Fuel Cells

Several companies in the past have showcased their plans to use hydrogen fuel cell technology to power a bicycle. Recently, Chinese company Pearl Hydrogen became the latest company to showcase the idea, at a recent technology convention in Shanghaimart. The 20" wheel prototype weighs 32kg and is powered by a PEM fuel cell and brushless electric motor. The top speed is 25km/hour and the 600L twin cylinder fuel cells have a maximum range of 100km. Some trial orders have already been placed for 20,000 Yuan (about US$2,650). The company is optimistic that their hydrogen bike will be successful enough to begin mass producing bikes for the mainstream Chinese market, for a more affordable 4,000 Yuan (US$530). There are no current plans to ship the fuel cell bicycles overseas. 4 Comments

Swiss Company Pyromex has been developing waste management technologies for almost twenty years. Their goal is to lower emissions and reduce landfill waste with their patented ultra-high temperature gasification system. In 1999 the first industrial plant was built in Germany. According to the company, the Pyromex gasification system can treat all types of waste, with the single exception of heavily contaminated nuclear residues! The Pyromex technology just may be the ultimate waste energy solution - to treat all types of waste without waste residues and without harmful emissions to the atmosphere - while recovering all valuable constituent of the waste at highly economic conditions. 15 Comments

Ambient energy generators have the potential to replace battery power as an energy source in a variety of practical applications, particularly in remote locations. Research has shown that it is possible to produce electric power from ambient sources like human energy, radio waves and transmission wires. Traditional electrochemical batteries and fuel storage systems are limited by factors such as battery life, fuel supply and weight. Recent advances in electronic components and sensor technologies are steadily reducing the energy requirements of many remote components and devices, further advancing the potential capabilities of ambient energy power generation. 6 Comments

A Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) has been proposed by 48 leading industry stakeholders on the eve of the European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform (HFP) annual assembly and exhibition in Brussels. It is hoped that this new initiative will produce new advances in the development and implementation of hydrogen fuel cell technology in Europe. $5 Billion Euros is being proposed as an investment effort to increase national energy security, the environment, and Europe's market competitiveness. The initiative is designed for the funding of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure, hydrogen energy supplies, fuel cells for hea, power and the technology markets. 1 Comment

Forget ethanol or biodiesel. The next big thing in automotive fuel may very well be hydrogen. Automakers rapidly are closing in on making hydrogen fuel cell vehicles an everyday fact of life, with several test models set to debut over the next few years. Hydrogen fuel cells to power vehicles is desirable, experts say, because hydrogen is a renewable fuel that can be used to create electricity to run cars. A chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen produces the electric power, and when pure hydrogen is used, the only emission from the tailpipe is harmless water vapor. 3 Comments

According to a recent report by the UK Energy Research Centre, Britain faces an energy generating capacity shortfall of 7-16 gigawatts by 2015. We are not alone: the American shortfall between projected energy supply and demand by 2020 will be nearly 50 percent. Meanwhile, climate change is a real and present danger and a decline in oil production is on the horizon. 1 Comment

Winnipeg is showcasing it's latest technology innovation, an energy-efficient hydrogen powered bus. Unfortunately this vehicle cost too much money to make it practical for use in the short-term future. The only emissions produced by the bus are water. The bus is worth between $1 and $2 million, according to Manitoba's hydrogen specialist Bob Parsons, and is a big improvement on earlier versions of the hybrid. "It's the only one of its kind that exists in the world at this time," said Parsons. 1 Comment