A new range of alternative combustion solutions and energy alternatives are being developed and presented by major global manufacturing brands and Chris Goggin of Rinnai looks to provide UK customers and partners with insight into what direction new fuels, energies and technologies are making their mark on the international arena.
Global economies and major manufacturing brands are actively seeking out and employing decarbonising fuels and appliances for purchase and consumption with new technologies and energy options being announced into the international marketplace.
Huge product manufacturing brands are undertaking solo projects and collaborating with other production giants to deliver various products capable of operating without any fossil-based fuels. Amongst the new generation of alternative energy products are hydrogen cartridges and water powered cars.
Hydrogen in the UK has recently been, at times, demonised by sections of the mainstream UK media yet is the subject of optimism elsewhere across the world. In July last year – 2023, the Dutch village of Stad aan‘t Haringvliet voted to nullify gas usage in seven years and will switch to hydrogen for heating homes and buildings.
The island of Mallorca inaugurated Spain’s first hydrogen pipeline only recently in September this year. The 3.2-kilometre pipeline infrastructure will deliver green hydrogen to the island’s main gas distribution hub. The Green Hysland project will power 115,000 domiciles and 2,000 businesses. The project aims to demonstrate the benefits of powering islands by green hydrogen. The project could be replicated in other island regions, including Madeira, Tenerife, Aran in Scotland, several of the main Greek Islands, Ameland, Chile, and Morocco. So, there is global acceptance of hydrogen, not the fashionable public opinion in the UK.
Japanese manufacturing giant Toyota has developed a portable hydrogen cartridge – this new concept aims to provide power to the company’s next generation hydrogen fuel–cell vehicles. The hydrogen cartridge is light and compact and would allow vehicle owners to simply swap cartridges once hydrogen levels decrease. Toyota, with sales of approx. $32billion, is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing about 10 million vehicles per year.
Toyota’s hydrogen cartridge concept has even been widened further to potentially include providing power to domiciles and household appliances. Toyota believe that due to the compact size of hydrogen cartridges they could also be used as a source of electricity.
Rinnai and Toyota have collaborated with each other to produce a prototype of a domestic cooking stove which can be powered by a hydrogen cartridge designed originally for a car. The collaboration has demonstrated that a car’s hydrogen cartridge can be removed from the car and be used to power household appliances!
Toyota has designed a number of alternatives to traditional combustion engines, all designed to accept cleaner fuel sources and release zero emissions. The first innovative engine substitute relies upon electric hydrogen fuel cell technology. Rather than absorbing electricity through a battery, hydrogen and oxygen is instead converted into electricity using proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology.
An additional Toyota engine has been under development that utilises water as its main source of power. This could be utilised in the mass market. A sealed tank housing water situated inside the car with electrodes will use electrolysis to separate water into the basic elements of oxygen and hydrogen. After hydrogen is isolated, it is then directed towards the combustion chamber where it will ignite in a similar manor to compressed natural gas providing the car with power.
This is the first time a major manufacturing brand has seriously announced intentions of mass producing a water powered engine and is designed to challenge electric vehicles. A water powered engine will preclude the need for lithium mining and problems in electric vehicle engine recycling. No emissions will be created by the car at all during operation meaning that a water powered car will be a truly green product with vastly reduced environmental impact.
Hyundai, another of the major car manufacturers, is ranked 30th globally among Interbrand's Best Global Brands in 2024 with sales revenues of $23Billion and it has only recently unveiled its INITIUM hydrogen fuel cell electric concept vehicle, which has a targeted driving range of over 650km with a maximum motor output of 150 kW.
Alternative power engines are a main aim of another internationally renowned manufacturing company - BMW. The German car manufacturer will work alongside Toyota in developing a range of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) that do not release any harmful emissions in 2028. Both companies are aiming to advance zero emission technology and have identified one another as perfect partners.
An entire new and innovative range of alternative and clean technology will increasingly feature on domestic and global markets.
Rinnai observes all movement on energy related matters either domestically or globally in order to inform UK customers on any issue that could affect present or future technology.
