NWPR Energy Series Part Three: Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Listen to the audio file of this interview here .

Host Intro: Hydrogen fuel cells are soon coming to a car near you. In today’s “Our Northwest” energy discussion, correspondent Mary Hawkins and energy expert Dave Sjoding* talk about the myths and realities of hydrogen fuel and energy expert Dave Sjoding* talk about the myths and realities of hydrogen fuel and its future.

(Source: US DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Green Jobs )

Hawkins: Most of us link the idea of hydrogen fuel with the Hindenburg disaster – a ball of flame consuming a very large bullet-shaped airship in well under a minute. According to our northwest energy expert, Dave Sjoding, hydrogen got a bum rap in the history books…

Sjoding: [What people don’t realize] when they went back and did the chemistry on the Hindenburg is it was painted; they painted the Hindenburg fabric on the outside, and it was with a paint that was chemically very close to rocket fuel.

Hawkins: Dave thinks hydrogen is actually safer than gasoline. Gasoline will pool under a car, for instance, and if a fire should occur -  the fuel, instead of evaporating, will burn where it stands. The kind of hydrogen tanks that will be used to fuel cars in the near future, will be much safer…

Sjoding: Hydrogen is lighter than air, so it tends to jut upward. If you fire a bullet at one of these gas tanks and penetrate it, that escaping gas (hydrogen) goes upwards because it is so light and it disperses very fast.

Hawkins: Hydrogen is not only safe, but hydrogen fuel cells are getting more and more efficient, and the energy they produce is incredibly clean.

So, how do they work, exactly?  Fuel cells are constantly recharging batteries…. What’s a battery…?  A battery is essentially a can full of chemicals that produces electrons. A hydrogen fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in that process it produces electricity.

Hybrid vehicles have duel systems which run on batteries and gasoline. In a fuel cell vehicle the propulsion is all electric, so these cars have way fewer moving parts and are very efficient.

Dave has tracked the evolution of the fuel cell vehicle. Early versions didn’t deal with cold climates and weren’t efficient. Now, they can traverse miles in the cold without refueling…

Sjoding: Say, if we were up in Alaska, - second generation – they’ve done the Al Can highway in the middle of winter – started right up at minus 22 degrees in Fairbanks,  so we’ve really come a long ways from first generation to second generation. First generation we were struggling with having to fill up a lot. Well now, we’re at – on average, 250 miles plus per fill up and we have at least one version that has gone a full 300 miles.

Hawkins: Hydrogen fuel stations are slated to appear around 2015. The plan is to first place them in highly-populated cities and branch out from there. Seattle is eighth on the hydrogen fuel station list. But, with efficient technology and home fueling options, you may be able to “gas-up” from your home hydrogen fuel station.

Sjoding: Hydrogen production at the home in some European countries, the United Kingdom would be an example, of where they are developing an integrated package. You essentially can fuel at your own home. Few years out, but there are definitely demonstrations in the works.

Hawkins: For more information about hydrogen fuel, fuel cell technology and emerging automobile designs, go to Our Northwest, online now at n-w-p-r dot org.

http://nwpublicmedia.typepad.com/our_northwest/

http://nwpublicmedia.typepad.com/our_organic_northwest/mary-hawkins.html

http://nwpublicmedia.typepad.com/our_northwest/dave-sjoding-our-energy-expert.html

http://www.nlhs.com/hindenburg.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSuR2IgnimA&feature=related

http://www.fuelcells.org/hydrogen/basics.html

http://www.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm

http://milepost.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=266&Itemid=311

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1033683/Fill-car--home-hydrogen-fuel-station.html

http://www.nwpr.org/

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm

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