Showing posts with label fuel cells. Show all posts

2010-06-17

The miniPAK -- Horizon's Portable Electronic Device Charger

At last! An affordable, portable, pocket-sized Personal Fuel Cell

The Horizon MiniPak will almost certainly be the public's first experience of the coming Hydrogen Economy.

Image Gallery (5 images)

Collected from: At last! An affordable, portable, pocket-sized Personal Fuel Cell

Portable fuel cell powers gadgets with water

Horizon’s solution relies on a purpose-built cartridge, called a HydroStik, which is refilled from a “desktop hydrogen supply”. HydroStiks are inserted into the MiniPak, a handheld conversion unit that produces 1.5W to 2W of continuous power and includes a standard 5V USB port to enable direct plugging-in of any USB-dependent device. Adapter tips support a variety of smartphones and GPS units from Motorola, LG, Sony, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, BlackBerry, HTC, and Garmin (here’s the official video complete with 80s-styled synthpop ambient music).

Collected from: Portable fuel cell powers gadgets with water

Collected from: YouTube - Horizon's NEW MiniPak - compact fuel cell power supply for your power-hungry portable electronics

features:

Refillable H2 storage!
Cheaper for the amount of storable energy ($/Wh)
More available energy than most existing devices (Wh)
No self discharge - energy can be stored in solid state for years
No wall sockets ideal for remote "off-grid" use or international travel
Smaller size for similar weight when compared to best available batteries
Ready-to-use device - no need to charge cartridges prior to first-time use
Easy to use (Universal USB for multiple devices), no need for adaptor plugs
Sustainable product: product makes use of recycled plastics and green materials
Multiple use - can be used for numerous portable devices, not just cell-phones!
Eco-friendly: if disposed, canisters do not contain any mercury, cadmium or lead
"Hot swappable" energy by simply swapping "empty for full" cartridges on the go
Carriable on-board aircraft cabin - thanks to recent legislation on metal hydride devices
Infrastructure for the future - HydroFILL "home refueling station" can be used for many other fuel cell devices

Collected from: Portable Power - Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies

A Hydrogen Station In Every Home?

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout talks to Taras Wankewycz about a new hydrogen fuel-cell refueling station for the home.

Would you like to know more?

"Horizon to show home fuel cell technology that charges gadgets"
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/0...

Collected from: YouTube - A Hydrogen Station In Every Home?

Sources

At last! An affordable, portable, pocket-sized Personal Fuel Cell
http://www.gizmag.com/at-last-an-affordable-portable-pocket-size-fuel-cell/15425/
Portable fuel cell powers gadgets with water
http://apcmag.com/Content.aspx?id=5801
YouTube - Horizon's NEW MiniPak - compact fuel cell power supply for your power-hungry portable electronics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyNc-97ZFhM&feature=player_embedded
Portable Power - Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies
http://www.horizonfuelcell.com/electronics.htm
YouTube - A Hydrogen Station In Every Home?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLVQVtuPR9c

Products & Markets - Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies
http://www.horizonfuelcell.com/products.htm
Horizon MiniPak personal fuel cell charger hits shelves for $100 -- Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/16/horizon-minipak-personal-fuel-cell-charger-hits-shelves-for-100/
Horizon’s Cheap Personal Fuel Cell Now On Sale—Charge Gadgets Cleanly And Cheaply | Gizmodo Australia
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/06/horizons-cheap-personal-fuel-cell-now-on-salecharge-gadgets-cleanly-and-cheaply/
Horizon MiniPak Pocket-Sized Fuel Cell Charger
http://www.gadgetvenue.com/horizon-minipak-pocketsized-fuel-cell-charger-06161724/
Pocket-Sized Fuel Cell Charges Gadgets Away From Home
http://ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3192
Horizon offers fuel cells for portable devices - GREEN.BLORGE.com
http://green.blorge.com/2010/06/horizon-offers-fuel-cells-for-portable-devices/

2009-04-13

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) Producing Methane From CO2

Clipped from: Microbes turn electricity directly to methane

Microbes turn electricity directly to methane

Shaoan Cheng and Defeng Xing (l to r) work with cell that produces methane directly from electricity by way of tiny microbes while Bruce E. Logan looks on.

(PhysOrg.com) -- A tiny microbe can take electricity and directly convert carbon dioxide and water to methane, producing a portable energy source with a potentially neutral carbon footprint, according to a team of Penn State engineers.

Clipped from: Bruce E. Logan

Bruce E. Logan

Research in the Logan lab is focused on bioenergy production for the development of an energy-sustainable water infrastructure for both industrialized and developing countries. Using new technologies, it is possible to directly generate electricity using microbial fuel cells, or hydrogen gas using microbial electrolysis cells, from wastewaters and biomass. These systems have the potential not only to power the water infrastructure, but to produce net excess power for communities and industries.

Clipped from: Bruce Logan Research - Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

How does a microbial fuel cell work? When bacteria are placed in the anode chamber of a specially-designed fuel cell that is free of oxygen, they attach to an electrode. Because they do not have oxygen, they must transfer the electrons that they obtain from consumption (oxidation) of their food somewhere else than to oxygen-- they transfer them to the electrode. In a MFC these electrons therefore go to the anode, while the counter electrode (the cathode) is exposed to oxygen. At the cathode the electrons, oxygen and protons combine to form only water. The two electrodes are at different potentials (about 0.5 V), creating a bio-batter (if the system is not refilled) or a fuel cell (if we constantly put in new food or "fuel" for the bacteria).

Check out the MFC-cam, our on-line demonstration of an MFC!

Clipped from: Penn State Live - Microbes turn carbon dioxide into methane

Microbes turn carbon dioxide into methane

The cells are about 80 percent efficient in converting electricity to methane and because they use carbon dioxide as feed stock, would be carbon neutral if the electricity comes from a non-carbon source such as solar or wind power.

"The process does not sequester carbon, but it does turn carbon dioxide into fuel," said Logan. "If the methane is burned and carbon dioxide captured, then the process can be carbon neutral."

Logan suggests the method for off peak capture of renewable energy in a portable fuel. Methane is preferred over hydrogen because a large portion of the U.S. infrastructure is already set up to easily transport and deliver methane.

The National Science Foundation and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. supported this project.

Sources:

Related:

2008-10-26

Microbial fuel cells

clipped from peswiki.com

Directory:Penn State Microbial Fuel Cells Produce Hydrogen from Waste Water

Aka : "BioElectrochemically Assisted Microbial Reactor" (BEAMR)

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a completely new method of renewable energy recovery: the direct conversion of organic matter (e.g. sewage waste) to electricity using bacteria. The method is highly efficient and produces a high volume of hydrogen.

Researchers have designed a microbial electrolysis cell in which bacteria break up acetic acid (a product of plant waste fermentation) to produce hydrogen gas with a very small electrical input from an outside source. Hydrogen can then be used for fuel cells or as a fuel additive in vehicles that now run on natural gas.
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation.

clipped from www.engr.psu.edu

Hydrogen energy research has sprung to the forefront at Penn State University, where more than a hundred researchers are fully involved in developing new hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

clipped from www.engr.psu.edu

Microbial Fuel Cells for Electricity Generation

Microbial fuel cell research involves the direct conversion of organic matter to electricity using bacteria. This new form of renewable energy recovery may be instituted into existing wastewater treatment plants to help generate the electricity used during water treatment, which consumes 5% of all electricity generated in the USA. Current research focuses on developing MFC's that use can use bacteria to both produce electricity and effectively clean wastewater, and improving methods to increase power generation.

2008-03-04

A zero-emission sports car

A hydrogen-powered Lifecar, based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster,

A "zero-emission" sports car with a top speed of nearly 100mph is set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.

[...]

The lightweight model packs advanced fuel cells and an energy storage system that gives the car a range of 250 miles (400km) per tank of hydrogen.

It has been developed by a consortium of UK companies and universities.

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