# Case Western Researchers Announce Low-Cost Fuel Cell Breakthrough



## EVDL Archive (Jul 26, 2007)

Polymer saturated nano carbon tubes cost a fraction of current platinum-based membranes.

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## Jason Lattimer (Dec 27, 2008)

Oh, wow carbon nanotubes. That just sounds expensive. If anyone actually starts making these damned things already, it will change everything. An electric car with batteries made of carbon nanotubes could have a theoretical range in the thousands. Or you could replace your 900 lbs Tesla Roadster battery with a pack of carbon nanotubes that weigh in 9 lbs as seen in this article:

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/03/22/carbon-nanotubes-could-make-lighter-more-powerful-batteries-im/


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

1000 to 1 better conductor then copper . A huge increase in motor /conductors efficiency . on the fuel cells they were talking about were alkaline so more efficient , if nano tubes can be used in the grid plates and bus bars that would make them very efficient . Most of the losses are resistance related , due to < 1 volt / cell and less then good conductors like stainless steel (grid plates) . NASA puts lots of noble metals in there cells for the same reason ( not including catalyst ), they can deliver over 1KW / plate ( square foot rationing) But resistance loses still get high , but at lower power the losses shrink to 5% or so .


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## idarusskie (Feb 17, 2011)

where would you get your hydrogen? produce it at home? or split it from gasoline?


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## JRP3 (Mar 7, 2008)

Exactly, this solves only one of the many problems of hydrogen. There are still supply, transportation, storage, and safety issues to be dealt with. Hydrogen, always 30 years in the future.


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

idarusskie said:


> where would you get your hydrogen? produce it at home? or split it from gasoline?


Gasoline splitting only helps big oil , you cut your fuel use they triple the price . Home splitting , It wouldn't start out like that , very big power users/producers running megawatt solar / wind or other generators needing gigawatt storage . fuel cell can be reversed feeding water (distilled) and power in and O2/H2 out . H2 storage verses batteries ? ever changing target. Batteries win today for ev's .


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## PhantomPholly (Aug 20, 2008)

Jason Lattimer said:


> Oh, wow carbon nanotubes. That just sounds expensive. If anyone actually starts making these damned things already, it will change everything.


That's partly right. They are already creating nanotubes in large quantities; the trick is to get them in the right length and to get them to go where you want them (e.g. line up nicely without touching each other). So I'd say the expensive part isn't the material but how to use it.

Another concern is the health impact of these little buggers. There are no long term studies (duh - they're new) and a concern has been raised that if they are released into the air in quantity they could lodge in our lungs and cause issues similar to asbestos fibers.


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