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Monday, March 29, 2004
Fuel cell system to usher in environment-friendly cars
JAPAN is taking the lead role in the development of fuel cell technology, which will give the world environmentally friendly vehicles, according to the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro).
A fuel cell is a kind of battery that produces electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The principle of the fuel cell was first applied in the spacecraft of the US Gemini and Apollo programs.
According to Jetro, motor companies Toyota and Honda have already rolled out the first of the world’s market-ready cars powered by fuel cells.
But the vehicles are still too expensive and experimental for full-fledged sales.
As a first marketing step, Toyota and Honda have leased the cars to a few select customers including the University of California.
The development of two types of fuel cell systems for motor vehicles is underway.
In one type, the vehicle carries a tank filled with hydrogen, and in the other, hydrogen is produced on board from substances that are less flammable and easier to handle, such as natural gas, methanol or biomass gass.
Both systems draw the oxygen from the air.
Aside from cars, there are many potential applications for fuel cells.
Portable generators with an output of up to 10 kilowatts in construction and civil engineering, while smaller systems with an output of about one kilowatt are under development to supply homes with hot water, as well as electricity.
The fuel cell technology has also aroused the interest of manufacturers of notebook computers and other mobile devices such as Hitachi, Toshiba and NEC.
Toshiba has already unveiled a prototype, the “direct methanol fuel cell,” slated for rollout this year.
The cell weighs 900 grams and generates an average output of 12 watts, providing five hours of power from a cartridge carrying 50 cubic centimeters of methanol. These are equivalent in performance to the lithium-ion batteries now used in mobile devices. JBN
(March 29, 2004 issue)
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