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Title: Japanese Hydrogen Expo Previews the Future
Source:
motoring.com.au
URL Source: http://www.motoring.com.au/news/201 ... expo-previews-the-future-49570
Published: Mar 3, 2015
Author: Peter Lyon
Post Date: 2015-03-08 01:51:36 by Operation 40
Keywords: Hydrogen, Renewable, Energy
Views: 3946
Comments: 22
A big week for the greenies in Japan sees renewable energy technology get equal billing The launch this year of the world's first production fuel-cell car, the Toyota Mirai, has driven the accelerated growth of hydrogen refuelling station infrastructure development across Japan. And the introduction of Toyota's fuel-cell passenger vehicle to the Japanese market has also served to focus unprecedented attention on this year's International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expo at the Big Site complex on Tokyo Bay.. ...Regarded as the planet's biggest expo of its type, the fuel cell expo drew some 1580 companies from around the world, participating in five days of lectures, demonstrations of future and existing technologies and test drives of fuel cell cars including the Mirai and Honda Clarity. Senior engineers from Daimler, Volkswagen, General Motors, Toyota, Iwatani Corporation (energy co) and JX Nippon Oil and Energy updated the gathered industry types and media on the latest developments in fuel cells, hydrogen production and delivery systems and battery technology... ...The question begs. Why is Japan so aggressive in its adoption and development of hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars and the infrastructure to support it? Japanese car companies including Toyota, Nissan and Honda have been developing fuel cell cars for well over 10 years. But it was the earthquake, tsunami wave and resulting nuclear disaster in March 2011 that forced the government to shut down its 54 nuclear reactors and look for alternative forms of energy that stimulated car and energy companies to accelerate hydrogen-based technologies. ...Up until early 2011, Japan's energy needs were split up into 20 per cent nuclear, 30 per cent coal and the remainder in oil and natural gas. To fill the gap created by the loss of nuclear energy, Japan started importing more oil which has led to higher energy (electricity) prices and higher C02 levels. So the car industry, energy companies and government came to a collective realisation in late 2011 that diversifying its energy needs, and steering towards hydrogen, gives the country a way out of the higher energy costs and environmental issues. The recent launch of the world's first hydrogen-powered fuel cell car in Japan, the Toyota Mirai has given added impetus and urgency to hydrogen infrastructure development. That is why the country is pushing ahead with plans to build at least 100 hydrogen refueling stations nationwide by the end of 2016... Complete article: http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2015/japanese-hydrogen-expo-previews-the-future-49570 A Hydrogen Station can be built anywhere there is water and electricity. With mass production, the cost will nosedive The only exhaust from a Hydrogen Electric Vehicle is water. Thanks to Toyota, Honda and Hyundai, gasoline is no longer required to get from point a to points b, c and d. It's too bad that Obama cut R&D fuel cell funding when he took office. The US could have led this revolution.
Gas company Taiyo Nippon Sanso Ltd revealed a world-first with its compact portable hydrogen station mounted onto the back of a 10-ton truck. H2 to go- anywhere. 
The Honda Smart Hydrogen Station- Home fueling of Hydrogen Vehicles 
Tech always gets better and cheaper-that's a 5 megabyte hard drive from 1956
- being loaded via forklift onto plane.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 19.
#1. To: Operation 40 (#0)
Hydrogen fuel cells don't really reduce fossil fuel consumption. They merely shift direct consumption from the automobile to the power plant needed to produce the electricity that generates the hydrogen. Hydrogen is NOT an alternative energy source... it is merely a method to store energy, similar to a rechargeable battery... Now if Japan was increasing it's solar, hydro, geothermal or wind generating capacity to generate hydrogen, THEN there would potentially be a reduction in fossil fuel dependency. Too bad the GOP/Tea Party enabled the Chicoms to illegally dump solar cells on the US Market below cost... Solyndra could've provided the solar cells needed to generate hydrogen.
Now if Japan was increasing it's solar, hydro, geothermal or wind generating capacity to generate hydrogen, THEN there would potentially be a reduction in fossil fuel dependency. Perhaps you fancy yourself to be smarter than the top engineers in Japan and Germany. Honda Introduces Solar Hydrogen Station on Saitama Prefectural Office Grounds TOKYO, Japan, March 27, 2012 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. unveiled a Solar Hydrogen Station on the grounds of the Saitama Prefectural Office. The initiative is part of the Electric Vehicle Testing Program for Honda’s next-generation personal mobility products with Saitama Prefecture, in which Honda, Iwatani and Saitama Prefecture collaborate to build. In a further initiative, Honda has equipped the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle with an outlet to function as a 9kW power source. Since the FCX Clarity uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce power with zero CO2 emissions, with its new outlet, the vehicle will be able to serve as a zero-emission mobile electric generator. This is the first installation in Japan of a total system to produce, store and dispense hydrogen with ZERO CO2 emissions. A high pressure water electrolysis system, uniquely developed by Honda, produces hydrogen. With no mechanical compressor, the system is nearly silent and highly energy efficient. Using Solar and grid power, the system is capable of producing 1.5kg of hydrogen within 24 hours which enables an FCX Clarity to run approximately 150km or 90 miles. Honda aims to further develop the system to offer clean energy sources for the home in the future. ************ Honda begins experimental operation of next-generation Solar Hydrogen Station for household use. With the goal of replacing fossil fuels, reducing emissions and combating climate change, Honda has worked proactively to development of fuel cell electric vehicles, which it views as the ultimate clean mobility of the future. Also believing it crucial to eliminate C02 emissions that result from the production, storage and supply of hydrogen fuel, Honda is engaged in the research and development of advanced H2 infrastructure technologies. Since 2001, Honda has operated an experimental solar-powered water electrolyzing hydrogen station in Los Angeles, California. In January 2010 in the same location, Honda began experimental operation of a next-generation Solar Hydrogen Station that is small enough to fit in a typical household garage... ******************** Honda opens 'self-sufficient' hydrogen refuelling station Honda's "self-sufficient" hydrogen refuelling station has officially opened at the company's Swindon plant. The company said it was the UK's first commercial-scale solar-powered hydrogen production and refuelling facility. ^ That's England- which is north of Washington State. If it can work there it can work in all 50 states. This is Germany, known for sunshine Green hydrogen facility opens at Berlin airport, with first refueling of fuel cell vehicle 29 May 2014 Here's a solar hydrogen station in Emeryville, CA I could keep posting examples but maybe you get the point. I hope so. And by the way, this concept is not new. If Americans would have stopped bombing and invading here and there and propping up the PetroDollar we'd have been energy independent by now. But instead, that task has been shuffled off to the next generation.
No, it's merely my sad observation that virtually ANY engineer (or 1st year student) from ANY nation is better informed than you are. I have nothing against fuel cells. They're actually a very interesting way of generating electricity, regardless whether the fuel is hydrogen, methane, ethanol or methanol. However, free hydrogen (H2) is not an energy source (like wind or solar or hydro or fossil fuel) because it must be produced using some other form of energy. Fortunately, there are many ways of doing this, the most familiar method being the electrolysis of H2O. But unfortunately, the most dominant method for industrial production of hydrogen is currently steam reforming of hydrocarbons like natural gas. So using hydrogen fuel cells for automobiles really doesn't reduce Japan's dependence on fossil fuel if they're using fossil fuel to produce the hydrogen, does it? Duh! THAT's why I said they need to be using either solar or wind or hydro or nuclear to produce the hydrogen. Hydrogen is simply a way to store & transfer the original energy source for end consumer use running the car.
Do the various youtubes showing solar hydrogen not appear in your browser? Here's a repost: The title has a clue: Hydrogen fuel is produced from sunlight in Swindon (which is at 51.56°North Latitude - 2 degrees north of Washington State) Whom to believe, someone with over 10 years of experience with solar/hydrogen/fuel cells or you?
#21. To: Operation 40, Too Conservative (#19)
Of course they do.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestIt's too bad that Obama cut R&D fuel cell funding when he took office. The US could have led this revolution.
#13. To: Willie Green, All (#1)
Hydrogen is NOT an alternative energy source... it is merely a method to store energy, similar to a rechargeable battery...
http://world.honda.com/news/2012/4120327Solar-Hydrogen-Station/index.html
http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/SolarHydrogenStation/index.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-29830687 
ITV Presenter Rebecca Broxton at Honda Solar Park in Swindon UK 
The Parliamentary Secretary of State to the Federal Transport Minister, Katherina Reiche, refuels a fuel cell electric vehicle for the first time at the ‘Green Hydrogen Hub’ (H2BER) of the Total multi-energy fueling station at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
The first fuel cell electric vehicle has been refueled at the ‘Green Hydrogen Hub’ (H2BER) of the Total multi-energy fueling station at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) under construction in Germany, using hydrogen produced onsite via electrolysis using wind and solar energy.
http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/38624/green-hydrogen-facility-opens-at-berlin-airport-with-first-refueling-of-fuel-cell-vehicle/
#16. To: Operation 40, Too Conservative (#13)
Perhaps you fancy yourself to be smarter than the top engineers in Japan and Germany.
#19. To: Willie Green (#16)
So using hydrogen fuel cells for automobiles really doesn't reduce Japan's dependence on fossil fuel if they're using fossil fuel to produce the hydrogen, does it?
Replies to Comment # 19. Do the various youtubes showing solar hydrogen not appear in your browser?
You posted them AFTER I originally informed you that hydrogen was not an energy source and had to be generated using some other kind of energy. They do not appear in the original article that I was commenting on. So thank-you for doing additional research and verifying what I told you to begin with.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 19.
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