Fuel Cell Partnership

Imagine a future in which we all drive cars that look and feel just like the ones we have now, but instead of spewing carbon monoxide from the exhaust pipe the only emission is pure water. Sound like a pipe dream? It is already a reality in the form of fuel cell cars.On Friday April 24, the De Anza College Automotive Technology instructor Phil Green took a group of Auto Tech students to the annual open house of the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento.The CFCP is the primary research and testing facility in the state for fuel cell cars, which are usually powered by hydrogen. The hydrogen generates electricity through proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. This powers an electric motor that drives the wheels. The system works like a hybrid car, except no fossil fuel is used and the electric motor is the only drive motor.Unlike conventional electric cars such as the Tesla Roadster, fuel cell vehicles have a range similar to gasoline vehicle and do not have to recharged, although "filling up" at a hydrogen station takes 5 to 10 minutes. According to CFCP Communications Director Chris White, "fuel cells these days are more efficient than batteries, they are electric vehicles you refill instead of recharge."The allure of hydrogen is that it is readily available and abundant in the atmosphere. "It's non-toxic and we've been making it for 60 years," White said. "We make enough everyday, for industrial purposes, to fill up 130 million fuel cell vehicles a day."CFCP engineer Jackie Birdsall took the group for a tour of the sprawling facility, which has permanent garages for several major manufacturers, including VW, Nissan, Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, GM, and Hyundai. In the back is a hydrogen filling station, one of the oldest in the state and one of 26 in California. The continuing battle to popularize fuel cell vehicles lies with increasing the number of fueling stations available to the public, since many of the 26 belong to different agencies for use only with fleet vehicles such as buses.

Click