Breakthrough to Advance Hydrogen Car Production

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/breakthrough-to-advance-hydrogen-car-production/

Blazing Energy

A good fueling system has long been an obstacle in hydrogen car production -- until now. Professor Isaam Mudwar and his class at Purdue University have designed a hydrogen fueling system that can fill a car tank in five minutes and can last for 300 miles. However, this was not an easy process for the General Motors funded project team. According to Professor Mudwar, "The hydride produces an enormous amount of heat. It would take a minimum of 40 minutes to fill the tank without cooling, and that would be entirely impractical." These facts gave the team quite a challenge. They knew the heat had to be countered and the refill time must be shorter. To fix this, they used a very fine powder called metal hydride for refueling. The powder is able to absorb hydrogen extremely easily but is unable to control the mass amount of heat that is released. This is why a cooling system must be available at all the refueling stations. The researchers then ventured to design an efficient heat exchanger to deal with the heat. The team designed a system where the metal hydride is kept in small pockets in a pressure chamber, where the hydrogen is absorbed. The process is also reversible; hydrogen can be released by decreasing the pressure in the chamber. The heat exchanger was then placed inside the hydrogen storage compartment. The cooling system also uses automotive coolant, which flows through a U-shaped tube to cool the hydrogen. The heat exchanger is designed so that when the metal hydride absorbs the hydrogen, a temperature absorbtion mechanism is started.

This breakthrough in hydrogen technology will be praised and lauded worldwide. The deficiency of hydrogen stations will only continue to grow, and this new system pioneered by Purdue University will only encourage the growth of hydrogen cars. Since the government seems to think hydrogen is the fuel of the future, money will continue pouring in for the development and research of hydrogen-powered cars. Also, newer and better metal hydrides will continue to improve this system, and hopefully it will soon help the mass heat problem, eliminating the need for the heat exchanger. As people continually become more environmentally aware, people will only begin to support the hydrogen fuel cause. In 50 years, I expect millions of hydrogen cars to be on the road, and this fix helps the progress by crossing out one of the many issues that still need to be fixed dealing with hydrogen-powered cars.

Redoubt Volcano's Eruption Could Threaten Alaskan Air Cargo Hub
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4302310.html

Falling Ashes

Mount Redoubt is located 100 miles north of Anchorage International Airport, which is the third largest air cargo hub in the world. The last time Mount Redoubt caused air traffic problems was in 1989, when KLM flight 867 flew into a ash cloud over the volcano. The plane's engines halted, and it plummeted 13,000 feet before the pilots were able to restart the engines. 20 years later, the USGS knows that this is not a hypothetical hazard, but a real one. Therefore, the Federal Aviation Administration has restricted air traffic with a radius of ten miles around the volcano, hoping to reduce any volcano-related problems. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has monitored this volcano very closely with satellite images, webcam images, and seismic monitors, and is also ready to notify the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security, and numorous other government agencies as soon as Mount Redoubt erupts. Due to advances in technology, when planes encounter ash, they rarely fail; however, the USGS wants people to know that planes are still susceptible to volcanic activity. Around 557,000 planes traveled through the Anchorage area last year alone, so the ashes spewed by Mount Redoubt will not be taken lightly. There have been six ash encounters in the past year by planes, three of which caused damage to the plane.

The activity in Mount Redoubt is growing immensely. If it erupts in the coming year, temperatures will drop significantly from their averages across the United States, disrupting weather problems all over the country. This could cause several problems, which include lack of produce from farms, airport delays, and mail delivery problems. The ash released from the volcano could screen the sun and prevent produce from growing on the west coast. Airport delays and cancellations in Anchorage have already happened, and the air taxis and mail that transfers through Anchorage International would also be delayed considerably. The situation is being handled very well by the USGS, who seem to be on top of every move that Redoubt makes. Hopefully, our government will make the right decisions and course of action in dealing with this explosive event of Mother Nature.