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6/29/2002   NASA Working Overtime to Understand Shuttle Pipe Cracks
by Keith Cowing    Discovery

Last week NASA announced that it was putting the launch of STS-107 - and future Shuttle missions - on hold after small cracks were discovered in the flowliners within the plumbing that feeds liquid hydrogen (LH2) to the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME). Cracks a fraction of an inch in size were discovered in LH2 flowliners in Shuttle Orbiters Discovery (OV-103) and Atlantis (OV-104). [see links below for two NASA briefings on these cracks]. Cracks have also been found in a Shuttle propulsion test structure. Orbiters Columbia (OV-102) and Endeavour (OV-105) have yet to be examined.

6/23/2002   Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - the German Way by Herman Grech - The Sunday Times (Malta)

An interesting concept currently being explored in Germany is that of hydrogen-powered cars. Journalists were given an idea of how this system works during a visit to the world's first public filling station for liquid and gaseous hydrogen at Munich International Airport. In principle, the hydrogen engine is nothing other than a machine that uses water for its fuel to eliminate the emission of dangerous emissions. And what is more, many experts predict that in the long run fossil energy resources will run out, so the alternative hydrogen is an ideal option.

6/18/2002   University of Central Arkansas Chemistry Professor Honored as Teacher of the Year by Fred Petrucelli - Log Cabin (Arkansas)

UCA Assistant Professor of Chemistry Patrick Desrochers shows off vials of substances that may someday be used to fuel hydrogen-powered cars. He has authored several manuscripts and made formal presentations on research in chemistry, particularly with the element nickel. Several works have cited his research with nickel.

6/7/2002   Oil Refiners Can Make 'Clean' Hydrogen Too -Shell by Sujata Rao - Macon.com  (Georgia)

Oil companies can wrest the initiative from the green lobby by making the clean fuels of the future from their own refineries, but they will need to act quickly if they are to stay ahead of the game, a Shell executive said on Friday. Hydrogen was likely to be a vital clean source of energy, Michiel Boersma, the head of Shell's Global Solutions consultancy, told an industry conference. But he said producing it through the solar-powered electrolysis of water, as green groups would like, would remain costly and difficult for a long time. "While some environmentalists are reluctant to admit it, the refining industry offers a number of very practical ways forward on hydrogen. Refineries can convert fossil fuels to usable hydrogen by gasification far cheaper than the solar model," Boersma said. "This would set the ball rolling on hydrogen, build public acceptance and attract investments into research."

6/6/2002   Double World Record with the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell - Research Center Julich (Germany)

Scientists at Research Centre Jülich (Germany) report an important step forward in the international race to develop efficient high-temperature fuel cells. A fuel cell stack put into operation in mid April consisting of just 40 single planar cells delivered a power of 9.2 kilowatts at an average operating temperature of 850°C with hydrogen as the fuel gas. Operated with methane the stack still managed to achieve 5.4 kilowatts. This is a new world record for a planar system both with respect to power and also to the cell size of 20 x 20 centimetres. Fuel cells convert the chemical energy of hydrogen directly into electricity. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are of major interest for stationary electricity and heat generation in power stations or buildings. However, they also attract increasing attention for mobile applications. SOFCs promise very high efficiencies for electricity generation and thus an economical and environmentally friendly fuel utilization. Scientists at Research Centre Jülich are working on advanced SOFCs with planar cells and thin electrolytes. Many experts predict that this design will have a great market potential since systems with planar SOFCs already achieve high efficiencies with small volumes and low operating temperatures. SOFC research at Jülich is also being supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
    Scientists from the Jülich Institute for Materials and Processes in Energy Systems (IWV) and the Central Department of Technology (ZAT) first directly operated the record-breaking stack of 40 single cells with hydrogen at an average temperature of 850°C. This stack delivered a power of 9.2 kilowatts - more than twice that of the best performance in the previous year. Furthermore, temperatures of less than 900°C are regarded as low in the world of high-temperature fuel cells. This is beneficial for the lifetime of all materials and allows relatively cheap metallic materials to be used. The scientists then adapted the stack to use methane as fuel gas, which is directly converted into hydrogen in the cell. There is thus no need for a prior conversion step which would cost extra energy and natural gas can be used as a fuel without elaborate gas processing. "In comparison to last year we have been able to increase performance in methane operation more than fivefold", Dr Robert Steinberger-Wilckens, who has been head of the fuel cell project at Research Centre Jülich since February 2002, is delighted with the progress made. "This is above all thanks to the ingenious design and the very efficient materials development at Jülich."
    At the moment, the major barrier to commercialization of the SOFC is the high cost of materials, components and manufacturing. However, the Jülich scientists are well equipped to take these hurdles in their stride. They are already working intensively on new materials in order to further increase the power and longevity of their cells whilst at the same time lowering costs. Their declared goal is a 20-kilowatt system. This power range is interesting because it opens up a wide field of possible applications. "Starting from a 20-kilowatt SOFC system you can operate in all directions, so to speak. This performance is at the upper limit of what is required to supply a multiple dwelling estate with electricity and heat, and is at the lower limit of a combined heat and power station for a residential area", Robert Steinberger-Wilckens explains the significance of the development and adds: "For 2004 we have set our sights on a complete 20-kilowatt SOFC system for use in buildings."

Dr. Renée Dillinger Public relations office Research Centre Juelich 52425 Juelich, Germany Tel. ++ 49 2461/614771 Fax ++ 49 2461/614666 mailto:r.dillinger@fz-juelich.de

6/4/2002   German Carmakers Plan Joint Hydrogen Car Tests - Auto Channel

The project, bringing together DaimlerChrysler AG, BMW AG, GM unit Adam Opel AG, and Ford's German research centre, will set up a hydrogen refuelling centre in Berlin and a fleet of 30 cars to test the new technologies. European car makers have been investing in green technology to safeguard their long-term survival against the risk of fossil fuels running out and increasing government pressure to build cars which damage the environment less. The five-year programme has similarities to one set up in California two years ago to test fuel cells, which use hydrogen to create electricity, said Wolfgang Scheunemann, a DaimlerChrysler spokesman.

6/4/2002   Fuel-cell Trek Rolls to Finish by Earle Eldridge - USA Today

The drive will end when engineers drive across the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., from Arlington, Va., after starting in San Francisco May 20 in a Mercedes-Benz A-Class subcompact car. The final miles will be a ceremonial finish that signals what appears to be a new commitment by car companies to pollution-free fuel cells. "A vehicle that is robust enough to actually drive over 3,000 miles through the dust, dirt and grit of the real world is a major accomplishment," says Kim Bergland, outreach director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California-Irvine. She predicts that fuel-cell vehicles will begin appearing in showrooms by 2008. Automakers plan to put them into government and test fleets within the next two years to rack up valuable experience before then.

June 2002  Firoz Rasul's Power Trip by Ralph King - Business 2.0

Rasul was quick to sense the need for political as well as corporate allies. In the late 1980s, smog-choked California led the nation in imposing tough deadlines on the auto industry. By the early 1990s, some of the state's demands had begun to seem unrealistic because of slow progress in the development of electric vehicles. Until Rasul came on the scene, few experts saw fuel cells as an option. But Rasul had shrewdly named Larry Berg, a former state air-quality regulator, to Ballard's board. When California's rules were redrafted in 1995, Berg saw to it that fuel cells figured prominently. "I inserted the language," Berg says. "But I couldn't have done it without Firoz." Rasul went on to co-found the California Fuel Cell Partnership, which today includes eight automakers, four oil giants, and six government agencies. Rarely has a development effort united so many adversaries: At its facility in Sacramento, Ford, General Motors (GM), Toyota, and others work in side-by-side bays on 19 test vehicles, 13 of them equipped with Ballard fuel cells. "No one has done more than Firoz to take the fuel cell from the bench onto the roads," says Alan Lloyd, chairman of the California Air Resources Board.

5/31/2002   Hydrogen Puts Iceland on Road to Oil-Free Future by Ben Hirschler - Reuters

Now this island of lava on the edge of the Arctic plans to become the world's first society to ditch fossil fuels entirely, relying instead on hydrogen made using the power of its roaring rivers and volcanoes. Enthusiasts even talk about it one day becoming the "Kuwait of the North" as an exporter of the new, green fuel to markets in Europe.

5/29/2002   Major Expansion Ahead for Distributed Generation on a Global Scale by Atakan Ozbek - Allied Business Intelligence

Global distributed generation capacity will increase from 20,000 MW (megawatts) to near 300,000 MW by 2011 according to “Distributed Generation — Global Market Analysis, Technology Assessment and Outlook”, a new study by Allied Business Intelligence (ABI). different business and regulatory landscape and DG stakeholders will need to customize their solutions for varying market applications in each region.

5/24/2002   GM Tries Out Hydrogen Power as Next Generation Fuel by Lawrence Ulrich Knight Ridder/Detroit Free Press (OH)/Macon Telegraph (GA)

"In many ways, we've been held hostage to petroleum for a century," [Larry Burns, GM Directer of R&D] said. Breaking those shackles with new energy sources will have huge ramifications not only for automakers but also for economies, nations and the planet, he said. The technology will spawn competition among oil, gas and electricity companies to power the so-called hydrogen economy, potentially lowering prices for consumers, he said. ...Drivers could fuel their vehicles at home at night, paying off-peak charges for the electricity or gas they convert to hydrogen. Vehicles themselves could become a power source for homes or businesses. If just one of 25 vehicles currently in California had a fuel cell, those one million vehicles could generate more juice than the state's entire utility grid, Burns said.

5/23/2002   Hydrogen in Berlin Transport - German Hydrogen Association

Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), the biggest German urban transport utility, and the French oil company TotalFinaElf have made an agreement on joint research on hydrogen on 7. May in Berlin. Starting in autumn BVG will operate a fuel cell bus in public transportation in Berlin in the framework of a research project supported by the European Commission. Until 2005 five to ten buses which use this technology will be running in Berlin. A hydrogen competence center with filling station and maintenance workshop will be established on one of the bus yards of BVG. The Berlin model project is related to similar projects, also EU funded, in Lisbon and Copenhagen.

5/23/2002   More German States Establish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Initiatives - German Hydrogen Association

On 26. April 2002 a competence network "Future Technology Fuel Cell Rhineland Palatinate" was created in Mainz, the capital of the German state of Rhineland Palatinate. The network will be a forum for the parties active in the state in this field, and it is a continuation of the former efforts towards sustainable energy generation with low emissions. The driving force for the initiative was the ministry for environment. The ministries for science and the ministry for economy and transport support it. The German Hydrogen Association has been an expert partner for the environment ministry for a long while. A hydrogen and fuel cell initiative for the state of Hesse was founded on 30. April 2002 at Frankfurt-Hoechst. The German Hydrogen Association has a coordination function in the initiative, while the company Infraserv Hoechst, located in the industrial area of Frankfurt-Hoechst, supports it and the state ministries for environment and economy accompany it.

5/21/2002   Fuel Cell Cars Offer Solution To Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions - General Motors

The study, released at the Hart World Fuel Conference, assessed fuel sources, processing techniques and propulsion systems. A total of 36 fuel pathways and 18 propulsion concepts examined for the 2010 timeframe, from conventional engines to advanced concepts, were analyzed under European driving conditions. (The study assessed energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, but not costs.) Experts examined the complete chain, from the production of fuels from their basic feedstock components to the actual consumption of the fuel in the car, what scientists call "well-to-wheel" analysis. Ludwig Bolkow Systemtechnik (LBST), a research institute in Ottobrunn, Germany (near Munich) acted as a scientific advisor and consultant. BP, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalFinaElf energy companies provided additional data and analysis. A principal finding of the study was that fuel cell vehicles using hydrogen produced from natural gas could be attractive in terms of well-to-wheel gas emission depending on the source of the natural gas. However, optimum results are realized when renewable energies such as biomass or wind power are used to produce the hydrogen.

5/20/2002   DCH Enable 5kW Fuel Cell Chosen for The 2002 R&D 100 Awards - Los Alamos National Laboratory

5/20/2002   GM Sponsors Nationwide Fuel Cell Education Program - Auto Channel

The activities were part of "Fuel Cells: Driving the Future," GM's nationwide in-school fuel cell education program, which is expected to reach nearly 3.5 million middle school students. Developed by Lifetime Learning Systems, a division of Weekly Reader Corp., the program provides science teachers with an engaging curriculum that highlights the fundamentals of hydrogen fuel cell technology. "Within their lifetimes, fuel cell technology will be part of these students' daily lives," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. "By creating a curriculum that explores the technology now, we hope revolutionary ideas and research will make that day come a little sooner."

5/18/2002   Forget the Jetpack - The Car of the Future Will be Powered by a Hydrogen Fuel Cell by James Foxall - Telegraph (UK)

The report concludes that the car of the future will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, producing no emissions other than water, and that such motors will start to outnumber "conventional" engines from about 2030. "A small number of internal combustion engines may remain in production as late as 2050 to power `enthusiast' cars for pure driving enjoyment," it says. "While the change over to fuel cells is taking place, the hybrid internal combustion/electric car will be built in considerable numbers to fulfil a transitional role."

5/17/2002   Ballard Generator Around the Corner by John Greenwood - Financial Post (Canada)

The much-anticipated launch date of a portable generator powered by a Ballard fuel cell is "going to be soon," said Firoz Rasul, chief executive of Ballard Power Systems Inc. Originally scheduled for launch at the start of the year, Coleman Powermate's portable generator -- described as the world's first fuel-cell based consumer product -- has attracted a lot of attention from industry observers keen to measure the public's acceptance of the technology. At Ballard's annual meeting yesterday, Mr. Rasul said the foray into home generator market is one of a number of efforts undertaken by the company to broaden its market and hasten the date when it will become profitable. However, he declined to give a date when the company will turn the corner.

5/17/2002   New Auto Industry Chief to Steer Japan Toward Cleaner Technologies - Japan Times

The new chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Thursday he will work to promote fuel cells and other technologies less harmful to the environment than the combustion engine. Yoshihide Munekuni, also chairman of Honda Motor Co., called on the government to provide infrastructure and promote deregulation necessary for green vehicles to become a success.

5/17/2002  Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Education Program to Train High School Teachers in Renewable Hydrogen Technologies - Funded by the  South Coast Air Quality Management District -  EcoSoul    

5/16/2002   Island May Blaze Trail as the World's First Hydrogen-Powered Community by Moira Kerr - The Press and Journal (North of Scotland, UK)

Scientists from the Scottish Fuel Cell Consortium(SFCC) told island entrepreneurs of the vast potential that exists to use hydrogen to power everything in the home and in the workplace. There was even talk of the potential to manufacture cars, powered by low cost hydrogen-based fuel cells, on the island. Professor Sinclair Gair, a leading member of the consortium, said that, if financial backing was forthcoming, they could be producing hydrogen on the island in a year. And within 18 months they could be packing that hydrogen into power cells, ready for use. ...If the island becomes home to the project a second wave power station will be built and water would be electrolysed, to produce hydrogen, which would then be put into fuel cells. ...BMW has already expressed an interest in the consortium's work, as has the industrial arm of Rolls Royce.

5/15/2002   Islay Set for Hydrogen Power by James Freeman and Vicky Collins - The Herald (UK)

Scientists want to turn Islay into the world's first hydrogen-powered island. They plan to make the clean fuel by treating water with electricity generated from a wave power station already operating on the island. ...The plan is the brainchild of the Scottish Fuel Cell Consortium, a grouping of scientists and businesses backed by Scottish Enterprise. ...Islay was picked because of its ground-breaking Limpet power wave power station in the village of Portnahaven. Built by the Inverness company Wavegen, the Limpet is the first wave-driven power station to feed renewable energy directly into the national grid. The Islay project is a UK leader at a time when governments and industry across the world, faced with diminishing fossil fuel resources, instability of oil supply, and rampant global warming, are engaged in a dash to master hydrogen fuel cell technology.

5/15/2002   Linde: 'Sleeping Jewel' Gets an Image Lift by Uta Harnischfeger - Financial Times (UK)

When Wolfgang Reitzle, the head of Ford's luxury car division, known for his glamorous lifestyle, fast cars and marriage to gossip queen Nina Ruge, was appointed Linde's new CEO-to-be in late April, the company's dusty image became the talk of the business community. ...He has recently hinted at expanding Linde's fledgling fuel systems business into a "new business leg". In contrast, Linde's outgoing management used to play down the group's immediate earnings potential in hydrogen fuels. Although their application in cars is still at an early phase, emission-free fuels are widely considered the answer to global warming. Linde already co-operates on developing zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells with BMW, where Mr Reitzle headed its production before being ousted in a management reshuffle in 1999.

5/14/2002   Honda Wants to Develop Home-based Hydrogen Vehicle Refuel Station by Ed Garsten - AP/Nando Times

The research arm of Honda Motor Co. and a Latham, N.Y., firm that produces electric generators announced Tuesday that they will work together to tackle one of the peskiest obstacles to mass production of fuel-cell vehicles. Honda R&D Co. and Plug Power Inc. said they will collaborate on research into home-based hydrogen vehicle refueling stations. The refueling stations they will work on will provide heat, hot water and electricity to a home while also producing hydrogen for a fuel-cell vehicle. The stations will be fueled with natural gas. Home refueling units could help speed public acceptance of fuel-cell vehicles, further building a case for automakers to build them, said Mark Sperry, Plug Power vice president.

5/13/2002   Sony Improves Molecular Structure of Proton-Conducting Fullerene Membrane - Nikkie Electronics Asia

The company is doing research on the improvement of structural membranes. Usually, a porous membrane carrying particles of a proton conductor of the fullerene system is used. But Sony is considering the use of a structural substance produced by the materials of fullerene system only, namely, a polymer of a proton conductor of the fullerene system.

5/12/2002   Alternative Fuels Could Help Ease America's Dependence on Foreign Oil by Richard Smith - Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas)

The United States continues to import more than 50 percent of its petroleum from other countries. That remains a concern for some. "Our over-reliance on foreign oil has become a national security issue," said U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco. The Bush administration has made drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a top priority, recognizing that the importation of some 10 million barrels of foreign oil each day cannot continue, according to a federal Department of Energy news release. The release announced a partnership between that agency and the nation's biggest three auto makers to develop an automobile fueled by hydrogen.

5/10/2002   Fuel Cells Key to Keeping Auto Jobs by William Hershey - Dayton Daily News (OH)

Ohio must become a national leader in developing fuel cell technology or risk losing auto-related jobs that are a cornerstone of the state’s manufacturing economy, Gov. Bob Taft said Thursday. Taft struck an urgent note as he unveiled his three-year, $100 million fuel cell initiative in this Cleveland suburb at Graftech Inc., which provides graphite plates used in fuel cells.

5/6/2002   New Fuel Cell Vehicle Fueling Station Opens - EarthVision

The second of three fuels it plans to use for fuel cell demonstrations, the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) recently opened a new methanol fueling station at its fuel cell vehicle demonstration center in West Sacramento. Many technological advances are incorporated into the CaFCP methanol fueling station. These include anti-siphoning devices and a user-friendly, fixed lock system between the fuel nozzle and the vehicle that improves safety and lowers spill potential. The station was designed and built by the Methanol Fuel Cell Alliance, which is an industry group that includes several CaFCP members such as Methanex, DaimlerChrysler, BP and Ballard Power Systems.

5/3/2002   GM Demonstrates First Gasoline-fed Fuel-cell Vehicle by Ed Garsten - ENN/AP

The truck demonstrated near GM's fuel-cell research facility is equipped with a processor that reforms low-sulfur gasoline though a series of chemical reactions. The fuel is mixed with air and water and passed over a series of catalysts that separate hydrogen from carbon. The hydrogen is sent to the fuel-cell stack, where it is combined with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. ...Pure hydrogen-fed fuel cells produce no harmful emissions, while those using gasoline or other fuels are not pollution-free.