Fuel Cell cars based on ethanol will bring fuel cell technology sooner.

[JohnWxy]

For those who are more attracted to the BIG sweeping revolutionizing technological solution as opposed to partial solutions, consider the fuel cells that use ethanol. A company named ACTA has developed a catalyst which is cheaper than those used heretofore in fuel cell cars and apparently enables the use of ethanol and ethelyne glycol as sources of hydrogen for the fuel cell energy production process.

I have just started to learn about this but this apparently eliminates some of the more dangerous and expensive aspects of fuel cell technology (handling of free hydrogen) and thus might make fuel cell technology much safer, cheaper and sooner to be a commercial reality.

Here are some excerpts from their web-site (emphases my own):

Acta’s flexi-fuel capability means that there is a HYPERMEC™ catalyst to fit any fuel cell or fuel-type. HYPERMEC™ works well with hydrogen and with methanol, but the really exciting potential lies in the use of new fuel options:

Ethanol: Ethanol is already widely distributed in both the consumer, automotive and industrial markets. It is non-toxic and has low flammability. It is perfect for portable power solutions and can also be used for transportation applications with a reformer. Being part of the natural carbon cycle, ethanol causes no harmful environmental impact.

Ethylene Glycol: Ethylene glycol, commonly used as a radiator fluid, is also widely distributed in the automotive and military supply chains. Ethylene glycol works below freezing and has a boiling point of over 180°C so does not evaporate in normal use. This makes it an ideal fuel for more demanding applications requiring a broader range of temperatures, such as military or emergency services.

Practical fuels: use of ethanol and ethylene glycol can enormously simplify the supply chain for distribution of fuels

Green fuel: ethanol is made from biomass and is therefore completely renewable. Net carbon emissions from this process are nil.

Fuel cells are solid-state, electrochemical devices that produce electricity by combining a fuel containing hydrogen with oxygen. They have a wide range of applications, and can be used in place of the internal combustion engine and traditional lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.

Compared to the internal combustion engine, hydrogen powered fuel cells:

Produce no greenhouse gases, particulate or NOx emissions. In fact the only exhaust is water!
Imagine the improvement to the quality of our inner city air.

Convert fuel with a greater efficiency. Even using fossil fuels to supply the hydrogen they will
still reduce the rate of global warming. Fuel cell cars only use energy when moving, unlike the
internal combustion engine which uses fuel in large quantities even when idling or moving slowly
are simpler to maintain, having no moving parts which would be susceptible to wear and tear.
are quiet

Catalysts
A catalyst is a vital component of many industrial chemical reactions. The catalyst lowers the energy barriers required to initiate a chemical reaction simply by its presence, but is not itself changed by the reaction. The catalyst does this by acting as a host to the chemical reaction, which can take place on its surface. This makes the catalyst invaluable in industrial chemical processes, where there is a need for reactions to take place on a large scale, with high efficiency and minimum energy inputs.

Catalysts for fuel cells have to date required the use of platinum and other platinum group metals (“PGMs”). Platinum is one of the world’s most expensive metals, costing around $27,000 per kg – hence the catalysts are invariably expensive and are often designed to minimize the amount of metal used rather than to optimise performance. Platinum catalysts also have technical limitations: their affinity for carbon means they are prone to being “poisoned” in the presence of carbon monoxide.

Acta’s catalysts are platinum free, being made of a blend of other transition metals, including cobalt, nickel and iron. These metals are abundant and the pricing is vastly cheaper than platinum. They are not vulnerable to carbon poisoning and the manufacturing process is robust and scaleable. This means that Acta’s catalysts offer excellent performance and can be scaled up at industrial prices.

http://www.acta-nanotech.com/technology/benefits.aspx


http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/DiscussionBoards/DiscussionBoardsExternal/DisplayMessage/0,1807,Thread%25255FID%253D143%2526Message%25255FParentID%253D498,00.html

excerpt (emphasis my own):

] There has been only a little research into DEFC because the problems of using
> ethanol with a platinum catalyst are almost insuperable. My company, Acta, has
just
> launched a range of platinum-free catalysts which work as well with ethanol as a
> pgm cat does with methanol! As a result, a number of OEM;s, mainly in Asia, are
> trialling our product with a view to increasing DEFC research. After all, ethanol is a
> very attractive fuel to use as it is not toxic, not flammable (when dilute) and comes
> from wholly renewable sources.

OH JESUS< I HOPE DETROIT DOESN'T LET THE JAPANESE OUTFOX THEM ON THIS TECHNOLOGY!!!

[trekbiker]

1. if what they say about thier catalyst is true this could be a

real breakthru. My big objection to the viability of fuel cells on a mass scale has been the use of platinum (expensive and limited resource).

[JohnWxy]

2. yes! Plus the handling of free hydrogen is a problem - an expensive

one. Also, the production and supply of free hydrogen - another practical problem. But using ethanol to supply hydrogen is really interesting. It's safer, easier and cheaper.

I added another link to my original post. The owner of Acta says OEMs especially Japanese are really interested in his product.

God, I hope Detroit doesn't let the Japanese outfox them on THIS technology!!!