Re:Actually it is ENERGY DENSITY (Score 1)

Hasdi, I agree with alot of what you say. Why don't they just make the ICE engine run better. With the proton exchange mebrane fuel cell hydrogen (or lack of) a hydrogen infrastructure and sutabl storage system is a problem. With reformed hydrogen the reformers are bulky and expensive for reforming methanol or gasoline into hydrogen for a PEM. However the improvement in performance of an ICE engine powered vehicle will include a fuel cell IMHO, it just won't be a PEM. WHat it will be I think is a SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) . Global Thermoelectric is supplying Delphi Automotive with SOFC stacks for a auxilliary power unit for cars. With the increasing electrical loads in vehicles (which will grow significantly over the next decade) and the switch to the new 42 volt (14/42 at first for many automakers) electrical systems brings a requirement for more power. Batteries are heavy, and the combined starter alternator that will allow for the start stop opeation you speak of only will produce power when the engine is running. A SOFC however can run easily off of gasoline (unlike a PEM whose reformer is very complex to use gasoline and has very little tolerance to CO poisoning), Global's fuel cell will run from propane, natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel etc. It will not provide propulsion power, but it will provide auxiliary power that will enable the engine to be shut off when the vehicle is not mobile. The reformate gas from the SOFC gasoline reformer can also be added to the ICE engines gasoline. The moisture in the reformate will help increase power, the hydrogen in it will make the engine burn more cleanly. The SOFC will also produce power from this reformate. With a PEM (Ballard) fuel cell all of the CO must be removed from the fuel before it can be used in a PEM fuel cell, in a SOFC, the CO is actually a fuel too. A SOFC is not poisoned from CO, it just makes even more power from it. Ford themselves I think is headed this direction. Ford is working on a hydrogen engine (much like BMW). Ford has said that the hydrogen for the engine could be from onboard storage or from reformed gasoline. Well the same fuel that is reformed from gasoline that can be used in this engine is the SAME fuel that can run a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell. Delphi Auomotives believes perhaps they will receive twice the efficiency automakers are getting right now. With higher efficiency also comes reduced emissions. Beause a SOFC does not burn fuel alot of the harmful emissions that are present from combustion engines are not produced from a SOFC. Hybrids in my opinion will lead the way. A car with a gasoline engine and a SOFC Auxiliary power unit is the way I see it. It will take many years for the world to introduce a hydrogen infrastructure. While for is doing significant work with PEM's thewy are also doing alot (if not more) with hybrids. Ford is also racing to catch up to BMW with their technology. It will in my opinion be a combination of alot of these technologies that clean up the vehicle of today. Smaller gasoline engines which are propulsion only. Remove all the belt driven functions from the engine to reduce the drain that way the smaller engines can deliver the same performance. Items like breaks and power sterring will switch to electrical based systems rather than hydraulic systems which right now are a constant load of the engine. The combined stater alternator together with the engine management system, electronic valves, etc. will allow the engine to shut off when the car is not in motion. All the while however all the cars sterring, brakes, air conditioning, fans, radio, etc. etc. etc. will run off of electricity produce by the solid oxide fuel cell running from gasoline. Global Thermoelectric has a website at http://www.globalte.com , there is also alot of info on them at http://www.thenextwave.emerchantpro.com Iam confident that fuel cells are coming, the SOFC has the rare ability to complment existing technolgy for vehicle and it works with the energy infrastructure that exists today. Delphi is now developing new vehicle elctrical systems for Ford, based on this and the direction ford is taking with the hydrogen engine etc. I would thing that Delphi will work a SOFC auxiliary power unit into the Ford vehicles. Delphi is working currently with BMW and Renault with this SOFC APU that uses Global Thermoelectric's SOFC fuel cells. BMW will show a car this fall that has this APU in it. Regards, Chip