Cars could be running on a by-product of human sewage within three years, a report in Japan's Nikkei business daily says.

A consortium backed by car maker Toyota is investigating a process that turns sewage sludge into hydrogen for use in fuel-cell vehicles.

Fuel-cell vehicles are seen by many as a better zero-emissions alternative to plug-in electric vehicles because they offer greater range and don't rely on electricity grids that are often powered by coal. Instead they use an on-board chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. The by-product that comes out of the exhaust pipe is water.
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But one of the main obstacles to commercialisation of fuel-cell vehicles is the process of producing hydrogen. The traditional method, which is expensive and complicated, involves extracting it from liquefied natural gas or fossil fuels.

The consortium has told the Nikkei that extracting hydrogen from sewage is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional methods. It claims the process cuts carbon emissions by 75 per cent.

The process involves drying out the sludge to generate methane gas. The methane is then reheated to extract a high concentration of hydrogen gas.

The consortium is aiming to commercialise the process by 2015.

A number of car makers, including Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, are working on fuel-cell vehicles, although significant hurdles – including refuelling infrastructure – remain.

Honda already offers its fuel cell-powered FCX Clarity for lease in the United States.

Nissan will show a fuel-cell concept at the upcoming Paris motor show, while Toyota says it could have a fuel-cell vehicle on sale in the United States by 2015.

The consortium includes Toyota affiliate Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, Daiwa Lease and Japan Blue Energy. Toyota is not a member but is backing the research.

Source: smh.com.au

 

 

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some cars already run like s**t

What a crock of s**t

Getting an engine to run on hydrogen isn't the issue, it's a pretty effective fuel. The problem is storing hydrogen poses the threat of us all driving around in potential hydrogen bombs. Which I for one, as much as I love the concept, just don't feel comfortable with.

Why don't they try methane? People wouldn't abuse it, it's efficient, readily available, sustainable & doesn't smell once combusted. Oh thats right we've already taxed the 4ss off people it would be hard to govern what comes out of them...

I hope by hydrogen bomb, you mean just H2 reacting with O2 to create fire and not a nuclear type hydrogen bomb.

Anyways, I have worked with people and probably will in the future, who are developing solid Hydrogen gas storage. It is safe and doesn't just explode...less reactive storage. It also takes up a hell of a lot less room. Unfortunately that's all I got for you...hydrogen is feasible, but as the article states, the production of hydrogen is the most expensive part and it is less efficient in terms of reduction in greenhouse gases (as a Life Cycle analysis point of view)

Also methane. When it burns, it turns into CO2 and H2O. For every molecule of methane burned, one molecule of CO2 is produced. I mean it is better to burn methane to produce CO2 since methane is worse as a greenhouse gas. Another thing with methane is storage, it requires a bigger and stronger storage cylinder. Pressures above 200bar just for storage...that's a hell of a lot of pressure to be in a passenger vehicle.

I'm sure there are reasons for all of this, but if you can produce hydrogen much more efficiently, then using it as a renewable energy source would be the go. Methane can be used in power plants instead.