Cella Energy, a UK-based energy company, announced big plans for hydrogen storage in early 2011, and is now beginning to deliver on its earlier promise. Hydrogen, as desirable as it is for use in transportation, presents many hurdles in its use. Creating an infrastructure for its distribution has been a major impediment so far, but Cella hopes to overcome that with its nanotechnology pellets that can be distributed, transported and used much like fossil-fuel liquids. Cella highlights the fact that the hydrogen is stored in low-pressure form at ambient temperatures and can be handled safely in the open air (something that can’t be said about gasoline, for instance). It benefits customers by being able to use existing distribution networks and outlets. Imagine a gas station or airport refueling truck that dispenses hydrogen in pellet form as well as the normal liquid fuels. The company’s “elevator pitch” promotes the “three minute, 300 mile rule.” We’re used to pulling into a gas …
$1.50 a Gallon, Carbon-Free, and Maybe?
Gizmag readers responded pretty much equally with hope and skepticism to today’s story on Cella Energy’s announcement of their hydrogen-based, emissions-free fuel that would power your car for $1.50 a gallon. One asked if it were April 1 yet. Others held out more charitable views of the announcement, and perhaps deservedly so. Cella’s diagram compares bulky high-pressure storage with room-temperature, ambient-pressure storage solution Cella is partially a spinoff of Oxford University’s ISIS programs, named for the Egyptian goddess of magic and life and overflowing with demonstrated successes. We’ve reported on their Yokeless And Segmented Armature (YASA™) topology motor, a 34-centimeter (13.4 inches) diameter, 7-centimeter (2.76 inches) thick, 11 kilogram (23.2 pound) marvel that can produce a peak 100 kilowatts and 700 Nm (516 foot-pounds) of peak torque. Cella’s web site claims several important factors that would lead to success, including: “Hydrogen fuels for vehicle you can pump like regular gasoline at room temperature and pressure, safer to use than gasoline or …