Feb

28

New Understanding for Oxygen Fuel Cells and Zirconia

February 28, 2013 | Leave a Comment

K. L. Ngai, from the University of Pisa in Italy, and colleagues from the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, devised a model of the oxygen-ion dynamics that contribute to the conductivity of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ).  This is significant because of the movement of oxygen within a fuel cell and for devices we are already [...]

Feb

18

Is a Fuel Cell Without Platinum in Your Future?

February 18, 2013 | 2 Comments

Researchers have reported a new iron based catalyst. It’s the first iron-based catalyst that converts hydrogen directly to electricity. The development puts chemists and engineers one step closer to widely affordable fuel cells. Chemist R. Morris Bullock, who leads the research at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) begins the explanation, “A [...]

Nov

2

Making Platinum in Fuel Cells Go Further and Last Longer

November 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Fuel cells are for some the nirvana of portable or mobile energy production.  But the problem of a catalyst that tears the hydrogen atom into the parts needed to generate electricity still bedevils the progress to widespread commercial marketability. The best catalyst for efficiency is platinum, the rare, expensive, and beautiful silvery metal.  Other ideas [...]

Aug

14

A Breakthrough in Electricity From Wastewater

August 14, 2012 | 2 Comments

Wastewater, more commonly thought of as sewage or gray water is estimated to use 3% of the electrical energy consumed in the United States and other developed countries. Engineers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater.  There have been other [...]

Jun

19

The Fuel Cell Saga Brightens

June 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Ballard Power Systems, a Vancouver British Columbia, Canada based fuel cell manufacturer is flirting with becoming profitable.  The enthusiasm surrounding fuel cells has been the roller coaster ride of the past generation with hopes pushing Ballard’s stock for example beyond $120 while today its about $1. But Ballard stays in the hunt, average product cost [...]

Jun

1

Much Closer to the Practical Fuel Cell

June 1, 2012 | 2 Comments

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using methane, the primary component of natural gas for fuel has designed a new, small-scale solid oxide fuel cell system that achieves up to 57 percent efficiency with room to improve. Fifty seven percent for a solid oxide fuel cell system at this size is significantly higher than the 30 [...]

Apr

10

When Water is the Enemy

April 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

Professor Jeffrey Allen of Michigan Technological University is nearing development of a mathematical model of the interior functions of a reliable hydrogen fuel cell.  The new model should slash the research and development time and effort.  The model keys on the fuel cells main problem, handling the water produced while in operation. What sends the [...]

Mar

13

Bit ‘O Gold Makes a Better Fuel Cell

March 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Brown University chemists have built a triple-headed metallic nanoparticle that is reported to perform better and last longer than any other nanoparticle catalyst studied in fuel-cell reactions. The study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports the key is adding gold to the catalyst formation process to yield a more uniform crystal [...]

keep looking »