Toyota opens its fuel cell patents in bid to make hydrogen cars happen

Toyota has been pushing hard on hydrogen over the past year as a viable alternative to pure electric vehicles — it showed a prototype version of the Mirai here at CES last year — and it's taking another swing today with the announcement that it's offering over 5,680 patents relating to hydrogen and fuel cell technology royalty-free. The patents cover everything from in-car software and systems to actual hydrogen production.

Toyota opens its fuel cell patents in bid to make hydrogen cars happen

This is incredible because of the many applications that can stem from fuel cells!! This mixed with Tesla's june 2014 patent release means OTHER companies are really embracing open source! I am so happy that we can turn this place around but allow me a bit of cynicism... Man something off must have reeeally happened for all this to even cross capitalism's mind. Nah maybe its me, or maybe we need all the help we can muster before an asteroid wipes us out LOL

a reply to: Emeraldous

Years ago, countries used to follow the U.S. lead when it came to innovation, and new technology. Now it seems like we follow Japan's lead.

a reply to: Emeraldous

It's simple at the end of the day, the human race is potentially infinite and this planets resources are finite

a reply to: Emeraldous

We will soon hear about how toyota is an atheist corporation that hates women, lgbt, and blacks. Then we will hear about all of the money they have dumped into ISIS, NK, and Russia. The we will have news reports about how toyota kills babies and kittens

a reply to: Emeraldous

I known posting the following comment will not make happy many of you, dear optimists for a bright "clean" future but here is some info on hydrogen.

Hydrogen is one hell of an engineer nightmare. It is one of the few gas that on expansion does not produce a decrease of temperature but an INCREASE. Any leak of this gas will ignite by itself.

Also it is absorbed by many material and especially metal, to whom it degrade considerably its integrity, it is called hydrogen embrittlement.

Not to mention that it pack low energy per volume, its high energy is only per WEIGHT.

A conventional car being crush by a van will probably only spill its "dirty" fossil fuel on the road and sometime caught fire. But a hydrogen "green" car will go BOOM, but at least it will be a "carbon neutral" self destruct...

Is it possible that Electric and Hydrogen vehicles are not viable without a mass market because noone will put in enough infrastructure to support 1% of cars.

So unless you can get enough people onto Hydrogen power, your patent is not really worth anything.

(I wonder how LPG managed to break through infrastructure (before it was taxed heavier and heavier). Is that because it was always Dual Fuel conversions?)

So if you give everyone the ability to make hydrogen cars, and put hydrogen pumps on garage forcourts, then you have a market for your vehicles?

They will just tax hydrogen until it is the same price as people are willing to pay.

Good on you Toyota though!

a reply to: PeterMcFly

yeah I figured for home use and storage, I read an article somewhere that taked about storing solar energy by turning it to hydrogen but man the compressor must be a crazy electric hog.

a reply to: PeterMcFly

I would suggest you carry out some real research rather than repeating those chestnuts put out by Big Oil to help maintain their stranglehold.

Petrol is a hydro carbon, that is, it is made up of chains of Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen atoms.

The carbon does not burn, it just adds to pollution. The oxygen is an aid to combustion but once again does not add to the energy output. The energy output comes from Hydrogen.

Now you want to tell us that pure hydrogen is less efficient by volume. Now, that is true, sort of, until you compress it.

A little knowledge, coming from Big Oil, where the truth is being hidden, is dangerous.

P

originally posted by: Emeraldous
a reply to: PeterMcFly

yeah I figured for home use and storage, I read an article somewhere that taked about storing solar energy by turning it to hydrogen but man the compressor must be a crazy electric hog.

If it is solar powered, who cares.

P

Unfortunately hydrogen is not practical to produce. Maybe somebody can use toyotas open patents to come up with something new.

The feds have the real tech.
Perhaps if we all agreed to not ask any questions about where they got it from then they would be more comfortable releasing the myers papers.

a reply to: pheonix358

I would suggest you carry out some real research rather than repeating those chestnuts put out by Big Oil ...

LOLLLLL

Now you want to tell us that pure hydrogen is less efficient by volume. Now, that is true, sort of, until you compress it.

From Wiki (en.wikipedia.org...):
Hydrogen (compressed) at 70 MPa) = Energy density 5.6 MJ/L

Gasoline (petrol) = Energy density 32.4 MJ/L


70 MPa pressure is equal to 10 000 psi

Do you know concrete exemple of commercial and safe gas cylinder capable to hold 10 thousand psi (691 atmosphere) ???

It is possible I've been brainwashed by evil "big oil" but at least I've made through engineering school and got my degree ...

a reply to: PeterMcFly

From your source.

Hydrogen by weight 142MJ/kg

Petrol by weight 44.4MJ/kg.

Cars have a certain power based on the Power to Weight figure.

For the same weight, Hydrogen puts out more than three times the energy.

This is what I see all the time, hiding behind figures designed to deceive, it is Big Oils tactic.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

The talk was by volume, who care energy per Kg if you need to use all your cargo space to accomodate for enormous gas cylinder at a pressure of 10Kpsi, then what will be the mass of the safety protection cage to protect these monster hydrogen cylinder from the crushing of an accident.

And I still wait an answer for availibility of 10kpsi cylinder, also be kind enough to tell me at which time interval they will be needed to be recertified for safety?

a reply to: pheonix358



Here is a nice read for you, not put out by big oil.

phys.org...


And here is a quote,

"More energy is needed to isolate hydrogen from natural compounds than can ever be recovered from its use,”

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is one looking at current research.

P

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I love this quote:
"But the laws of physics are eternal and cannot be changed with additional research, venture capital or majority votes."

a reply to: PeterMcFly


Yeah, that was a good one.. Lol
I'm all for looking into green tech but pushing a tech that physics say will never pan out is silly. As of today I think hybrids are the best bet for vehicles. Maybe we will get a breakthrough in batteries.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Exactly what I'm thinking, hybrid is the way to go...

If fossil fuel completly disapear, synthetic gazoline shall be kept since its only an energy carrier, but at least a well proven and safe one.

originally posted by: PeterMcFly
a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I love this quote:
"But the laws of physics are eternal and cannot be changed with additional research, venture capital or majority votes."

They would be eternal if God made, but alas they are man made laws and are not eternal by any stretch of imagination