Fuel-cell postal vans

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/3 ... l+vans.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail has joined forces with a number of major European postal and energy associations to speed up the development of hydrogen-fuel-cell postal vans.

Working alongside postal group PostEurop and green vehicle experts FuelCellEurope and CENEX, Royal Mail intends to drive down the cost of fuel-cell technology by introducing a universal design that will eventually be rolled out to postal services across Europe.

According to Chris Walsh, CENEX's technical specialist, the UK is in a strong position to lead this change. He told The Engineer that the UK has a good capability base in fuel-cell technology and that the development of this specification represents a significant opportunity for companies in this sector.

He added that, while vehicles and hybrid architecture are already commercialised, volume deployment of fuel cells has not been achieved. By signalling a real demand for fuel-cell-powered vehicles, this project will draw forward automotive fuel-cell development, addressing challenges related to cost, power density, durability and hydrogen storage.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as their only by-product. In addition to being efficient, their relatively low-power ratings are suitable for use in small and medium urban vehicles.

Royal Mail is the first organisation in Europe to deploy a fuel-cell postal van, supported by two hydrogen combustion vans. Other European original equipment manufacturers have demonstrated fuel-cell vehicles. According to Walsh, however, this will be among the first examples of a demand-led project.

Once the design specification is complete, Royal Mail intends to collaborate with other European postal services for input before the brief is presented to vehicle manufacturers for consideration.

[andy2007]

Well done RM! It's good to see that you're finally taking Environmental issues seriously. Rather than just putting on an act, as in the past (e.g. Plasma Screens, left on all the time, while claiming to reduce their Carbon Footprint).

[stokes11eg]

Well done RM! It's good to see that you're finally taking Environmental issues seriously. Rather than just putting on an act, as in the past (e.g. Plasma Screens, left on all the time, while claiming to reduce their Carbon Footprint).

now, all they have yo do to prove they are really green, and save a few forests, is to get rid of D2D's
's.

[johnsouthwales]

bad news is nuclear power stations to be built to produce the hydrogen.. on the plus side, should get around 60miles from a kilogram of hydrogen.. 1kg=1 gallon
quite unreliable in cold weather.. zero degrees centigrade or under.. freezes up.

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/fuel-cell-cars.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DGP1]

Hydrogen has it's problems at the moment but as time goes on these problems will be reduced/removed so it's a bit early to be having a downer, in the end we will run out of fossil fuels and we will need something to replace it and unless someone invents the perpetiual motion machine then hydrogen seems to be the best way forward.

[johnsouthwales]

america has developed 100% synthetic fuel..jet engine, military use.. cheap too. been using it for a while. about a pound a gallon.. think they get it from coal. algae..allsorts.

they stopped the hybrid production, caused too many problems after the press hype at the time.

the key is not too use fossil fuel. what is the point of using gas to produce electricity (madness). ok, if coal is used to turn the turbines, what happens when the coal runs out. think i got another post somewhere mentioning algae, bit more info in that.

i don't think there ever be a green fuel cos other raw materials get used

[DGP1]

Synthetic fuels have been around for a while (the Germans used it in WW2 whenever they lost the Balkans oilfields).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fuel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[andy2007]

bad news is nuclear power stations to be built to produce the hydrogen.. on the plus side, should get around 60miles from a kilogram of hydrogen.. 1kg=1 gallon
quite unreliable in cold weather.. zero degrees centigrade or under.. freezes up.

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/fuel-cell-cars.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why Nuclear Power Stations?
They only get a brief mention in the article, and Electricity is only 1 of many possible sources of Hydrogen.

[stokes11eg]

bad news is nuclear power stations to be built to produce the hydrogen.. on the plus side, should get around 60miles from a kilogram of hydrogen.. 1kg=1 gallon
quite unreliable in cold weather.. zero degrees centigrade or under.. freezes up.

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/fuel-cell-cars.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why Nuclear Power Stations?
They only get a brief mention in the article, and Electricity is only 1 of many possible sources of Hydrogen.

Should just go back to using steam engines.

[DGP1]

bad news is nuclear power stations to be built to produce the hydrogen.. on the plus side, should get around 60miles from a kilogram of hydrogen.. 1kg=1 gallon
quite unreliable in cold weather.. zero degrees centigrade or under.. freezes up.

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/fuel-cell-cars.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why Nuclear Power Stations?
They only get a brief mention in the article, and Electricity is only 1 of many possible sources of Hydrogen.

Should just go back to using steam engines.

Maybe we should go back to push bikes

[johnsouthwales]

stokie.. its to do with cost. it's cheaper to produce a kilo of hydrogen through nuclear

[DGP1]

stokie.. its to do with cost. it's cheaper to produce a kilo of hydrogen through nuclear

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/blog2/in ... -hydrogen/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Current Research on Producing Hydrogen

1. Direct solar to hydrogen
2. Hydrogen-on-demand technology using sodium borohydride, phosphonium borate, magnesium, gallium or aluminum compounds
3. Nuclear cracking of water into hydrogen
4. Biomass using pyrolysis or gasification of waste grease and plastics
5. Renewable electrolysis methods including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower
6. Water splitting using microbes, bacteria and algae methods to create hydrogen including waste from farms, grape juice companies, candy factories, restaurants, beer makers and sewage treatment plants
7. Using X-rays upon ice
8. Using radio waves upon seawater
9. Clean coal to hydrogen ala FutureGen and other research
10. Using corn, switchgrass and other plant life to create hydrogen renewably
11. Tapping into water energy such as tidal energy and wave power
12. Using ships with wind turbines such as those being developed by Windhunters
13. Using high altitude wind energy including tethered rotorcraft and kites
14. Micro hydroelectric water turbines on rivers and mountain streams
15. Cheap electrolysis such as from General Electric’s Noryl catalyst

[johnsouthwales]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8000324.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

funny how a power station programme throughout europe coincides with 1. depleting oil and gas supplies 2. systematic removal of vehicles on uk roads that cause only 5% of the uk co2 emissions

does that mean when uk goes total electric vehicles, will the uk co2 emissions excluding vehicles at 95% become the new 100%? or are vehicles a scapegoat for industries emissions?

[johnsouthwales]

cheers disgruntled. i agree there are a few ways to create hydrogen..

[k979aaa]

I think royalmail should be Eco friendly and run all it's office's and van's on management bullshit after all their is enough to go around!.