Hybreds for Green energy

More information for green energy, A new and important Solid Oxide Fuel Cell unit is soon to be put on the market. It is still in the demonstration and testing mode right now, with just 30 or so units in operation at a unit price tag of $175,000. This is well beyond the means for most of us. However, Acumentrics is assuring us that the price tag will be far more reasonable when the unit is readied for commercial distribution. I expect to see it in the $17,500 to $7,500 range at the beginning with further drops as sales and demand increase.

The beauty of the Acumentrics’ 5000 Power System is that it operates directly from natural gas, propane, biofuels, LPG, methanol, ethanol, or hydrogen. I would recommend hydrogen, however, as it is the cleanest of all the fuels and it will not need to have sulfur extracted. Acumentrics believe the life expectancy for the Acumentrics’ 5000 Power System to be in the range of 50,000 (5 years) to 100,000 (12 years) hours of continuous operation without a major overhaul. This is far better than the best turbine or internal combustion driven generators. My guess is that by using only hydrogen, this life expectancy might be extended to over 20 years.

Another recent discovery is from the Japanese. It seems that they have developed a ceramic filter that will pass the hydrogen molecule but reject all other elements and molecules, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, steam, methane and other hydrocarbons. This allows that natural gas (methane) can be treated with steam, forming hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water (steam), and left over methane. The hydrogen, only, is passed along for use in the SOFC. The remainder to be sent to a second reform unit to remove the carbon before it can be put into the atmosphere or to be burned for heating and/or cooking fuel in the pipeline. There are already some who are putting this technology (nanotechnology developed) into operation to make clean hydrogen for pipeline distribution.

Although photoelectric cells are improving dramatically in both efficiency and in price, it is clear that it will be a few more years before they will be affordable to the general public. In addition, to use the solar cell for hydrogen production would require a hydrolysis unit. This only adds to the cost of using solar cells or wind turbines for making hydrogen for the solar cell. In time, solar energy and other alternative ways of prodicing hydrogen will be important, but for now, let us use the ceramic filter method, it is the best and least expensive method available to us.