What if all the vehicles now on the road in the United States were suddenly powered by hydrogen fuel cells? Stanford researchers say in a June 24 article in the journal Science that such a conversion would improve air quality, health and climate�especially if wind were used to generate the electricity needed to split water and make hydrogen in a pollutionless process.

Similarly to how gas is pumped into tanks, hydrogen would be pumped into fuel cells, which rely on chemistry, not combustion, to power vehicles. (As hydrogen flows through fuel-cell compartments, it reacts with oxygen to produce water and energy.) Associate Professor Mark Z. Jacobson and postdoctoral fellow Whitney Goldsborough Colella (both in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department) and Consulting Professor David M. Golden (Mechanical Engineering Department) report that annually such a conversion could prevent millions of cases of respiratory illness and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and save more lives than were lost in the World Trade Center attacks.

“Converting all the current vehicles to fuel cell vehicles powered by wind would save 3,000 to 6,000 lives in the United States annually, and it could be done at a fuel cost that’s comparable to the cost of gasoline, and less than the cost of gasoline when you consider the health effects of gasoline,” said Jacobson, who has no financial interest in any wind or hydrogen endeavor but whose commitment to clean air is manifest in his choice of car (a Toyota Prius), house (it’s solar-powered) and career (atmospheric scientist).

Sponsored by the Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford and by NASA, the Science study compared emissions that would be produced in five cases: if all vehicles on the road were powered by 1) conventional internal-combustion engines, 2) a combination of electricity and internal combustion of gasoline, as in hybrid vehicles, 3) hydrogen generated from wind electrolysis, 4) hydrogen generated from natural gas and 5) hydrogen generated from coal gasification.

“Wind is the most promising means of generating hydrogen,” said Jacobson, who with former postdoctoral fellow Cristina Archer recently published a study that mapped global winds and showed the world, especially the United States, has more than enough wind to meet all its energy needs. Jacobson envisions wind turbines generating electricity on wind farms that are linked in a network to ensure energy production even when parts of the grid have windless days. The electricity would travel through transmission lines to a filling station; similar to today’s gas stations. There, it would enter an electrolyzer, passing through water and splitting it into oxygen, which would be released into the air, and hydrogen, which would get compressed and stored.

A lot of hydrogen is currently produced by another method Jacobson’s group analyzed: steam reforming of natural gas. If you take methane, the main component of natural gas, and expose it to steam, the final products are primarily carbon dioxide and hydrogen. While the production of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is undesirable, the process produces about 55 percent less carbon dioxide than does internal combustion, Jacobson said. Other pollutants result as well, such as oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, but these are still far lower than emissions from gasoline combustion. Steam reformers could be placed at individual filling stations, and methane could be piped in through existing natural gas lines. But natural gas supplies are limited and subject to price fluctuations that hurt the long-term feasibility of this option.

The third hydrogen production method the researchers analyzed is coal gasification, in which hydrogen could be produced at centralized plants, compressed and most likely transported in trucks. Coal is mostly carbon, but also contains hydrogen and sulfur. Exposed to water at high temperature and high pressure, it chemically reacts to yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Oxygen from additional water vapor turns carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. So the end products are primarily carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas. Since coal contains more carbon per unit energy than does natural gas, making a given amount of hydrogen from coal produces a lot more carbon dioxide than does making it from natural gas.

Hybrid vehicles were better at reducing carbon dioxide than vehicles using hydrogen from coal gasification, Jacobson said. But health costs were lower with coal gasification compared with hybrids, which produce more pollutants since they employ a combustion process.

A hydrogen economy

“Switching from a fossil-fuel economy to a hydrogen economy would be subject to technological hurdles, the difficulty of creating a new energy infrastructure, and considerable conversion costs but could provide health, environmental, climate and economic benefits and reduce the reliance on diminishing oil supplies,” the Stanford authors wrote.

While envisioning such a switch may seem like a purely academic exercise, it’s not. Such exercises inform policy, albeit sometimes too late. Currently congress is debating an energy bill that contains a $4,000 tax credit for diesel vehicles - the same break hybrid vehicles get - because of their perceived higher mileage compared to gasoline vehicles. But a study led by Jacobson and published in 2004 by Geophysical Review Letters showed that converting the US vehicle fleet from gasoline to diesel vehicles - even with advanced emissions and particle control technologies - would actually increase photochemical smog, particularly in the Southeastern United States. The reason is that even advanced diesel vehicles may emit more oxides of nitrogen than do gasoline-powered vehicles, and these oxides spur ozone production. Jacobson believes such a tax break may provide an unintentional incentive to damage people’s health.

Computer simulations that model the effects of future vehicle fleets may help society assess its best energy options. “Going down the hydrogen pathway is a good thing overall and it’s a practical thing, and it’s going to be beneficial in terms of air pollution and climate and health,” Jacobson said.

The hydrogen economy is on the horizon. California already has several hydrogen filling stations, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed an ambitious network of hydrogen filling stations by 2010. Most car manufacturers have prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. California even has a test fleet of hydrogen buses.

While some are concerned about hydrogen’s explosiveness, Jacobson said another property of hydrogen - its lightness - may lessen this danger. He cited an example of two cars - one conventional, one hydrogen-powered - that were hit from behind. The car powered by an internal combustion engine became engulfed in flames when its gas tank was punctured. But when the hydrogen car’s fuel cell was punctured, since hydrogen is 14 times lighter than air, the flames just shot straight up. The car was saved.

Hydrogen’s volatility, however, underscores the need to develop tight seals to prevent leakage from storage tanks, filling stations and the fuel cells themselves.

Because wind generation of hydrogen provided the best health and climate benefits, the researchers did a cost analysis to compare the cost of a gallon of gasoline with that of a gallon of hydrogen generated by wind electrolysis. The cost of making hydrogen from wind is $1.12 to $3.20 per gallon of gasoline or diesel equivalent ($3 to $7.40 per kilogram of molecular hydrogen): on par with the current price of gas. But gasoline has a hidden cost of 29 cents to $ 1.80 per gallon in societal costs such as reduced health, lost productivity, hospitalization and death, as well as cleanup of polluted sites. So gasoline’s true cost in March 2005, for example, was $2.35 to $3.99 per gallon, which exceeds the estimated mean cost of hydrogen from wind ($2.16 equivalent per gallon of gasoline).

The Stanford study, unprecedented in its detail, used an inventory of more than 600,000 pollution sources reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from August 1999. Colella altered the EPA emission inventory in response to each of the different scenarios. Her work led to a separate paper as well, now in press at the Journal of Power Sources. Golden contributed expertise in atmospheric chemistry, and Jacobson plugged Colella’s new emission scenarios into his own computer model to run simulations and analyze the resulting costs and effects.

“We believe the results are conservative since health costs associated mostly with particles are now thought to be greater than those used in our study,” Jacobson said. “In addition, in the future we will have more fossil [fuel] vehicles than we currently have. So the future health benefit of switching will be greater than in our current study, which assumes an instantaneous switch.”

But no matter how many vehicles are on the road, fuel-cell vehicles using hydrogen from wind are not going to produce any real pollution, he emphasized.

“Hybrids are a stepping stone, but they can’t be the final destination because even though they result in an improved efficiency over the current vehicle fleet, their numbers will increase,” Jacobson said. “Carbon dioxide and other pollutant emissions associated with hybrids will increase as well. So this is not a viable, long-term solution in the presence of a growing population and the desire of many developing countries to industrialize.”

Next the group plans to look at the effects of converting all power plants to hydrogen fuel cell power plants. They also plan to explore the long-term effects of switching to a hydrogen economy on global climate change and the ozone layer.

‘Apollo Program’

Jacobson advocates an ‘Apollo Program’ for generating electricity from wind and producing hydrogen using wind-generated electricity. Such a program would involve fossil sources paying their true health and climate costs. For example, some old coal-fired plants are exempt from modern performance standards required by Clean Air Act amendments and therefore run inexpensively while saddling society with huge hidden costs. An Apollo Program would provide additional subsidies for wind and other renewable energy sources. While wind subsidies are on the order of $100 million per year, Jacobson said, other energy sources hog subsidies of $15 to $20 billion. He advocates supporting the infrastructure needed for wind production of hydrogen to a level similar to the $20 billion recently proposed for a new natural gas pipeline from the continental United States to Alaska.

“If you want to encourage hydrogen and [wind-produced] hydrogen, then you do need to undertake an Apollo Program because even though the cost of a new wind turbine averaged over a long time is similar to a new coal or natural gas power plant, there’s no incentive to replace these other sources with wind.”

Original press release: ‘Apollo Program’ for hydrogen energy needed, Stanford researcher says (Stanford University)

A magnesium car engine that weights just 14 kilograms has been retired after completing 65000 kilometres of trouble-free motoring.

The lightweight magnesium alloy three-cylinder diesel engine block, which was installed in a Volkswagen Lupo, has spent the past three years driving around southern Germany and Austria under testing by international engine designer AVL List GmbH.

The magnesium alloy used in the engine was developed by Australian scientists working for the Cooperative Research Centre for Cast Metals Manufacturing to support a commercial development alliance between Advanced Magnesium Technologies and the German company VAW, which was then the largest independent manufacturer of sand cast aluminium engines in Europe.

Head of the research team assembled through the CRC, Dr Colleen Bettles, from CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology (CMIT) says the engine could have kept going, but researchers were keen to cut the engine open to take a peek inside.

“We were keen to observe how the microstructure of the magnesium alloy may have changed over its operating life,” says Dr Bettles. “Our initial examination has found the alloy has stood up very well.”

“Measurement of the cylinder roundness revealed a clear ovalisation in the transverse engine direction, However the distortion still remains below the acceptable limit value. Further alloy developments could reduce this significantly.”

“This testing gives us a great deal of confidence that it is possible to get significant weight reduction savings from the use of magnesium alloys,” she says.

With current cast iron engine blocks weighing around 55 kilograms, the lightweight magnesium engine is around 70 per cent lighter.

Dr Bettles says the weight savings associated with a magnesium engine have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 200 kilograms over a vehicle’s life.

The magnesium alloy, known as AM-SC1, has been engineered to withstand long-term deformation under sustained elevated temperature, pressure and load. It has excellent strength-to-weight ratio, high shock and dent resistance, and dampens noise and vibration more than either aluminium or steel.

In another recent global technology coup, the Australian magnesium alloy has been chosen by the United States Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP) to be the basis for its low pressure/sand cast engine research project. USAMP is sponsored by the US Council for Automotive Research, which includes DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors. Australian interests in USAMP are represented by Advanced Magnesium Technology’s North American subsidiary AMT North America.

Original press release: 65000 kilometre journey for lightweight engine (CSIRO)

A group of British engineers is aiming to take the official land speed record for an electrical vehicle.

The team is set to attempt the 394km/h (245mph) record and to become the first to pass the 483km/h (300mph) barrier, in Nevada, US.

The bright orange, 10m-long (32ft) ABB e=motion car, is powered by variable speed drives and two 37kW motors…

Read the complete story: Electric Car Speed Record Attempt (BBC News)

Anyone buying a new car will be able to assess how environmentally friendly a vehicle is through new colour-coded labels, which were unveiled today by UK Transport Secretary Alistair Darling.

The fuel efficiency labels, which are similar to those currently displayed on fridges and other white goods, will help get across information to car buyers on how they can save money and help the environment.

All 42 car brands in the UK have signed up to the introduction of the voluntary labelling scheme, and the label is due to be in all UK car showrooms by 1 September.

As well as highlighting the fuel efficiency of every new car on sale, the labels also contain information on how much motorists can expect to pay in fuel bills in a typical year for a particular car, and whether the car qualifies for a reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty.

Speaking at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership Annual Conference, Alistair Darling said:

“I am delighted to launch this vehicle labelling scheme today. These colour-coded labels will allow people to see at a glance just how fuel-efficient a particular vehicle is, and - critically - how it compares with other models. The labels can also display the VED (tax disc) band that the car is in, which will enable motorists to recognise instantly cars which benefit from lower rates.

“This shows the UK Government’s commitment to tackling climate change. It shows what can be done when Government, industry and other stakeholders work in partnership to achieve shared goals. The labels will send a clear message to motorists that they can make a real difference by choosing clean, fuel-efficient cars.”

Original press release: DARLING UNVEILS CLEANER VEHICLE LABELLING SCHEME (UK Department for Transport)

Paris, 8 February 2005 - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) have joined forces to promote the environmental and life-style benefits of public transport in a new TV campaign.

An animated 30 second commercial available in English, French, German and Spanish and produced by McCann Erickson is scheduled to run across a growing list of international stations (BBC World, CNN International, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, National Geographic and Discovery Channel), starting with EuroNews from 10 February.

With the theme “The world is your home. Look after it”, this public transport Ad coincides with the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2005.

Total greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector are growing faster than any other sector, and it is estimated to be responsible for 30 % of CO2 emissions in Europe. In Europe, approximately 50% of transport trips in urban area are less than 5km.

The new Ad campaign, the first of its kind between UITP and UNEP, aims to raise awareness of some of the advantages of using public transport, especially the environmental benefits.

Original press release: Launch of UN-backed Public Transport Campaign (UNEP)

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government announced today that the 2005 Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership will go to the FedEx-Environmental Defense Future Vehicle Project. The award - presented bi-annually to celebrate an outstanding partnership project that enhances environmental quality through the use of novel and creative approaches - will be presented to the recipients in the spring of 2005. The award presentation will take place at the Kennedy School of Government.

The Future Vehicle Project - a collaboration of Environmental Defense, FedEx Express and the Eaton Corporation - has introduced a hybrid delivery truck that increases fuel efficiency by over 50% and reduces particulate emissions by 96%. With 18 hybrid trucks already on the road, FedEx plans to build on the success of this demonstration and make the hybrid vehicles the standard replacement in its weight class of 30,000 medium-duty trucks. “This unique project demonstrates that hybrid trucks can be a practical, economically viable alternative, and could become the industry standard,” said Henry Lee, director of the Kennedy School’s Environment and Natural Resources program, in announcing the 2005 award winner. The Roy Award is coordinated by the Environment and Natural Resources program of the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Because hybrid trucks reduce air pollution, they promise important improvements in human health, according to Lee. “The trucks also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global climate change,” he said, “and improved fuel efficiency translates into reductions in oil dependency.”

The hybrid truck partnership was selected from a group of highly qualified nominated projects from around the world that tackled tough environmental problems ranging from deforestation to urban sprawl. In the reviews involving over 30 experts both inside and outside of Harvard, however, the Future Vehicle Project ranked first in each of the three reviews.

Reviewers commented on the project’s “intelligence, elegance and simplicity.” One reviewer summarized the comments of others: “The project creates a template that can be replicated in scale. The leverage is huge in many dimensions. It is creative in its use of the market to achieve environmental goals. It gets beyond rhetoric and adversarial confrontation, and demonstrates effective NGO and private sector partnership. It creates tremendous pressure to perform.”

The Roy Family has been a long-time supporter of the development of public-private partnerships to meet social goals. The family, through its businesses and involvement, is dedicated to promoting innovative approaches to environmental policy and the conservation of natural resources. The Roy Family Award attempts to provide positive incentives for companies and organizations worldwide to push the boundaries of creativity and take risks that result in significant changes that benefit our environment.

The first award, presented in March 2003, recognized efforts to design and implement the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Plan in Bolivia. Noel Kempff Mercado is one of the largest carbon sequestration projects in the world. Carbon sequestration is the absorption of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere associated with global warming. Partners in this project included the American Electric Power Company, Pacific Corp and British Petroleum, Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza, the Nature Conservancy, and the government of Bolivia.

The runners-up for the 2005 Roy Family Award included:

• Eden Again Project, Restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshland, Iraq.
• Green Neighborhoods Alliance (GNA), Open Space Residential Design, Massachusetts.
• Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), Biodiversity in Mexico.
• WildAid/J. Walter Thompson, Asian Conservation Awareness Program.
• Woods Hole Research Center/Institudo de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia (IPAM)/MAFLOPS, Family Forests Project, Brazil.

The FedEx-Environmental Defense Future Vehicle Project.
Over the last 4 years, Environmental Defense and FedEx Express have worked together to develop a hybrid diesel-electric delivery truck meeting stringent environmental and economic criteria. The first production models of the new truck, which improve fuel economy by more than 50% while demonstrating the same performance and lifetime cost of ownership as traditional diesels, went into service this spring. If all goes well, FedEx plans to make this a standard replacement vehicle in its weight class of 30,000 medium-duty trucks. This project’s selection was based on its success at pushing cutting-edge technology into the market, careful balancing of environmental and economic concerns to create a win-win solution, and potential for widespread replication.

Original press release: “Harvard Announces 2005 Roy Family Environmental Award; New Hybrid FedEx Trucks Will Reduce Emissions 96%, Increase Fuel Efficiency 50%” (Harvard BCSIA)