Heat exchanger - Fuel tank - DC/DCconverter - Air compressor - Fuel prrocessor - Electric drive - Li-Ion battery  pack - Fuel cell stack - Humidifier
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Depending on whom you talk to, the fuel-cell revolution is either 20 years down the road or right around
the corner. In a sense, both views are correct. Fuel cells are no longer tomorrow’s technology, the stuff
of science fiction and space travel. Annual investment in fuel-cell research tops $1 billion per year. Within
the next two years, the first fuel-cell cars will be on the road, fuel-cell power plants large and small will
become commonplace, tiny cells will begin to replace batteries in many household uses, and a start will
have been made on creating a global hydrogen-fueling infrastructure. J.P. Morgan Securities estimates
 that the consumer market for fuel cells could reach $100 billion by 2020.

Hijacking Hydrogen-Will Big Oil, Coal Interests and the Nuclear Industry Control the Next Energy Revolution? 
CONVERSATIONS-Amory B. Lovins Building the Hydrogen Economy
CONVERSATIONS-James S. Cannon China at the Crossroads

Honda Motor's Tochigi R&D center is about an hour from Tokyo by bullet train, north across the Kanto Plain. Immediately visible from the gatehouse is a crash-test center, nearly the size of a sports arena. Down the road, on the ground floor of an office building, 200 or more workers sit at desks in a single immense and undivided room, 100 percent cubicle-free. Most of the desks are equipped with laptop computers. Everyone wears the regulation two-piece Honda uniform: white waist-length jacket and white pants. Meeting rooms are stocked with spare uniforms, just in case. Clearly, this is not America. 

In one of those meeting rooms last month, I talked with Yuji Kawaguchi, a senior engineer with Honda's fuel-cell program. 

First Albany Companies Inc. (Nasdaq: FACT - News) announced today that prior to year end the Company and its co-chief executive officers, George McNamee and Alan Goldberg, had gifted, in the aggregate, over 400,000 shares of Mechanical Technology Incorporated (Nasdaq: MKTY - News) common stock to various charities. These gifts were part of the annual giving of the Company and Messrs. Goldberg and McNamee. In addition, however, they aided in reducing the overall ownership attributed to First Albany under the accounting rules. In combination with the share exchange with Mechanical Technology Inc. that was announced December 23, 2002, First Albany may now discontinue reporting its share of Mechanical Technology's earnings under the equity method of accounting.

“We’re (not) just hyping this,” GM technology director Larry Burns told TheCarConnection. “We do intend to execute what we’re out here saying.”

If so, it would be a significant reversal for GM in particular, and the Big Three U.S. automakers, in general. Until now, they have embraced hybrid technology reluctantly, at best, arguing that it is costly, unreliable and of questionable benefit in the race to reduce fuel consumption and automotive emissions.

GM will take a three-pronged approach as part of its hybrid program:

The most notable thing about the Natrium -- aside from the fact that the Chrysler Town and Country minivan happens
to run on laundry soap -- is the otherwordly noises it makes. 

Sitting at the wheel of the one-of-a-kind experimental fuel cell vehicle is enough to make a driver feel like the captain
of a submarine, given all the strange liquid and mechanical sounds emanating from amidship as it sits idling: 

Whoooosh. Whirrrr. Fshhhhhh . . . Thunk! 

"That's the spent fuel being injected back into the fuel tank," explains controls engineer Euthemios (Euthie) Stamos. "There's a lot of pumps down there." 

Why didn't they install quieter pumps, he is asked? 

The sound of a Ferrari - or a diesel truck - may be only the press of a button away in the car of the future. 

Hydrogen-powered vehicles are so quiet that car makers are considering engineering engine sounds to be amplified through the cars' speaker systems.

Speaking in Detroit in the United States this week, the vice-chairman of product development at General Motors, Bob Lutz, said hydrogen cars would provide a challenge for engineers who often tune cars to a particular sound. 

Palcan Fuel Cells Ltd. (the 'Company') wishes to announce further to the Company's news release dated November 6, 2002 regarding a proposed private placement of up to 1,650,000 units (the 'Units') at a price of $.25 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $412,500, that an extension of the closing deadline has been granted by the TSX Venture Exchange. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company and one common share purchase warrant entitling holders to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company for a period of two years at a price of $.35 per share. The Company, anticipates that the closing will occur on or before January 31, 2003. 

Advanced Measuresments (AMI) announced today the Alberta Research Council Inc. (ARC), headquartered in Edmonton, AB, ordered from AMI a micro solid oxide fuel cell (ì-SOFC) Test Stand for its research and development of micro SOFC’s.

Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan) unveiled the FINE-S hydrogen fuel cell hybrid-electric concept vehicle at a press conference at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. The FINE-S concept vehicle is representative of the future of fuel-cell vehicles as being high in styling and high in performance. With the ability to modularly install fuel-cell components throughout the vehicle, future fuel-cell vehicles will be capable of having individual electric power applied to all four wheels.

The FINE-S features a long wheelbase with very short front and rear overhangs and a sleek low-to-the-ground aerodynamic design. The low center-of-gravity coupled with an individual wheel torque control system will provide excellent performance handling. Inside, the FINE-S features a spacious cabin with a four-seat design that provides roominess and comfort. 

Intermec Technologies Corp. has signed a strategic commercial partnership with MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. (MTI Micro), a subsidiary of Mechanical Technology Inc., to develop micro fuel cell systems for Intermec rugged handheld mobile computers and peripherals, the companies announced today.

As part of the joint development and supply agreement executed in December2002, MTI Micro and Intermec will integrate MTI Micro's proprietary direct methanol micro fuel cell power system into future Intermec mobile computing equipment.  Intermec plans to first offer MTI Micro's system with a product targeted for launch in 2004, as well as explore additional product opportunities

Ztek Corporation, a leader in the development of on-site hydrogen reformer technologies and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), today announced that it has joined the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a consortium of automobile companies, energy providers, fuel cell manufacturers and government agencies committed to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles.
    As an associate partner, Ztek will collaborate with Pacific Gas and Electric of San Francisco, CA (PG&E) to construct a hydrogen refueling station at PG&E's Service Center and Division Office in Auburn, CA. Ztek will participate in site preparation and be responsible for system installation, commissioning and service. When completed, the facility will serve as a satellite refueling station for the Partnership.

QUANTUM Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc., (Nasdaq: QTWW - News) announced today that it has shipped a second hydrogen-refueling unit to a major automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customer to support its pre-production prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

QUANTUM has developed a line of portable and mobile 5,000 and 10,000-psi hydrogen-refuelers to support the emerging fuel cell vehicle market. These compact units draw hydrogen from either a commercially available gaseous hydrogen supply and "boost" the pressure of the hydrogen for delivery to the vehicle at the desired pressure; or from a high pressure storage cascade based on QUANTUM's ultra-lightweight, all-composite TriShield(TM) hydrogen storage tanks. These units are designed to ensure a complete fill of hydrogen using software-controlled temperature compensation.

Our expert panel examines how smart firms today invest in ways to make their plants and products cleanerBy ERIC ROSTON; JOAN BAVARIA; SANJAY CORREA; PAUL LANCASTER;

Fuel cell maker Plug Power Inc. (NasdaqNM:PLUG - News) said on Wednesday that David A. Neumann has been named chief financial officer, replacing W. Mark Schmitz who has resigned, effective Jan. 20.

First it was the California energy crisis, then it was the Enron meltdown. Now increasing instability in the Middle East has, once again, fueled serious concerns about the oil supply. And even as renewable energies like solar, wind, and hydro have become economically attractive, a Republican-dominated House and Senate combined with President Bush's national energy policy could hinder further alternative-energy development. With all this in mind, we sat down with Amory Lovins, energy guru, inventor, policy maker, and founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy think tank.

Pacific Fuel Cell Corp. (OTCBB:PFCE) announced today the investment of US$100,000 at a price of US$0.05 per common share by two offshore entities, for a total purchase of 2,000,000 common shares.

"We are gratified by this investment in our company, particularly since we consider the investors
to be very knowledgeable about undervalued situations," stated George Suzuki, President of Pacific Fuel Cell Corp.

Dynetek Industries (TSX: DNK - News) of Calgary, Alberta announced today its involvement with the Stuart Energy (TSX: HHO - News) intelligent hydrogen fueling station sold to Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., as announced earlier by Stuart Energy Systems Corporation of Mississauga, Ontario.

Hydrogenics Corp. has acquired Greenlight Power Technologies Inc., its principal competitor in the fuel-cell-test business, in a transaction valued at about $19 million.

 In a press release, Hydrogenics said the acquisition will enable it to consolidate its position in the fuel-cell-testing business, "while creating additional capacity and aligning dedicated resources to its fast-growing fuel- cell power-products business. It said the acquisition virtually doubles the size of Hydrogenics' test business.

Nippon Oil Corp. (J.NPO or 5001) said Wednesday it will begin "monitoring tests" on its liquefied petroleum gas-based fuel cell for onsite heating and power cogeneration system for household users later this month.

"We developed the world's first LPG-based polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) that will be put in practice," said Executive Vice President Takao Suzuki.

The 1-kilowatt PEFC produces electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, rather than through combustion, and emit only water and heat.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has announced that it has developed and begun shipping, for field-testing purposes, samples of a 1kw residential-use fuel cell. 

The city-gas-fueled, solid-polymer fuel cell uses proprietary technology developed by Tokyo Gas Co.  to extract hydrogen fuel from city gas to produce electricity. Designed for home use, the fuel cells also include catalyst-protection technology that enables users to power them on and off at will.