Hydrogen Sooner Than Later | Green Energy News

March 7, 2004 – Vol.8 No.50

HYDROGEN SOONER THAN LATER.

Energy Conversion Devices strongly believes that hydrogen is one of the most promising fuels of the future. But the company also believes that hydrogen fuel cells for the world’s fleet of vehicles are not yet within reach.

Still the company would like to speed up the transition to hydrogen by using it as fuel for hybrid electric vehicles. To prove its point ECD converted a Toyota Prius hybrid to run on hydrogen. That conversion included one of ECD’s proprietary technologies, its Ovonic(R) Solid State Hydrogen Storage System. ECD believes that hydrogen stored metal hydrides is a better, safer bet than hydrogen stored under pressure, or as a chilly liquid.

The Prius conversion included the installation of a 50 liter (13 gallon) metal hydride storage tank with an integrated heat exchange system. When fueling the heat exchange system is used in conjunction with an off-vehicle cooling system to allow hydrogen to be absorbed into the hydride material. To release the hydrogen, and fuel the Prius, engine heat is channeled to the heat exchanger, warming the hydrogen storage system.

ECD claims hydrogen storage density is higher with metal hydrides than with either high pressure or chilled liquid storage. The company claims the hydrogen hybrid Prius can be refueled in 10 minutes using a filling pressure of 1500 pounds per square inch. The converted Prius has a range of 150 miles, which would double with an additional storage cylinder. ECD doesn’t mention the cost of its Solid State Hydrogen Storage System. Visit ECD at http://ovonic.com/