Hv
      ro
      gi
      e
      Hl
      :
      Viable
      energy
      source
      or
      a
      bunch
      of
      hot
      air?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stuart
      Energy
      Systems
      Corporation
      has
      just
      been
      given
      a
      $300
      000
      grant
     
     
      from
      Natural
      Resources
      Canada
      to
      research
      on
      whether
      or
      not
      it's
      feasible
     
     
      to
      set
      up
      hydrogen
      fuelling
      stations
      in
      three
      Canadian
      cities.
      Among
      the
     
     
      three
      is
      none
      other
      than
      Charlottetown,
      Prince
      Edward
      Island.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      is
      there
      really
      a
      possibility
      of
      a
      hydrogen
      fuelling
      station
      on
      our
      small
     
     
      island?
      What
      is
      this
      new
      company
      all
      about?
      Hydrogen
      is
      the
      most
      abun-
     
     
      dant
      element
      in
      the
      universe,
      but
      isn't
      this
      hydrogen
      fuel
      likely
      to
      sponta-
     
     
      neously
      burst
      into
      flames
      like
      the
     
     
      Hindenburg
      in
      1937?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      First
      of
      all,
      our
      province
      was
      chosen
     
     
      in
      part
      due
      to
      interest
      by
      the
      Binns
     
     
      government
      in
      searching
      for
      renew-
     
     
      able
      energy
      resources,
      such
      as
      the
     
     
      wind
      turbines
      located
      in
      Alberton.
     
     
      Subsequently,
      the
      Sierra
      Club
      of
     
     
      Canada
      has
      recently
      given
      the
      island
     
     
      an
      A-,
      leading
      the
      country
      in
      efforts
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      address
      climate
      change.
      gasoline
      gas
      fev
     
     
      Holding
      the
      reins
      is
      Stuart
      Energy
     
     
      Systems,
      a
      hydrogen
      infrastructure
      company
      based
      in
      Missasauga
      Ontario,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      firms
      in
      Russia,
      China,
      Belgium,
      Germany
      and
      India.
      They
      were
      cho-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sen
      by
      the
      Canadian
      Transportation
      Fuel
      Cell
      Alliance
      (CTFCA)
      to
      devel-
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      op
      a
      market
      for
      this
      new
      energy
      source
      and
      increase
      public
      acceptance
      of
     
     
      the
      technology.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      know
      what
      you're
      thinking.
      "Seriously
      though,
      the
      Hindenburg!"
     
     
      There
      has
      been
      a
      primarily
      false
      concern
      with
      the
      safety
      of
      hydrogen
      in
     
     
      recent
      history
      which
      stem
      from
      this
      particular
      disaster.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gyre
      soay
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scientists
      have
      since
      discovered
      that
      although
      the
      hydrogen
      did
     
     
      burn,
      it
      did
      not
      cause
      the
      explosion,
      nor
      did
      it
      enhance
      the
      burning
      of
      the
     
     
      vessel.
      When
      the
      airship
      was
      landing,
      an
      unexpected
      electrical
      discharge
     
     
      ignited
      the
      Hindenburg's
      canvas,
      which
      was
      unknowingly
      treated
      by
     
     
      German
      engineers
      with
      two
      major
      components
      of
      rocket
      fuel.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      All
      passengers
      who
      remained
      in
      the
      airship
      survived
      while
      thirty-five
      of
     
     
      the
      thirty-seven
      casualties
      died
      from
      jumping
      to
      the
      ground.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "But
      since
      it's
      being
      used
      for
      fuel,
     
     
      what
      if
      the
      hydrogen
      does
      somehow
     
     
      |
      ignite
      in
      a
      car?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      have
      been
      numerous
      tests
      con-
     
     
      |
      ducted
      at
      the
      College
      of
      Engineering
     
     
      |
      at
      Miami
      University
      which
      set
      fourth
     
     
      |
      to
      answer
      this
      question.
      3000
      cubic
     
     
      |
      feet
      per
      minute
      of
      hydrogen
      was
     
     
      |
      leaked
      from
      a
      vehicle
      tank
      and
      set
     
     
      alight.
      Over
      the
      course
      of
      the
      burn,
     
     
      temperature
      sensors
      inside
      the
      vehicle
     
     
      did
      not
      measure
      an
      increase
      of
      more
     
     
      than
      1
      or
      2
      degrees
      inside
      the
      vehicle,
      while
      the
      temperature
      outside
      of
      the
     
     
      car
      did
      not
      incur
      an
      increase.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      N
      Gas
      H2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      CTFCA
      is
      a
      $33
      million
      federal
      government
      initiative
      hoping
      to
     
     
      demonstrate
      and
      evaluate
      fuelling
      options
      for
      fuel
      cell
      vehicles
      in
      Canada.
     
     
      We're
      seeing
      an
      increase
      in
      interest
      today,
      and
      current
      issues
      such
      as
      glob-
     
     
      al
      warming
      and
      the
      Kyoto
      accord
      are
      advancing
      the
      process.
      With
      the
      help
     
     
      of
      Stuart
      Energy
      Systems
      Corp
      and
      the
      Government
      of
      Canada
      we
      can
      fun-
     
     
      damentally
      change
      our
      relationship
      with
      the
      natural
      environment.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      Gary's
      Magical
      To
      Do}
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
      =
      List
      Of
      The
      Day...
     
    

    
     
      Seca
      ee
     
    

    
     
      today.
      Better
      check
      the
      list.
      Vie
     
     
      \
      Asem
      the
      bitter
      needs
      of
      evil
     
    

    
     
      A
      ook
      up
      definition
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      compromise,
      then,
     
     
      completely
      disregard
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lock
      out
      players,
      shut
      down
     
     
      eo
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sconces
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      know,
      I
      just
      fel
      tke
      there's
      Oh,
      right.
      Nancy,
      put
      on
      8
      pot
      of
     
     
      coffve,
      Ive
      stil
      gata
      ang
      day
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nok
      agreeing
      to
      am
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Laugh
      maniacaliy
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      way
      DT
      hate
      custe
      mers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
      you
      awd
     
     
      Orel
      ?
      4
      v
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      October
      12,
      2004
      page
      13