Sunday, January 28, 2007

Hydrogen-powered Lawnmowers? Sign me up

I know, I know. There are still a lot of problems generating hydrogen in a clean, efficient and sustainable manner. But fuel-cell lawnmowers and chainsaws.... A green dad's dream!!





In a breakthrough that could make fuel cells practical for such small machines as lawnmowers and chainsaws, researchers have developed a new mechanism to efficiently control hydrogen fuel cell power.



Many standard fuel cell designs use electronics to control power output, but such designs require complex systems to manage humidity and fuel recovery and recycling systems to achieve acceptable efficiency.

The new process controls the hydrogen feed to match the required power output, just as one controls the feed of gasoline into an internal combustion engine. The system functions as a closed system that uses the waste water to regulate the size of the reaction chamber, the site where the gasses combine to form water, heat and electricity.

From Science Daily









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