Highly efficient fuel cells for home and business electricity, heat, etc.

Plug Power and Honda Prep for Next Phase of Home Energy Station
March 23, 2006
Latham, New York The first of two agreements announced by Plug Power with Honda R&D Company, Ltd. of Japan covers the fourth consecutive phase of joint development of the Home Energy Station, a fuel cell system that provides electricity, heat, and hot water to a home or business, while also providing hydrogen fuel for a fuel cell vehicle. The system offers high reliability along with much higher efficiency and lower pollution than standard service. Under this new agreement, Honda R&D will continue to fund Plug Power's work on the Home Energy Station.
The agreements represent a continuation of earlier collaborative efforts between the two companies, after having completed the previous phase in November 2005 with the commissioning of the third-generation Home Energy Station at Honda R&D America's facility in Torrance, California. It is 30 percent smaller in size than its predecessor, with 25 percent more power output, greater hydrogen storage capacity, higher efficiency and faster startup. The continued phase-over-phase improvement trend is expected to continue with Phase 4.

The second new agreement is focused on fundamental R&D work that Plug Power is conducting under funding from Honda. This agreement is focused on the advancement of technology for future Home Energy Stations, as well as more generalized applications, which are expected to benefit other Plug Power products. The system is expected to be more environmentally friendly than traditional energy devices due to its higher efficiency and lower emissions.

Natural gas? Propane?

I'd want to know what happens to the carbon stripped from the gas. If it's vented out as CO2, these are just a giant leap backwards.

On the other hand, it might be nice to see some far less efficient and far more polluting gasoline or diesel motor-generator combos sidelined by more efficient fuel cells until someone comes up with a fuel cell that doesn't emit carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

We've been making hydrogen from water by electrolysis since god knows when: You can do it in your kitchen now, if you like. The "waste" is oxygen, which isn't a problem at all. the only catch is you need more power to produce hydrogen with water than you do with a hydrocarbon, which makes it more expensive.

The fuel cell itself only produces water as waste, which is why it's a "green" fuel. But hydrogen from NG is no greener than ethanol from coal.

Edit: From the same article:
I recently saw a really sexy device in a chemical catalog. It's a oxy-hydrogen blow torch that runs on just electricity and water: You don't need any gas cylinders to get just about the hottest flame you can get with chemicals. Of course it works by using the electricity to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, then piping the gas into the torch nozzle where it combines right back into water, releasing the electrical energy you put in as heat.

Damn, I want one one. How cool is that? :D

this is rubbish, the same thing could be done by
using natural gas to run a small motor, for electricity,
then using the exhaust to heat up water.

with that said, I suppose thing might be useful somewhere,
but it has nothing to do with cars

In the US, giant generators not only provide power, but the reassurance of manhood to the power company execs through the sheer size and revenues. Placing power generators in the home and business would make sense ecomnomically, but would topple the current power structure.

Unless of course some power company realizes the benefit of having millions of mass-produced units that they can rent to consumers which can easily be replaced by two technicians in a few minutes, repaired, and returned to service.

I'll believe it when I see it.

DBDB

Hello. My first post....

My understanding is that alcohols can be used in fuel cells, although not as efficiently. Am I wrong, though, in thinking even with less efficiency, that alcohol is a more renewable source and can be produced cheaply in abundance?

Ethanol Powered Fuel Cells


Fuel Cells sooner than we thought

Ethanol Efficiency - Argonne National Laboratory

About 8 years ago I had the opportunity as an engineer to work with Honeywell as an outside vendor. I was providing a gas detection system for their residential fuel cell lab. Of course, for their purposes, the delivered supply fuel would be natural gas. I discussed with the head engineer on the project about the feasibility of using alcohol (in general) for fuel cells and he just blew it off as there would be no future in it (I'm sure he was speaking from his own perspective at the time- too complex, not efficient enough). I still believed alcohol should be a slam dunk. I'm surprised it has to take this long to get around to what seems to be the better technology- (not really surprised, gotta keep the current infrastructure folks happy.)

American firm) are working away on solutions while others wring their hands or keep building huge vehicles with huger engines! I wonder if there will be any American auto manufacturers in 20 yrs! I do have my doubts though, about fuel cell cars using free hydrogen.

Personally though, I think fuel cell powered cars using hydrocarbon supplied hydrogen will probably make fuel cell cars a practical reality sooner and cheaper (Acta says in 10 yrs!). But, don't count out the Japanese. They have amazing diligence when attacking a technical problem!

I particularly noticed: "It is 30 percent smaller in size than its predecessor, with 25 percent more power output, greater hydrogen storage capacity, higher efficiency and faster startup." !!

I think these will sell like crazy along the Gulf coast in the coming years to ride out power outages after hurricanes - NO humor intended - not a laughing matter.

their power production exceeds demand (like at night). Food for thought.