Fuel Cell Systems

After I found out that the fuel cell will be in cars maybe never competitive against the ICE, I thought on other ways.

The scenario:

2040, photovoltaic is very cheap, energy for stationary use is cheap, the only problem is easy to trasnport energy for mobile applications.

Biomass is much to few to deal with all the demands.

Batteries are to heavy for more than 300km range
Hydrogen is no easy to transport energy for mobile applications

After I have seen the Chevrolet Volt also as a plug-in hybrid hydrogen fuel cell car

http://car.pege.org/2007-iaa/chevrolet-volt-hydrogen.htm

I evaluated again the fuel cells.

They are way to expensive to beat the ICE.

The Chevrolet Volt
15 kWh /100km from the plug
The range extender needs only 13 kWh, because delivering at an other point of the loose chain.
This would be at 50% efficiency fuel cell 0,8 kg
But an hydrogen ICE could have 40%, makes 1 kg hydrogen.

ZURICH (AFP) - The man behind the micro-sized Smart car, the head of Swiss watch group Swatch, wants to develop a fuel cell engine for an affordable "green" vehicle, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

A spokeswoman confirmed a report in Swiss magazine Hebdo, which reported Swatch chairman Nicolas G. Hayek as saying: "I want to do everything within my powers to accelerate the development of alternative and renewable energy."

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/070824/8/1ffc.html

Micro sized internal combustion engine
January 12th, 2006 by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider"

Fill your car up with aluminum?
By Julie Steenhuysen2 hours, 49 minutes ago

Pellets made out of aluminum and gallium can produce pure hydrogen when water is poured on them, offering a possible alternative to gasoline-powered engines, U.S. scientists say.

Hydrogen is seen as the ultimate in clean fuels, especially for powering cars, because it emits only water when burned. U.S. President George W. Bush has proclaimed hydrogen to be the fuel of the future, but researchers have not decided what is the most efficient way to produce and store hydrogen.

Company here raises funds for fuel-cell breakthrough
By Rachel Melcer
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Mar. 28 2007

Akermin Inc. is meeting research milestones and celebrating with drinks all
'round — but these shots of alcohol are powering the company's innovative fuel
cells rather than its researchers.