Who knew that little Canton Ohio could be so cutting edge? Anyway the pick up was little slow and the bus whined a bit from the electric moters but other then that ran like a normal bus-
The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority will get another $1.75 million in federal grant funding to buy zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell buses, according to the office of U.S. Sen. S?herrod Brown.
CANTON The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority has gotten a $1.75 million federal grant to buy two more zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell buses.
Kirt Conrad, SARTA’s executive director, said his agency submitted an application in May for a grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low Or No Emission Vehicle Program, which disburses up to $55 million a year to local governments to buy or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses.
Conrad, who heard from Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office Tuesday that SARTA had gotten the grant, thanked Brown, D-Cleveland, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati and Stark County’s congressmen for submitting letters of support to the federal agency.
Would be kind of fun to see DMU’s, such as the NCTD Sprinters, replaced by fuel cell powered EMU’s. Would almost certainly have to be some sort of hybrid power source, i.e. fuel cells for steady state power and batteries or ultra-caps for acceleration (suspect NCTD Sprinters would use LiPO batteries due to the hills). Nice thing with hybrids is that regeration would take care of most of the braking saving wear and tear on the friction brakes.
I got a ride in a Toyota fuel cell mini-van about four years ago. Experience was about the same as being in an electric car.
Best way to generate hydrogen would be using surplus solar power in late morning/early afternoon and surplus wind power when available.
I believe I read in Trams and Urbn Transit, the publication of the UK Light Railway T. A., a report of a Japanese or Chinese fuel-cell streetcar, possibly a whole line.
It is equipped with two 200 kW fuel-cell and 110kW-hr lithium-ion batteries for 19500 lbs starting tractive effort and a total power of 544 kW. The reach is about 500 miles with 200 lbs H2 at 350 bar. The iLINT costs about 75% more than a diesel-electric LINT.
Siemens is developing a H2 fuel-cell propulsion system for its Mireo platform together with Ballard Power Systems (Canada). Market introduction hoped for in 2021.
I think that is the only way if you propose a clean exhaust. Otherwise the fuel-cells still produce just water but the harmfull exhaust is transfered to the power plant.
Regards, Volker
But that is different than a Hydrogen pressure tank with a small leak. At Lakehurst around 7 million cubic feet of Hydrogen burnt at the same time.
Pressure storage at 350 bar is used for Hydrogen since a long time and I haven’t read of problems. Cars with this kind of storage are allowed in underground car parks in Germany though LNG cars are not allowed.
BNSF is testing a switcher, BNSF 1205, with a hydrogen fuel cell.
Regards, Volker
I was thinking of the hydrogen fire I saw as a power plant operator years ago. It was big, brief and bright and convinced me that hydrogen is not something you want traversing the highways or railways with any regularity.
I know there are differences between pressure storage (350 bar) and liquified storage at -423°F and ambient pressure. The latter are not allowed in underground car parks.
Regards, Volker
The fire I saw was a fireball the size of a backyard swimming pool and was fed by an amount of liquid hydrogen between one teaspoon and one tablespoon. Hydrogen is far more potent than any other fuel in use today and best kept away from the general public.
I bet similar things were said about gasoline in the past. Now it’s ubiquitous.
The key point about your hydrogen fire is that it was brief, and stayed in the immediate spot it originated at. Flaming gasoline or other liquids can flow around and spread the fire while they burn for a longer time.
I was once told by a Chemistry Professor that the most dangerous substance in her laboratory was liquid oxygen. And yet we allow smokers to carry tanks of it around our cities.
When I was going through fire college I asked how we fight a hydrogen fire. Simple, you don’t. It will be over before the alarm has a chance to ring. All that will be left to do is salvage and overhaul. When the hydrogen fuel tank on one of these vehicles goes critical it will affect whatever is in the immediate area and that area can be quite large depending on the volume of gas carried. Gasoline to hydrogen is akin to going from black powder to dynamite.
Oh, okay. Gasoline to Hydrogen is akin to going from black powder to nitroglycerin. Needed is an Alfred Nobel to make it safer. Then he can start an awards program acknowledging the works of those advancing humanity.
