Posted on 05/19/2006 10:01:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
ALGONA, Iowa - While much of the world fumes over escalating fuel prices, a small company in north central Iowa is quietly hoping to make gasoline obsolete as an engine fuel.
Research at the Hydrogen Engine Center Inc. is done in an early 1900s red brick armory at the Kossuth County fairgrounds.
There, a clean six-cylinder engine that looks like it could have been pulled from a Ford pickup has been running for 110 hours, not quite half the 300 hours it must continuously run for certification. The company, led by a retired Ford Motor Co. engineer, hopes to meet Environmental Protection Agency automotive 2007 emission standards.
All 81 parts are original Oxx Power, the brand name the company has given all its engines.
The engine can run on a number of fuels including hydrogen, ethanol, natural gas, propane or digester gas from landfills.
The company, started by Ted Hollinger, 65, is initially focusing on making more efficient, environmentally friendlier engines to replace those used in generators and in forklift trucks, airline ground equipment, irrigation pumps, tractors and buses.
Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have dropped industrial engine production as they've cut costs, leaving what Hollinger said is a ready-made market for his fledgling company.
"Our engine has to bolt in where the old engine went and can't be a thread off," he said. "If you do that and you make improvements in it so that it gets rid of emissions and it's more efficient, then I think people are going to like it."
The company incorporated in Iowa in 2003 and two years later in Canada. It merged with Green Mt. Labs in August 2005 and became a publicly traded company under the name Hydrogen Engine Center Inc.
Hollinger said he insisted that his company have a product to sell from day one instead of starting up as a research and development firm.
The company's products include a six-cylinder engine and a three-cylinder version for small engine applications.
The company has found immediate interest in its hydrogen-powered generators that use five engines.
Brad Van Horn, an engine distributor with Northern Power Productions of Minneapolis, said some orders are already placed for the generators as they approach the production phase.
"The level of excitement is huge," he said.
Van Horn, who sells in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, said he gets calls daily from companies running irrigation equipment in Nebraska. Airports needing to replace the Ford engines in their baggage handling and other ground service equipment will also be a large market.
The company said American Airlines alone has 9,500 vehicles likely to be converted to alternative fuels over the next decade.
While the engines drive a revenue stream for the company, engineers are working to improve the technology of engines that run on hydrogen and other clean fuels.
Bob Mendlesky, another retired Ford engineer, light ups when he describes the potential for the engines his shop is developing.
He said there are obstacles to making cars powered with hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines. To carry enough hydrogen, the fuel tank would have to be under extremely high pressure, he said. In addition, tanks made to that specification cost as much as the engine to power the car.
Hydrogen technology is better suited for generator applications and for industrial uses at its current stage of development, he said.
A better solution may be engines that run on ammonia, Hollinger said.
Development of ammonia as a fuel must include ways to improve its combustibility. Ammonia does not readily spark like other fuels, but Hollinger is determined to overcome some of the obstacles.
"I tell people that I'm no dumber now than when I was at Ford Motor Co. If I can invent at Ford, I can invent here," Hollinger said. "I don't think that there's any reason we can't. Will we? I don't know."
Hollinger said he doesn't expect his small company to make major breakthroughs in the automotive propulsion, but he's willing to work with Ford or any other company working on clean fuel technology.
"I hope in the future the automotive people will look at our stuff and incorporate some of our ideas," he said. "Somebody needs to do something now."
___
On the Net: Hydrogen Engine Center: http://www.hydrogenenginecenter.com
And CA's idiot celebrity Republican RINO Governor!!!
Now let's hope we don't get $20 a barrel oilor lower that will
effectively kill it.
Yep. Don't you have to burn a lot of coal or natural gas to generate the electricity to make the hydrogen? Of course nuclear power would fix that part of the equation.
Didja see Billy Saul Estes???
--
LOL..
No, can't say I did.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKestes.htm
For those not familiar with the name.
The Ford 300 inline 6. One hell of a reliable workhorse. My dad bought F-150's for our company for years with this engine in them and they ran like clocks. Got an average of 250,000 miles out of them and that was in the 80's. Since we run everything until the wheels fall off, We have one of them that lasted about 370,000 miles.
the worst part is that even if this 'fantasy world' of combustible hydrogen power was feasable, it couldn't work. the left is promoting this as a way to slow down global warming. the most potent 'green house' gas known to man is water vapor. what comes out of the pipes of these "eco-friendly" cars? if every internal combustion engine was coverted to hydrogen tomorrow we would all be dead in a matter of years.
>>>>"Please forgive me!!!"<<<
Nope
Not until everyone else forgives me...
TT
If they can get us off foreign energy sources, then more power to them.
Cool stuff.
"when it runs out just pi$$ in it for a few miles:)"
If they can get one to run on ammonia, then maybe you could.
There's too much oil for prices to keep going up, the deamnd/supply curves are crossing.
However, long term, I believe electric cars will sominate. The can be recharged with nuclear generated electricily...the ultimate "green car" that doesn't make the country dependent on anyone.
I suppose you know I meant "dominate" ?
yeah, it must be late. couldn't help it ;)
Understood. But somewhere in there they said something about trying to get it to run on ammonia. :)
Someone once told me a parable about how when things seem to be stuck in a mire [metaphorically], one must take things to the next level. Are you saying there is absolutely no hope of finding a viable alternative? [which I would say, totally stinks]. ...Truly, no alternative so just accept it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.