"> But GM and automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG > now agree that gasoline is the most practical. GM has lined up allies > among major petroleum producers."
Ok, so fine, a reformer makes some sense, but running it on a fossil fuel and releasing CO2???. The reformer described below has also been operated successfully on biodiesel. ..so why not biodiesel??? "Fuel cells run quietly with no combustion cycle and no moving parts. Northwest Power Systems integrates fuel cells with its patented fuel processor in complete power plant systems that can recover 90-percent of the hydrogen from liquid or gaseous fuels such as methanol, propane, methane, diesel, kerosene and gasoline. Founded in 1996, Northwest Power Systems is a Bend, Oregon, company with ties to Idaho Power Company and six fuel cell manufacturers worldwide. The company has seven employees. The company's website is www.northwestpower.com" Why is this not being pursued more aggressively as an option (ie biodiesel-reformer-fuel cell). Then we'd have something. I would like to know why VW especially has decided that gasoline is the way to go for this. Can anyone tell me? I have also emailed the writer of the story to try and find out more - especially surprised to see VW's preference for gasoline. "GM has lined up allies > among major petroleum producers"...I don't imagine that was too difficult...I would think it was more the reverse! Ed B. ------------------------------------------------------ > > > GM and other automakers had considered methanol, methane and diesel > fuel as so-called bridge fuels until hydrogen is plentiful and > practical enough for consumer use. > > But GM and automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG > now agree that gasoline is the most practical. GM has lined up allies > among major petroleum producers. > > A second group including DaimlerChrysler AG is investigating > methanol. Like other hydrocarbon fuels, methanol can be converted > into hydrogen, carbon dioxide and a little carbon monoxide. > > But methanol has drawbacks, not the least of which is a lack of any > production or distribution system. Gasoline needs only slight > additional refinement to remove sulphur before it's suitable as a > source of hydrogen. > > Racing toward 2010 goal > > In a fuel cell, hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen, yielding > electricity that can power a vehicle or light a home, creating only > water as a byproduct. > > GM is eager to settle on a transitional fuel so it can proceed with > design and development of first-generation components that would > power fuel-cell cars and trucks reaching showrooms by 2010, said J. > Byron McCormick, co-executive director of GM's Global Alternative > Propulsion Center. > > Sitting in his small laboratory building in the rural outskirts of > Rochester, N.Y., it's difficult to imagine that in less than a decade > the automotive industry could begin replacing the internal combustion > engine. Internal combustion has powered vehicles since the turn of > the century but is under increasing attack as environmentally > hazardous and inefficient. > > Hydrogen hurdle for fuel cells > > Though not a slam dunk by any means, fuel cells look more promising > than ever as an emerging technology because they offer a 50-percent > increase in gas mileage without sacrificing performance or producing > pollution. > > Early on, auto executives realized that building a nationwide > distribution infrastructure, along with the facilities for > large-scale production of hydrogen, would be an enormous hurdle to > development of fuel cells. > > So scientists and engineers are developing a device they call a > reformer. It's really a small refinery that turns gasoline, methanol > and other hydrocarbons into pure hydrogen and carbon dioxide, plus a > trace amount of carbon monoxide. Engineers here demonstrated a > reformer gasoline prototype they built, a smaller version of which is > to be installed in the first GM fuel-cell vehicles. > > Before fuel cells can become reality, a series of scientific, > political and economic puzzles must be solved. They're being solved, > McCormick said, at an exponential rate he once didn't think possible. > > "A couple of years ago I wasn't sure how quickly this could happen," > he said. "Every time I come back to the labs I can't believe how much > gets done." > > Contact DORON LEVIN at 313-223-4390 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> Make good on the promise you made at graduation to keep in touch. 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