Hydrogenics to Supply Hydrogen Refuelling Station for Wind Hydrogen Project
12 January 2006
 |
| ND wind has potential to produce large amounts of electricity and hydrogen. |
Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Bismarck, N.D.) has awarded Hydrogenics Corporation a contract to supply an electrolyzer-based hydrogen vehicle refuelling station for installation in Minot.
The station is one of the first United States-based hydrogen fueling stations to use electricity from a wind power resource to produce hydrogen from water, in this case using electricity generated by wind resources either owned or contracted by Basin Electric.
In addition to the core electrolyzer module, Hydrogenics is supplying compression, storage and dispenser equipment as part of the contract.
Recognizing the challenge presented by the intermittency and varying outputs of wind power, an important element of the project is the development of various control schemes by which the electrolyzer can interface with the electrical output of wind turbines to optimize fuel production, particularly during low electricity demand periods.
The installation of this electrolyzer fueling station at North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center, scheduled for the latter part of 2006, is an integral component of a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Wind Hydrogen project approved early in 2005.
North Dakota has been called the “Saudi Arabia of Wind.” An analysis several years ago by GE Research concluded that North Dakotan wind has the potential to supply 1/3 of the electricity consumption of the lower 48 states. Furthermore, the state could become a clean fuel supplier to Minneapolis and Chicago by piping hydrogen.
Resources:
GE Global Research: Large Scale Wind Hydrogen Systems
Hey Marshall,
You're always asking me where the hydrogen is going to come from. Rentech CTL is one and Wind Power is another. Check this out and let me know what you think.
Larry
Posted by: Marshall Shore | 18 January 2006 at 02:28 PM
Ok first of all this has been what i've been thinking as the best way to get hydrogen. Secondly fuel cells arent the immediate solution to the problem, rather hydrogen conventional internal combustion engines.
Reason: we can build an affordable hydrogen ICE (internal combustion engine) right now, and ford has one on the drawing boards. Hydrogen ICEs are more efficient than gasoline ICEs, and they are only going to get better and better with new ICE tech like electronic valves and so on.
A) we need to get hydrogen infrastrucutre before we get fuel cells
B) Hyddrogen ICEs will be cheap and the demand for hydrogen will go up and so will supply
C) government needs to tax gasoline and use htat money to spend on wind hydrogen production and nuclear hydrogen production.
After ICE powered by hydrogen is perfected, small cheap fuel cells can be implimented like hybrids, alternators replaced with low output fuel cells. At low speeds the hydrogen fuel cell will power motors, at high speeds ICE powers it. Then regenerative breaking will recharge water to maek more hydrogen
Compressed hydrogen is not a good idea, A)it takes up a lot of room, B) expensive C) dangerous D)weighs a lot
MCEL (nasdaq) Millenium Cell has a way of storing hydrogen that is simply genius. Store it in a compoud that isnt even flameable. Basicly they store hydrogen in a water based solution of sodium borohydride. At contact with platinum catalyst, hydrogen spontaniously is released. This hydrogen can be released with a little mroe than the standard amount of platnium in a cat converter found on cars today.
This process yields hydrogen and sodium borate which is later recylced.
I like to think of the sodium borohydride as a liquid battery. you charge it up with hydrogen, pull it out and use ita s energy, then recharge the left over sodium borohydride. Fueling stations could recharge it on spot and have a huge Vat of it for dispensing, then the used up sodium borate will be recharged using power grid or transported to a large super efficient processing plant.
you could even reprocess in your house and have a solar panel that costs roughly 40 grand on your roof,and have free energy (provided the panel lasts 40-50 years, and you drive less than 300 miles per week and live in a good enough sunny climate)
i think there is no one solution for the future. Biodiesel could be made from recylced food wastes like cooking oils, then power part of the truck fleet. Gasoline isnt gonna run out anytime soon and hydrogen will make it more cheap. So basicly hydrogen will be for a part of the vehicle segment, like everyday driver cars to keep prices down of gasoline.
Then gasoline could be used for conventional cars like sports cars.
Posted by: joe | 24 January 2006 at 10:52 PM