The Peugeot Citroen company developed the world's smallest fuel cell

The French car manufacturing company to Citroen trademark (PSA) in January 9 to the outside world at present can be used in cars on the smallest fuel cell, and promises to further promote the research work in this area, and strive to make the 2010 accord with environmental protection requirement of energy is reduced to half price based on the existing on.

According to Reuters reported on January 10th, the company the power fuel cell the developed called Genepac is 80 kilowatts, the volume of the suitcase is equivalent to a large size, can be used as the power source of light municipal vehicles. It has a capacity of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), more than the existing fuel cells, but not enough to cope with the daily use of a car. According to PSA executives, the cost and volume of the fuel cell is still a problem to be solved. The material used in the battery contains a certain number of platinum, which is a very expensive rare metals. At the same time, its volume should be further reduced. The existing 57 Genepac volume is a lot smaller than the previous ones, but it still can't meet the needs of a small passenger car. In addition, there is a problem that can not be ignored, that is, it is currently only in the case of low temperature can start normally.

Martin Fulci, President of the company, said at a press conference that the best way to reduce fuel consumption in the short term is to promote the use of diesel and biodiesel. In the medium term, the use of hybrid diesel engines can further reduce fuel consumption, but also can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. As for the role of the catalyst to make hydrogen and oxygen chemical reaction to release the energy of the fuel cell, can only wait until the forward can really come in handy. Fulci said: "this technology is still in its infancy, but it does give us a road to the future."

Reported that the number of car companies including its Japanese rival Toyota Corporation, has developed a hybrid gasoline engine, and fuerzi is still adhere to a blistering attack on such products, and that these things will not cause any interest from industrialized countries, because they are still greater than the fuel consumption of diesel engine. According to a study by the society of automotive engineers based in Washington, D. C., a fuel cell is about 2 to 3 times as efficient as an internal combustion engine. Fuel cells can convert hydrogen and oxygen directly into energy in the absence of any pollutants, and their by-products are heat and moisture. At present, hydrogen has been widely used in this field, and people are also working on another fuel cell based on methanol and oxygen. The European Commission has been supportive of fuel cell research, which they believe will reduce the region's dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.