Alternate Fuels-Hydrogen Economy

      Fill the Tank!! $50..ohh..This was the case in 2014. What about 2020 or 2030?? There might be a Bank Loan available just to fill gasoline in cars. This could be avoided and we, engineers can promise a better future for the next generation. The fact lies in less consumption of Fossil Fuels. BUT HOW?? This involves saving the fuel from well (oil production) or saving it on the wheels (automobiles). The latter is possible with our alternate source. Gasoline could be blended with alternate fuels like ethanol, natural gas, syngas, hydrogen,etc and run it on automotive engines.

        The promising way of carrying out this task is implementing the same on actual scale. Here, in India, we have a promising future for Hydrogen powered vehicles. Instead of converting a power source completely into Hydrogen based one, why cant we include it with gasoline and power the automobile. The performance and exhaust studies could be carried out and tested on actual vehicle. Obviously the results will be positive. This could be a way of introducing hydrogen economy to the world in a step by step manner. (Currently am working on such kind of work and i hope to get fruitful results as well. In coming months, a pure technical site might be created for all budding researchers, so follow the same)

 

Fuel Cell for future

   Probably many engineers would have heard the term FUEL CELL. But is it the future of on-road vehicles? this remains unanswered till now. It was believed that hydrogen will be the future and its related technologies would occupy the road by 2020. So what exactly is a fuel cell, anyway?

       Fuel cell is nothing but a Eletrochemical energy conversion device. It produces electricity while the conversion of products or chemicals take place. Mostly they are concentrated with hydrogen and oxygen conversion i.e. when hydrogen and oxygen combine to produce water, electricity is produced during the process (basic science!). This could be carried with different chemicals based on their properties, availability and other factors. Mainly they are classified based on the electrolyte used and operating temperature. It includes Solid oxide FC, Alkine FC, Phosphoric-acid FC, etc. Now i hear you asking about the by products!! Hold on.. This is the solution H2 + O ----->  H2O. So its clear that the by products will be water and heat which means there is no problem of pollution. And moreover what about the noise? It runs smooth as a battery but do not 'die' rather works for a very long time. Let this technology provide a change on road and reduce pollution to make our world a better place to live.

Solar For Future

  It's not new to many but for the Indian Roads! Why not the solar films be linked with Indian roadways as initiated by Scott and Julie on American roadways through their firm "Solar Roadways". Why not here. where there is a huge potential to tap this renewable energy which is of course FREE. There are many such options available to install Solar panels and thin flexible films on roads, pavements, parking lots, umbrella, specially designed dresses, roof top, etc. But why is it being ignored here? Is the cost a Factor? 

SoloPower CIGS

        The recent developments of CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium de Selenide) roll-to-roll thin cells had proved that we can modify  the shape of solar panels in whatever way we require. The Energy Department has to realize that only if the potential is spread on a large scale, the costs would come down. In spite of thinking about the cost as a factor, its better to know that it serves for a long run (approximately for 30 years). Promising future will be channeled to people if and only if government regulations are changed and subsidies are increased for this future power. Tapping the free available energy and providing for the needy is not a Himalayan task i suppose. If roads can be made of Plastics (by Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai) why not with Solar Panels?? Its POSSIBLE.