Fuel cell to power a boat

[Canallegs]

Hello!

 

A newbie here! I was just wondering has anyone looked at getting a fuel cell to run their boat as I heard from this company I was talking to that quite a few "people who live on barges" are powering their boats with them and they can have zero emissions. Apparently they can run on gas, ethananol, methonal, bio-fuels and even (green) hydrogen!

 

Sorry if this is wrong place to post!

 

Many thanks

[Tony Brooks]

Hello!

 

A newbie here! I was just wondering has anyone looked at getting a fuel cell to run their boat as I heard from this company I was talking to that quite a few "people who live on barges" are powering their boats with them and they can have zero emissions. Apparently they can run on gas, ethananol, methonal, bio-fuels and even (green) hydrogen!

 

Sorry if this is wrong place to post!

 

Many thanks

 

First off they can not have zero emissions if they use hydrocarbon fuels, that is gas, methanol & diesel (I looked at a diesel one a few years ago). They will produce CO2. The hydrogen ones will only produce water vapour but what emissions are related to hydrogen production at this time? A similar comment applies to the production of methanol.

 

If you are talking about gas or diesel/petrol fuelled ones I think they all require reformers that make CO which is then catalysed to produce O and CO2, the O being used in the cell. This reforming process requires extremely careful control to prevent the cell pile being "poisoned" with the CO.

 

The methanol ones can provide up to about 800 to 1000 watts of electrical power (from memory) and that is nowhere near enough for propulsion but will probably keep the batteries charged with modest electrical loads but then you need to compare its emissions with that from solar or wind.

 

The diesel one I mentioned was planned to cost initially about £12000 installed but the methanol ones are far cheaper.

 

This is a fast moving area so my info may not be up to date.

[Biggles]

Methanol is not to be played with? Very toxic and requires very careful handling.

[RLWP]

First off they can not have zero emissions if they use hydrocarbon fuels, that is gas, methanol & diesel (I looked at a diesel one a few years ago). They will produce CO2. The hydrogen ones will only produce water vapour but what emissions are related to hydrogen production at this time? A similar comment applies to the production of methanol.

 

If you are talking about gas or diesel/petrol fuelled ones I think they all require reformers that make CO which is then catalysed to produce O and CO2, the O being used in the cell. This reforming process requires extremely careful control to prevent the cell pile being "poisoned" with the CO.

 

The methanol ones can provide up to about 800 to 1000 watts of electrical power (from memory) and that is nowhere near enough for propulsion but will probably keep the batteries charged with modest electrical loads but then you need to compare its emissions with that from solar or wind.

 

The diesel one I mentioned was planned to cost initially about £12000 installed but the methanol ones are far cheaper.

 

This is a fast moving area so my info may not be up to date.

 

I have a further comment. I think that what Tony has posted is the most complete and expert answer that you will get here. If you are going to go ahead and install a fuel cell, then you are going to become the forums expert.

 

"people who live on barges" and are using fuel cells don't post here, if they exist at all.

 

Richard

 

I wnoder if this is where the idea that fuel cells are used on boats comes from : Birmingham University

Edited June 19, 2009 by RLWP

[Pete of Ebor]

I have a further comment. I think that what Tony has posted is the most complete and expert answer that you will get here. If you are going to go ahead and install a fuel cell, then you are going to become the forums expert.

 

"people who live on barges" and are using fuel cells don't post here, if they exist at all.

 

Richard

 

I wnoder if this is where the idea that fuel cells are used on boats comes from : Birmingham University

 

I can see the Elfin Safety mob foaming at the mouth already : Hydrogen on a boat ! Not a chance ! That boat is a development prototype and probably exempt from the sort of H&S stuff 'normal' boats have to comply with. Look at the hoops we've to jump through just to use ordinary LPG (propane or butane) on a boat. Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless and explosive gas though being less dense than air, at least it won't gather in the bilges.. Methanol is also highly flammable and toxic. It boils at 64C (148F in old money) - Think of a hot summers day in an engine compartment. It has a flashpoint at 11C (52F) The Elfin Safety mob will think all their christmeses have come at once ! - as for Ethanol on the waterways... don't even get me started..

I'm sure there will be a place for fuel cells but I don't think it's their time yet. They are still very new technology for domestic applications though NASA has been using them since the days of Apollo in the 1960s.

Pete.

Edited June 19, 2009 by Pete of Ebor

[ditchcrawler]

Hello!

 

A newbie here! I was just wondering has anyone looked at getting a fuel cell to run their boat as I heard from this company I was talking to that quite a few "people who live on barges" are powering their boats with them and they can have zero emissions. Apparently they can run on gas, ethananol, methonal, bio-fuels and even (green) hydrogen!

 

Sorry if this is wrong place to post!

 

Many thanks

Very similar to your other question but without the grass on the roof