost] Affordable Reality." Chemical
& Engineering News 17 November 2014: 17-20. 20 February 2015.
<http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i46/Making-Fuel-Cell-Vehicles-Almost.html>.
APA Citation:
Bomgardner, M. M. (2014, November 17). Making Fuel
Cell Vehicles An [Almost] Affordable Reality. Chemical & Engineering
News, 92(46), pp. 17-20. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from
http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i46/Making-Fuel-Cell-Vehicles-Almost.html
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