Backyard fuel cell

Backyard fuel cell

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Bob Parks has an overview of Stephen’s homemade fuel cell home @ Stuart Island

Stephen Friend has the first hand-built fuel cell-powered house in the US. No, not another hopeful boil-your-own-yogurt demo for an impractical technology, but a real, sustainable achievement that makes its own hydrogen in a cedar shed out back. And it has a huge advantage over electric systems favored by his neighbors on Stuart Island, an off-the-grid Pacific Northwest paradise in Washington’s Puget Sound.

Wired 15.03: PLAY – Link.

*In comments discuss the pros and cons of this system, nothing starts a good, er, lively conversation like hydrogen & solar :)

6 thoughts on “Backyard fuel cell

  1. lwatcdr says:

    I don’t think you can store a lot of hydrogen in a propane tank.
    They are not rated for high pressure.
    Interesting system but I be they still have a generator.

  2. StephenFriend says:

    Iwatcdr,

    You have a good point. The propane will hold 15-20x Atmospheres of H2- 20lbs/inch2. This was to test the system. As these tanks are cheap we may just add tanks- there are new hydrogen storage methods emerging that should also offer an advantage.

    Stephen

  3. Sanket Panve says:

    Hey friends, I want to design a cheapest fuel cell engine for bikes please help me , here’s my facebook id: Sanket Panve

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