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Electrolytic H2 to comply with standards without extensive purification

September 27, 2011

A joint study conducted by the UK-based ITM Power, an energy storage and green fuel company, and the National Physical Laboratory on hydrogen purity analysis revealed that hydrogen produced by electrolysis does not require extensive purification in order to comply with international standards set out in ISO/DIS 14687-2 and ISO/WD 14687-3. For the study, which was also partnered by EHA members Air Products and UK Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Association, the researchers developed analytical methods to detect trace impurities in hydrogen and concluded that electrolytic hydrogen carries sufficient purity which renders it compatible for use in fuel cell applications. The finding is crucial for the prospects of future uptake of hydrogen as a fuel since it posits there is no need for an additional purification plant to utilise electrolytic hydrogen. Source: FuelCellToday

Hydrogen Student Design Contest 2012

September 27, 2011

Registration to the annual Hydrogen Student Design Contest, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, is now open for the year 2012. Whereas the deadline for registrations is 1 November 2011 the theme of this year’s contest is recently announced as combined heat, hydrogen and power. The contestants are challenged to design a tri-generation system that produces heat, hydrogen and power for a university campus by utilising local resources. The 2012 Contest will challenge university-level students to plan and design a residential hydrogen fueling system. As a part of their entry, teams will develop a technical design; conduct an economic analysis; and develop business, marketing, and public education plans for their systems. FuelCellToday reports that last year, the Contest attracted 47 teams from 17 countries and five continents, including seven teams from the top 20 engineering schools in the U.S. In addition to the U.S. Department of Energy, this year’s Contest is supported by the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) which will publish the winning entries in a scientific journal, and the World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2012 (WHEC2012) with an expenses-paid trip. More information on the Contest, official rules and guidelines are available on the website.  

Penn State study reveals source for potentially inexhaustible hydrogen

September 27, 2011

Pennsylvania State University engineers reported in an issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from September 19 that “pure hydrogen gas can efficiently be produced from virtually limitless supplies of seawater and river water and biodegradable organic matter.” Previously, when producing hydrogen, fuel cells required more electrical input. However, hydrogen produced with microbial electrolyser cells does not need such electrical input since in the process the engineers have come up with a way to utilise the difference between river and sea water to add that extra energy into the production. Professor E. Logan of Environmental Engineering says ”biodegradable liquids and cellulose waste are abundant, and with no energy in and hydrogen out, we can get rid of wastewater and by-products.” As the process is reported to be capable of enabling the production of hydrogen from wastewater or organic byproducts, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere or using grid electricity, Prof. Logan marks that “this could be an inexhaustible source of energy.” Source: FuelCellToday  

Crown to manufacture its 500th fuel cell forklift truck

September 27, 2011

Crown Equipment Corporation, a US-based material handling products company, announced on September 21 that it has completed the production of its 500th fuel cell forklift truck of the Crown SR 5000 Series. The company has integrated fuel cell technologies to more than 20 of its electric forklift models, both newly-manufactured and retrofitted. The customer application of its products are observed largely in North America. Source: Press Release, FuellCellToday

Symposium on Utilization of Regenerative Energy Sources and Hydrogen Technology

3 Nov - 5 Nov, 2011

The 18th Symposium on Utilization of Regenerative Energy Sources and Hydrogen Technology will take  3 to 5 November 2011 in Stralsund, Germany. For more information on this event see:  www.fh-stralsund.de  

Dutch H2 Infrastructure Plan of Action Launch

September 27, 2011

At the large Ecomobiel Fair in Rotterdam on September 27, 2011, the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, Melanie Schultz Verhaegen, also responsible for Mobility,  announced the Dutch government’s interest to collaborate with Germany to put the Netherlands on the map as “a walh2alla” for hydrogen  development.  

She mentioned the Dutch unique position and expertise in handling  large quantities of hydrogen produced in the chemical industry in the Botlek area near Rotterdam and the existing pipeline network in the Western part of the country.

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking – 4th Stakeholders’ General Assembly

22 Nov - 23 Nov, 2011

The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking will hold its annual Stakeholders General assembly, in the heart of the European area, in the Charlemagne building.
The first day will be specifically devoted to a Programme Review.

Fleet of New Microcab FCEVs for West Midlands CABLED Trials

September 26, 2011

Microcab, the FCEV spinoff of Coventry University, is launching its next-generation H2EV hydrogen vehicle this week with a fleet to be deployed to the UK’s West Midlands CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrator) trials. The car, the brainchild of the University’s Professor of Sustainable Transport Design John Jostins, combines a 3 kW PEMFC with a Lotus-engineered chassis and has a claimed range of 100 miles. The role of Microcab and Coventry University in the CABLED trial will be to help examine and evaluate (through the University’s Low Carbon Vehicles Grand Challenge applied research programme) the social and economic impacts of running hydrogen fuel cell vehicles within a city environment, and ultimately gain a better understanding of the market potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. The fleet launch follows the installation of a hydrogen refuelling station at the University earlier this year and last week’s public hydrogen station opening in Swindon. Source: Fuel Cell Today  

HYdrogen – POwer THeoretical and Engineering Solutions International Symposium

September 26, 2011

The Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR) will be hosting the IX edition of the international symposium HYPOTHESIS in San José Costa Rica. The purpose of the HYPOTHESIS series is to provide a forum where representatives from industry, public laboratories, universities and government agencies can meet, discuss and present the most recent advances in Hydrogen technology. The Symposium will address all aspects, theoretical, experimental and prototype developments of Hydrogen as an energy carrier. TOPICS National and International Projects and Roadmaps Fundamentals, Modelling and Simulation Energy and climate changes Hydrogen Production Hydrogen Storage and Distribution Other carbon neutral fuels Hydrogen in ICE and other thermal applications Fuel Cells in Transportation Fuel Cells in Stationary Systems Portable Fuel Cells Safety, Standards, Regulations For more information see: HYPOTHESIS  

FC-HyGuide presented during the SETAC Europe 21st Annual Meeting

September 20, 2011

FC-HyGuide was presented during The Ecosystem Protection in a Sustainable World: a Challenge for Science and Regulation, SETAC Europe Annual Meeting is Europe’s biggest meeting on environmental toxicology and chemistry with more than 1500 presentations in parallel platform sessions and poster sessions, participants and scientific speakers from academia, business and government and a blend of scientists and practitioners, researchers and regulators all in attendance. The event took place in Milan, on the 15-18 May 2011. Attached you may find the presentation of the FC-HyGuide Project.