[Lunchbox]

Some photos of gear on the Octafuel site would be helpful.

[Lunchbox]

There's an Octafuel ad on u-tube.

[Graeme]

Ballard, pioneer of fuel-cell industry, dies at 76

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'G')eoff Ballard, a Canadian pioneer of the fuel cell industry and an entrepreneur Time Magazine once named one of its "Heroes for the Planet," has died. He was 76.

Ballard died Saturday. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Ballard developed the world's first hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered, zero-emission transit bus. Science World, a science center in Vancouver, British Columbia, unveiled the vehicle in 1993.

In 1979, Ballard founded Ballard Power Systems Inc., which makes hydrogen fuel cells that are used in materials handling, residential cogeneration, backup power and transportation. He served as chairman of the company until 1997.

[mos6507]

"The cause of death was not disclosed."

You know what that means, folks!

[lper100km]

Yes mos6507. And idiotic it is too.

Ballard was a pioneer and motivated out of concern for environmental considerations at a time when it was not particularly fashionable. He created a large body of technology and was successful in making it work. His designs were used in stationary power generators as well as commercial vehicles. At the time, concepts of oil supply restraints were not on anyone’s mind, so the idea of converting hydrocarbon fuels into hydrogen was seen as a benefit to the environment, not a negative. The non polluting benefits were considered to outweigh the reduction in fuel use efficiency.

I sat in on a talk he gave a few years ago. By then, he had retired from the company he founded and was doing consulting work. It seemed to me then, that he had modified his views in the face of the oil supply reality and whilst he still supported the concept of hydrogen as an energy source, was searching for other ways to achieve the goal of hydrogen power.

Here was a man who grasped the implications of environmental damage and tried to do something about it in his lifetime. How many of us can say that?

[Graeme]

lper100km, Nice tribute!

[Graeme]

Here's another obituary:

Visionary blazed fuel-cell trail

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B').C. scientist and businessman Geoffrey Ballard helped the world usher in the hydrogen age.

Ballard died Saturday afternoon at Lions Gate Hospital from complications due to liver disease. He was 75.

"He once said to me that we were witnessing the death of the internal combustion engine," said Ballard's son Mark.

"His hope for Ballard Power Systems was that it would herald the birth of the hydrogen economy.

"He knew that it would take decades, but he felt at the end that the momentum was unstoppable," he said.

The Burnaby-based company that Geoffrey Ballard founded has been leading the way in the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems since 1983.

Ballard Power Systems has been instrumental in the development of hydrogen fuel-cell systems for cars and buses, which are meant to be a quiet, energy-efficient alternative to fossil-fuel-powered engines. Ballard also develops equipment for small-scale power generation systems and backup power systems for the telecom and power industries.

[lorenzo]

Nice guy, for sure, but sad that his dream never came true.

His company went basically bankrupt, right?

Peak Ballard was in 2000.

[heroineworshipper]

Chevron drove him to his grave. In 2000 he advertised a living breathing 5kw fuel cell for home use and massive phosphoric acid fuels cells for industry. Too bad corporate earnings after 2000 had to be for real.

[Graeme]

Hamilton firm admits hydrogen tech 'a fraud'

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') Hamilton company which has spent a lot of money developing on-demand hydrogen generators today denounced the technology as a fraud.

Michael Fresnel, co-founder of OctaFuel New Zealand, made the admission in a statement today, two days before a Hamilton motoring writer, Eric Otoka, was planning to disclose results of his trial of the OctaFuel hydrogen fuel system designed to reduce petrol consumption.

[Graeme]

Fuel cells: Making clean energy a reality

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')
Fuel cells offer the key to zero emissions and reliable clean power. The new book by John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, Fuel Cells: Fundamentals (2nd edition) takes the miracle of fuels cell into the real world by introducing the basic science behind the technology. The authors showcase fuel cells' unique advantages by describing its practical applications.

[Micki]

Anyone know anything about the Australian company; Ceramic Fuel Cells?
They seem to have something that is more than just vapor ware, but the market seems unimpressed (ASX:CFU)

[Graeme]

A Fuel Cell for Your Cell Phone


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he promise of mass-market fuel-cell technology has been long coming — perhaps as far back as its invention in 1839 by “The Father of the Fuel Cell,” Sir William Grove.

Enthusiasts have long envisioned them in a wide array of mass-market applications, from generating energy at power plants to moving cars and powering homes.

But the first ones to hit the consumer market are not designed to power the car or the house. At one to four watts, they are more suitable as phone chargers — or as power sources for a high-efficiency flashlight.

The cell, built by Medis Technologies, is — at least in concept — similar to a glow-stick or a hand-warmer. The user squeezes the cell to mix two chemicals together, and the unit runs until the chemicals are exhausted — about 40 hours.

It comes with an assortment of connector tips, including those for USB ports, BlackBerrys and cellphones of various other models, MP3 players and similar devices.

“There are about 14 appliances that this will provide energy to,” said Jose Meji, the chief executive. The cell runs on sodium borohydride, which does not generate heat when it runs, and is not flammable or toxic.

[neocone]

Only problem is it will cost $200 a piece

[misterno]

Yeah, technology is everywhere it is just expensive.

So what good is it?

[Daniel_Plainview]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', '[')b]The user squeezes the cell to mix two chemicals together, and the unit runs until the chemicals are exhausted — about 40 hours.

[Arsenal]

Sounds like something that will be used mainly for advertising. OLED's and fuel cell batteries could be put just about anywhere. Kinda like the Minority Report with the stupid cereal box.

[Aedo]

Thread resurrection

Ceres have completed their prototype CHP unit for household use - details in press release below but in a nutshell it is a 1kW device with ancilliary boiler and is a direct replacement for existing gas fired boilers (in the UK). The unit should enable a significant fuel saving over conventional grid power:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ceres Power release - 26 May 2009', '
')Ceres Power announces the successful design, build and testing of 1kW grid‐connected Combined Heat
and Power ("CHP") products meeting all of the deliverables under the Alpha phase of the CHP
programme in conjunction with British Gas. This important milestone has been achieved within the
timescale set out in the roadmap presented at Ceres Power's CHP update with British Gas on 24th June
2008.
The grid‐connected 1kW CHP products were tested on mains natural gas under representative
residential operating conditions, meeting most of a typical home’s electricity requirements as well as
exporting and importing power to and from the grid as required. The Ceres CHP product integrates the
Company’s 1kW Fuel Cell Module with all of the ancillary boiler components into a single unit meeting
all of the home’s hot water and central heating requirements, thereby avoiding the need for a separate
boiler. The wall‐mountable CHP product uses the same natural gas, water and electricity connections as
existing boilers and has been designed for ease of installation, service and maintenance.
During the trialling conducted in the Alpha phase, key tests were witnessed and data verified by British
Gas and an independent third party gas appliance testing company appointed by British Gas. All of the
Alpha CHP product requirements including performance, size, weight and regulatory compliance were
successfully achieved. British Gas has issued an acceptance certificate that triggers the £2m Alpha
milestone payment to be paid to Ceres.
The Company has already commenced the design and procurement activities of the Beta phase of the
CHP programme to produce Beta CHP units for in‐field trials, incorporating refinements arising from the
Alpha phase testing. The fit‐out of the new volume manufacturing plant in Horsham is well underway
with initial operations scheduled to begin in H2 2009. The Company is on track to achieve market launch
of the residential CHP product with British Gas in H2 2011.
The Company will provide the market with a technical update including progress of the CHP programme
at the announcement of its full year preliminary results in September 2009.

[Graeme]

Fuel cells and carbon capture combine for clean coal breakthrough

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ustralian clean coal technology specialist Linc Energy and British fuel cell firm AFC Energy have signed a major new partnerhip, paving the way for a pioneering demonstration project that the two companies believe could revolutionise the coal industry.

Under the deal, which was signed earlier this month, Linc has been granted exclusive rights to test AFC's fuel cell technology in conjunction with underground coal gasification techniques.

The firms believe that combining underground coal gasification techniques with hydrogen fuel cell technologies will provide a significantly cleaner and cheaper way of generating energy from coal than fitting standard coal-fired power stations with costly CCS systems.

"The future of this concept is simply staggering," said Peter Bond, chief executive of Linc Energy. "It could easily be the ultimate answer for clean coal power many of us are looking for, and it's only one or two years away from reality."