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The amount of CO 2 produced when using naphtha to generate hydrogen for fuel cell cars can be reduced by up to 20% using technology developed by Tokyo-based Showa Shell Sekiyu, according to a report in the Nikkei Business Daily.
The naphtha process involves infusing the hydrocarbon with air and water vapor, and generates CO 2 as well as impurities such as nitrogen and CO, which have to be removed. Researchers from Showa Shell Sekiyu, working with an organization operating under the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, optimized the air and water vapor ratios to maximize hydrogen production. They also improved purity by using a metal membrane that adsorbs only hydrogen. The amount of naphtha needed to produce a given quantity of hydrogen was reduced by 15-20%, with a similar cut in the amount of CO 2 generated.
The company is apparently aiming to introduce the technology in hydrogen supply equipment for fuel cell vehicles in fiscal 2005.
Through collaboration with group companies, Japanese industrial giant Hitachi Ltd is aiming to develop next-generation energy sources, such as fuel cells and Li-ion batteries, with an eye towards bolstering sales in a sector that is forecast to see explosive growth.
According to a Nihon Keizai Shimbun report, a team of 50 in-house researchers and 50 more from group companies, divided into fuel cell and Li-ion battery development teams, has been established in the Hitachi Research Laboratory in Ibaraki. Hitachi Metals is researching materials for electrodes and other components, while Hitachi Chemical is studying ion-exchange membranes.
As a first step, Hitachi plans to unveil micro direct methanol fuel cells for laptop computers at the beginning of 2005, and subsequently fuel cells for home and office use. It has already developed technology to make electrolyte membranes from resin material used to package microchips. The technology is expected to help reduce production costs and increase fuel efficiency by 300-500%.
Other Japanese companies racing to secure a slice of the market for small fuel cells to power notebook computers and cellphones are Sony, NEC, Toshiba [FCB, May 2003] and Casio Computer [FCB, May 2002] -with Toshiba and NEC planning product releases in 2004. They are also collaborating to unify technical standards, which they hope to turn into global ones by taking the lead in such efforts [FCB, May 2003].
solutions. The company's filtration expertise will be used in the development of intake-air filtration and acoustics mitigation systems that prolong fuel-cell engine life.
According to Los Alamos fuel cell researcher Francisco Uribe, Donaldson has led the way in recognizing the need for intake-air filtration on the cathode of a fuel cell to ensure system reliability and performance. Donaldson believes filtration is a critical component in accelerating commercialization of a wide range of fuel cell powered products. Its FC3 division recently received the world's first fuel cell filter patent.
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