1 Megawatt Fuel Cell Power Plant

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Alternative Cell Energy Fuel Gas Global Warming Hydrogen Natural Plants Power
peacefulloflove
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  • Added: 16-Jun-07

This is a video of a 1 megawatt Fuel Cell Power Plant at California State University, Northridge, in Los Angeles, CA. The power plant has a reformer that separates hydrogen from natural gas and then feeds the hydrogen into a fuel cell, generating electricity. The plant also recovers the heat generated and uses it for domestic heating on campus. In the future, some of the carbon emitted will be sequestered in a sub-tropical rainforest that is under construction.

While at present this power plant still uses fossil fuels (the natural gas is needed in order to extract the hydrogen from it), in the future the hydrogen will be generated either from landfill gas, or else it will be electrolyzed using wind, solar, geothermal, wave or hydroelectric energy. What is most important and exciting about this plant is the fact that it is using fuel cells--touted to be the future of electricity generation--today, and they are working seamlessly on a large scale.

For more information, go to andyposner.org/videofuelcell

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Comments on

1 Megawatt Fuel Cell Power Plant

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  • The easiest way to ...

    The easiest way to obtain hydrogen is through pyrolysis. It converts all organic materials (waste, tires,hazardous waste, etc.) into hydrogen and carbon black.
    You get paid for the disposal of the ingoing material and get paid for the material produced.
    The most efficient method of heating the vessel during pyrolysis by using a plasma torch INSIDE the vessel.

    By HootOwl88 [Affiliate User] 1201896277 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • which is the most ...

    which is the most efficient way to "react" hydrogen into electricity, normal burning process with turbines ? or is there another method. ?

    By Eqvaliser [Affiliate User] 1201274753 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Power Plants don't ...

    Power Plants don't run on gasoline. A coal/ng powerplant can have up to 60% efficiency, and nuclear currently reaches 50%. Once Natural gas supplies delcine (around 2030), wind, tidal, solar, geo, methane, nuclear and coal will be the only 'root' technologies available. Vehicles will likely be hydrogen, but it will be based off of these 'roots'.

    By ghosttwo2 [Affiliate User] 1201204872 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • You just answered ...

    You just answered my question, so thank you!

    By bijeto [Affiliate User] 1201187521 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I'm not a chemist ...

    I'm not a chemist so excuse me if this is a dumb idea, but could'nt hydrogen be generated (and later harnessed) by simple elctrolysis of water? I think that is the thing that has always fascinated me about fuel cells, the notion that, on the surface at least, hydrogen seems so readily available and affordable.

    By bijeto [Affiliate User] 1201187404 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • The U.S Government ...

    The U.S Government will stop you. They want you controlled, dead or poor and as long as they monopolize you with their inferior technologies and decades old dependency on oil, they will do everything they can to stop it. Why? Because too many politicians stand to loose billions if people stopped using oil. So at the expense of the public we loose.

    By freespeachrulez [Affiliate User] 1200936325 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • absolutely great ...

    absolutely great system
    thermocouples and other systems could make it more efficient

    By sn1pe352 [Affiliate User] 1200755230 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • System price?

    System price?

    By carlosgaspar74 [Affiliate User] 1199856550 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • as an engineer i,m ...

    as an engineer i,m surprised at you. running green on a limited basis is perfectable under many different circumstances. however when you look at the normal every day energy neends for just the asa, nevermind the rest of the rapidlt growing 3rd world,doube it,will be workable.the fraud on carbon futures is laughable right now bobbyr

    By bobbyrita [Affiliate User] 1198072959 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Well, I've been ...

    Well, I've been interested in hydrogen energy since Ben Bova, through an editorial in "Analog", turned me on to the idea in 1975. The breakthroughs in hydrogen storage, production and fuel cell efficiency that are occurring weekly now indicate an earlier culmination than previously forseen. You can see that today I am pretty interested in the political barriers by visiting my web site.

    By hydrogencommerce [Affiliate User] 1197752533 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • in fact they they ...

    in fact they they don't BURN anything, depending on what kinda fuel cells they are.

    And in this case, they get their natural gas and reform it. Its a process called steam reformation, no combustions ever happens. these types of fuel cells work exclusively by electrochemical reactions

    By iamyourmessiah [Affiliate User] 1197656860 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Hello Mr. Masters. ...

    Hello Mr. Masters. Thank you for your kind comments. What drives your interest in hydrogen?

    By peacefulloflove [Affiliate User] 1197640789 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Andy, Thanks for ...

    Andy, Thanks for the excellent insight on CSU's reforming fuel cell at Northridge. These fuel cell types will play an important role in the inevitable transition from natural gas to hydrogen in the coming years as wind farms begin to supplement depleting natural gas supplies with renewable hydrogen produced from off-peak or stranded wind resources.
    Richard D. Masters

    By hydrogencommerce [Affiliate User] 1197635551 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • 1 MW won't get you ...

    1 MW won't get you too far

    By bmotx [Affiliate User] 1197368658 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • To clarify ...

    To clarify something, if you're worried about fossil fuels... molten carbonate fuel cells can use a variety of fuel sources. You do not need pure gaseous hydrogen as is with PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells. The fuel source(s) for the cell stack, whether it be some kind of hydrogen rich organic, natural gas, or whatever, is internally reformed beucase of the high temperatues and potent lithium or sodium salt electrolytes/catalysts. Thank you chemical engineering.

    By ptpllc [Affiliate User] 1197113742 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • They don't burn ...

    They don't burn anything, burning is a different chemical reaction.
    As for fossil fuels they currently do, but are certainly not tied to using it for ever.

    By SoggyGibblets [Affiliate User] 1195930513 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • They split the ...

    They split the hydrogen off the gas that goes in.

    By SoggyGibblets [Affiliate User] 1195930321 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • "The plant burns ...

    "The plant burns natural gas to genertate hydrogen .... no fossil fuels" Ummm... sure, I'll believe that one

    By eaglerod444 [Affiliate User] 1195129298 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Where in the world ...

    Where in the world do they get their hydrogen? Unless they are producing hydrogen magically, all they're doing is wasting energy.

    By eaglerod444 [Affiliate User] 1195129179 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Hydrolisis. There`s ...

    Hydrolisis. There`s a new method to obtain hydrogen with a bit amount of amperes.
    That`s not a big trouble.

    By drcaos [Affiliate User] 1195076020 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • and a 30% efficient ...

    and a 30% efficient gasoline engine is somehow better?

    By ToeCutter454 [Affiliate User] 1194285683 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Despite the ...

    Despite the description, fuel cell commercial power generation CANNOT replace fossil fuel dependance.

    Hydrogen from water is only about 50-70% efficient. The fuel cells convert about 30-40% of this hydrogen energy back into electricity. Such a plant would recover 10-23% of the electricity needed to feul it.

    In order to produce power, such a large-scale plant would still need to produce hydrogen from fossil fuels (like this one does), where gas is reacted with water to form H2 and CO.

    By ghosttwo2 [Affiliate User] 1191625700 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Hydrogen on demand ...

    Hydrogen on demand is the key to water fuel.

    Sorry not having to refill at another gas station is true freedom. Your still paying for your hydrogen? LOL. Idiotic concept.

    Your still tethered to a gas pump. Really revolutionary, um no. Its the same thing.

    By sirHOAX [Affiliate User] 1190652942 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I'm not sure which ...

    I'm not sure which of the two reforming technologies this power plant uses, the key point is that the only external inputs of energy you would need (and I'm not sure that you even need external inputs) is to heat and pressurize the natural gas.

    By peacefulloflove [Affiliate User] 1190348064 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • That's an excellent ...

    That's an excellent question. I had to look There are two natural gas reformer technologies — autothermal reforming (ATR) and steam methane reforming (SMR). Both methods work by exposing natural gas to a catalyst (usually nickel) at high temperature and pressure.

    By peacefulloflove [Affiliate User] 1190347993 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
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