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Fuel Cells Are Coming
Stationary fuel cells for domestic or light commercial use are currently available in 5-kilowatt models (figure 5). They cost around $100,000 each installed, or about $20,000 per kilowatt. The very large units (100 kilowatts or more) cost about a quarter to half as much per kilowatt. Small fuel cell systems (under 100 watts) cost less than $100 per watt, a cost comparable to a battery system.
Figure 5�This 5-kilowatt fuel cell manufactured by Plug Power
is being tested by the U.S. Department of Defense at the Concurrent
Technologies Corp. test facility. It is intended for residential use
or small commercial installations.
�Photo courtesy of Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, PA.
Honda, Toyota, and Ford displayed hydrogen fuel cell concept cars at the 2002 Future Car Congress sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research. Ford�s vehicle relied solely on power from fuel cells, while the Toyota used batteries, and the Honda used a capacitor to assist the fuel cell during brisk acceleration. The Honda and Toyota perform similarly to their conventional counterparts, while the Ford is an early prototype that will be replaced by a hybrid to improve its sluggish acceleration.
The Japanese government strongly supports fuel cell technology. Tokyo has two hydrogen fueling stations and five more are being designed or are under construction. In December 2002, Honda delivered the first commercial fuel cell automobiles to the United States for fleet use in Los Angeles (figure 6).
Figure 6�This Honda FCX is one of the first commercially available
automobiles to be powered by fuel cells in the United States.
�Photo courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Torrance, CA.
A newly developed safe method for storing and delivering hydrogen fuel uses a chemical hydride slurry to store hydrogen safely in a nonexplosive, nonflammable form. The slurry, which is about the consistency of thick paint, stores hydrogen 10 times more densely than compressed hydrogen and twice as densely as liquid hydrogen, without the need for a pressure tank. When water is added to the slurry, 99.999-percent pure hydrogen is produced. This could change the emphasis within the fuel cell development industry from ordinary fossil fuels to pure hydrogen, possibly allowing fuel cells to become commercially competitive more quickly.
For the past 20 years, commercial fuel cell development has always been characterized as "about 5 years away." It appears that the state of fuel cell development has finally caught up to the promises. Fuel cells will be powering vehicles, clocks, laptop computers, homes, and businesses in the next few years.
The following Web sites have more information about fuel cells. Readers are encouraged to search other Internet sites or publications that may address their specific interests.
The National Fuel Cell Research Center
http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/
Fuel Cells 2000
http://www.fuelcells.org/
U.S. Fuel Cell Council
http://www.usfcc.com/
The authors would like to thank the following individuals for providing fuel cell information and guidance.
John Delvo, Montana Dakota Utilities
Warren Lewis, Border States Electric Supply
Scott Bedont, Concurrent Technologies Corp.
Mike Binder, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
Kim Bergland, National Fuel Cell Research Center
Discover magazine
Web site: http://www.discover.com
October 2002
"Future Tech: The Car of Tomorrow�We put the pedal to the hydrogen"
�By Brad Lemley
July 2002
"Geoffrey Ballard: Developer of a Practical Hydrogen Fuel Cell"
�By Jack McClintock
Save With Solar and Wind:
A Technical Bulletin for Federal Solar and Wind Energy Champions
Web site: http://www.eere.energy.
gov/femp/techassist/savesolar.html
Technical Review: Field Experience with a PV/Fuel Cell System at Kirby Cove revised June 2002 DOE/GO�102002�1591 �By Andy Walker
Fuel Cell Catalyst
Web site: http://www.usfcc.com/BackIssues.html
(A quarterly e-mail publication of the U.S. Fuel Cell Council)
The National Fuel Cell
Research Center
Web site: http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/
Fuel Cells 2000
Web site: http://www.fuelcells.org/
Kathleen Snodgrass came to MTDC as a project leader in 2001. She graduated from Washington State University in 1974 with a bachelor�s degree in architectural studies. Kathleen worked in facilities, land line, landscape architecture, and general engineering before becoming facilities architect for the Nez Perce National Forest, and has worked in highway design and construction for the Idaho Division of Highways.
Longchaw Lee is a mechanical engineering student at Montana State University and a part-time employee of MTDC.
| USDA Forest Service, Technology and Development Last Modified: 10/15/2016 23:43:20 |
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Kathie Snodgrass