This article is part of an ongoing series of articles concerning
different aspects of the alternative fuel industry and printed in
Vehicle Views for your information. The information and opinions
expressed in this article are strictly the author\'s and do not reflect
any endorsement on behalf of the Federal Vehicle Policy Division or GSA.

Reprinted with permission from ASE Blue Seal Tech News, Volume 7, Winter
2001

Alternate Fuel Technology - Fuel Cell Vehicles

If you've been in the trade for a while, you've probably had a good
laugh about the elusive "water carburetor" invention which someone sold,
only to have it squirreled away by the big oil companies. While running
a vehicle on water may have seemed absurd a few years ago, its now a
reality thanks to the *hydrogen fuel cell electric engine*. If you want
to know more about how hydrogen fuel and fuel cell powered vehicles will
change our transportation landscape, read on.

The fuel cell "engine" runs on pure hydrogen, perhaps the most abundant
element on earth, and oxygen. What's more, hydrogen has "three times the
energy content per pound as either gasoline or diesel fuel", and has
"71% less greenhouse gas emissions per unity energy over the whole fuel
cycle relative to gasoline"^1^. The fuel cell itself emits no
pollutants.

# What Is A Fuel Cell?

Simply put, a fuel cell (abbrev. FC) is a chemical reactor which
generates electricity. Some call it a fuel cell "engine" (see "Nuts and
Bolts" sidebar). Fuel cells have been around since 1839, but did not
gain popularity until NASA's space program began using them for
electrical power (and water) during space flight. The potential for
commercial applications of FCs was recognized in the 60's, but high
costs compared to other energy sources prevented commercial acceptance.
Research continued however, and today, with renewed concern over energy
prices, energy conservation and the environment, fuel cells are gaining
popularity for commercial applications. There are different types of
fuel cells, each with strengths and weaknesses making them suitable for
various applications. We're told that three major fuel cell "growth
markets" will emerge in the not-too-distant future: portable power for
electronic devices, stationary power for homes and industry, and
transportation (motive) power. Fuel cells will be used for electrical
power in many applications, not just cars.

According to the SAE "Most major auto manufacturers have...announced
plans to commercialize \[fuel cell powered\] cars in 2003 or 2004".
Research is focused on developing practical and reliable FCs which
operate under a variety of automotive load and temperature conditions.
Lowering fuel cell production and materials costs is a prime goal as
well. The PEM type fuel cell (see sidebar) seems to be one of the best
suited for automotive applications because of its relatively low
operating temperature and quick response to load changes. Many think 50
KW of output is a minimum for acceptable automobile performance. Market
demand for fuel cells and FCVs (fuel cell vehicles) has resulted in an
increasing number of companies striking innovative deals to bring fuel
cell technology to the marketplace. FC powered transit buses, vans,
automobiles, auxiliary power units (for trucks), even wheelchairs, are
undergoing tests in various locations and climates in the U.S. ands
abroad.

# Why Use Fuel Cells? 

No noise, no pollution, energy independence, abundant sustainable fuel
... take your pick! Fuel cells are relatively efficient, currently
around 40% and potentially much higher, than the internal combustion
engine; the FCV is *at least* 1.75 times more efficient than present ICE
(internal combustion engine) vehicles. The only "pollutants" from direct
hydrogen fuel cells are water and some heat\... a major plus for the
environment. What's more, hydrogen is virtually unlimited in supply,
unlike petroleum for which we presently spend billions to import and
defend. Fuel cell vehicles have advantages over "pure" battery-electric
vehicles (BEVs) because FCVs can be refueled quickly and offer greater
range. Some are working on developing a "closed loop" of generating
hydrogen fuel from water, capturing the fuel cell's water emission, and
then reusing the water by-product for more fuel.

# 

If you haven't guessed by now, this is an exciting time- we are on the
leading edge of the "hydrogen age" and all its implications. Whether for
transportation, electronic appliances or stationary power, we're
shifting from fossils fuels and heat engines to clean hydrogen power.
According to Dr. Doug Nelson at Virginia Tech, "These fuel cell
systems...are \[a\] new technology, not yet off-the-shelf...but one of
the few ways to get a true zero emissions vehicle." In his view, the
systems are maturing relatively rapidly. GM's Vice Chairman Harry Pearce
said "...the fuel cell will revolutionize power generation; not just for
automobiles, but for homes, businesses, and virtually every power need."

**The Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle, or FCV**

If you've read previous EV and HEV articles in the *ASE TechNews*, you
have a basic idea of how hybrid vehicles (HEVs) work using an internal
combustion engine. The ICE powered Honda Insight and Toyota Prius HEVs
are leading the way to market acceptance of FCVs. The fuel-cell vehicle
is likewise a hybrid, but uses the fuel cell electric engine instead of
a heat engine. The FC engine supplies primary power for the electric
traction motor(s) and for charging the vehicle's battery modules. As in
other hybrids, battery modules serve as backup secondary power -- a kind
of "electric supercharger".

Competition for developing economical and practical fuels cell vehicles
is intense. The U.S. Department of Energy USCAR partnership along with
system and component suppliers help sponsor engineering students who
design, build and demonstrate innovative FCVs. Virginia Tech engineering
students won honors in the 1999 PNGV student FutureCar Challenge with
their 20 KW series-hybrid fuel cell '97 Chevrolet Lumina sedan. They
demonstrated that a pure hydrogen vehicle can carry 5 passengers and
still provide acceptable performance, trunk space, range and good
mileage. (They named it "ANIMUL H~2~" -- for *Lumina*, spelled
backwards!)

The *Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles'* goal of seeing
manufacturers build mid-sized vehicles achieving 80 miles per
gasoline-equivalent-gallon is becoming a reality by using fuel cell
engines. U.S., European and Asian vehicle manufacturers are building and
testing both direct and reformed^2^ hydrogen FC vehicle models for
release to the market as early as 2003 -2004, and a fuel cell bicycle
will be available soon in 2002. We'll see a few FCVs on the roads before
too long, but when and where will we be able to purchase hydrogen to
fuel FCVs? Referring to the need for an H~2~ infrastructure (and other
issues), Richard Parry-Jones, Group VP of Global Product Development and
Quality at Ford, reportedly said it will be 10 years before the fuel
cell is a viable and accepted alternative to the ICE, and 20 years
before significant numbers of FCVs are on the highways.

**Related issues...**

Where do the oil companies stand on sustainable hydrogen and alternative
feedstocks for H~2~?... Will hydrogen be stored off-board or on-board,
and by what means?... What about hydrogen safety issues?... We'll cover
these topics, along with a look at the fuel cell vehicles we might see
from the OEs, in the next edition of *ASE TechNews.* For now, you can do
your own research on fuel cells, FCV developments, and the H2
infrastructure on the Internet by referring to our "more info" sidebar
listing of URLs.

Will the "water carburetor" resurface? Well, maybe the carburetor won't,
but in some cases water already has replaced gasoline as a motorfuel...
If you don't believe it, don't forget that "The stone age didn't end for
a lack of stones".

*In part two, we'll look at some interesting developments for extracting
hydrogen from water and other feedstocks, and we'll look at some H~2~
vehicles.*

1\. "Design and Development of the 2000 Virginia Tech Fuel Cell Hybrid
Electric Future Truck", SAE 2000

2.  If liquid or gaseous fuels like gasoline, natural gas, propane,
    methanol, etc. are stored on-board the FCV, a fuel reformer is
    normally required to extract the hydrogen for use by the fuel cell.
    By contrast, the direct hydrogen FCV stores gaseous or liquid
    (cryogenic) hydrogen on-board. Several companies make fuel cells
    which accept hydrogen rich methanol/ammonia directly.

***For comments or questions, contact ASE's Bob Rodriguez at
703-713-3086 or brodriguez@ASECert.org.*)**