Friday, April 30, 2010

Stockton company unveils 'hydrogen boiler'



Hydrogen Technologies Inc. has something proponents say could make a dent in U.S. dependence on fossil fuels.

The Modesto-based company has patented what it calls "a revolutionary method for burning hydrogen and oxygen in a vacuum chamber to create heat and steam with no greenhouse gases." The only byproduct is water.

"It's something that's going to change the world," said Frank Ferral, program and public policy director of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, energy efficiency guru and San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization board member. An official from the company plans to meet with the chamber's Green Team.

Here's how it works according to the company: "Combustion takes place in a closed ‘dynamic’ vessel that can either be a vacuum or pressurized depending on the application. Hydrogen Technologies has a patent pending and tested a model of the combustion chamber. The ‘dynamic’ vessel may be large enough to service a power plant or very small so as to fit under the hood of a car."

Other companies are working on bringing hydrogen to the market but have made little headway. Automobile manufacturers also are working to develop cost-effective hydrogen-powered cars but have the problem of availability for roadside refills. Burnaby, British Columbia-based Ballard Power Systems Inc. brought hydrogen power to this year's Winter Olympics, proving the fuel can be used efficiently. The company showed off its various technologies, including hydrogen-powered buses.

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