Scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a photocatalytic fuel cell that cleans waste water and generates electricity. Can’t beat a two for one deal!

The job of rebuilding the neighborhoods and towns demolished by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami has begun but one area of cleanup will continue to be a problem for a long, long time.  TEPCO’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant has been a nightmare since the earthquake and tsunami knocked the units off line.  New information obtained with the installation of air purifiers that have allowed workers to reenter Unit One.

Fuel cells have been touted as the successor to batteries since they are able to convert water to hydrogen gas which would power everything from handheld devices to cars.  One of the major problems preventing greater use of fuel cells for energy is the cost of the most common catalyst, platinum which currently costs around $1,800 an ounce.

Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) in Canada has expertise and experience with hydrogen buses. They just can’t use them anymore.  Unfortunately, the buses proved too expensive to run and so the buses are being shipped back to Ford.

Horizon’s hydrogen fuel cell pack system for mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could mean saved lives.  Because the AEROPAK as the system is called, is capable of increasing the time and distance of UAV flights, they will be able to do more reconnaissance without returning to base.  In military situations, that could mean saved lives.

Oregon State U. is experimenting with nanotech coatings that could improve the amount of energy that can be generated from biowaste.  The use of a nanotech coating on the graphite anodes of microbial electrochemical cells changes the amount of energy that can be generated from sewage.  At the same time that energy is being produced the sewage is being cleaned up.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed hydrogen fuel cell technology that doesn’t require a catalyst.  Instead the fuel cell harnesses both hydrolysis and thermolysis or hydrothermolysis.  It uses aluminum borane and water to generate the hydrogen needed for fuel cells. 

Here’s a new twist on an old theme, using hydrogen fuel cells to power your portable devices.  The MiniPAK works off of the HydroSTIK fuel cells that Horizon makes.  Each HydroSTIK will provide two to three charges for a smartphone or four to six charges for your basic cell phone.  Since you can swap the HydroSTIKs out while charging it makes it easy to charge your portable electronics even while camping.

Just like Henry Ford who wanted every family to have one of his cars, Horizon Fuel Cell wants every home to own one of its hydrogen products.  Horizon has hydrogen powered miniature cars for hobbyists,  science kits for kids, a hydrogen filling station for your desk, hydrogen powered generators- both stationary and portable, hydrogen power assisted bikes, and hydrogen fuel cells for cars and unmanned aerial systems. 

Two scientists at Brown University, chemistry professor Shouheng Sun and graduate student Vismadeb Mazumder, and Miaofang Chi and Karren More at the Oak Ridge Laboratory have discovered an alternative to the most expensive part of fuel cells, the pure-platinum catalyst.  The researchers created a nanoparticle that uses less platinum while lasting longer.