Driving down the road less travelled

Remember when hydrogen cars was the stuff of science fiction? Well, we’re not there yet, but we are getting closer.

Hydrogen has appeal as an alternate fuel source because it is a clean-burning biofuel, but one of the major obstacles is finding a way to contain it effectively.

A litre of liquid hydrogen contains just a quarter of the energy of a litre of gas, so researchers are focusing on ways to increase the energy density. For example, there is now a sponge-like fuel-tank material that can hold 10% of its own weight in hydrogen gas. The porous material holds hydrogen like a sponge holds water.

Another problem is that hydrogen fuel cells rely on platinum which is costly and rare. Platinum is only produced in five mines around the world and in order to meet demand for mass production, the world’s resources of platinum would be depleted in 70 years.

A conventional automotive fuel-cell stack contains up to 100 grams of platinum, which could cost more than $3000 at today’s prices. The amount of platinum used in fuel cells has to come down, or an alternative found. The latest candidate material is a combination of copper atoms and organic molecules called a “metal-organic” framework.

Another obstacle is temperature. For hydrogen to work effectively, it needs to be kept at -196 °C, which is obviously impractical from a mass-production perspective.

Hydrogen vehicles may someday zoom to a driveway near you, but more research, and development are needed first.

Energy in Canada #1

A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
Canada is the largest, safest and most secure supplier of energy to the United States. From supplying natural gas to developing fuel cell technology, Canada is vital to ensuring North America’s energy security.  Read More

THE HYDROGEN HIGHWAY AND BEYOND
Canadian researchers are world leaders in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. This innovation is being shared with our southern neighbour through various government and private partnerships.  Read More

CAPTURING CARBON TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
Through the Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership, 80 U.S. and Canadian stakeholders are working together to make carbon dioxide capture and storage a viable option for combating climate change.  Read More  In 2008 the Centre for Energy in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted the ninth cross-border forum on energy issues. Seventy-five participants, including academics, policy makers and industry representatives assessed the importance of carbon capture and storage to Canada and the United States in developing resources and addressing climate change. The Centre for Energy sat down with the seven panelists who led the discussion at the forum. The interviews give listeners a technical, environmental and social perspective on carbon capture and storage. Listen In

POWERING A NATION
In 2007, Canada exported over $3.1 billion in electricity to the United States. An increasing portion of this electrical energy is being sourced from renewable sources, such as hydropower and wind power. Read More

FROM FOOD TO FUEL
Producers on both sides of the border are exploring the many sources of and uses for bioenergy. In 2008, Canada had 16 ethanol plants and four biodiesel plants operating or under construction, with a total capacity of 1.9 billion litres per year. Read More

Playing the technology adoption waiting game

In the hydrogen car utopia, cars would drive for miles and miles producing nothing more than a bit of water vapor. Powered by fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity used to power an electric engine, hydrogen cars promise freedom from our dependence on non-renewable energy sources for transportation. 

With researchers making huge strides in fuel cell technology, what does it take to push this technology from a utopian dream to a consumer reality?

Indeed, researchers are racing toward a new hydrogen-powered reality. Ballard Power Systems claims to be on track for achieving the US Department of Energy’s targets for fuel cell cost of $30 USD/kW and cold weather reliability, two major barriers to commercialization. Other research focuses on more practical elements, like service life, less expensive catalysts and robust design.

Now, it seems the biggest barrier to the hydrogen car isn’t technology – it’s consumer adoption. As with any technology adoption, hydrogen cars must reach that all-important tipping point, the point where a new technology becomes the standard, before it makes it to the mainstream.

The problem is the classic ‘chicken and egg’ conundrum. Without the proper infrastructure for refueling, consumers are reluctant to purchases a hydrogen vehicle. But without consumer demand for refueling stations, governments and policymakers won’t invest in developing the infrastructure.

Without a clear solution in sight, researchers developed H2VISION, a computer-based model that simulates the dynamic relationships between consumer adoption and infrastructure development. The program gives policymakers recommendations for getting hydrogen technology over the adoption hump, which include building refueling stations in urban centers and home refueling options.

It’s just a matter of time, say experts, before we’ll see hydrogen vehicles hitting the roads on mass.

Hydrogen: invisible but green

Hydrogen fuel cells are often touted as a viable, alternative fuel source. They produce no emissions save for water vapour, and the components in the reaction used to create electricity are oxygen and hydrogen. But, ironically, creating this alternative fuel source usually requires natural gas, a fossil fuel whose processing releases CO2, which in turn means the cells don’t really reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Add to this that the electricity used in the process still comes largely from coal-fired plants, which produce 19 per cent of Canada’s energy, and the fuel cells lose some of their green lustre.

But a team of researchers at Penn State University have discovered a method of separating water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen molecules using solar energy and titanium and copper “nanotubes.” The solar energy channeled into the nanotubes causes the water molecules to break apart, producing the required hydrogen and oxygen.

Though the process is currently too inefficient (and therefore, too expensive) for commercial use, the technology suggests that, even if fuel cell technology isn’t able to deliver on its ambitious promise of a new, zero-emission power source, it may be able to one day.