Fuel Cell
Breakthroughs Announced; Opportunities for Ethanol
Together with the U.S. Department of Energy, Arthur D. Little, an engineering
and consulting firm recently announced that it has developed a hydrogen-powered
fuel cell engine that can be powered by either ethanol or gasoline and
produce virtually no harmful emissions.
The fuel cell engine includes an on-board reformer that converts fuels,
such as ethanol, to hydrogen. Hydrogen is both expensive and difficult
to store on board the vehicle. Jeff Bentley, inventor of the concept and
vice president of Arthur D. Little, said, "While this new technology
allows a variety of liquid fuels to be converted to hydrogen, ethanol provides
higher efficiencies, fewer emissions and better performance than other
fuel sources, including gasoline. Where ethanol is available, it will be
the fuel of choice for consumers."
Fuel cell vehicles are expected to reach up to 80 miles per gallon in fuel
economy with virtually no emissions. "Today's breakthrough is just
one example of cutting-edge technology that could be commonplace in the
future -- reducing greenhouse gases and improving the air we breathe,"
said Energy Secretary Federico Pena.
