There has been a lot of work and research in the field of hydrogen fuel cell construction by many companies. The BMW automobile company has a very promising system. On a global level, hydrogen technology addresses the growing gaps in the supply of fossil fuels. More specifically, it is the only fuel that can allow for a reduction in the overall emission cycle, while meeting our energy needs in a sustainable way. Besides, not many fuels can be produced from renewable sources.
BMW has developed a fuel cell system that produces Hydrogen with the power of the sun. They have a way of safely storing this liquid Hydrogen, in metal halide tanks. This absorbs the liquid hydrogen and stores it in the special metal inside the halide tanks which renders the Hydrogen safe. These tanks will not explode when tested in collision tests, when exposed to fire, and yes, even shot with a firearm.
Instead of exploding, they ignite and smolder. The metal halide tank technology is by no means new. We have been storing hydrogen and other Gases in these type of metal containers for a number of years now.
BMW uses 2 portable tanks which are taken out of the vehicle and charged at your home or office. They as previously mentioned use solar to power the Fuel Cells, to make this compressed, liquid Hydrogen. The unit that houses the fuel cell looks like a commercial battery jump starter that you would see at a car lot or commercial garage.
The BMW SUV has a 260-horsepower 12-cylinder internal combustion engine capable of running on either premium-grade gasoline or hydrogen, the company said. The car will be able to switch fuels automatically when the liquid hydrogen tank runs dry, BMW said, with no change in performance. The driver can also switch fuel sources by pressing a button. The dual-mode system provides the car with a cruising range of more than 400 miles, according to BMW. The car can run for 125 miles on just the hydrogen tank alone and another 325 miles on gasoline.
There are systems available today that allow you to produce HHO and burn it in conjunction with gasoline or diesel to increase your engines performance and engine life. Work is continually going on to manufacture high output hydrogen fuel cells that make Hydrogen on board the vehicle. Most states in the U.S. do not have a special classification for such vehicle as of yet, but we can be sure that they will soon.
There is production of fuel cells that do not produce hydrogen, instead, they separate protons and electrons and fuel special lithium ion batteries with electricity. This in turn powers electric motors. Honda motor company has such a vehicle out at present. Its called the,"Honda FCX Clarity".
This type of vehicle requires Hydrogen Fuel Filling Stations, which are still uncommon today. The Clarity has a rather limited range of 280 miles to the tank(of liquid hydrogen.). But, Honda has a very interesting idea for making, storing and using Hydrogen in your home and refueling your vehicle.
Honda has operated an experimental Home Energy Station in Torrance, California, since 2003. The Home Energy Station, which generates hydrogen from natural gas, is designed to provide heat and electricity for the home through Fuel Cell Co-generation and to supply fuel for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Honda has also developed the still experimental home energy station which is even more efficient and better suited for home use than previous versions. CO2 emissions for this system were 30% lower than conventional homes.
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