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Jan. 25 — Fuel cells have been touted as technology that will revolutionize — and clean up — the world, but their first widespread application could be something much more humble: the household vacuum cleaner. A company that earlier built a prototype fuel-cell bicycle is now building a prototype vacuum cleaner for industry giant Electrolux.
“THIS COULD be the beginning of a major evolution in new portable power applications for household appliances,” Electrolux CEO Joe Urso said in a statement Wednesday.
The fuel-cell vacuum cleaner would be lighter than standard units, virtually noise-free and, most importantly, be free of a power cord. ”(It) gives us a chance to offer our customers an unprecedented degree of freedom and ease of use,” said Urso.
This might not be what fuel-cell gurus had in mind when they started espousing the green benefits of using fuel cells to run cars and even entire homes. Automakers, energy companies and others are actively pursuing those areas, but the potential is seen as a decade or more away. Fuel-cell appliances, on the other hand, are a niche with medium-term profit potential — one that the company developing the vacuum cleaner fuel cell earlier tapped into when it unveiled a fuel-cell bicycle.
Indeed, Manhattan Scientifics is applying what it learned with its “Hydrocycle” to the vacuum cleaner project.
Jack Harrod, the company’s chief operating officer, expects the fuel-cell vacuum cleaner will be ready for testing within the next month. Then it will be given to Electrolux’s sales force for feedback. “We’re using the sales force sort of like a focus group,” he said. The goal, he added, is to make the product “cost competitive with the high-end products out there now” — a niche that Electrolux specializes in now.
HOW IT’D WORK
Fuel cells are like batteries except that instead of requiring a recharge they run off a fuel. The cleanest form is hydrogen, which emits zero pollutants. Using methanol or even gasoline to get hydrogen would not be as clean, but would still be a big improvement over internal combustion engines.
The fuel-cell vacuum cleaner uses hydrogen housed in a unit similar to a propane container, only much more reinforced. The unit is expected to supply 1,000 watts of power. Operating time will be one to two hours, depending on the final size of the container. Manhattan Scientifics said the hydrogen container can be refilled in seconds with a quick connect/disconnect feature. Should it ever be mass produced, the company noted, Electrolux could use its customer service network to deliver refilled hydrogen bottles to customers.
FUEL-CELL BIKE
For its part, the “Hydrocycle” might be pedaling to a commercial future. An Italian company, one of the largest European makers of motorcycles and scooters, turned the prototype into a concept bicycle unveiled last month at a major auto show in Italy. The Hydrocycle fuel-cell stack weighs just two pounds. Manhattan Scientifics CEO Marvin Maslow said the partner, Aprilia, could soon decide whether or not to begin production. The modified mountain bike has pedals but it can also be used like a scooter, with fuel cells providing power to a motor that turns the rear wheel. The company says it was able to create a small, two-pound fuel-cell “stack” by using lightweight materials and sealing technology that replaces gaskets, bolts and screws.
How Ballard's "proton-exchange membrane" fuel cell works Fuel cells are stacked on top of each other to create additional power. The Manhattan Scientifics fuel cells use what are called “proton exchange membranes” to create stacks. Testing suggests the Hydrocycle has a top range of 70 miles along a flat surface. The top speed is around 20 mph. Harrod believes it’s feasible that by mid-2001 it will be possible to market a fuel-cell bicycle for less than $1,500, and hopefully for less than $1,000 some day. A fuel-cell bike would be competing with electric bikes already on sale, but Harrod argued that fuel cells have a tremendous advantage. “Electric bikes can only be ridden a few hours before needing a recharge, which can take several hours,” he noted in an interview when the “Hydrocycle” was unveiled. Fuel cells, on the other hand, have a much longer range and are refueled simply by adding more fuel.
But that refueling process is a major obstacle when hydrogen is used since there’s no infrastructure for hydrogen stations. “It’s a problem that has to be dealt with,” Harrod acknowledged. Then there’s consumer hesitation about hydrogen, given its association with the Hindenburg disaster. Harrod, after citing a NASA scientist’s recent investigation that found hydrogen was not to blame for the dirigible’s crash, felt that hydrogen storage can be engineered the same way car gasoline tanks are to minimize risks.
BICYCLES AND BEYOND
The company believes its Hydrocycle would sell well in noisy, polluted cities, particularly in Asia, where millions already use bicycles or motorcycles to get around. “We believe the Hydrocycle could make an enormous difference in the quality of life of the people in those cities,” Harrod said. Maslow noted that more than 400 million bicycles are in use in China, India and Japan. By 2020, he added, citing the Japan Cycle Press, it’s estimated that 1 billion electric bikes will be on the roads, mostly in Asia. “In Asian countries such as India, massive amounts of goods are transported every day by scooters driven by heavily polluting two-cycle engines,” he said in unveiling the Hydrocycle. “These societies are literally choking on gas and diesel fumes.” These indicators, he added, “clearly suggest the potential for a low cost, environmentally clean, fuel cell-powered bicycle.”
The company, as well as competitors, also hopes to use small fuel cells for other portable equipment like laptops, golf carts, wheelchairs, cordless power tools and even kitchen appliances. Even smaller fuel cells could power cellular phones in the near future, providing standby power for six months and talk time of one week. High-end cell phones today use lithium ion batteries, which typically have two weeks of standby power and five hours of talk time before they need recharging.
I wonder what the possibilities are of using hydrogen fuel cells as rechargeable batteries. Plug one into the wall and use rectified AC to separate hydrogen and oxygen in an internal water tank. Then unplug from the wall and combine the separated gases in a fuel cell to produce electricity and water. Plug back into the wall to get oxygen and hydrogen. You'd need to add more distilled water every so often (hydrogen leaks), but you might get greater energy storage in less weight than you do with rechargeable batteries.
yeah, I've been dreaming & hoping for this to happen for a long time now.
How exactly make a "virtually noise free" vacuum cleaner? A silent motor?
I thought the majority of noise from vacuums was air flow noise.
How exactly make a "virtually noise free" vacuum cleaner? A silent motor?
Vacuum cleaners will always scare cats. With the fuelcell battery at least there won't be a cord to come unplugged two rooms away.
Then unplug from the wall and combine the separated gases in a fuel cell to produce electricity and water.
If I remember correctly, you can just vent the oxygen out (in a safe manner, of course). The fuel cell only needs the hydrogen to run. Electricity, water, and heat are the waste products, assuming hydrogen is used as the fuel.
Also, I think there's research going on concerning extracting hydrogen directly from gasoline. This would get around the infrastructure problems, plus storage of hydrogen.
Vacuum cleaners will always scare cats.
I think the scary part for a cat is when you have to grab them by the head to pull their tails out of the pipe.
I write for GREEN CAR JOURNAL, an industry newsletter and was on the Mercedes test track in November driving the prototype DaimlerChrysler fuel cell vehicles. They are set to come here in 2004 but other companies may beat them. Fuel cell buses will be tested in Europe in 2002.
You will soon see fuel cells used for cell phones, calculators and many other small appliances.
Although hybrid vehicles (electric/internal combusion engine or electric/diesel among others) are becoming more popular and are being perfected. This is the wave of the future. Many companies are joining forces to share research and development. Daimler/Chrysler is betting heavily on methanol as the fuel of the future which they believe will be eventually distributed at regular gas stations. Infrastructure for any of these ideas, however, is still a problem.
RD... My vacuum cleaner is extremely quiet. It stays that way 99% of the time. Trouble is, when the damn thing is plugged in and the on button is pushed, it's noisy. ;-)
RW... My last cat would come running when he heard the vacuum going. He loved to be vacuumed. When he was out of sight or in hiding, I could bring him in by turning it on. He was hit by a car and killed two years ago. His replacement doesn't like to be anywhere near it when its on.
I can just see a little old lady getting on a fuel cell powered bicycle and doing 0-60 and 5 seconds flat. She only drives it to church on sundays.
Make hydrogen from hydrocloric acid and zinc, pump it into a pressure vessel (there were small pumps from WW2 aircraft that would pump up to 2500+ psi)and have your own supply.
I had a cat that didn't care at all about the vacuum. He wouldn't even look up when you vacuumed around him. And you had to vacuum around him because he was large and wouldn't tolerate being moved.
Vacuum cleaners will always scare cats.
Here in farm country it's vacuum cleaners and electric fences. You should see how fast a cat can go when his tail hits a low electric fence wire.
This is the wave of the future
Indeed it is. The problem is deciding how to invest, how to choose among the many companies that will be using and producing fuelcells. There are a lot of them, some concentrating on fuelcell technology alone. Some will do well, others will not be around later. Some are already big existing companies like Alcoa and fuelcells won't make any difference to them, they'll just add it to their existing business.
I can see using a unit outside to power a home that is refueled by a professional service, but a vacuum cleaner?
Boy, I can't wait to have pressurized, explosive hydrogen tanks in my home that I have to refill every month.
Can you say "massive liability ?" I knew you could......
Make hydrogen from hydrocloric acid and zinc
Somebody that owns a zinc mine should be set for life. Somebody like Algore.
Ballard is making the stacks for Daimler/Chrysler and others. In 5 years, they have made amazing advances in shrinking the size and increasing the power. We even saw a go-kart demonstrated in Germany that is direct fuel cell technology without the need of a reformer.
pressurized, explosive hydrogen tanks
Visions of the Hindenburg. Oh, the humanity . . .
fuel cells powered by hydrogen are the wave of the future. granted, the technology is in its infancy at the moment, the calif. crisis and the overall rise in the cost of energy should do wonders to promote this. i have been a student of hydrogen power and fuel cells for several years now and have seen major breakthroughs occur. within the next few years you will see alot of the limitations overcome providing a viable cost effective solution to one of the real crises facing us. for those of you out there who are investors, the alternative energy field is at a stage where the information technology field was in the early to mid 80's. fortunes can be made in thes field with a little research ane some smart investments.
Make hydrogen from hydrocloric acid and zinc, pump it into a pressure vessel (there were small pumps from WW2 aircraft that would pump up to 2500+ psi)and have your own supply.
What--sell bottles of hydrochloric acid in the grocery store? But that wouldn't be safe! Little kids might drink it and get sick!
Oh...and what to do with the sludge left over after the reaction's finished? I'll bet the tree-huggers could find all sorts of problems with that.
At least electrolysis is clean and safe, if nothing else...
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