Hydrogen Waterways
The hydrogen waterways will one day be filled with H2-powered
ships, boats, submarine and other personal watercraft. And, why
not since these vessel will be surrounded by the most abundant
source for hydrogen on earth - water.
Today, there are several hydrogen-powered vessels that have launched
their way into the waterways of the world and the new H2 economy.
For example in October 2003, a hydrogen water-taxi was showboated
to a crowd of eager onlookers at the Maritime Technology Exposition
in the San Francisco Bay area. This Duffy- Herreshoff H2 water-taxi
generated its own onboard hydrogen using a Millennium Hydrogen-on-Demand
system that combines water, sodium borohydride and a proprietary
catalyst to generate H2 as needed. The hydrogen is then run through
an onboard stack of fuel cells to generate power. This same boat
has also been seen on the back bay areas of Newport Beach, California
as well.
In April 2003, Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW) a German shipbuilder
unveiled a submarine powered by hydrogen fuel cell. The H2 submarine
a class 212A, which was being built for the German Navy was to
be tested in the Baltic Sea for deep-water testing. The air-independent
propulsion (AIP) system is being used to cut down on vibration,
noise and emissions. Air Products will supply a shore-based hydrogen
refueling station for the German H2 submarines. HDW is also developing
the Type 214 fuel cell submarine, which is a further improvement
on the Type 212 and the Greek Navy has already order two of these.
The U. S. military has been using fuel cell submarines for a
number of years now. In 1977, the Navy launched its first H2 fuel
cell rescue submarine because the system was not affected by depth,
it was compact, did not release poisonous waste gases, and supplies
30 kW of power. The H2 rescue submarines carried alkaline fuel
cell packs, which operated well in depths up to 1,500 meters.
Stealth operations were not even a consideration when the H2 rescue
submarine was designed, but later the Navy did investigate the
possibility of using hydrogen fuel cell technology for attack
submarines.
The hydrogen waterways are just in the beginning phase. Eventually,
powerboats, fishing boats, yachts, and ships of varying sizes
will be propelled by hydrogen power. A few years down the line,
you'll probably see Jet Ski, WaveRunner and other personal watercraft
companies dive into the H2 marketplace as well. The hydrogen waterways
are wide open spaces for development and commercialization. Put
on your life jacket and jump in because its going to be a fun
ride.
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