Hydrogen Explosion Deals Blow to Fuel Cell Advocates
For the past decade or so, numerous automakers have been researching the use of hydrogen fuel for next-generation automobiles. Until the recent announcements of the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, fuel-cell vehicles like the Honda FCX Clarity looked like the hydrogen promise would hit the market first.
Unfortunately, among the public at large, the first thing people think of when they hear the word “hydrogen” is the Hindenburg and explosions. While hydrogen in cars is no more flammable than gasoline, the perception could be even more of a reality after an explosion Thursday at a hydrogen refueling station in Rochester, N.Y.
During a swap of hydrogen tanks by a company that supplies GM with tanks for its fuel-cell fleet, one tank exploded, and the resulting fire led to a second tank exploding. One person was treated at a hospital with second-degree burns. The fueling station is at an airport that was shut down for 50 minutes after the explosion. Some flights were rerouted in midair.
The cause of the explosion hasn’t been determined, but this does not bode well for companies and energy companies looking to introduce fuel-cell vehicles to the masses.
Rochester Airport Explosion: Hydrogen Tanks Ignite (Democrat and Chronicle via Autoblog)
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And we've never had a refinery explosion or one at a gas station?
Ziggy,
I totally agree. That's why I say it's no more combustible than gasoline.
It's all about perception though with this particular fuel type.
The average American is so afraid of change that they'll find any reason to resist, even if those reasons are completely ridiculus. Even when the change is HUGELY in their advantage, they'll try desperately to make a lame excuse as to why it is worse.
"Hydrogen Explosion Deals Blow to Fuel Cell Advocates"
American bombs explosions kill many civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan but it doesn't stop war advocates.
Home re-chargers by ACTA will reduce the need to swap tanks.
http://www.actaenergy.it/default.asp
I'm all for hydrogen, GM used to have an experimental hydrogen powered hummer, But I'm not for the fuel cells. At the end of the day it's still a gutless short range electric car. Cars like these belong on the golf course, not the freeways. Hydrogen itself is flammable and can be combusted in an engine. A CNG or propane engine should be able to burn hydrogen, with minimal retooling. Environmentalists shouldn't have much to say about it either because the exhaust is water vapor and water. That's it. The only drawback is that there is nowhere to refuel a hydrogen powered vehicle. So once again, Gas reigns "Supreme". Get it???
By the way, We cannot completely rule out oil, it is needed for many other things besides fuel and motor oil. The computer you are using, what's in it? Plastic. Plastic come from oil. Your TV? Oil is used in the process of makeing it. More plastic.
Bottom line: Drill in our own country, and tell the Middle East to shove it.
P.S. Gas prices in the middle east are what??? that's right, they are UNDER $1 per gallon. What do we pay??? We pay $3 on up for our gas. Go figure.
Hydrogen is in theory a great idea. I expect a lot of people perceive it as dangerous, perhaps with good reason, because unlike gasoline it is colorless and odorless, and thus you can't see a leak or a spill. A stinky additive like that put into natural gas would help. Does anyone know if that is already being done?
hey Tom, That's a great idea. Just like the gas we use to cook in our homes. The bad smell warns you of a potentially serious problem. This explosion tells us that hydrogen is an excellent source of fuel. I would use hydrogen to power a combustion engine. Screw the fuel cells, let me burn it.
This slight mishaps will have no more deterring effect on the public than the death of a whole team deterred astronauts from boarding a new space shuttle, or the fire in the channel tunnel deterred people from travelling with the eurostar. As for the fuel-cells having a small autonomy, I wonder where that silly idea comes from.
Actually, one of the major obstacles to using Hydrogen for fuel is that it is much *less* explosive than gasoline. I did not see this incident but I have watched film of the Hindenberg accident many times and the glaring truth is that it didn't explode, it burned. If it had been filled with gasoline fumes, most of New Jersey would be missing today.
Not only that but being lighter than air means it won't accumulate--it disperses immediately and blends with atmosphere rendering itself inert. Gasoline fumes accumulate on the ground remaing explosive for hours.
Gasoline is many times over more dangerous than hydrogen.
The headlione, "Hydrogen Explosion" reeks of yellow jourmalism.
If you were to give equal coverage of all the mechanics that have been burned or killed trying patch a leaky gasoline tank you would have trouble covering all those events. To sound the death knell over one event that really did not comprimise the fuel is really very selective and biased reporting.
Back when AC from Westinghouse was competing with DC from Edison, Edison electrocuted an elephant to try and dissuade people from the "danger" of AC.
I wonder if something similar is going on here. In some sense, it "backfired" because here you have a whole gigantic tank that exploded and there was almost no injury!
Contrast that with the man gasoline pipeline explosions!
Hydrogen is huge success and this worst case scenario should calm the fears of almost everyone!
Go H2!
Go Fuel Cells!
The Future is Hydrogen!
Fuel cells for cars is a convenient FICTION used to postpone plug-in cars. The technical barriers to using Hydrogen and oxygen from the air as a fuel are based on scientific laws, not wishful thinking. But you don't need to be technical to understand this: IF YOU BELIEVE IN A COMPRESSED GAS CAR, WHY NOT CNG?? It's here, now, you get HOV stickers, it's cheaper than gas, doesn't require a fuel cell stack or high-tech tanks, operates at 3600 psi instead of 10,000 psi, and so on. Why not CNG?
The reason is, CNG is real, but fuel cell cars are FANTASY. Fuel cells work in space, where you can carry technical-grade H2 as well as technical-grade O2 at a total cost of $30 per gallon gas equivalent; but it won't happen more than a few samples in cars due to cost issues, safety are other issues.
"Free" H2 gas?? Might as well fantasize about electric being free, because it takes 60 kWh of electric to make 36 kWh of H2. In order to get 10 kWh of electric on the motor.
Better to use the 60 kWh to charge a battery and then run the motor, 50 kWh available.
as far as our coverage of this explosion we clearly spelled out that we know this isn't anything that would differ from another fuel type exploding BUT we also know of all the people we talk to about hydrogen on the street they instantly bring up the "aren't you worried it will explode?" factor.
Is it accurate? No. Is it a reality out there among potential consumers? Yes.
That's why this post is here and written the way it is.
Best thing that could happen to GM is to blow up.
GM ( Great Mistake )
GM has always made junk for cars and always will.
Who owns GM? Looks like government generated terrorism to me. They will shoot theirself in the foot; before they will give up taxes on gasoline. I feel raped! They will have to answer to God.
John Bailo
Aug 28, 2010 3:15:23 PM
Back when AC from Westinghouse was competing with DC from Edison, Edison electrocuted an elephant to try and dissuade people from the "danger" of AC.
I wonder if something similar is going on here. In some sense, it "backfired" because here you have a whole gigantic tank that exploded and there was almost no injury!
Contrast that with the man gasoline pipeline explosions!
Hydrogen is huge success and this worst case scenario should calm the fears of almost everyone!
Go H2!
Go Fuel Cells!
The Future is Hydrogen!
Actually Nikola Tesla invented AC generation and Edison was pissed. George Westinghouse was the one that funded Tesla and bought the patents
But this story about a hydrogen explosion will indeed hurt the industry because many people that read the story will not do any research on hydrogen and its properties and get educated about it. They will just use this fear factor to prevent it from becoming a useful energy source.
doug korthof
Aug 29, 2010 9:12:02 AM
Fuel cells for cars is a convenient FICTION used to postpone plug-in cars. The technical barriers to using Hydrogen and oxygen from the air as a fuel are based on scientific laws, not wishful thinking. But you don't need to be technical to understand this: IF YOU BELIEVE IN A COMPRESSED GAS CAR, WHY NOT CNG?? It's here, now, you get HOV stickers, it's cheaper than gas, doesn't require a fuel cell stack or high-tech tanks, operates at 3600 psi instead of 10,000 psi, and so on. Why not CNG?
The reason is, CNG is real, but fuel cell cars are FANTASY. Fuel cells work in space, where you can carry technical-grade H2 as well as technical-grade O2 at a total cost of $30 per gallon gas equivalent; but it won't happen more than a few samples in cars due to cost issues, safety are other issues.
"Free" H2 gas?? Might as well fantasize about electric being free, because it takes 60 kWh of electric to make 36 kWh of H2. In order to get 10 kWh of electric on the motor.
Better to use the 60 kWh to charge a battery and then run the motor, 50 kWh available.
In the southwestern deserts why couldn't one place solar cells on the vehicle which could generate the electrical power to crack water into its two elements? The sun shines on these deserts about 300 days per year. Seems like a great place for solar power generation.
Even a stirling engine would work under these conditions by focusing the solar energy on the hot cylinder. Of course the stirling would need much improvement as it does not exactly start up as quickly an an internal combustion engine nor does it accelerate as quickly.
Just a thought.
Hydrogen is both flammable and explosive. Sooner or later there will be a ***-almighty explosion in a car crash and that will be the end of fuel cells in cars !
Gasoline is both flammable and explosive. Sooner or later there will be a ***-almighty explosion in a car crash and that will be the end of ICEs in cars !
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