Author Topic: US Army Unveils Hydrogen Fuel Fleet... (Read 855 times)

TM7 · « **on:** February 29, 2012, 03:14:45 AM »

OKaaay!!,,,,at least somebody is forward looking.....TM7

U.S. Army Unveils World’s First Military Fleet of Fuel Cell Vehicles

The U.S. Army today unveiled a fleet of 16 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that the military services in Hawaii are testing in an effort to research efficient, clean and renewable energy sources and reduce the U.S. military’s dependence on petroleum.

HONOLULU (PRWEB) February 22, 2012

The U.S. Army today unveiled a fleet of 16 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that the military services in Hawaii are testing in an effort to research efficient, clean and renewable energy sources and reduce the U.S. military’s dependence on petroleum.

“The Army continues to investigate technologies and partnerships that give the United States a decisive advantage,” said Lt. Gen. Francis J. Wiercinski, commanding general of U.S. Army, Pacific. “These fuel cell vehicles will move the U.S. Army in the Pacific toward a sustainable path that reduces energy security challenges and strengthens our energy independence.”

During a Feb. 22 ceremony at historic Palm Circle at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, officials from the services comprising U.S. Army, Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Marine Corps. forces, Pacific – government leaders including U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz and Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, and industry partners demonstrated the use of the 16 General Motors hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The zero-emission vehicles, funded by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Office of Naval Research and Air Force Research Laboratories, are being tested in Hawaii’s ideal climate for real-world conditions reflecting each service’s needs.

The military fleet of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles serves as the test platform powered by renewable hydrogen. Each vehicle travels up to 200 miles on a single tank, refuels in five minutes and produces only water as emissions.

“The development of fuel cell vehicles and an associated transportation infrastructure on which new military and civilian fleets can be tested and employed will reduce dependence on foreign oil and help move our state and country forward,” said Sen. Daniel Inouye. “Hawaii is uniquely situated to benefit from the shift toward electric and fuel cell vehicles.”

The Army actively seeks and supports industry partnerships to increase compatible renewable energy development. Fielding of military fuel cell vehicles with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines is the latest effort of the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative, a partnership among 13 agencies, companies and universities. More information on the initiative can be found at http://www.Hydrogen2hawaii.com.

“This large scale experiment will last more than two years and, during it, we will mature and accelerate these technologies in support of our Nation’s energy efficiency goals,” said Dr. Grace M. Bochenek, TARDEC director. “The combined efforts of these defense laboratories are delivering the transportation and energy capabilities for the future.”

“Once the key hydrogen infrastructure elements are proven in Hawaii, other states can adopt a similar approach,” said Charles Freese, executive director of global fuel cell activities for GM. “The military is paving the way, demonstrating the practicality and applicability of this technology.”

ABOUT TARDEC
Headquartered at the U.S. Army Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI, TARDEC is the Nation’s laboratory for advanced military automotive technology and serves as the Ground Systems Integrator for all Department of Defense (DOD) manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. With roots dating back to the World War II era, TARDEC is a full life-cycle, systems engineering support provider-of-first-choice for all DOD ground combat and combat support weapons, equipment and vehicle systems. TARDEC develops and integrates the right technology solutions to improve Current Force effectiveness and provides superior capabilities for Future Force integration. TARDEC’s technical, scientific and engineering staff lead cutting-edge research and development in Ground Systems Survivability; Power and Mobility; Ground Vehicle Robotics; Force Projection; and Vehicle Electronics and Architecture. TARDEC is a major research, development and engineering center for Research, Development and Engineering Command and an enterprise partner in the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command. http://tardec.army.mil/
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Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #1 on:** February 29, 2012, 03:42:45 AM »

It makes sense to do it. A military is bound by the kinds of fuel it can use, so it's in our interest to understand and be able to use any fuels that are out there.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #2 on:** February 29, 2012, 02:45:49 PM »

I would like some more details. From everything heard it takes more energy to extract the hydrogen than what it's worth, Dale

BUGEYE · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2012, 03:12:43 AM »

since there is not a hydrogen gas station on every corner, it seems that this kind of power will be a long time in the future. we do need to start somewhere but don't expect much to happen anytime soon.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2012, 05:07:55 AM »

The same forward thinking that buys " $1000" toilet seats?

If someone is going to figure out this H fuel might as well be the military. They have unlimited budgets for all intents and purposes.

Hydrogen would be an ideal fuel on the battle field I imagine. Easily lending itself to the old 5 gal. gerry can. H can be scrounged absolutely anywhere life can be sustained. Pumps, cryogenic tanks, hoses, valves all of readily available, and most already built to military standards. Need to ice a case of beer no problem, need to create an excellent flash fire no problem, Freeze that pesky wart off of your foot no problem, run the Hummer out to Irakistan for a little battle, no problem all brought to you by Hydrogen.

Yes TM7, the more treasure wasted seeking the holy grail of a fuel substitute the sooner this country is in the toilet and isn't that the real goal?

ironglow · « **Reply #5 on:** March 01, 2012, 05:15:46 AM »

Never has an administration so meddled in the military. These clowns from "Hahvaad" wouldn't understand logistics if it hit them in the face ! What sense is there in forcing a small fleet of awkward vehicles on the military. Just as they are doing with the "social experiments" they are forcing upon the military.
It will be many years (if ever) before a tank commander can rumble up to a hydrogen truck and say "fill 'er up". They are only forcing this on the military because it is illogical, unworkable and stupid...and the free market won't support it !

Swift One · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2012, 05:24:16 AM »

I guess I just dont get the gripes on this one. I am no tree hugger or anything. But, why not let the military test it and see if they can get it to work and work economically? I am about sick and tired of being so freaking dependant on a fuel source that is getting more and more expensive by the day, that we have reight here in our country and don't hardly use, and fight wars overseas to get control of it. And those $1000 toilet seats and $400 hammers funded he black projects that brought us things like the SR71, stealth technology, and a whole host of other things that we will find out about decades from now.

BAGTIC · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2012, 06:44:40 AM »

"New ways to produce hydroogen are coming along...biological and photovoltaic electrolysis produce hydrogen about for free."
Nothing worthwhile is free. I also remember at the beginning of the nuclear power developmewnt the furists were predicting that it would be so cheap we would not even need to meter it and of course it would be super clean and totally non polluting. Well I still get my electric bill every month and we halve all learned, or should have learned, by now that it is far from non polluting.

BAGTIC · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2012, 06:47:42 AM »

"If someone is going to figure out this H fuel might as well be the military. They have unlimited budgets for all intents and purposes."

Tghe military budget is about 3 1/2 % of the total budget, I suggest it is the other 96.5 % of the budget that is unlimited and should be paying for the funding. How about the social security or medicare part?

ironglow · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:13:35 AM »

This is just more attempted 'social engineering' by the Obamanites..
Since it is social engineering and social services are a large part of the national budget.... perhaps we could get social services clients to do some of the experimental work..

Crack heads could be assigned to "'cook up' some new, hot fuel..

Pregnant teeny-boppers...hopefully, have learned how NOT to be careless and spill the fuel.

Welfare mamas with 9 kids (all different surnames) may provide 'mass production' tips.

Illegal alien fence jumpers on welfare, could show us how to sneak development..past the rest of the world.

Food stampers, could show us how to convert one budgetary item into a frivilous, unrelated product.

We could go on ...but obviously Social Services dependents could show us how to operate the program... they already tell our federal government how to operate

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:29:28 AM »

I work in the natural gas pipeline industry. Until recently when an abundance of natural gas has been found, we studied ways to make hydrogen gas from seawater using nuclear power, or solar power in a desert area near an body of seawater. The gas could be either blended with low grade natural gas or replace natural gas since the gas infrastructure is already in place in the lower 48. I can see them using hydrogen in Hawaii since ALL of their fuel has to be imported. Using solar or geothermal in Hawaii to produce hydrogen would work there. In Nebraska, it probably would not be cost effective or in Texas where oil and natural gas is abundant. Right now there is no infrastructure in place for hydrogen, there is for natural gas, and recently GM and Chrysler are going to start making natural gas trucks off the assembly line. Gas companies around the country will buy them for service trucks.

The Navy has considered using excess nuclear power on aircraft carriers (redundancy is built in, double what the need max) to make synthetic jet fuel from sea water and air. They would take carbon out of carbon dioxide desolved sea water, along with hydrogen, and build the hydrocarbon chains to produce the jet fuel. This would eliminate tanker ships keeping the jet fuel supplied to carriers. It is technically too expensive at this time to do this commercially on a massive scale without an abundance of electricity. I could see in working in isolated areas like Hawaii where they have an abundance of sea water, geothermal, and solar energy to produce it. However, in the 48, the infrastructure is not there, but oil and gas are. Also the further away you get from a large source of water to extract the hydrogen, the more costly it is. We would first have to have about 50 new nuke plants just to produce the electricity for massive production needed to replace our oil based system. Synthetic oil from algae would be less costly.

mechanic · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:45:00 AM »

In most cases where hydrogen is used, it is extracted from natural gas. No large scale generators yet exhist. In most cases, it shows us what may be done, but extracting it from natural gas is still using fossil fuel, and it would be cheaper just to burn the natural gas.

If we had enough electrical generating ability, we could extract hydrogen from water on a large scale, but with coal on the way out, we are losing that generating ability as well.

Hydrogen is like the carrot on a stick for now.

Ben

streak · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:59:28 AM »

As I have stated before, we are awash with natural gas, and more coming online!
Tecnology is already in place for natural gas burning engines. All that needs to be done is to get the infrastructure going and problem solved until the gov`t get`s involved with its tax routine and then you are back to square one!
Some of these vehicles running on natural gas have ranges from 300 to 350 miles on a tank!
Like I said before you would have a pretty cheap fuel supply until the feds get involved.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2012, 01:18:01 PM »

We use natural gas in my company vehicles. It is about $1.85 / gallon equivelant. We have finally got two of the big three to make trucks at the factory to run on CNG. So we will be buying new ones from them. Compressed natural gas (CNG) should be available nationwide within 5-10 years once we get enough compressors at fill stations around the country.

magooch · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2012, 06:02:06 AM »

So once all these new (really not new) fuels gain a demand and the speculators do their thing, will we not be in the same box as we are right now? There is no shortage of oil, or gasoline (we're exporting gasoline) and if the oil experts are right, there is enough oil in our own ground to satisfy our needs for at least a hundred years. Open ANWAR and other known oil bearing areas and the price would come down to the point where alternatives would be a faint memory.

Drill baby drill= jobs, abundant fuel and much improved economy. The technology is there, the infrastructure is there and the will is there; all that is needed is to get the heck rid of the roadblocks--Obama and the Dumycrats.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:37:55 AM »

Natural gas will cost the consumer the equivelant of $1.34 a gallon not counting about $0.50-0.75 per gallon tax. In Alabama it would be $1.85/gallon with the tax. The standard gasoline engine can run natural gas. There are two ways to do this. Add on equipment to run both would cost about $2,000 per vehicle to run both. However a natural gas only vehicle from the factory costs the SAME as a gasoline one, BECAUSE it would not require a catylitic converter, BUT would require a high pressure tank like an acetylene-oxygen tank. So the cost is a trade off.

Problem is, the gasoline stations would have to install a $200,000 natural gas compressor to fuel the natural gas vehicles from a main in the street. The stations owned by the oil companies don't want to do this. However independent stations are interested, but need some help with the costs, which the natural gas companies are trying to do now. Once in place, you could fill up almost anywhere in the eastern US. Some mains would have to be installed along the interstate and or US highways in the plains states, desert and mountain states to provide fuel.

Natural gas only puts out 1/3 the carbon that oil based fuel does, and virtually no other polutants. It is CH4 and burns with 2O2's to produce two water molecules and one carbon dioxide molecule.

Now, the same technology that would put the natural gas infrastructure in place for vehicles can be easily converted to a hydrogen system when natural gas runs out in about 200 years.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:48:39 AM »

Dixie Dude, will they ever come up with a quieter compressor? it's impossible to talk within 50yds of the one I'm familiar with.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2012, 03:22:14 PM »

They might could put it in a pit to cut noise, or build a sound reducing building around it.

BAGTIC · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2012, 06:44:36 PM »

Most of these alternative fuels are best suited to stationary plants.None of them are expected to be available in quantities large enough to replace petroleum so it does not make sense to create duplicate processing and distribution systems everywhere. If they are used at concentrated locations they could help free up liquid fuels that are more versatile. For power generation geothermal is one of the most promising and widely distributed.

Dixie Dude · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2012, 07:17:22 AM »

As far as geothermal. They can drill a hole deep enough to get to hot rock. Then the install an 8" steel pipe down the larger hole. They have forced water down the pipe, and it turns to steam. The steam comes up to turn a generator. Hydrogen is also a byproduct of superheated steam. They have also shot sawdust down with the water. When it is superheated to steam, it produces natural gas and steam. There are alternateive ways. However, it sometimes still cost more for the alternative than traditional methods. Making a new law to protect any new alternative from being bought up and shelved would help. Oil companies have done this for years. There should be a law that says IF it is bought up by a big company it has to be put into production within a certain length of time OR they have to sell it. Natural gas being a gas is readily available to be used as a vehicle fuel, but getting the service stations to put them in has been the biggest problem. Honda makes a natural gas vehicle with a home compressor you can install in your garage. Problem is, it is a slow fill small compressor and takes 8 hours to fuel, so it is no better than an electric. Having the large compressors for quick fueling can be done.

BAGTIC · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2012, 06:37:38 PM »

Dixie Dude

Water is only injected into bore holes that contain very hot rocks, rocks hot enough to flash the water into steam. Boreholes that hot are relatively scarce. Also such steam contains many impurities which can corrode the equipment or qualify as toxic waste. The modern way is to insert an evacuated closed loop in the borehole and add propane. Propane boils at a much lower temperature. There are already thousands of abandoned oilwells that are hot enough to generate power using this technique. The propane condenses after passing through the turbines and is drained back into the hole. Because nothing is extrated from the borehole there is no pollution.