1. No distribution network.

2. Fear of explosion.

When the automotive industry was active in testing this fuel, tests were similarly carried out with liquid petroleum gas (LPG). This fuel also had no bulk distribution network and was also more volatile than petrol. For safe handling both hydrogen and LPG require a robust fuel tank. In Europe LPG gained acceptance and promotion and is now widely available, hydrogen didn?t.

Interestingly, LPG is produced by the same companies that produce petrol and diesel as it is a by-product of that process. More interestingly LPG is produced from the same raw product as petrol. This comes from the same oil fields as petrol. Hydrogen does not come from oil fields.

More recently bio-diesel was extensively prototyped and tested. Again it failed to lift off in a marketing sense.

Bio-fuel is produced from green mass, grown in farm fields and not pumped from oil fields.

Alternative fuels are inherently more expensive than fossil derived fuels. Apparent price parity with petrol/diesel only comes about because the cost of fossil derived fuel is maintained at a high value through supply control of the raw material and taxation on derivative sales. This could be seen as a global attempt at triple bottom line accounting as while oil and gas are relatively cheap to mine, the oil field to petrol pump costs take no account of the millions of years it took the earth to lay down the deposits.

Yet even in countries where petrol and diesel prices are the highest, consumption continues to rise. An indicator, perhaps, that more expensive alternative fuels will not find themselves priced beyond the market.

Marketing and market timing are the key factors here. If and when the world does run out of fossil fuels there will be many alternatives to choose from. The current stalemate is that the producers of raw fossil fuels (countries not companies) cannot withstand the effect that a mass movement away from this resource would create.

This is a very general summary of a very complex world situation, also it does not take account of the environmental issue that surround it, but you can rest assured that, given a gradual process of development, the world?s wheels will not stop turning for want of petrol.

It would seem then that the dichotomy is that though millions will be adversely affected by global warming, if the world were to make the major step of ditching the use of fossil fuel consumption in favour of an alternative, that switch would also adversely affect millions.

Catch 22.

? Copyright 2007

Admit it, everyday your car emissions are contributing to pollution. If you want to reduce pollution and at the same time save money, you need to make use of hydrogen fuel cell technology; find out more by reading this article.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is not new. It started more or less eighty years ago but since it is quite expensive, scientists and researchers don’t find it a good alternative fuel source. Aside from the hydrogen technology, other technologies have surfaced years ago such as the use of vegetable oil and sugar cane to run a car. However, these technologies did not achieve great success because of the hefty price, climate restrictions, and other issues regarding safety on the road. In short, these technologies were unstable.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is different. In fact, there are now converted hydrogen cars roaming the streets of US, Europe, and Canada. This improved technology is now more stable. Have you tried surfing the internet? The hydrogen fuel cell kits are widely available online and anyone can get it as long as they want to take advantage of the hydrogen technology.

Experts did not find vegetable oil and sugar cane as viable options. Can hydrogen technology offer something different? If you want proof, the technology is proof in itself since it is science reality. With hydrogen technology, you will still need gasoline aside from the HHO generator and conversion tool.

The conversion tool will need electricity from the car battery and this will be used to conduct the process of electrolysis. Through the process, hydrogen will be extracted from water and in turn provide the car with added power. Obviously, at this point in time, hydrogen technology can’t replace the use of diesel or gasoline. Well, who knows what might happen in the future.

By using this hydrogen fuel cell technology, you can reduce your fuel consumption to a great extent and save lots of money. Now, why did scientists and researchers find this technology viable? The reason is that hydrogen technology is much more affordable now. In fact, car companies will soon offer the public with affordable hydrogen powered vehicles.

Conversion projects are easy to build and are quite affordable. If you’re interested with the hydrogen technology, surf the net now. Check out the available resources that are in store for you. You will surely get tremendous savings by simply investing on the fuel cell kits online.

Even if you buy the built fuel cells, the cost is still nothing compared to the savings that you will get in return. Well, if you want changes, you definitely have to spend some money. This is a very good investment because you’re not only helping yourself but you’re also helping the world.

Find guides online to help you go through with your conversion project. Perhaps you have a friend or a relative who converted their car already. Ask help from them so that the task is immediately finished. If everyone in the world consider the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology, life will improve.

How does it work?

Using water as fuel is not as simple as pouring water into your fuel tank; that is the fast way to break your car and should never be attempted. This technology works by using water and hydrogen. The result is hydrogen oxide which burns well and efficiently. If you have seen the instructions online to make your own kits, they involve using gasoline with water as a mixture. Whilst you are still using gas, you are significantly cutting down how much you use and thus, how much you spend.

What are the benefits to using water as fuel?

There are several benefits to a water fuel mix including increased mileage. Some experts have stated you can reach up to 50% increase in mileage which can equal a saving of hundreds of dollars every week if you are a person who travels everyday to work or elsewhere. Another great benefit is that this fuel is less harmful to engines. By increasing the life expectancy of your car engine you reduce then need to fix and replace your car so often.

One more great benefit of water fuel is that it makes cars run quieter and smoother and performance has said to increase. Last but not least is the greatest benefit of all – the fact that emissions are so much cleaner with water fuel rather than straight gasoline. Keeping down CO2 emissions is a major goal for all countries and cars make up the largest contributor to global warming. Water fuel emits mostly water vapor which is completely harmless to the ozone compared with greenhouse emissions.

Water fuel is the way of the future, there is no doubt about that. Whilst car manufacturers are yet to adopt this technology, it wont be long until we start seeing alternative fuels like this being used on a mass scale. This will reduce our dependence on oil and of course reduce the amount of deadly and dangerous greenhouse emissions that currently spew out of cars on a massive scale each and every day.

During the power generation cycle, water and heat are produced as a by-products. This is a far more ideal byproduct than the unclean emissions which are created by other methods of generating electricity.

They will operate and generate power so long as fuel is supplied. Since the conversion of the fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process, and not by combustion, the process is clean, quiet, and highly efficient – two to three times more efficient than regular combustion, such as that done by gasoline in a generator.

Fuel cell technology is unique as a power technology – no other energy generation technology offers the combination of benefits that these devices do. In addition to producing extremely low or zero emissions (depending on the type used), some of their main benefits include:

High efficiency and reliability Multi-fuel capability Durability Scalability Ease of maintenance

Since they generate power through a chemical process, they operate silently. Thus, they reduce noise pollution, as well as air pollution. Heat generated by the cells, in the process of generating electricity can be captured and used to provide hot water or space heating for a home or office, in larger applications.

Another key aspect of this technology is that the cells can be scaled to any size required, without difficulty. Small cells can be produced which will power mobile phones for up to thirty days, or operate laptops for twenty hours or more. Larger versions can be produced to operate as power plants, in order to provide electricity for small cities. And of course, there are many sizes in between.

The most notable use of fuel cells currently being developed is as a replacement for the combustion engine. It is very likely that cars and other vehicles will be powered by fuel cells in the not too distant future.

In light of the above, the U.S. Department of Energy (COE) is running a program in order to research and develop this technology further. The DOE considers this to be an important enabling technology for the hydrogen economy. It states that they have the potential to revolutionize the way we power our nation, by offering cleaner and more highly efficient alternatives to the combustion of gasoline and other hazardous fossil fuels.

The DOE also considers that these devices have the potential to replace internal-combustion engines in vehicles, and to provide power in stationary and portable power applications because they are energy-efficient, clean, and fuel-flexible.

Currently the DOE is working closely with its national laboratories, universities, and industry partners across the United States, in order to overcome critical technical barriers to the commercialization of fuel cell technology. It is currently focused on the development of reliable, low-cost, high-performance fuel cell system components, for transportation and buildings applications.

The first fuel-cell operated cars are currently being piloted. The first commercially available cars of this make are predicted to reach the consumer market by the year 2012.

There are many forms of alternative energy being researched, developed, and utilized around the world. There is solar power, wind power, hydro-kinetic power, biomass, ocean wave power, tidal power, and the list goes on and on. A key factor to reducing our uses of unhealthy fossil fuels will be to determine which clean alternative energy resources work best under which circumstances and in which locations. A full understanding of all clean alternative energy sources is necessary.

Fuels cells play a big role in helping clean up our environment.

One of the solutions that sprang up from laboratories are bio- fuels- plant extracts and compounds which when added to gasoline and petrol will substitute fuel characteristics.

Bio- fuels certainly aids the environment as they are biological in nature and therefore do not add carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Coming from carbon dioxide digesters in nature, they typically remove carbon dioxide and in turn give off the same amount when burnt.

Though still in the introduction stage in the market, bio- fuels has proven to be promising with surprising results- they do not only cost much less to make than gasoline or petrol additives, but elaborate tests has proven that they can also improve vehicle performance and clean emissions! Further tests conducted have also proven that bio-fuels eliminate smog and engine build-up.

A lot of oil companies are slowly picking up the pace in marketing these types of fuel and a lot are reporting sales steadily on the rise due to the affordability and added benefits. There are also new oil market players that cater exclusively to the production and distributing bio-fuels and by-products, now gaining influence off the growing demand for cheaper and cleaner fuel alternatives.

Bio-fuel variants largely used in vehicles today include:

1. Bio- Diesel

For diesel engines. This type of fuel can be used with existing cars with little or no adaptation needed and scores well on the energy ratings. Cars on Bio- Ethanol basically land the same rankings as those running on gasoline. The difference however shows up on the combustion process as Bio-Ethanol only emits the carbon dioxide it has used up in the growth process of its plant source, while burning gasoline or diesel adds more CO2 into the atmosphere due to their underground containment in oil deposits for eons of years.

Large sources of plant extracts usually come from the following:

* Ethanol alcohol from Sugarcane
* Oil extracts from mature Jathropa seeds
* Coconut oil

2. Biogas

Another interesting alternative to fossil fuels, Biogas is the type of gas from animal or plant wastes or a combination of both. A mixture of both has been proven to yield the best results. The animal wastes produce the nitrogen for bacterial growth and vegetable matter supplies the needed carbon.

With the positive market feedback, researchers are still looking and testing other viable plant sources for an even improved fuel additive which will eventually (should the need arise) power vehicles in the future.

As a motorist this is truly a great news- now you?ll get relief over fuel costs and maintenance bills but the most rewarding above all is that in using bio-fuels, you?re contributing to the welfare of your environment.

Drive safely.

Jovir Amatong
jamatong@autoterminal.com

All About the Iron Wagon

It wasn’t until the American gas shortages of the 1970’s that research into alternative fuels really began in earnest. Faced with shortages of gasoline, there was no choice but to develop some alternatives to the standard gasoline engine. What they discovered was ethanol.

Ethanol

Alcohol made from corn has been around since mankind first learned to cultivate it, but it wasn’t until the 70’s that scientists realized it could be used in gasoline powered vehicles. Ethanol (denatured with enough methanol that people couldn’t drink it) could power an internal combustion engine as effectively as petrochemicals, but without a lot of the harmful byproducts of petrochemical combustion. It was cheaper to make than gasoline, and would require large amounts of corn, which was good for the farmers at the time.

There were other fuels that were discovered to work as well, with modifications to the engine to accomodate the new fuels. Natural gas, propane, and hydrogen will all power an internal combustion engine just as well as gasoline or ethanol. But there were (and still are) problems with fuel storage and delivery, and the engine must be modified to use these fuels – they won’t work in a standard gasoline engine design.

Why Aren’t We Using Alternative Fuels Then?

There is probably no simple answer as to why we aren’t already using these alternative fuels now – 30 years after research first began. Some cite the political clout of the big oil companies, others cite the expense of changing the infrastructure to a new fuel type (which is made all the more difficult by the millions of gasoline vehicles already on the roads), still others say that the technologies simply are not ready yet. The true answer probably lies with a blending of all these reasons and many more – societal inertia comes to mind. People are simply comfortable with there gas guzzlers, and until a good portion of the population wants this change, it won’t happen. But fortunately, this is occurring today. With gas prices spiraling up out of control at the pump, more and more cities cloaked in a thickening layer of smog, and global envornmental awareness hitting it’s peak, popular demand for alternative fuels that are cheaper and greener is at an all-time high.

What types of goverment grants are available when it comes to the use of alternative fuels? Well, most of them involve businesses who are interested in converting their gas-powered vehicle fleets over to alternative fuel fleets that are environmentally friendly and will meet with the Energy Policy Act that President Bush signed in 2005.

Businesses such as trucking companies use a large amount of fossil fuels. The increasing cost of gasoline makes their operating costs rise and, in turn, passed on to the consumer ? that?s us! When these companies begin to convert their trucks over to alternative fuel and get a goverment grant to pay for the cost, they?re saving money, and so are we!

Of course, these goverment grants won?t cover the cost of switching to alternative fuel sources entirely. However, many grants can amount to millions of dollars of free money with the companies only having to pay about half of what is required to convert engines.

Some people don?t agree with the thought of their tax dollars paying for something like paying for companies to convert vehicles to alternative fuel vehicles. However, if they really thought about the advantages, they might actually change their mind and begin supporting the goverment grant program for alternative fuel use.

For example, allowing the goverment to provide grant money for those who want to use alternative fuels, we are decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and thus becoming much more self-sufficient. This will also help with the alarming phenomenon of global warming, which is a reality, and has been brought to the forefront through ex-Vice President Al Gore?s Oscar winning documentary ?An Inconvenient Truth?.

All of us in the United States should really be concerned about both of these problems: dependence on foreign oil and global warming. By getting involved with grant programs, the goverment is doing what it can to insure that we can find solutions to the problems instead of just sitting back and doing nothing. Alternative fuels are the wave of the future and having the support of the goverment through grant money can help make us a totally independent country when it comes to our energy sources.

Learn How To Make Your Own Fuel.

Bio diesel is the result of the European effort to remove a considerable amount of the polluting attributes of diesel fuel. This has created a 60% reduction in hydrocarbons, a 40% reduction of carbon monoxide, and a 40% reduction in particulates. Bio carbon is produced from raw materials called feedstock. This material absorbs carbon monoxide in an amount equal to the amount the car using the fuel emits. With this new diesel fuel, diesel engines are working at 50% higher fuel efficiency than normal gas powered engines

Ethanol is, by far, the most popular of the alternative fuels. Ethanol has a very down home farm essence to it as it is made from starch producing plants like corn. Yes, corn is the fuel of the future, although some producers prefer sugar to corn in the ethanol making process. Today, most of the information you hear about ethanol is the E85 mixture, which is a mixture of 85% ethanol, and 15% gas. This alternative fuel can only be used in vehicles especially designed for them as well as vehicles that are 22 E85 compatible. Using ethanol can reduce smog production up to 50%, gas can’t say that much. Unfortunately, despite E85’s smog emission reduction it is still contributing to ozone depletion, although many experts disagree, and still others have no idea how it happens in the first place.

CNG, or Compressed Natural Gas, is another of the top candidates for the king of alternative fuels. In comparison to gas, CNG comes from domestic, not Middle Eastern Reserves, burns cleaner, and is cheaper. Unfortunately, vehicles that run on CNG require some changes which include: storing natural gas in pressurized tanks, burning the CNG with a modified combustion engine, and it is more economical than gas burning engines. Although, CNG cars emit fewer smog emissions than Hybrid cars, they release more greenhouse gases than Hybrid cars as well.

Besides these top 3 candidates for alternative fuel king, there are other less developed methods. There is liquid coal, which will be too costly to use. There is hydrogen fuel, which will also be costly, because hydrogen isn’t naturally found. Fuel cell technology, which sounds a lot like Star Trek, is light years away from being developed. As of now, the hybrid vehicle is probably your best bet as far as fuel efficiency, and fuel alternative. Unfortunately, it doesn’t cure us of our dependency on gas. The king of alternative fuel may soon be crowned, but that soon is far away.

The technical name for a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity. Other electrochemical devices that are in use these days and for many decades is the well-known battery. The distinguishing difference between a simple battery and a fuel cell is that all the chemicals are stored inside the battery. The battery in turn converts those chemicals into electricity but in due course it “goes dead” as the chemicals are used up and at times you can either throw it away or recharge it.

Then again with a fuel cell, chemicals continually flow into the cell so as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell; the electricity flows out of the fuel cell. Combustion engines the gasoline engine burn fuels and batteries converted chemical energy back into electrical energy when needed. However, fuel cells should do both tasks more efficiently.

Simply put the construction and materials in a fuel cell release electrons from the hydrogen gas creating electricity and the waste product after the electricity is used to power an electrical device is water, formed with the negative hydrogen and the oxygen.This reaction in a single fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts. To get this voltage up to a reasonable level, several separate fuel cells must be combined to form a fuel-cell stack.

However one major problem with using hydrogen is that it is cannot be stored easily for consumer use. Among the other alternatives, it could be natural gas, propane, and methanol gas. The main objective of using fuel cell technology is pollution reduction. Fuel cell is also very efficient; 80% of the fuel use in these cells is converted into usable energy as compared to only 20% for a gasoline powered engine and about 30% overall for a battery powered electric vehicle.

Evidently there is no question that the fuel cell holds greater promise for the future. However, the fuel cell technology must still gather all the pieces of finding the right ‘fuel’ source that is both easy to store and deliver to the consumer, efficiency of the vehicle using fuel cells, and the cost for the total package.