Nissan's fuel-cell solution: Replace hydrogen with ethanol

New ethanol fuel cells could eliminate hydrogen infrastructure challengesNissanhas developed a brand brand new kind of fuel dungeon drivetrain for cars which taps an onboard tank of ethanol instead of pressurized hydrogen, delivering a cheaper as well as safer float which it says is some-more user friendly.The brand brand new technology, dubbed an e-bio fuel cell, aims to combat a usual hurdle to deploying normal hydrogen fuel dungeon vehicles: a miss of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Nissans complement uses bio-ethanol, derived from renewable crops such as corn or sugarcane, as well as which refueling infrastructure already mostly exists.E-bio fuel cells should additionally be less costly than normal hydrogen systems since they dont need a expensive carbon-fiber storage tanks for pressurized hydrogen or costly changed metals such as platinum as catalysts for physical phenomenon generation.Nissan aims to bring a record to market in fleet vehicles by around 2020.By regulating this fuel, it can have wider application, Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto said today while announcing a development. We do not need a hydrogen infrastructure. That is a greatest advantage, along with improved safety. Nissans complement shares a elemental record with a normal fuel dungeon systems in such vehicles as a Toyota Mirai or Honda Clarity fuel dungeon sedans.It even requires hydrogen to be fed through a fuel smoke-stack to generate electricity. And like those existing vehicles, it uses which physical phenomenon to power an electric motor which drives a car. Excess physical phenomenon is additionally stored in an onboard battery.But a greatest difference is which Nissans complement generates a hydrogen inside a car. It does so through an one some-more step rubbed by a member called a reformer.The reformer transforms ethanol in a fuel tank in to hydrogen, which is then fed in to in a fuel stack. In a normal hydrogen fuel dungeon car, there is no reformer. The cars fuel tank carries pressurized hydrogen pumped without delay from a fueling station.Nissan says a complement has multiform advantages, despite a additional step.First, ethanol fuel is much some-more widely accessible than hydrogen, making it simpler to introduce a drivetrain technology. It additionally doesnt need a special fueling station.Indeed, countries such as Brazil already widely use ethanol fuel.Second, ethanol is safer to use than hydrogen since it is not as combustible.Also, Nissans complement operates during a much higher temperature. That means it doesnt need pricey changed metals as catalysts. Low priced metals will do. Costs have been serve marked down since a fuel tank is not a high-tech carbon essential element pressurized capsule. Finally, a fuel neednt be pristine ethanol. It can even be a brew of up to 55 percent water, which serve brings down a cost of a operation.On a flip side, Nissan said it needs to urge a systems feverishness government since swings from hot to cold extremes put pressure on durability. And since it works most appropriate during high temperatures, driving reply lags until a complement heats up.Also, normal fuel dungeon cars have been zero emissions; which is, they emit usually H2O fog as well as heat. Nissans complement emits H2O vapor, feverishness as well as carbon dioxide. That is since carbon dioxide is a byproduct of a onboard reformation of ethanol in to hydrogen.Nissan argues, however, which a complement is carbon neutral when counted wheel-to-well. That is since carbon dioxide released is eventually sequestered in a crops which have been harvested to have a ethanol. So carbon is contained in a sealed loop.Despite building a brand brand new technology, Nissan said it hasnt given up on normal hydrogen fuel dungeon systems. Indeed, it will continue to rise which record in together with a partners Daimler AG of Germany as well as Ford Motor Co.The article "Nissan develops brand brand new ethanol fuel cells to burst infrastructure hurdle" first appeared on Automotive News. By Hans Grimel, Automotive News


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