FuelCellsWorks

The plan to use hydrogen as fuel to run a small fleet of vehicles, to ferry athletes from their “village” to the contest arenas during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi, is experimental in nature, but a “first” nonetheless in a city which has put its entire public transport system on the pollution-free compressed natural gas (CNG).

The world is looking to hydrogen as a future source of clean energy to run automobiles and also to power factories, businesses and homes. Hydrogen is of course the most abundantly available element on earth. When used as fuel in an engine, it is reckoned to be about 30 per cent more efficient than conventional fuels like petrol. And when it is used through the fuel cell route, its efficiency betters petrol by between 100 per cent and 200 per cent.

The Indian Oil Corporation, which has mooted the plan to operate hydrogen vehicles during the Commonwealth Games, plans to use a mix of hydrogen and CNG in a 20:80 ratio. Such a mix will require only minor adjustments in engines that are already using CNG.

Several leading international vehicle companies have already put hydrogen vehicles on the road in the US, Canada, Europe and elsewhere. Some Indian automobile manufacturers have developed prototypes of vehicles that can be driven using hydrogen, and are likely to test-drive them soon.

These examples notwithstanding, there are quite a few technical issues which need to be tackled before hydrogen can become a practical and economically viable vehicular fuel.

Despite being plentiful, hydrogen is invariably found in compound form, such as in combination with oxygen in water, or in combination with carbon in hydrocarbons like methane and coal. A major challenge before scientists and engineers is how to produce it at a cost lower than competing conventional fuels. Besides, as a gas, hydrogen is voluminous, requiring large tanks to store it for the uninterrupted running of vehicles over long distances. Its most efficient and practical use, therefore, is deemed to be in the form of hydrogen-based fuel cells but that technology is still evolving. At present, these cells are costly to produce. Intensive research and development work is on in several countries to refine this technology, so hydrogen could well become cost-effective before long.

India is has made a belated beginning in this field and is now trying to play catch-up. While the initial attempts have been oriented towards using hydrogen as engine fuel, singly or in combination with CNG, work is simultaneously apace to develop fuel cell technology.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is collaborating with vehicle manufacturers to develop hydrogen fuel cells for automobiles, using the cryogenic technology which it evolved for advanced rocket launch vehicles. Hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen will combine in these cells to produce electricity to drive vehicles in a pollution-free manner, emitting nothing more than water vapour as exhaust. Considering the potential that hydrogen holds out as a renewable and sustainable source of clean energy, and its positive implications for energy security, the work should get appropriate funding and priority.

TOKYO —

The government will conduct demonstration tests in fiscal 2009 to assess the usefulness of fuel cells using airport limousine buses and power generation systems that use the advanced technology, which is regarded as effective in the battle against global climate change, the industry ministry said Friday.

On routes connecting central Tokyo with Haneda and Narita airports, two buses will begin operating powered by fuel cells, which generate electricity by mixing hydrogen with oxygen and emit only water. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will also conduct an experiment for home-use power generation in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, supplying some 20 homes with hydrogen necessary for the cells through pipelines. The ministry will entrust these demonstrations to a private-sector research entity in Tokyo joined by companies such as oil wholesalers and gas suppliers.

YOUNGSTOWN — More companies nationwide are making greater use of or offering green technologies to not only enhance their bottom line, but to share in the responsibility of preserving the environment.

A major entity that recognizes the importance of cleaner, more efficient uses of energy is the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition.

The state is leading the way in the development of fuel-cell technology, and a cluster of businesses and educational institutions that are behind its use can be found in Northeast Ohio and the Mahoning Valley.

That was a main premise behind Wednesday’s two-hour seminar in Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center designed to explore advantages of such technology and address employment and other opportunities in the industry.

The gathering featured a series of speakers who talked about business opportunities and applications related to fuel-cell technology. The U.S. Department of Energy sponsored the event.

An advanced energy technology, fuel cells rely on chemical reactions to harness oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity without combustion or harmful emissions, explained Dr. James Maloney, an engineering professor at Stark State College of Technology in North Canton.

The college was one of four exhibitors at the seminar to showcase programs and offerings related to the technology. Local companies represented were Catacel Corp. of Garrettsville, Refractory Specialties Inc. of Sebring and Technical Staffing Professionals LLC of Warren.

Fuel cells are cleaner and two to three times as efficient as traditional combustion engines, Maloney told the audience of about 100.

The cells, among other things, can vastly improve the efficiency of power plants and allow for greater use of domestically produced fuels, he noted, adding that Stark State College offers two-year degrees in the field and is working to develop programs for middle and high school students.

Heading the seminar was Patrick Valente, executive director of the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition.

The coalition is a collaborative of more than 75 universities, companies, government bodies and nonprofit organizations dedicated to expanding the uses and applications of fuel-cell technology.

Members include YSU, Kent State University and First Energy.

Valente said he envisions when fuel cells will be used more extensively to power people’s homes and cars.

General Motors already has about 100 Chevrolet Equinox cars that use the technology and can go 400 to 500 miles without refueling, he noted.

Ohio is a pioneer state in the industry because it has a strong network of economic-development programs, along with strategies, support and a solid supply chain, Valente said, adding that U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown are advocates of the technology. In the past seven years, Ohio has invested more than $70 million in state support and educational initiatives in the fuel-cell industry, he continued.

“You put all of this together, and this is what makes Ohio and the region competitive,” Valente said.

A strategy for this year is to further develop the technology, attract new companies and create a fuel-cell work force, all of which can help reverse the decline in the manufacturing industry and create a greater number of high-skill, high-paying jobs, Valente noted.

Catacel was recently awarded about $450,000 to speed up the production of fuel-cell components, noted Sam Mawlawi, the company’s sales manager.

Catacel employs 23 and makes catalytic converters and fuel-cell components.

Also in the fuel-cell business is Refractory Specialties Inc., which has two sites in Sebring and one in Columbiana.

The fuel-cell business is one of several markets RSI serves, noted Dick Wilk, president.

The company produces about 5 million pounds of fiber annually and also makes parts for the cells, he pointed out.

“Fuel cells are all around us” and could replace conventional batteries and internal combustion engines, predicted Bruce A. Bille, president of Technical Staffing Professionals.

TSP offers consulting services to help businesses find and recruit the right people to allow for the companies’ success, Bille said.

Also presenting remarks at the seminar was Julie Michael Smith of the Youngstown Business Incubator.