New FC Locomotive Unveiled

The BNSF Railway Co. and Vehicle Projects Inc. rolled out the nation’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell locomotive Monday morning at the railroad’s shops in the Oakland neighborhood.

BNSF, Vehicle Projects, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and the Department of the Army announced plans to develop the locomotive on Jan. 9, 2008.

Funding came from BNSF and the Department of Defense, said Steven Forsberg, BNSF spokesman. In 2008, Brownback announced the Department of Defense was providing a second year of funding for the experiment — $2.4 million for fiscal year 2008 following $2 million in the previous fiscal year.

“The prototype switch locomotive has the potential to reduce air pollution, is not dependent on oil for fuel, and could serve as a mobile backup power source for military and civilian disaster-relief efforts,” a news release from BNSF stated.

Brownback was joined by Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., in addressing a small crowd gathered Monday under a purple and white tent in front of the BNSF offices at the Topeka System Maintenance Terminal, 1001 N.E. Atchison.

“It is truly an honor to be here with Sen. Sam Brownback for this unveiling,” Jenkins said. “This is a real-world, common sense way to move forward.”

Brownback called Monday a “great day in Topeka.”

“This has been a long-storied railroad town,” he said. “This is a new story.”

After addressing the crowd, Brownback listened along with spectators as Kris Hess, of Golden, Colo.-based Vehicle Projects, gave a description of the major components of the locomotive.

Brownback then boarded the locomotive and rode up and down tracks in the BNSF yard. After the demonstration, he toured the locomotive and asked questions.

“It is extremely quiet,” he told members of the media after he disembarked. “I think this is an exciting process.”

Shawn Semple, groundsman for BNSF, rode on the front of the locomotive as it headed north in the yard. He then got off and switched the rails. “It’s very similar to diesel locomotive,” he said. “It’s very interesting.”

The locomotive will be sent to Colorado for additional testing this summer, said Chris Roberts, BNSF vice president of engineering. Then, it will be sent to California to test the viability of the technology.

“We look forward to the testing,” Roberts said. “At BNSF, we’re proud to be a part of this.”

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Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station

Honda today began operation of a next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., intended for ultimate use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles.
Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user's garage, Honda's next generation Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an 8-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle.
The previous solar hydrogen station system required both an electrolyzer and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure hydrogen. The compressor was the largest and most expensive component and reduced system efficiency. By creating a new high differential pressure electrolyzer, Honda engineers were able to eliminate the compressor entirely - a world's first for a home use system. This innovation also reduces the size of other key components to make the new station the world's most compact system, while improving system efficiency by more than 25% (value calculated based on simulations) compared to the solar hydrogen station system it replaces.
Compatible with a "Smart Grid" energy system, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station would enable users to refill their vehicle overnight without the requirement of hydrogen storage, which would lower CO2 emissions by using less expensive off-peak electrical power. During daytime peak power times, the Solar Hydrogen Station can export renewable electricity to the grid, providing a cost benefit to the customer, while remaining energy neutral.
Designed for simple, user-friendly operation, the intuitive system layout enables the user to easily lift and remove the fuel hose, with no hose coiling when the hose is returned to the dispenser unit.
Engineered for an 8-hour, slow fill for overnight refilling of a fuel cell electric vehicle, the home-use Solar Hydrogen Station would replenish the hydrogen for a typical daily driving, meeting the commuting requirements of many drivers. As with the previous generation system, the hydrogen purity from the new station meets the highest SAE (J2719) and ISO (14687) specifications.
Installed at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, the new Solar Hydrogen Station will employ the same 48-panel, 6.0kW solar array that powered the previous system. The array utilizes thin film solar cells composed of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) produced by Honda Soltec Co., Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda that was established for the mass production and sales of solar cells capable of efficient renewable electricity generation. Honda's unique solar cells reduce the amount of CO2 generated during production as compared to conventional solar cells.
Designed to support the needs of the future owners of fuel cell electric vehicles, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station was also designed to complement a public network of fast fill hydrogen stations. The Honda FCX Clarity electric vehicle is fast fill capable and offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 240 miles. With fast fill public stations providing 5-minute fueling time for longer trips, and the opportunity of convenient nighttime slow filling at home using a solar station with a Smart Grid connection, the Honda FCX Clarity can cover a wide range of driving demands from the daily commute to weekend trips.
A key strategy in creating a solar hydrogen station for home-use was to create a new lifestyle with convenient, clean, energy-efficient and sustainable home refueling, by addressing the need for refueling infrastructure that can advance the wider use of fuel cell electric vehicles by consumers.
The combination of a fuel cell electric vehicle and the solar hydrogen station could help lead to the establishment of a hydrogen society based on renewable energy, resulting in a major reduction of CO2 emissions and greater energy sustainability.
Honda began operation of its first Solar Hydrogen Station at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas in 2001:
July 2001: 3-unit system with hydrogen storage begins operation.

• October 2003: new 2-unit system with an original Honda electrolyzer and a new solar array utilizing prototype Honda CIGS solar cells offers improved system efficiency.
• August 2008: solar array fitted with mass production CIGS cells from Honda Soltec Co., reducing the size of the array by 20% and further improving photo voltaic (PV) energy efficiency.
• January 2010: new single-unit station begins operation, improving to world's best system efficiency - increasing the efficiency by more than 25% (value calculated based on simulations) compared to the previous solar hydrogen station system, for a world's highest system efficiency.

About Honda R&D Americas, Inc.
Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA) is responsible for creating advanced technologies and products in the U.S. that provide new value to Honda and Acura customers. HRA began R&D operations in the U.S. in 1975 with market research activities in California, and has steadily grown its capabilities over the past 35 years to include all aspects of new vehicle design and development, as well as taking a leading role in the advancement of leading-edge safety and environmental technologies.
Today, Honda operates 15 major R&D facilities in the U.S. with more than 1,300 designers, engineers and support personnel engaged in the development of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment products for North America and global markets.
HRA's major centers include the Los Angeles Center (Torrance, CA), responsible for market research, concept development and styling design; the Ohio Center (Raymond, OH) responsible for complete product development, testing and support of North American supplier development; and a dynamic test facility in Ohio; and the North Carolina Center (Swepsonville, NC) responsible for power equipment R&D.


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Local source for hydrogen fuel ‘very close'

Bus breakdowns, meanwhile, reported as full fleet goes into service in Whistler 

As politicians, dignitaries and the media gathered last week to celebrate Whistler's now-complete fleet of 20 hydrogen buses, news came of the strong possibility that hydrogen fuel for the buses will be produced in North Vancouver as early as next year.

 Liquid hydrogen is currently being trucked from Quebec every two weeks for Whistler's hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet, the largest fleet in the world. The project's critics point out that fossil fuels are being burned to get the zero-emission hydrogen to Whistler.

Plans are underway to build a hydrogen liquefier in North Vancouver, with a target delivery date of mid-2011, Rick Hopp, president of Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation (HTEC), said at a ribbon cutting event at Whistler's new transit facility on Friday (Jan. 22). The company has been capturing small quantities of waste hydrogen from an electrochemical plant since 2006 and developing distribution and end-use technologies for the fuel.

A funding announcement for the liquefier project is expected from the federal government soon, said Manuel Achadinha, president and CEO of B.C. Transit. He said he's been looking for a “made in B.C.” solution for the hydrogen fleet's fuel needs.

“We're very close,” Achadinha said.

If the project comes to fruition, B.C. Transit is “100 per cent committed” to sourcing hydrogen from North Vancouver, he said.

Because the hydrogen is produced in North Vancouver as a by-product of an electrochemical process, it's a “green” source, Hopp said.

Enough by-product hydrogen is currently produced in North Vancouver to fuel 20,000 passenger vehicles, said Colin Armstrong, HTEC director. Most of the hydrogen has been vented for the past 40 years, he said.

Meanwhile, some people around Whistler this weekend were experiencing hiccups with the start-up of the hydrogen bus fleet. The breakdown of at least two hydrogen buses was reported on Saturday (Jan. 23).

On Monday (Jan. 25), in response to a question about the breakdowns, B.C. Transit spokesperson Joanna Morton said the buses are still in the midst of the commissioning process.

“We have to understand that the buses are coming off the production line,” she wrote in an email to the Question. “…We're testing these buses, and learning more about the technology with each day.

“It's new and complex technology, but B.C. Transit, along with our partners, have been working together (and will continue to do so) to oversee the success of the demonstration project.”

At Friday's event, Achadinha said the performance of the hydrogen buses is “fine.” The buses have been in the commissioning phase for the past six months, undergoing testing in all conditions, he said.

B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond, who attended the ribbon cutting event, said B.C is “very, very proud” to have the largest fleet of hydrogen buses as well as the largest hydrogen fuelling station in the world.

“We are going to be the leader in the world with this technology,” she said.

Achadinha recognized Whistler for its high per-capita transit ridership — one of the highest in North America. Mayor Ken Melamed flashed his bus pass to the crowd and said he's doing his part to show that public transit is a viable option.

“I'm a devoted user of transit,” he said.

The total cost of the hydrogen bus project — including capital and operating costs until March 2014 — is $89.5 million. According to a Ministry of Transportation info sheet, Whistler's share of that is $16.8 million. That's in addition to the municipality's $11.7 million share for the new transit yard.

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SunHydro looks ahead to highway lined with hydrogen fueling stations

Among the many advanced vehicles set to hit the road in the next several years, a few under development at Daimler, Honda, Mercedes Benz and other automakers are being design to run on hydrogen fuel cells. But they will still hit the big roadblock facing their electric-powered peers: How will drivers refuel in a world of petroleum gas stations? What’s the point if you can only juice up at home?

Now a company calledSunHydro is stepping up to answer the big question of infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles, pitching a so-called “hydrogen highway” extending from Portland, Maine to Florida dotted with 11 fueling stations tailored specifically to fuel-cell powered vehicles.

In addition to infrastructure limitations, cost has been the big barrier holding back transportation innovation. Hydrogen fuel cells in particular are incredibly expensive to build and maintain. Looking at SunHydro’s process you can see why. Each station will split water molecules using solar power. This sounds incredibly clean, and will save the costs and emissions related to shipping hydrogen gas in tanker trunks over long distances. It’s unclear how SunHydro plans to foot this bill.

Especially when you consider how few cars will require its services in the immediate future. Building fueling stations for any type of advanced vehicle has always presented a chicken-and-the-egg style problem. Electric and hydrogen-powered cars won’t be widely adopted until consumers know they can reliably refuel on the go. But companies developing fueling stations won’t be able to afford mass expansion until they have some customers. For now, it looks like the government may need to step in the break the deadlock.

Better Place, a company that has pitched battery-switching stations for electric cars — allowing drivers to quickly swap out depleted batteries for new ones — just raised $350 million in private investment led by HSBC, but will clearly need millions if not billions more to make its vision a nationwide staple. Venture capital and equity will probably not be enough to change the game.

SunHydro says that each of its stations, with the technology as is, costs about $3 million to build. That’s not so infeasible — it already has the funding it needs from private investors. But if its solution is to be scaled, a lot of other pieces, including government aid, will need to fall into place. Automakers need to move their hydrogen models closer to market. Both Toyota and Daimler have pegged 2015 as the year fuel-cell cars will roll into showrooms, begging the question: What will SunHydro do for the next five years?

The first phase of its rollout plan includes the construction of stations in Portland, Maine, Braintree, Mass., Wallingford, Conn., S. Hackensack, N.J., Claymont, Del., Richmond, Va., Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., Savannah, Ga., Orlando, Fla., and Miami, Fla. Phase two is a much longer hydrogen highway connecting New York and California.

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Honda's next generation solar hydrogen station prototype

Honda's next generation solar hydrogen station prototype began operating today at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. The system is ultimately intended for use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles, such as the Honda FCX Clarity. 
Designed to fit in the user's garage, Honda's station produces enough hydrogen via an 8-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle.
(Photo: Business Wire)


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Horizon Hydrofill Hydrogen Refueling and Storage Solution

[CES 2010] We published about Horizon Hydrofill, when it was announced prior to CES on Jan. 4th, and we got a chance to see the device at the show. Hydrofill is a major fuel cell innovation, allowing everyone to have a personal hydrogen generator and portable hydrogen cartridges. The Hydrofill system basically extracts hydrogen from water using electrolysis, and store it in the Hydrostick solid hydrogen cartridges. 60 W DC power is enoufght to extract 10 liters of Hydrogen per hour and fill one of the Hydrostick cartrigdge.Using the cartridge, you can charge your cellphone, or laprtop or any device with USB connector. According to Horizon, the metal hydride alloys contained in the cartridge absorb hydrogen into their crystalline structure and creates the highest volumetric energy density of any form of hydrogen storage. Horrizon Hydrofill can be powered by AC power, a solar panel or a small wind turbine.


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Horizon Fuel Cell technologies will be lifting the curtains on its Hydrofill hydrogen refueling and and storage solution at the upcoming CES, making it the first personal hydrogen station in the world. This extremely small desktop device will plug into your AC, solar panel or a sufficiently small wind turbine in order to extract hydrogen from its water tank, only to store it in a solid form in small refillable cartridges for future use. This could potentially remove dependence on large-scale fueling infrastructure investments, where all the energy-gathering action happens right in the comfort of your own home. Even better is its environmental-friendly theme, and it won't blow up like those fuel cells in Terminator Salvation.


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Toyota expands hydrogen car program, aims to hit the road by 2013

Toyota plans to have more than 100 hydrogen fuel-cell cars on the road by 2013, the company has announced. While most of them will be given to government agencies and universities for testing in California and New York, expanding this pilot program is designed to win consumers to the idea before automakers introduce hydrogen-powered cars to the market in 2015.

This is the third pillar in Toyota’s robust green technology strategy. Already, its Prius is the dominant brand in low-emissions vehicles. Whenever anyone thinks of hybrid cars, it immediately springs to mind, giving Toyota all the cred it will need to successfully launch the revamped, plug-in version of the Prius in 2012. Both Priuses have built a strong foundation for Toyota to move beyond battery technology to fuel cells.

“We plan to come to market in 2015 or earlier with a vehicle that will be reliable and durable, with exceptional fuel economy and zero emissions at an affordable price,” Toyota head of environmental affairs Irv Miller said during the announcement.

The major automaker started testing fuel cell technology in 2002 with a fleet of 20 vehicles in California. In the last eight years, it has more than doubled the range of its fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). In late 2007, it took of the models on a seven-day road test between Fairbanks, Alaska and Vancouver, Canada. The cars are said to get 68 miles per gallon of gasoline and have a driving range of 431 miles while emitting zero greenhouse gases.

The one snag in Toyota’s plan? It might be hard to find a hydrogen station to fuel up. The company hopes its program, and those being explored by its competitors, will jump start the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure. Producing the hydrogen fuel cells themselves isn’t too difficult. It only requires electricity and water. The trick will be to accelerate both car production and infrastructure development at the same right and at the right time to achieve rapid adoption, Toyota says.

In September, Daimler also came out with similar plans to get average consumers behind the wheel of hydrogen fuel cell cars by 2015 (and is looking to partner with Toyota in the endeavor). The big challenge, that company said, will be to make them cost-competitive with other automotive options. It hopes to commercialize a hydrogen version of its compact Mercedes Benz B class, which it unveiled at the auto show in Frankfurt in the fall.

It will be interesting to see how collaborative the companies involve get in order to make a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid a reality. Considering the hurdles ahead — both steep costs and the need for extensive, perhaps policy-motivated, changes to fuel infrastructure — it seems like even the biggest names in the car industry will be willing to partner so that more can benefit.

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