Free Republic

Chemistry World reports that the catalyst could not only fuel the hydrogen-powered cars of the future, but could also help clean up municipal wastewater. Gerardine Botte of Ohio University uses an electrolytic approach to produce hydrogen from urine - the most abundant waste on Earth - at a fraction of the cost of producing hydrogen from water. Urine's major constituent is urea, which incorporates four hydrogen atoms per molecule - importantly, less tightly bonded than the hydrogen atoms in water molecules.

Enlarge ImageSurprise! The IBEX spacecraft, preparing to explore deep space (inset), accidentally made an important discovery about the moon.Credit: Southwest Research Institute Scientists probing the outer reaches of our solar system have hit upon an unusual phenomenon much closer to home. Instruments aboard a NASA spacecraft have detected fast-moving hydrogen atoms emanating from the moon. The atoms, which originated as protons from the sun, may help scientists study the lunar surface and other solar system objects in greater detail than believed possible. The moon is continuously being pelted by hazardous radiation. Most of it comes from the solar wind,...

Six years after he got the idea and bought the streamliner, Jesse James has set the world record for hydrogen-powered speed. Late afternoon on June 16, James flew across the windswept dust of El Mirage dry lake bed in the California desert and tripped the lights at 199.712 mph. That was 14 mph faster than the previous record of 185 mph, set in Germany by BMW in its hydrogen-powered H2H. "This, I honestly believe, is world-changing," James said of the emissions-free race car. "We can't rely on gasoline forever. I'm paying it forward." The whole deal was for the season-ending...

Cranbury, NJ (January 06, 2009)—BlackLight Power (BLP) Inc. today announced its second commercial license agreement with Farmers’ Electric Cooperative, Inc. of New Mexico, (Farmers’ Electric). In a non-exclusive agreement, BLP has licensed Farmers’ Electric to use the BlackLight Process and certain BLP energy technology for the production of thermal or electric power. Farmers’ Electric may produce gross thermal power up to a maximum continuous capacity of 250 MW or convert this thermal power to corresponding electricity.

Parade Magazine interview on 5/10/09 with Larry Burns, GM R&D chief: ... What about progress on electric cars and hydrogen-powered vehicles? The Chevrolet Volt—which comes out in 2010—goes 40 miles on a single battery charge. We're also testing 100 hydrogen fuel cell Chevrolet Equinoxes. The beauty about fuel cells is that they can be re-energized in five minutes and go 300 miles, whereas it takes eight hours to recharge a battery that goes 40 miles. Isn't hydrogen an infrastructure problem? No place to fill up? There are 170,000 service stations in the U.S. How many would have to provide hydrogen...

At a cost of $3.5 billion and more than a decade of work, the 192 laser beams are billed as the most powerful in the world.Scientists working at the National Ignition Facility of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, have built the most powerful laser in the world, capable of simulating the energy force of a hydrogen bomb and the sun itself. “The system already has produced 25 times more energy than any other laser system,” said NIF Director Ed Moses. The Energy Department is expected to announce Tuesday that it has officially certified the National Ignition Facility, which...

Exclusive Book Excerpt: How an Al-Qaeda Cell Planned a Poison-gas Attack on the N.Y. Subway The plot was called off by Bin Laden's No. 2 only 45 days from zero hour, according to a new book by Ron Suskind SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHORRelated Blogs: Click here for blog postings from around the web that are related to the topic of this article. Posted Saturday, Jun. 17, 2006 Al-Qaeda terrorists came within 45 days of attacking the New York subway system with a lethal gas similar to that used in Nazi death camps. They were stopped not by any intelligence...

Local residents and officials took a peek into the future when they test drove cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells and heard about the need for more hydrogen fueling stations to bring the technology into the mainstream. The demonstration, held at Mahwah Township Hall, was organized by Mahwah Councilman John DaPuzzo and attended Thursday night by about 50 people, including Assemblyman David C. Russo, R-Midland Park, employees from the Oakland Department of Public Works, the Bergen County Police and residents. They got an up-close look at four Chevrolet Equinox sport utility vehicles that are part of a year-old program called...

It sounds almost too good to be true: add a few bugs to food scraps and waste water to generate clean hydrogen fuel. But over the past few years, researchers have been gradually working toward this promising scheme for producing hydrogen.Now, with the help of an unassuming stainless-steel brush, microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have taken another step forward. The steel brush can be used to replace the expensive platinum normally employed in the electrolysis cell's cathode, slashing costs by more than 80 percent.Hydrogen is an appealing, environmentally friendly fuel because burning it creates only water as a waste product. MECs...

So, this paper was published recently in Science Magazine: Complementary Active Sites Cause Size-Selective Reactivity of Aluminum Cluster Anions with Water The reactions of metal clusters with small molecules often depend on cluster size. The selectivity of oxygen reactions with aluminum cluster anions can be well described within an electronic shell model; however, not all reactions are subject to the same fundamental constraints. We observed the size selectivity of aluminum cluster anion reactions with water, which can be attributed to the dissociative chemisorption of water at specific surface sites. The reactivity depends on geometric rather than electronic shell structure. Identical...

CORNING, NY--Newly sworn-in congressman Eric Massa (D) tried to make a splash earlier this week by trumpeting his trip to the capitol in a hydrogen-powered car: [T]he 282 mile journey in a GM Electric Fuel Cell Equinox went off without a hitch. Massa took this zero emission, hydrogen powered vehicle [from Corning] to Washington to highlight sustainable energy technology. The vehicle was primarily researched and developed in Honeoye Falls, part of New York's 29th Congressional District. "I'm here to be the voice of the families of New York's 29th Congressional District and help take this country in a better direction,"...

Can a car run on water? Bend businessman Rob Juliano claims it can, despite ample skepticism from scientists and automotive experts. Although the average price of fuel has slipped dramatically from a summer high of more than $4 per gallon, Juliano believes water — specifically the hydrogen contained in water — can be used to power an internal-combustion engine at a fraction of the cost of gasoline. Hydrogen is being pursued as a fuel by car manufacturers. Honda earlier this year debuted its FCX Clarity, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle powered by an electric motor. BMW has developed a car...

Scientist Discovers New Hydrogen System that Cheaply Converts Water into Fuel If researcher Vic Lawson had his way, Americans would laugh in the faces of Big Oil as they confidently drove their vehicles cross-country, paying pennies for a trip that would normally cost hundreds of dollars in fuel. (New York, NY): Fortunately, this is no dream, as Lawson did end up getting his way - his environmentally friendly company Gas4Free just published a set of controversial e-books proven to convert car and truck engines so that they use both water and gas as fuel. His water-fuel conversion system is cost-efficient,...

It runs on water -- Jeff Falk demonstrates his hydrogen powered generator. It uses an electrolyzer to break the water down into hydrogen and oxygen, then burns the hydrogen for fuel. It produces zero carbon emissions and is "very safe." Falk's goal is to get off the grid completely. Photo By Don Lee EUREKA SPRINGS -- Are the high prices of fuel getting to you? Do you cringe whenever you pull up to the pumps, or when the electric bill arrives in the mail? If the answer is yes, it's a safe bet most Americans share your concern. But Jeff...

The composition and mechanical inner workings of the sun beneath the visible photosphere have remained an enigma for thousands of years. There are a whole host of unexplained phenomena related to the sun's activities that still baffle gas model theorists to this day because they fail to recognize the existence of an iron alloy transitional layer that rests beneath the visible photosphere. Fortunately a host of new satellites and the

Bangalore, Aug. 26 A US-based company is all set to bring to India a hydrogen generator kit which can reduce fuel costs for passenger and other vehicles by as much as 30 per cent. EcoMobil’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr K.B. Prasad, told Business Line that his company will soon introduce in India an eco-friendly auto kit called the Hfactor which will cost less than Rs 20,000 and can run on a single charge for over 3,500 km. “Once we start manufacturing these kits in India, we expect the costs to come down further. We have targeted revenues of...

The power of solar is not on the grand scale of collectors spread over square acres in the west desert, says Daniel Nocera, a widely cited chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is scheduled to speak at Utah State University this week. "Each household could be its own little power station," Nocera said Sunday. Using the principle of photosynthesis and more precisely duplicating the storage process that plants use to stay healthy at night when they're not being fed directly by the sun, Nocera's research published this past July appears to have answered the abiding problem with solar...

Dan wanted to know if there was a legitimate claim behind those companies that offer better gas mileage through water-based contraptions in your car. Here's what he said: Recently I was introduced to a "Water4Gas" system that claims it can boost an internal combustion engine's gas mileage by 10 to 100 percent. The person trying to push/sell this innovative system (that I hear has been around already for quite some time) is named: Ozzie Freedom' (probably not his real name). It's being marketed as an "experimental add-on" that eliminates carbon deposits in the cylinders, boosts performance, and prevents smog. It's...

AUSTIN, TX, Aug 21, 2008 Ronn Motor Company, today announced its successful completion of initial track testing for the Scorpion(TM) eco-exotic. During a rigorous evaluation, the highly anticipated 40 mpg eco-exotic performed superbly, delivering the caliber of outstanding performance expected from a 200 mph supercar. The car completed several high-speed passes, along with high-speed/high-angle turns, acceleration and high-speed braking tests. Portions of the test can be viewed on YouTube.com by searching "Ronn Motors" or clicking on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y_gumpBuko. COO and test driver Damon Kuhn, said, "The platform performed very well under stress in all technical areas. Even with...

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have shown how bacteria could be used as a future fuel. The research, published in the journal Bioinformatics, could have significant implications for the environment and the way we produce sustainable fuels in the future. Like all living creatures, bacteria sustain themselves through their metabolism, a huge sequence of chemical reactions that transform nutrients into energy and waste. Using mathematical computer models, the Sheffield team have mapped the metabolism of a type of bacteria called Nostoc. Nostoc fixes nitrogen and, in doing so, releases hydrogen that can then potentially be used as fuel. Fixing...

With claims of a cleaner, faster burn, hydrogen generators get a test drive. Nik Fischer, an installer at Donny’s 4 Wheel Drive World, removes a hydrogen generator from a Cadillac Escalade and prepares to replace it with an updated one. Fischer says this Escalade’s emissions are down 80 percent since its installation. PHOTO BY KAT KERLIN Gas prices have topped the $4 dollar mark across the nation, leaving some car-dependent people a little twitchy about a daily fuel fix. Oil now dances a reckless jig between $120 and $150 dollars a barrel, and many think the environment is now in...

How would you like to run your car on water, laugh at other people’s $100 fill-ups and help solve global warming at the same time? Amazingly enough, online vendors say you can achieve all this with a set of plans you can buy for $65 on the Internet. Or maybe the price is $105. It depends on where you purchase these documents “they” don’t want you to see, and whether there are bonuses included (like I.R.S. rebate forms). [snip] The problem is there’s little science, online or otherwise, to prove these homemade electrolyzers (which do produce hydrogen) actually do you...

Honda today announced that they have delivered their second Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. The lucky recipient of the car is actress Jamie Lee Curtis, took delivery of the vehicle on July 31, 2008. Curtis and her family will be one of 200 customers who will be leasing the vehicles from Honda. Honda and its customers will test the state of the art vehicles for the next three years. "I really wasn't expecting it to be so luxurious," said Curtis. "It's luxurious, luxurious, luxurious! I love the interior layout, design and access to controls. It is user-friendly and very modern."...

In 2003 President Bush announced a $1.2 billion initiative to make fuel cells commercially viable over a 16-year period. Five years later, a new report issued by the National Research Council says that fuel cells are still at least 15 years away from being commercially feasible. The release says that despite “impressive progress toward commercialization,” some $200 billion is needed over the next decade and half — $55 billion from the government and $145 billion from the private sector. The report says that in the short term, fuel efficiency and biofuel research would be a more cost-effective way to reduce...

Who wouldn’t like the idea of a fuel cell car running on clean, pure hydrogen, the universe’s most plentiful element? Its byproduct is sparkling, drinkable water, with none of that pesky pollution spewing out the tailpipe. And then if there's any energy left over when you're done driving, why, you could use that car's fuel cell to power your house! We can get rid of gasoline! And fuel cells, hey, they use those in spacecraft, don't they? This is some modern stuff, and at first glance, hydrogen appears to be a viable solution to all our energy problems. Well,...

It has long been the Holy Grail of environmental scientists, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are confident they have found an inexpensive way of producing hydrogen from water, paving the way for the widespread adoption of zero carbon fuel cells capable of powering buildings and cars. The technique is similar to the way photosynthesis works in plants and is based on a new catalyst that can split water at room temperature to create hydrogen and oxygen. The catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode that is placed into water. When electricity runs through the...

The hydrogen gas systems being used by several mid-valley drivers cannot deliver any kind of efficiency, says Bob Paasch, the Boeing professor of mechanical design at Oregon State University. “The process is a scam,” he said. “It’s wishful thinking. If it were true, every power company and auto company in the world would be using it.” Paasch said the systems — which use water and baking soda to create hydrogen via an electrical charge from the battery and alternator — violate the second law of thermodynamics and can’t work. “People who buy into this are wasting their money,” he said....

Splitting a few litres of water would be enough to power a home for a day, scientists claim. Scientists have found an inexpensive way to produce hydrogen from water, a discovery that could lead to a plentiful source of environmentally friendly fuel to power homes and cars. The technique, which mimics the way photosynthesis works in plants, also provides a highly efficient way to store energy, potentially paving the way to making solar power more economically viable. Hydrogen is a clean, energy-rich fuel that many experts believe could become important as nations attempt to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The...

You've already tried saving a few dollars at the fuel pump by driving slower, consolidating trips and keeping your tires properly inflated. But the high cost of fuel is still killing your budget. Companies sensing an opportunity are offering some clever innovations to wring more mileage out of your car. Here are three plausible solutions that look beyond gasoline. They center on three gases: hydrogen, nitrogen and methane — in ways you may not expect. Hydrogen If you can't afford one of the new gas-electric hybrid cars, Bruce White, co-founder of H2 Hydrogen Technologies in East Hartford, says his fledgling...

ScienceDaily (July 18, 2008) — A greener, less expensive method to produce hydrogen for fuel may eventually be possible with the help of water, solar energy and nanotube diodes that use the entire spectrum of the sun's energy, according to Penn State researchers...

Can Hydrogen Cars Reduce America's Oil Dependence? By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross July 8, 2008 In early June, Honda introduced its latest hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, to great fanfare. The Clarity’s predecessor was the FCX, which became the first U.S. government-approved fuel cell vehicle in 2002. The Clarity offers a number of advances over the FCX, including a 30% increase in range. The vehicle’s reception is reflected in such publications as Consumer Affairs, which noted that the car seems attractive at a time of high oil prices and ecological awareness: “Here is a vehicle that doesn’t require oil to...

A British company is claiming the hydrogen age could be a little closer after it unveiled a major innovation. The new hydrogen refuelling cell in action It has created a home filling station which would solve one of the biggest problems surrounding hydrogen powered cars It claims to have dramatically cut the cost of creating hydrogen and has developed a device the size of a fridge freezer which can fit in your garage and create its own supply of hydrogen. At the moment there are only three hydrogen filling stations in Britain and the cost of fully equiping the country...

It's one thing for a car to run on air, but do the latest claims of hydrogen-turned-oxygen-turned-electricity propulsion hold water—or feed in to the hysteria of the gas crunch? In his biweekly online column, PM's senior automotive editor focuses his chemistry prowess on the case of miracle water fuel, then builds an HHO car himself. From a startup snagging headlines to DIYers posting plans, water-powered cars have been all over the Web recently—not to mention stuffing my email inbox. Yes, you can run your car on water. All it takes is to build a “water-burning hybrid” is the installation of...

An overlooked nook on our planet that may offer some smart lessons on how to cultivate the energy we need. Problems linked to foreign oil dependence are real and frightening. With oil prices north of $100 per barrel, constrictive environmental regulations proliferating, and incidents of pollution-related illness piling up, research into alternative energy sources is all the rage. As common as these efforts are becoming, it seems they still fall short of addressing the enormity of the crisis. Rather than fixate on the problems, however, let’s take a moment to look at a real-world example in an unexpected corner of...

Just over a year ago several media outlets reported that John Kanzius, an amateur inventor from Erie, Pa., had discovered a seemingly impossible phenomenon: a way to burn salt water by exposing it to radio waves. Videos of the experiment became YouTube sensations, though they garnered as many critical comments as favorable ones. Now that the initial fervor has waned, we checked in with Kanzius, a collaborator and some critics to see how the technique has progressed, or if it's just another example of Web-propelled junk science. Kanzius' concept is simple: expose salt water to 13.56 MHz radio waves and...

Austin (Texas) – BMW’s Hydrogen 7 sedan may still be a few years away, but if you just can’t wait and have the necessary cash on hand, you may be able to buy a hydrogen car later this year. Ronn Motors has begun accepting orders for its Scorpion sports car, which, according to its manufacturer, will be able produce hydrogen on-demand from an on-board water tank. If the Tesla Roadster and the Fisker Karma are too generic for you, there may be another choice this fall: Texas startup Ronn Motors unveiled its Scorpion yesterday. The sports car does not...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - It's a concept gaining in popularity, homemade hydrogen fuel cells attached to cars and trucks in order to squeeze out a few more miles per gallon. If you're willing to do some homework and make a trip to the hardware store, you could save some money. "It just helps the fuel completely burn in the engine," said Doug Batton. He explains how this hydrogen fuel cell, or booster attached in the bed of his truck, helps him get more miles per gallon on the road. His Dodge truck still needs fuel, this device just helps him...

Photo courtesy of The Logan Daily News Hocking County resident Jason Gadrim stands beside his water-hybrid car, a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. LOGAN - Want better gas mileage? The answer to one Hocking County resident's gas woes has turned out to be as simple as H2O and cheaper than most people's monthly gas budget. Water fuel cells have been used to power vehicles for years; and the supplies needed for the conversion to a water-hybrid vehicle are only about $200. Hocking County resident Jason Gadrim is one of a few local people who have converted their vehicles to run partly...

Some cost and durability figures for operating hydrogen fuel-cell powered buses have leaked out, and from them it appears the best thing that can be said is it’s a good thing it’s a demonstration program. To fulfill a California Air Resources Board requirement that operators of large bus fleets participate in a Zero-Emission Bus demonstration program, in 2005 the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority purchased three buses powered by early versions of fuel cells developed by Ballard Power Systems Inc. of Vancouver, Canada. Green Car Journal reports a memo directed to the Santa Clara VTA’s board of directors indicated operating...

Cost of gasoline bleeding you dry? Air pollution taking your breath away? Worried to death about auto-induced climate change and the future of your planet? You should be. Our oil addiction is a drain on our wallets, a threat to our health and national security, and a major contributor to the global warming that threatens our planet. And with world-wide demand for oil increasing and supplies dwindling, it's a problem we can't drill or dig our way out of. But there's a solution somewhere over the horizon. Hang on, folks. Hydrogen, the most abundant element on Earth, is on...

120W fuel cell system Internal portion of the 120W fuel cell stack 300W generation system mounted in a luggage room (left) Genepax Co Ltd explained the technologies used in its new fuel cell system "Water Energy System (WES)," which uses water as a fuel and does not emit CO2. The system can generate power just by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes, respectively, the company said at the press conference, which took place June 12, 2008, at the Osaka Assembly Hall. The basic power generation mechanism of the new system is similar to that of...

Jun. 13 - Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water. The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

Sometimes we need to think the unthinkable, particularly when dealing with a problem as dangerous as climate change - there is no room for dogma when considering the future habitability of our planet. It was in this spirit that I and a panel of other specialists in climate, economics and policy-making met under the aegis of the Stockholm Network thinktank to map out future scenarios for how international policy might evolve - and what the eventual impact might be on the earth's climate. We came up with three alternative visions of the future, and asked experts at the Met Office...

Honda FCX Clarity and Home Hydrogen Fueling Stations By Bill Siuru Honda’s decision to transition its FCX Clarity into limited production and lease some 50 of these hydrogen fuel cell cars to customers in Southern California is a groundbreaking move. Why Southern California? A small number of very expensive hydrogen fueling stations already exist here and more are in the planning stages. In tandem with this, Honda has also shown a longer term solution for refueling hydrogen vehicles in the form of its fourth generation Home Energy Station. Working with its technology partner Plug Power, Honda debuted the first Home...

AOMORI, Japan, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Japan and the United States agreed on Saturday to conduct cooperation on joint development of methane hydrates, a promising alternative energy. The agreement was signed by Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari and U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the five-party meeting of energy ministers of China, Japan, India, South Korea and the United States. According to the agreement effective for three years, Japan and the United States will enhance the understanding of, and accelerate research into, the geologic occurrence, distribution, exploration and production of...

BREAKING NEWS May 19th, 2008: We are in the process of moving all operations to the state of Michigan. Once relocated there we'll finally be able to move ahead with development & production. The state of Michigan is offering a lot of perks if we relocate to their state. The perks include everything from low to no taxes and helping us fill our employee needs, to help with our various legal matters. Michigan has a gigantic pool of talented people that were laid off from the automotive industry - these folks, already familiar with the auto industry, will be a...

A British company, Hydrofuel Technologies Ltd, is urging motorists to use water to reduce fuel costs with a car battery-powered onboard electrolyser, on its website, (www.runyourcaronwater.co.uk ). Hydrofuel’s DIY guide explains how motorists can convert cars to a water-burning hybrid to improve engine performance and save money. It says users of its system have reported mileage increases of between 50% and 100%. Nadim Hussain, the firm’s MD, says: “We want to spread the word that water can be used to help power a car alongside petrol or diesel, and introduce this technology to the UK on a large scale, so...

Hydrogen-powered cars could end pollution Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent Britain’s first hydrogen fuel station will open tomorrow in the first stage of a technology revolution offering drivers the prospect of pollution-free motoring. Another three hydrogen stations are planned for London and there will be at least twelve stations countrywide by 2010, paving the way for the commercial production of cars powered by fuel cells. For more than a decade, the car industry has seen the fuel cell as the holy grail that will help to relieve it of its dependence on oil. A fuel cell combines hydrogen from a tank...

Pranksters put sugar in gas tanks to foul engines and halt cars in their tracks. But a Virginia Tech scientist is developing a way to run cars on sugar. Y.-H. Percival Zhang's "sweet engine" runs on hydrogen made from starch, a clean-burning and potentially renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Although hydrogen fuel cells are much more efficient than combustion engines, hydrogen is difficult to transport, store, and distribute – as well as expensive to produce. But Professor Zhang's method, which he presented April 9 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, circumvents the need for...

Expert predicts 'hydrogen economy' will create millions of jobs 11 April 2008 13:31 Millions of new jobs could be created over the next 25 years if businesses embrace the 'hydrogen economy', according to a leading economist and climate change expert. Jeremy Rifkin, an adviser to the EU and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, said the world economy was in the last stages of its oil-based energy regime. He told delegates at a conference in Rome run by management consultancy Hay Group that the world was "approaching the sunset of the oil era", and that global governments were not...