University of Birmingham To Test Hydrogen In England

The British Midlands Development Corporation has announced that the University of Birmingham has unveiled a fleet of Hydrogen powered cars, making it the only university in the United Kingdom to have these vehicles.

The vehicles will be used as part of a study to research the viability of Hydrogen in transport applications. Engineers will be comparing the Hydrogen powered vehicles with gasoline, diesel and electric vehicles to learn more about their efficiency and performance. The researchers will determine how these vehicles need to be adapted in order to make Hydrogen an attractive and cost effective option.

The cars will utilize a Hydrogen fueling station at the university designed by Pennsylvania based Air Products that can fuel up to six vehicles per day. The Hydrogen fueling station is part of a cluster being set up across the region by the British Midlands Hydrogen Forum. The cluster known as the Midlands Hydrogen Ring consists of stations that will be at the heart of the Hydrogen fueling infrastructure planned throughout the region. A second station is already operational at Loughborough University and further sites planned include vehicle testing centers, an airport, a visitor attraction and eventually the open road.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/British-Midlands-University-Unveils-Fleet/story.aspx?guid={9AC0AD32-92E3-451A-AA85-88266E8DB4FD}

Hydrogen Center Opens In Wales

The UK's first dedicated Hydrogen demonstration center has opened at the University of Glamorgan.

Based near Swansea in Wales, the £2.2 million ($3.8 million) building will develop Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to power cars and homes in the future.

The center will also test the viability and safety of making Hydrogen fuel from Welsh renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

http://www.smartplanet.com/news/tech/10001742/glamorgan-opens-uk-s-first-hydrogen-centre.htm

Hydrogen Road Trip

A group of Hydrogen powered cars and sport utility vehicles lined up for public test drives in Phoenix as part of an unprecedented cross-country Hydrogen Road Tour to promote the fuel of the future.

The two week road trip, which started in Maine and ends this weekend in Southern California, toured more than 30 cities in the United states as part of a joint venture by nine auto manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Transportation to demonstrate to the public that Hydrogen powered vehicles are nearly ready for showrooms.

The hand built demonstration vehicles on the tour are all based on existing cars and small sport-utilities and were put into the hands of regular drivers so they could experience how pollution free driving is visualized for the future. The automakers involved include BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volkswagen.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/08/23/20080823hydrogen23.html

Going Postal Over Hydrogen

General Motors (GM) has delivered a Hydrogen powered Chevrolet Equinox to an Irvine, CA post office that will be one of two locations nationwide to test the vehicle. The Hydrogen vehicle will be used to deliver mail to Irvine residences and businesses, putting the fuel cell technology through tough, daily workouts. The goal is to help GM refine the technology and, hopefully, make petroleum powered cars a thing of the past.

Fuel cell vehicles have been in use by the U.S. Postal Service since 2004. The GM HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle was tested in Northern Virginia starting in 2004 and in Irvine starting in 2006 with both test drive programs ending in 2007. The programs helped GM refine the technology of its fourth generation fuel cell vehicle.

Although GM is on track to develop and finalize the vehicle's propulsion system by 2010 it won't start selling the cars until a Hydrogen fueling infrastructure is in place nationwide, making the gas widely available.

There are about 70 hydrogen fueling stations nationwide with California leading the way with 25 of them. Although just two of them are available to the public, including one at UC Irvine, operated by the National Fuel Cell Research Center, and the other in west Los Angeles. A third is however set to open at LAX this fall.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fuel-cell-vehicle-2103142-technology-irvine?slideshow=1

Honda FCX Clarity Available In July

Honda has started production of the FCX Clarity, a new zero-emission four seater car that runs on Hydrogen and electricity.

According to Honda, the new car offers three times better fuel efficiency than a normal car. Honda is planning to produce 200 of the FCX Clarity cars, which for now will only be available on a three year lease for around $600 a month.

The first cars will be available for lease in July in California with a follow up launch in Japan later in the year. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis will be one of the first to have one of the new Honda vehicles.

http://www.enjoyfrance.com/content/view/1512/31/

Ronn Motors Introduces Its Scorpion Exotic Sports Car

Texas startup Ronn Motors has unveiled its new Scorpion exotic sports car that is powered by a Hydrogen/gasoline fuel blend. According to the manufacturer, the Scorpion will run on a Hydrogen/gasoline fuel blend with 30-40% of the mix consisting of Hydrogen.

The automobile is unique in that drivers will not have to reply on Hydrogen stations but can just use water to fuel the car. Ronn Motors states that the Scorpion can produce Hydrogen on demand by fracturing water molecules drawn from a small on board water tank. As a result, the car will not need a high pressure, on board Hydrogen storage tank. The manufacturer claims that the car will hit about 40 mpg.

The 289 hp engine in the Scorpion is based on the motor used to power the 2008 Acura TL-S sedan. Ronn Motors will also offer a 450 hp twin-turbo option. The 2100 lb car is expected to accelerate from 0-60 mph in the 3.2 - 3.5 second range run the quarter mile time in the mid 10 second range at 130 mph. The car will initially be available with a 6-speed manual and later with a 6-speed automatic in 2009. The car will have a limited production run and will be priced at $150,000.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37792/113/

Hydrogen Station Set To Open In Britain

Britain’s first Hydrogen fuel station is set to open at Birmingham University this week with plans to open at least twelve stations across the country by 2010. The Hydrogen station will be a part of trials being conducted with a fleet of five fuel-cell vehicles. Three Hydrogen stations are planned for London with the first opening next year at a bus garage in East London.

Air Products, the company installing the fuel station, is working with Transport for London (TfL) to build fuel stations for a fleet of 70 Hydrogen-powered vehicles that are being introduced next year. TfL vehicles will contain a mixture of buses, vans, cars and motorcycles and will be used by TfL staff, the police and the fire brigade. The five-year trial of both fuel cells and Hydrogen combustion engines will cost around $43 million (£22 million).

A fuel cell combines Hydrogen from a tank with oxygen from the air to produce electricity, which powers an electric motor. The only byproduct is water and the whole process produces no carbon dioxide emissions

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/article3753961.ece

Boeing Takes Hydrogen To New Heights

Boeing has laid claim to being the first company in the world to put into the air a plane powered by a Hydrogen cell battery. The plane, carrying just the pilot on board, was flown over the airport at Ocana, Spain at a speed of 62 mph (100kmh) for about 20 minutes at an altitude of some 3,300 (1,000m) using only the Hydrogen battery for power.

Although the plane is on the smaller side (wing span of 51 feet (16.3m), 21 feet (6.5m) long and weighing approximately 1,760 pounds (800kg)) this is promising news for Hydrogen technology being utilized in the aviation industry.

This type of technology use is something we can expect to see more of in the Hydrogen Future.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080403162501.d2gts0go&show_article=1

BMW Hydrogen Fit For a Prince

Prince Albert II of Monaco has been given a BMW Hydrogen 7 at the opening of the EVER MONACO environment exhibition. The event is part of the "Sustainable Environmental Protection" program, which is one of the cornerstones of policy in the Principality of Monaco.

The BMW 7 Hydrogen required 20 years of research and development at the BMW Group. The vehicle is powered by a V12 engine and the transition from gasoline to Hydrogen is done at the push of a button. The Series 7 Hydrogen can travel more than 430 miles (700km) and has a reservoir that safely contains more than 17 pounds (8kg) of liquid Hydrogen kept permanently at a temperature of minus 253 degrees.

http://www.thenewsmarket.com/CustomLink/CustomLinks.aspx?GUID=fb928bf8-0723-4522-970f-6c0e29723846&bhcp=1

New Fueling Stations for London's Hydrogen Buses

Air Products & Chemicals Incorporated announced that it has signed an agreement with Transport for London to supply Hydrogen fuel and a dedicated fueling station for 10 Hydrogen-powered buses. The deal is worth around $6.8 million, with extra being paid for the fuel. The company expects the buses, which will form a central part of London's Hydrogen transport program, to be operating by 2010.

Air Products is based out of Allentown, PA and is the world’s largest supplier of merchant Hydrogen, operating over 60 gaseous and liquid Hydrogen production plants.

http://www.eta.co.uk/node/10409

Seaworld To See New Hydrogen Buses

SeaWorld is unveiling two new Hydrogen-fueled shuttle buses that will be used to transport park guests and employees between its three theme parks (SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica).

The shuttle buses are part of a pilot program between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Ford Motor Company, Chevron Technology Ventures and Progress Energy. During the program, data will be collected from the SeaWorld vehicles to evaluate efficiency and best applications for Hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/02/18/daily14.html

Hydrogen and Hythane Station In Delhi

Hythane Company LLC (owned by Eden Energy Limited) has been selected by IndianOil Corporation to install and supply the first public Hydrogen fueling station in India. The $1 million retail outlet is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2008 and will be located at one of India's busiest natural gas fuelling stations in the center of Delhi .

The station will produce, store, blend, and dispense Hydrogen as well as Hythane (a patented mixture of Hydrogen and natural gas that provides a dramatic reduction in nitrous oxide emissions) that will used to power natural gas vehicles, including buses, cars, and trucks.

India has set a target of having at least 20% of all of its vehicles operate on Hydrogen based fuel by 2020 (an estimated one million vehicles). This Hydrogen fuel project in Delhi is seen as a important springboard for the commercial rollout of Hythane worldwide.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/energy/article/eden-energy-install-supply-indias-public-hydrogen-fueling-station_463499_11.html

NIST Set To Test Hydrogen Pipelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has started construction on a new laboratory to evaluate tests, materials, mechanical properties and standards for Hydrogen pipelines. The 750 sq ft laboratory, expected to be operational by mid-2008, will sit on the site of a former Hydrogen test facility at the NIST campus in Boulder, Colo.

Since long-term exposure to Hydrogen can embrittle existing pipelines and increase the potential for dangerous failures, researchers will be using hydraulic machines to test mechanical fatigue, residual strength and fracture toughness of various pipeline materials and equipment.

Some of the experiments will involve immersing pipeline materials in pressurized Hydrogen gas contained in steel alloy test chambers. NIST is coordinating its research and safety plans with other national laboratories and industry groups working with Hydrogen. In the future, the focus will expand to new pipeline materials such as composites.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124094006.htm

Korean Researchers Make Hydrogen From Water Look Easy

Korean researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research have successfully developed the processing technology necessary to mass produce Hydrogen from water. The researchers completed the development of the processing technology, which operates at normal temperatures with improved efficiency, to mass produce more than 3/4 of a gallon (3 liters) of Hydrogen from Hydrogen iodide.

This breakthrough is very positive as the least expensive way to produce Hydrogen is to separate Hydrogen from water molecules although the connection between Hydrogen and oxygen is very strong.

The Korean government aims to increase the proportion of Hydrogen used for energy to 0.1% by 2012, 3% by 2020, 7% by 2030 and 15% by 2040. Hydrogen is expected to account for 10% of the energy used in developed countries by 2030.

http://english.etnews.co.kr/news/detail.html?id=200801170002

Cadillac Provoqs The Hydrogen Vehicle Market

General Motors has unveiled its new Cadillac Provoq Hydrogen concept vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.

The Provoq contains two 10,000-psi Hydrogen tanks that feed a fuel-cell stack to produce up to 88kW of continuous power that charges a lithium-ion battery pack. This power is used to spin both a 70 kW co-axial electric drive system at the front wheels and two 40 kW in-wheel motors at the rear. Fully fueled and charged, the Provoq will run 300 miles and get to sixty miles per hour in a respectable 8.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 100 mph.

The Provoq also comes with several nice options including dual battery charging ports in the left and right front fenders, a roof-mounted solar panel to boost the electric charge, and front grille louvers that close up at highway speeds to improve aerodynamics.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/01/cadillac-unveil.html

Hydrogen To Go

Millenium Cell Inc. and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies have announced that they will be debuting a pre-production version of their HydroPak portable Hydrogen-fueled generator at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The HydroPak will use disposable Hydrogen fuel cells to provide instant power in the place of traditional gasoline and diesel powered generators. The HydroPak has been designed to be lighter and quieter and will run indoors without problems thanks to the lack of harmful emissions. Just like a traditional generator it is able to provide continuous electricity for 14 hours to low-power devices like portable work lights, portable televisions, and communications networks. One Hydrogen fuel cell should provide enough electricity to recharge a laptop eight to ten times.

The generator should cost around $400, with refill Hydrogen packs costing around $20.

http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/15314/hydrogen-powered_generator_to_debut_at_ces