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Will Biofriendly Fuel Cells Power Future Cars?
By Mr Ethanol | November 27, 2007
The Open Press:
At the November 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda unveiled its new biofriendly FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle (FCV). Honda plans to lease a limited number of them in the summer of 2008. First developed in 1999, the 2008 model has many improvements, such as a 30% increase in driving range and a 25% increase in power-to-weight ratio. (1)
What makes FCVs attractive, compared to gasoline-powered cars, is that fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel to produce electric power, with pure water as the only byproduct. This makes the FCV a perfect zero-emission vehicle, emitting no greenhouse gases or air pollution whatsoever. Other advantages include reduced dependence on fossil fuels, better energy efficiency and greater design flexibility.
Typically, an FCV has an on-board tank of hydrogen gas, while the needed oxygen is drawn from the surrounding air. In “burning” the hydrogen, the fuel cell produces electricity that powers one or more electric motors to drive the wheels.
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe. Unfortunately, most of it is combined with other elements, as with oxygen to form water, or with carbon to form organic compounds, such as coal, oil and natural gas. Hydrogen can be extracted from water, using a process called electrolysis, but this method uses electricity. As power stations generally use fossil fuels, this makes electrolysis a less than optimum solution. More.
Topics: Biofuel, Cars, Energy, Green Business, Technology |
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