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Howard University Professor finding way to conserve energy, oil with fuel cells
Lendora Washington/Contributing Writer
Issue date: 3/11/07 Section: Technology
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As oil becomes less and less of a reliable resource, due to unrest in the Middle East and rising oil prices, alternative energy concepts are gaining popularity and attracting more attention. "Eventually oil will become just as expensive and the fuel cell will be a better alternative", said Ganley.
According to Ganley, current fuel cell stacks - built out polymer electrode cells - cost about $75 per kilowatt of electrical power delivered. For consumers, this means it would cost $4,125 to power a 55kW motor to run a Toyota Camry. Fuel cell stacks built to power a car (100 kW power) have been made to be about the size of a mini fridge.
"That's a little too expensive, but Department of Energy goals for 2010 are about $30/kw - reducing the cost to less that $2, 000," said Ganley.
"I'm usually in the lab once a week to perform a particular experiment on my own or to aid Dr. Ganley as he performs one," said Jason Pyke, an undergraduate researcher. "It is especially important that alternative fuel sources be renewable and environmentally friendly, and fuel cells happen to meet all of these requirements."
Ganley explained that a fuel cell is a battery fueled by a renewable source of energy, such as wind-power, hydro-electric solar energy, solar electric energy, geo-thermal energy, and tidal power. Demonstrating its power by lighting a small lamp located on the control block, Ganley boasts that the small cell under layers of protective covering supplied one watt of energy.
"One watt is a pretty small unit of power, good enough to run a cell phone," said Ganley. "A cell phone will phone will use up to one watt of power from a battery as it operates in standby mode, meaning that the phone can go for around 100 hours in standby mode."
The hope is to one day power a 60 watt light bulb or a laptop computer that uses about 30 watts for a couple hours. "Making these things priorities will help us all right now, and will allow for the best research to be done so that the problems we face today are solved," said Ganley.
According to Ganley, current fuel cell stacks - built out polymer electrode cells - cost about $75 per kilowatt of electrical power delivered. For consumers, this means it would cost $4,125 to power a 55kW motor to run a Toyota Camry. Fuel cell stacks built to power a car (100 kW power) have been made to be about the size of a mini fridge.
"That's a little too expensive, but Department of Energy goals for 2010 are about $30/kw - reducing the cost to less that $2, 000," said Ganley.
"I'm usually in the lab once a week to perform a particular experiment on my own or to aid Dr. Ganley as he performs one," said Jason Pyke, an undergraduate researcher. "It is especially important that alternative fuel sources be renewable and environmentally friendly, and fuel cells happen to meet all of these requirements."
Ganley explained that a fuel cell is a battery fueled by a renewable source of energy, such as wind-power, hydro-electric solar energy, solar electric energy, geo-thermal energy, and tidal power. Demonstrating its power by lighting a small lamp located on the control block, Ganley boasts that the small cell under layers of protective covering supplied one watt of energy.
"One watt is a pretty small unit of power, good enough to run a cell phone," said Ganley. "A cell phone will phone will use up to one watt of power from a battery as it operates in standby mode, meaning that the phone can go for around 100 hours in standby mode."
The hope is to one day power a 60 watt light bulb or a laptop computer that uses about 30 watts for a couple hours. "Making these things priorities will help us all right now, and will allow for the best research to be done so that the problems we face today are solved," said Ganley.
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