Transportation is the nation's largest single energy user and accounts for approximately 50% of our current petroleum consumption. This fact not only defines the urgency of the problem, it also delineates the magnitude of the infrastructure already in place and the built-in inertia of the system. Major changes in our modes of transportation will not take place instantly, as we might wish, but will certainly require years and, perhaps, decades of steady evolution and technological development. Fuel cells are a promising alternate power source for transportation applications for a number of reasons. Modeling studies have indicated the potential for providing highway vehicles with performance and range comparable to those provided by internal combustion engines. Fuel cells are efficient and therefore reduce energy consumption. They are nonpolluting in terms of both air and noise pollution - highly desirable features for urban applications. In addition, they can operate on nonpetroleum fuels such as hydrogen or hydrogen in combined form, for example, methanol or ammonia, thereby reducing the nation's petroleum dependency. The investigation of the application of fuel cells to the highway transportation described began in 1977. Recently, the scope was broadened to include a determination of the feasibility of using fuel cells in nonhighway transportation, i.e., rail and marine. (ERA citation 07:014749)


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    Title :

    Application of Fuel Cells to Highway and Nonhighway Transportation


    Contributors:
    J. R. Huff (author) / J. B. McCormich (author) / D. K. Lynn (author) / R. E. Bobbett (author) / G. R. Dooley (author)

    Publication date :

    1981


    Size :

    11 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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