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Fuel Cell Folly
References
Recent Magazines
E Magazine – E Magazine's January-February issue 2003 Volume XIV number 1.
This magazine issue featured a set of articles under the heading of "The Coming Hydrogen Economy." The three main articles are: The Hydrogen Economy – After Oil, Clean Energy from a Fuel-Cell-Driven Global Hydrogen Web by Jeremy Rifkin, Power Plays – Fuel Cells are Reaching the Market, in What Could be a $100 Billion Industry by Jim Motavalli and Building the Hydrogen Economy, an interview with Amory B. Lovins by Jim Motavalli. In general these articles are written with messianic fervor.
Wired Magazine – April 2003 issue 11.04
This periodical includes an article, featured on the cover, entitled "How Hydrogen Power Can Save America" by Peter Schwartz and Doug Randall. Like the preceding reference, this also extols the virtues of the fuel cell and hydrogen. Information about the limitations are either ignored or glossed over.
PDF Documents
Fuel Cell Vehicles – Race to a New Automotive Future – Office of Technology Policy, US Department of Commerce, January 2003
Chapter 1 opens with the following quote from President Bush: "Fuel cells will power cars with little or no waste at all. We happen to believe that fuel cells are the wave of the future, that fuel cells offer incredible opportunity." President George W. Bush, February 25, 2002. The opening page includes the following comments:
"A new future in automotive transportation is steadily approaching.
This future will be one in which light and heavy vehicles are powered by new clean and efficient energy sources. While many technologies will contribute to this future, many see the fuel cell as the leading long-term candidate for becoming the power source for petroleum and emissions-free, mass-produced light vehicles, as well as some types of heavy vehicles."
"Automotive Engineering International expressed it well: '[T]he fuel-cell-powered car – the long-awaited clean personal transportation of the future – is moving from laboratory vision to technical reality, if not yet market actuality.'"
"The Promise – At this point in time, fuel cell vehicles promise the best opportunity to achieve a net-zero carbon energy and emissions future for the automotive mass market. They would deliver high-energy efficiency possibly up to twice that of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines (ICEs), since hydrogen possesses the highest energy content per unit weight of any known fuel (120.7 kJ/g). Fuel cell vehicles could eventually be powered by hydrogen derived from distributed domestic sources of energy, such as wind, solar, biomass, and hydro. They would offer near-zero levels of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. They could be made small enough to fit compactly in vehicles, yet strong enough to produce power equivalent to that of gasoline-powered ICE vehicles."
Fuel Cell Report to Congress, February 2003
This report was prepared for Congress and describes the steps necessary to implement a fuel cell vehicle program. It notes that if everything goes according to plan, first production fuel cells would be developed in volume for the commercial market in the year 2020. Most important is a chart on page 3 which shows how small the possible improvement over alternatives actually is.
Hydrogen Futures – Toward a Sustainable Energy Future, World Watch Paper 117, August 157, August 2001
This paper questions the viability of on board reformers.
The Future of the Oil and Gas Industry: Past Approaches, New Challenges, Vol 5, No 3, World Energy 2002, by Harry J. Longwell, Director and Executive VP, Exxon Mobil Corporation
This paper includes an important chart showing the discovery curve since the beginning of the 20th century. It clearly illustrates the declining discoveries of both oil and gas. It is significant that this was prepared by a major oil company.
National Hydrogen Energy Roadmap, November 2002, Department of Energy
This paper includes the typical glowing reports about fuel cells. Most significant is its emphasis on the need to convince the public that this is the optimum approach for the nation. It includes a proposed major marketing campaign.
National Hydrogen Energy – A National Vision of America's Transition to a Hydrogen Economy – to 2030 and Beyond, February 2002
This is another document that extols the virtues of hydrogen with no factual information that enables the reader to evaluate the chances of success.
National Research Priorities, Priorities Submission 59, Oz Fuel Cells - 21 August 2002, Australian Road Map
Natural Gas, Magic Pudding or Depleting Resource, Brian Fleay, November 2002
Energy and the Hydrogen Economy, Bossel and Eliasson, January 8, 2003
History of Fuel Cells
From the Fuel Cell industry itself.
Next: Ride-Share: A Modest Proposal
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