Originally published June 9 2005
Solid oxide fuel cells cheaper than hydrogen fuel cells
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are showing they have the longevity to be used to generate electricity, at a cost much lower than hydrogen fuel cells. Even with the amount of research going into them, today's hydrogen fuel cells cost about $2,000 per kilowatt of power produced. If equal government research funds were put into SOFCs, the expense of ceramic tubes used in SOFCs would be greatly reduced and the price of the cells would be highly competitive with hydrogen fuel cells.
In an era of growing concern over the security of our energy supplies, federal and provincial governments are funding development of alternative sources of energy.
A case in point is the so-called "hydrogen economy."
This seductive concept idealizes clean power, a virtuous cycle of hydrogen from water, energy from hydrogen, and clean water as the only byproduct.
Of the two main methods for producing hydrogen, steam reformation of methane/natural gas and electrolysis of water, steam reformation is easily the cheapest.
Reforming natural gas requires the natural gas feedstock, but also uses additional natural gas as fuel to create the steam that is integral to the process.
As oil prices increase, natural gas prices will also likely rise since natural gas is a substitute, pushing up hydrogen prices as well.
For those placing their wager on hydrogen from electrolysis of water, one can also count on electricity costs rising along with fossil fuel prices, since substitution is possible and the current supply of electricity is finite.
Optimistic studies on the use of hydrogen as a fuel usually fail, for example, to take into account the storage costs associated with a highly compressed gaseous fuel.
Hydrogen-economy advocates are well aware of these issues, but propose quick fixes such as the storage of hydrogen in solid hydride materials.
Power from internal combustion costs $100 to $200 per kilowatt (one kilowatt is about 1.34 horsepower.) Today's hydrogen fuel cells cost about $2,000 per kilowatt of power produced.
Government intervention to encourage the development of the skills and technology to automate the manufacture of the currently low-volume and expensive ceramic tubes used in SOFCs would help create a new and potentially powerful industrial base.
Further, significant research is being done on rechargeable batteries that could buffer the power produced by generating technology, such as wind turbines.
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