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> 1997
> October
> October 24, 1997
Hour Two: Fuel Cell Technologies:
Converting gasoline to electricity - without burning it.
An engineering company working in cooperation with the Department of Energy announced this week that they had developed a device that could be used in cars to turn gasoline directly into electrical power, with high efficiency and little pollution. Their product, an advanced form of a device called a fuel cell, may help bridge the gap between today's gasoline combustion based cars and electric cars.
Fuel cells, devices that can convert hydrogen and oxygen gas directly into electricity, have been around since the 1960's. First developed for the Apollo moon missions, the devices are a key part of the clean, emission-free hydrogen-based economy that some ecologists have suggested as a solution to the world's energy and pollution problems. But while fuel cells have been used in very specialized, highly controlled applications, like providing electrical power on board the space shuttle, they have not been practical enough to use in more widespread situations like the U.S. automobile market.
The main problem has been in the availability and distribution of hydrogen.Without filling stations that can dispense hydrogen and a means for quickly and safely storing hydrogen for use on board cars, hydrogen-fueled cars just aren't an option for most people. A similar problem has existed with battery-powered electric cars. Without a system in place for easily refueling electric cars, and without batteries that can take on enough charge for long drives, battery-powered cars have been impractical for all but the most devoted car owners.
| But this new fuel cell technology, developed by Arthur D. Little Inc. with assistance from the Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratory, may provide an easier way. By being able to convert gasoline into hydrogen and scrub out impurities that would damage the fuel cell, the new device would make it possible, at least in theory, to fill up at a regular gas station with regular gas, but still enjoy the clean, quiet, efficient transportation afforded by electric cars. According to A.D. Little scientists, their product would be able to provide twice as much power as a traditional combustion engine from a gallon of gasoline, and would produce ninety percent less pollution. Other companies are looking at ways to use advanced hydrocarbon-based fuel cells to power homes, by converting natural gas or propane into electricity. |
(image: A. D. Little Inc.)
How does it work? | But not everyone is convinced that this new technology is the way to go. Some critics point out that oil reserves worldwide are still declining, and may well run out by the middle of the next century. Rather than focus on stopgap measures, they argue, the U.S. should make every effort to wean itself from hydrocarbon-based fuels now. And other companies are already producing advanced battery systems and new engine designs that may offer a better way to provide efficient, clean power.
Join host Ira Flatow on this hour of Science Friday, as he takes the idea of hydrocarbon-based fuel cells out for a spin.
Guests:
Jeff Bentley
Vice President
Arthur D. Little, Inc
Cambridge, MA
Gary Mittleman
President and CEO
Plug Power
Latham, NY
Bob Rose
Executive Director, Fuel Cells 2000
Breakthrough Technologies Institute
Washington, DC
Rick Tempchin
Director of Electric Transportation
Edison Electric Institute
Washington, DC
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
Arthur D. Little Inc, inventors of the car-based fuel cell announced this week
Fuel Cells 2000
Fuel Cell Info from the National Renewable Energy Lab
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter
Natural Gas Fuel
Cells
A Scientific American Fuel Cell Article
The Electric Power Research Institute
The Department of Energy
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