Water Fuel Cell?

Just that when we need alternative way as our fuel, a japan company have invent water based fuel with “Water Energy System”. It’s amazing, see extract below, the new source is here.

Genepax Co Ltd explained the technologies used in its new fuel cell system “Water Energy System (WES),” which uses water as a fuel and does not emit CO2. The system can generate power just by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes, respectively, the company said at the press conference, which took place June 12, 2008, at the Osaka Assembly Hall.

The basic power generation mechanism of the new system is similar to that of a normal fuel cell, which uses hydrogen as a fuel. According to Genepax, the main feature of the new system is that it uses the company’s membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which contains a material capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction. Though the company did not reveal the details, it ’succeeded in adopting a well-known process to produce hydrogen from water to the MEA,’ said Hirasawa Kiyoshi, the company’s president. This process is allegedly similar to the mechanism that produces hydrogen by a reaction of metal hydride and water. But compared with the existing method, the new process is expected to produce hydrogen from water for longer time, the company said.

With the new process, the cell needs only water and air, eliminating the need for a hydrogen reformer and high-pressure hydrogen tank. Moreover, the MEA requires no special catalysts, and the required amount of rare metals such as platinum is almost the same as that of existing systems, Genepax said. Unlike the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), which uses methanol as a fuel, the new system does not emit CO2. In addition, it is expected to have a longer life because catalyst degradation (poisoning) caused by CO does not occur on the fuel electrode side. As it has only been slightly more than a year since the company completed the prototype, it plans to collect more data on the product life.

That said, Tech-On! says Genepax plans to produce a 1-kW generation system for powering electric cars and homes, and it believes it can cut costs to around $4,000 or less if mass production works out. In electric cars, Genepax expects the system will be used “as a generator to charge the secondary battery.”

it’s followed up with the interview with the president of the company – Genepax.

for those who interesting, here is a video for this new fuel cell.

Petrol Price hike – is LNG the solution?

Today is World Environment Day, here I wish everybody read this will start to think a bit about our sick earth, what kind of diseases it has, and what can we do to save the earth…

Petrol price hike in Malaysia

With the international market price of petroleum reach the record high USD139.12 on Friday, Downjones index have drop 394.64 point at the end of the day, causing panic around the world. With the recent announcement of price hike from RM1.92 to Rm2.704 on petrol, RM1.84 to Rm2.84 for diesel on 5th June this week, Malaysia have enter a high petrol price era, which everybody need to cope with it.

Electricity price

Other than that, electricity’s rate also increase up to 11% – rate for first 200kW remain – 21.8sen, rate for 201 to 400kW is change to around 34.5sen gradually, so to simplify this – if your monthly TNB bill is below or same as RM43.60 then you are safe else your bill will be increased up to 11%. See the table below. It’s mainly due to the price increase in liquid natural gas and petrol/diesel price that caused the price of the source to produce electricity to increase. Here is the new tariff from TNB.

Although the price of petrol increase so high, here in our country, there is still an alternative way to cope with petrol price increase which is

Modify car to use liquid natural gas by adding LNG tank to your car

Pro

• Fuel Cost

Current price for the LNG is 68sen

For normal taxi(Proton Iswara), cost of transport is around 12.75sen per km, while normal car using petrol is around 25sen per km(with the old price of petrol RM1.92), now is around 35.2sen – in which petrol price is 7 times of LNG. Your can save 70% of the fuel price by this system.

Price for modification

Different type of car have different charge for modification depends on engine type

Old engine(eg. for normal taxi) – RM2.8k to 3.5k

Mixer type(eg. for 1.3L to 1.6L sedan) – RM4.3k to 4.5k

Direct Inject type(for bigger car and large cc car > 1800cc) – RM6.8k to 7.5k

Time to fix- one to half days

Source: nanyang siang pau

Right now, mixer type system modification is the most popular among three system.

• 25% road tax rebate

Your will need to re-exambine your car at PUSPACOM after fix LNG tank system to your car, after that you can apply the 25% road tax from JPJ.

• Less noise and shaking

Compare to diesel car, car that get modification have less noise and shaking.

• Less air and environmental pollution

LNG produces much less pollution compare to petrol, because it’s light and less lead, no causing pollution in container during shipment. Also, engine oil for car using LNG will be last longer, leave the period to exchange engine oil longer.

Con

• Less station

Currently, there are only around 39 Petronas stations in the country provide LNG refuel system. It’s expected additional 200 stations will be functional at the end of the year according to Petronas. Also, for your information, the time to refill around RM8 of LNG is 5 to 10 min, because of the number of stations is less, you will need to wait around 1hour to refuel. If no station, you will need to switch back to petrol when you run out of LNG.

• Big tank space and increase car weight

Your will need to sacrifice some of your car’s luggage space to fix the additional LNG tank to your car, so small car may not be eligible to fit the tank in. Right now, the volume of tank is from 40 to 80 liter, 40 liter of fuel can only run for around 200 km, so people will choose tank more than 55 liter to get around 300km’s mileage. The heavy gas tank also increase the overall weight of car, and reduce the space for passengers eg. those car use luggage space for passenger.

• Lower burning speed

Compare to petrol car, the burning speed of LNG is lower, so the speed of car is lower, it’s told to be 10% lower.

• Bigger car or large cc car need pay more for direct injection system

Mixer system may not suitable with bigger car or large cc car because normally it can’t in sync with the engine due to it’s not electronic control – causing engine blasted and stop in half way.

• Car will need to be re-examine in PUSPACOM every 10 -15 years

Car that is modified with the LNG tank system will need to re-examine after 10 to 15 years to ensure the safety of car and passenger.

It’s down to your decision to choose whether you can want to use the alternative fuel or take the rebate or incentive from the government to survive in this high petrol price era.

Sichuan Earth Quake touching story(continue with miracle)

Now is around 20 days from the day which Sichuan Earthquake happens. Right now it’s causing 5 milion of people left homeless, causing thousand of orphans and last but not least – death of 65000 peoples. Right now, troops of China government is working on draining the ‘quake lake’(Tang Jia Shan lake may possible collapsed by aftershock) which will endanger as much as 1.3 million people and also the mass evacuation of people in the fear of flood. There is lots of difficult barrier faced by china troop like flood causing by raining, water supply and food supply, medical service for surviver to prevent illness from spread.

Here is a video in your tube, dedicated to all the survivor and unsung heroes who help them survivor in this tragedy.

Heroes of Sichuan Earth Quake

And another video – shows lots of picture taken in the tragedy, how the rescuers helping the survivor and others.  They does need your help and love to continue live and growth after the shocking tragedy that kill their family member, friends and significant one.

China Sichuan Earthquake *Because of love

There are a few miracles of people not who survive the earth quake for more than 100 hours.

A man survive after 124 hours in earthquake

头重伤、手骨折腰也伤，一名眼睁睁看着自己的伤口腐烂发臭的男子，奇迹生还，被困124个小时后获救！

前天，距离记者所在处7里外，就有这样的奇迹。获救的男子周志是被困在红白镇金河地区，一个叫木瓜坪的家属区，也就是磷矿的宿舍楼。

据什邡当地煤体称，上午11时，3名在宿舍楼搜救的志愿者发现周志被埋在1楼的楼梯间，双手抱头，相信是地震发生时的本能反应。他当时也已经严重脱水，本来有80多公斤，被发现时只有70多公斤。他说的第一句话就是：“我要喝水。”

志愿者都被他坚强的救生意志感动，立刻找来门板和两床棉被，并不断跟他讲话让他保持清醒。

Another person is save after 179 hours

救援队在映秀湾发电总厂办公楼废墟中将该厂职工马元江成功救出。此时距5月12日14时28分大地震发生，已近179个小时。当时，救援人员正在连续凿洞，力图接近被层层砖瓦压身的映秀湾发电厂另一名职工虞锦华。此时，救援人员发现了被埋在不远处废墟下的马元江。 经过超过30小时的奋力救援，救援队终于在20日凌晨零时50分将马元江从废墟中救出。据了解，地震当晚，马元江的身体没有受伤，躲在一个狭小的空间内，他摸索着将身边的小水泥块和其他杂物清理开，躺下休息。

Another miracle is a 60-year-old madam was saved after 195 hour trapped in earth quake and another is a 80-year-old man was saved after 266 hours.

There is another never-give-up stories from sichuan earthquake on a 18-year-old girl - Xue Xiao. It’s a pretty touching story and we should greet that we are not in their position.

It’s such a miracle and you can see the desire of people to survive is unpredictable and powerful disregard of their age and health.