Stationary Fuel Cells Getting More Attention

[jpak]

http://www.energycentral.com/centers/energybiz/ebi_detail.cfm?id=298

Starwood Hotels & Resorts is installing a 1 megawatt fuel cell that will supply base-load electricity at its Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. It's all part of a California law that requires rolling back greenhouse gas emission to 1990 levels by 2020.

At present, fuel cells have a small place in the delivery of electric power and are primarily used by those businesses, such as chip makers, that can ill-afford even a momentary loss of power. Fuel cells may one day be used to power everything from cars and buses to businesses. Distributed generation generally has bigger applications and may be used as the primary power source for a business complex spread across a campus.

Fuel cells are clean energy producers. But, current prices, technology shortfalls and regulatory hurdles are impediments. To speed up commercialization, the Bush administration authorized $1.7 billion over five years to the effort.

"Threats over the security of fuel supply, coupled with increasing concern about air pollution and emission control are strengthening the case in favor of fuel cells as a preferred form of distributed generation technology," says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Hema Sarathy. In some cases, fuel cells used for on-site power are the primary generators and in other cases, they are used to back up power delivered by the utility.

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[Warpy]

1. Energy is needed to hydrolize water into

hydrogen and oxygen, the "fuel" in the fuel cells.

When they start using wind, solar and water power to do that work, then we'll have a green source.

[jpak]

3. Yup!

:thumbsup:

[madrchsod]

4. there are some towers being built that are incorporating

hydrogen production during "off hours"

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Not nessacerily...

The Fuel cell at the Sheraton, for instance, runs off natural gas.

[jpak]

7. and there is nothing that sez it can't run off of hydrogen from any source

CHP fuel cells also use natural gas much more efficiently than central station power plants (that dissipate ~60% of their energy as "waste" heat)

The mo' betta cheaper and widespread fuel cells become, the easier it will be to transition from natural gas to renewable hydrogen (when the gas runs out).

That's why most US states with Renewable Portfolio Standards include incentives and goals for fuel cells...

[Dead_Parrot]

8. Apart from the lack of any hydrogen infrastucture, that is.

Maybe you should tell them they can use the propane pipelines, I'll bet they'll be really grateful.

But you're right about the waste heat. That's why cogeneration is such a good idea...

[oldhippie]

9. So they are reforming the Natural Gas to get Hydrogen?

To run in a PEM stack? Where does the carbon go in the reforming process?

[Dead_Parrot]

10. Guess...

Hint: you're breathing it.

[oldhippie]

11. Yep, that's what I thought............

.... unless they had come up with some new reforming process. Still emits CO2.

[Dead_Parrot]

6. dupe... nt

[madrchsod]

2. it is costing 2 billion dollars a week for the war in iraq

bush authorizes 1.7 billion over 5 years...what a fucking bad joke on us