Tag Archives: Fuel Cell

Corgi i-H2GO R/C Car Runs on Hydrogen Fuel

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While this R/C car technically doesn’t run solely on water, it’s still a pretty interesting scientific toy to have around. This new revision of the hydrogen-powered R/C car is more energy efficient and cheaper than the 2008 original.

corgi i h2go rc hydrogen water car

Water is poured into the i-H2GO car’s refueling station, then it is electrolyzed. The process splits H2O into hydrogen and oxygen using the power of a solar panel. The hydrogen is then directed into the car, and the car basically runs off hydrogen by converting it into electricity. On cloudy days, you can use a USB cable to electrolyze the water.

The i-H2GO is controlled by an iOS app at the moment. An Android app is forthcoming.

corgi i h2go rc hydrogen water car refuel station

You can get the whole setup for $180(USD) from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. It will ship on August 15.

[via Werd]

Nectar Mobile Power System Promises up to Two Weeks of Power for Your Gadgets

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Lilliputian Systems and Brookstone have announced that they have teamed up for the launch of a new mobile power system called the Nectar Mobile Power System. Neither of those companies specifically come out and say just how the Nectar system generates power. It uses a Nectar Pod, which is hot-swappable to create energy, presumably using fuel cell technology.

nectar fuel cell power

Each Nectar Pod provides 55000 mW-hours of electricity – enough energy for about two weeks of device charging. When one pod runs out, you simply pop another pod in and you can keep your devices charged indefinitely. The manufacturers say that the lightweight and portable device can charge any device that uses the USB 2.0 power standard. Nectar Pods and the power system itself are both certified to be allowed to be taken on commercial aircraft as well.

The charging system will be available this summer with the charger itself costing a rather pricey $299.99(USD). Replacement Nectar Pod cartridges will sell for $9.99 each. You can pre-order the Nectar over at Brookstone.

Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge

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Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge

Rohm's hydrogen fuel cells are meant to power smartphones and other mobile devices, but unlike other juicing-up solutions, the cells are only good for one charge. Rohm says disposable fuel cells can be made smaller and lighter than their multi-use counterparts, and as the only byproduct is hydrogen, the company is touting the cells' eco-friendliness. The system generates electricity by using hydrogen that's created by the reaction of a metal material and water. While the device we saw here at CEATEC is a prototype, Rohm may offer its recharging system as both a smartphone case and a USB-attachable juicepack. Each offers 5Wh and can fully charge a handset once. There's also a 200W power generator, which certainly stretches the meaning of portable but can keep a laptop, LCD TV and a peripheral or two going for three to four hours. Rohm says its fuel cells will see a commercial release some time in 2013; for now you can get a sneak peek in our hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: Rohm Hydrogen Fuel Cells hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

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Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video)

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Don't mind the zeroemissions Mercedes BClass fuelcell car behind the invisible curtain eyeson video

Mercedes wanted to make a dramatic statement about how its new B-Class F-Cell car passes through the environment without leaving a trace, so it placed it behind an invisible LED curtain. We wanted to (not?) see that for ourselves at the Paris Auto Show, so took a quick tour of the magic LED cloak and the technology behind it. It doesn't work quite as well in a show hall as it did when we first saw it in its natural habitat, but the system was still a fun way to show off Merc's green ambitions. It works by passing video from behind the car taken with a Sony video camera through a laptop to a 200 x 300 resolution LED curtain. That makes the car blend in with its background, which is what such a car would do in the real world as far as its emissions go -- apart from a little water, of course. See the video below for the complete technical explanation.

Continue reading Don't mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video)

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Don't mind the zero-emissions Mercedes fuel-cell car behind the invisible curtain (eyes-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans

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The 24 hour race at Le Mans held every year is among the most punishing automotive tests on the planet: race-bred machines running top-speed (or close) for a full day. Recently, gasoline-powered cars have had their dominance usurped by diesels, who themselves are now losing to hybrids. The next step? It could be EVs. The GreenGT H2 will take the grid of next year's 24 hour race as an experimental entry, driving the full race distance pushing only water vapor out its tailpipe. Hydrogen is stored in the two large tanks running down the sides, while the massive fuel cell stack itself is situated behind the driver. Power output is somewhere north of 500 horsepower, which is quite healthy for a car that the company hopes will be down under 1000Kg (2,200 pounds) by the time it hits the track in anger. Enough to win Le Mans? Almost certainly not, but it'll be fun to watch it try.

Gallery: GreenGT H2 LeMans Hydrogen-powered race car

GreenGT H2 LeMans Hydrogen-powered race car

Steve Dent contributed to this report.

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GreenGT H2 eyes-on: the first fuel cell-powered racer to tackle Le Mans originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path

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Your average fuel cell powered car is something like the Mercedes B Class F-Cell: tiny, light and hugely efficient. Nissan is trying to break that rather restrictive preconception with its latest concept, the Terra. Like its cross-prefixed predecessor, the Xterra, and similarly quirky Juke, the Terra is designed to take the rougher road while cosseting its occupants in a particularly trick interior featuring both a dashboard that's actually a removable tablet. The idea is you can take it inside and keep tabs on your car, but we wonder what happens when you leave it sitting by the bed as you groggily stagger out to your vehicle in the morning.

Impractical concept car interior design decisions aside, the machine is powered by a trio of electric motors (yes, three) driving all four wheels and receiving their power from Nissan's latest hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Nissan says this unit costs just one sixth that of its predecessor, but presumably such a system has a long way to go before it can be placed in a reasonably priced machine. No word on what this might cost -- if indeed it ever goes into production. This one, we think, isn't too likely.

Gallery: Nissan Terra

Nissan Terra

Steve Dent contributed to this post.

Continue reading Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path

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Nissan Terra concept takes you and your fuel cell off the beaten path originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers create super-efficient microbial fuel cell, dream of selling excess electricity

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EDIT Researchers create superefficient microbial fuel cell, dream of selling excess electricity

Recycling wastewater to generate energy has turned up noses before, but researchers at Oregon State University have developed a microbial fuel cell that can create 10 to 50, or even 100 times more electricity per volume than similar technologies. After refining the tech for several years using new materials, techniques and selecting better microbes, the team can now extract two kilowatts per cubic meter of refuse. As bacteria oxidizes organic matter, electrons -- rather than the hydrogen or methane that other methods rely upon -- are produced and run from an anode to a cathode within the device to create an electric current. Once implementation costs are cut down, the technology could power waste treatment plants and enable them to sell excess electricity. The contraption isn't just for processing what comes out of the porcelain throne -- it can also utilize materials ranging from grass straw to beer brewing byproducts. For now, however, the cell will tackle a pilot study before it inches closer to your local brewery or water treatment facility.

Continue reading Researchers create super-efficient microbial fuel cell, dream of selling excess electricity

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Researchers create super-efficient microbial fuel cell, dream of selling excess electricity originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple plans second North Carolina data center, avoids the ‘Deep River Blues’

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Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina if you're an Apple data center. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that the folks in Cupertino have filed plans with Catawba County officials for a second 21,000 square foot "tactical" data center that will house 11 rooms and carry a $1.9 million price tag. Mechanical permits outline the need for 22 air conditioners and 14 humidifiers alongside fans and heaters for the building that will nestle up to the existing construction. This is, of course, on the same site that will be home to two 20 megawatt photovolatic arrays and a hydrogen fuel cell facility when all is said and done. Here's to hoping the alternative energy-powered construction catches with other tech giants, too. Lookin' at you, Facebook.

Continue reading Apple plans second North Carolina data center, avoids the 'Deep River Blues'

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Apple plans second North Carolina data center, avoids the 'Deep River Blues' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researcher calls platinum wrong for fuel cell development, looks elsewhere for efficiency

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Researcher calls platinum wrong for fuel cell development, looks elsewhere for efficiencyHearing that fuel cells aren't the most efficient thing in the world shouldn't take you by surprise, but a determination by one Alfred Anderson just might. The chemistry professor from Case Western Reserve University is now making a case for using something other than platinum as the "catalyst most commonly used to convert chemical energy to electricity." According to him: "Using platinum is like putting a resistor in the system." To be fair, Anderson still isn't sure which material should replace it, but he's adamant that wizards in the field should be spending their time looking for substitutes instead of tweaking platinum further. Currently, he's working with other researchers in order to find something that'll one-up what we're using today, and if you're into oodles of technobabble, you can dig into the ins and outs of his claims in the source link below.

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Researcher calls platinum wrong for fuel cell development, looks elsewhere for efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceScience Daily, Physorg  | Email this | Comments