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Truckers Choose Hydrogen Power

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the now-to-make-it-bite-sized dept.

hipernoico writes to tell us Wired News is reporting that hundreds of semi trucks now on the roads are being partially powered by hydrogen. From the article: "These 18-wheelers make hydrogen as they go, eliminating the need for high-pressure, cryogenic storage tanks or hydrogen filling stations, which, by the way, don't yet exist. These truckers aren't just do-gooders. They like Canadian Hydrogen Energy's Hydrogen Fuel Injection, or HFI, system because it lets them save fuel, get more horsepower and, as a bonus, cause less pollution."

6 of 511 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe a problem by suso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They like Canadian Hydrogen Energy's Hydrogen Fuel Injection, or HFI, system because it lets them save fuel, get more horsepower and, as a bonus, cause less pollution."

    Could our root problem be that we consider less pollution a bonus instead of a motivating factor?

    1. Re:Maybe a problem by Sarisar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As always money first, pollution second.

      Although IMHO this is the only way to actually make people stop polluting - make it cheaper for them not to. Of course I'm sure the power that be would just tax polluters as they can make a LOAD of cash that way (oh wait...)

  2. Re:Hydrogen Wells? by radicalnerd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Are we talking about perpetual motion?
    No, the trucks still run mainly on diesel augmented with hydrogen.

    ...this fuel source may not be exactly the "less" polluting alternative as one may think.
    It's less polluting because the hydrogen boosts the performance of the engine over burning diesel alone, lowers particulates, and all that good stuff. So it does pollute less, by burning the fuel more efficiently.

  3. Pretty sure it works by Alcimedes · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For all the naysayers, keep in mind, these truckers make their LIVING hauling product long distances. If this didn't work, or made the overall process less effecient, they'd know it. We're talking about their own profits it would be eating into, not some mystery lab result.

    Sorry, but doubt hundreds of truckers are going to do that just to help out a company that involved in "psuedo science".

  4. Did nobody read up on this? by canadianunixbum · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Did nobody read up on this? The hydrogen helps the engine burn more of the fuel that would have been released unused. That is why you use less fuel and have lower emissions.

  5. Re:What, is the Hydrogen a catalyst? by RedWizzard · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Fine, but as parent mentioned, as soon as the engine starts powering the electrolysis you'll be below break-even.
    No. You are only thinking in terms of the energy put into the system by burning the hydrogen compared to the energy removed by making the hydrogen. What you are not considering is the energy put into the system by burning the diesel more efficiently. It's a similar sort of prinicple to using a supercharger: just because the supercharger is being powered by the engine doesn't mean you can get a net power gain. In case of a supercharger the extra power is due to increased fuel and air consumption, in this case it is due to increased efficiency combustion of the diesel fuel.