ALL ABOUT HYDROGEN POWERED TRUCKS

General Motors (GM) and the Department of Energy (DOE) Sandia National Laboratories have combined forces to create, design and test a new and advanced method for storing hydrogen fuel based on metal hydrides. The success of this project is important in making the hydrogen fuel cell hydrogen powered cars vehicles competitive with gasoline-powered automobiles when it comes to driving range from a full tank of hydrogen fuel.

In a press release last January, DOE elucidated that metal hydrides, formed when metal alloys are combined with hydrogen, can absorb and store hydrogen in their structures. When subjected to heat, the hydrides release the hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be combined with oxygen to produce electricity. This is how a hydrogen-fuel-cell system works and what will eventually power hydrogen fuel trucks.

Zeolite crystal demand is expected to skyrocket once hydrogen powered trucks and hydrogen fuel car production is underway. The zeolite crystals are of major importance to manufacturing hydroge fuel cells. Click-Here for more on Zeolite Crystal technology from a NASA Press Release.

GM and Sandia have commenced a 4-year, $10 million program to develop and test tanks that store hydrogen in a complex hydride called sodium aluminum hydride, also known as sodium alanate. The mission is to develop a solid-state hydrogen storage tank with more capacity for hydrogen on a fuel-cell truck and hydrogen cars than current conventional storage methods can. They also hope to create a new fuel tank design that is suitable to any type of solid state hydrogen storage.

"We are designing a hydrogen storage system with challenging thermal management requirements and limits on volume and weight," says Chris Moen, manager of science and engineering technologies at Sandia. "Our staff researchers are excited to apply their unique, science-based design and analysis capabilities to engineer a viable solution."

This program is part of a determined effort to improve the hydrogen fuel storage capabilities aboard a fuel-cell vehicle to equal the driving range of a tank of diesel fuel or gasoline. This will make hydrogen fuel-cell systems more acceptable to truck drivers and truck owner-operators. Currently, the most common methods of hydrogen fuel storage are liquid and compressed gas, but neither of the 2 has been able to provide the needed range and running time for hydrogen fuel-cell cars and trucks.

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GM is world's largest vehicle manufacturer recently selling over 8 million units in a year, or about 15% of the world's market.

Meanwhile, another lucrative segment of the vehicle market is auto and truck parts, including parts for used trucks. One of the leading names when it comes to online auto parts is Auto Parts Train, a trusted and reliable supplier of auto parts and accessories, including GM parts for various models. Their easy-to-use website features all their GM parts is certified secure .

We expect future hydrogen power cars and hydrogen powered trucks to be sharp looking and well-designed similar or better compared to today's gas and diesel powered trucks, and of course much more economical to operate! Hyrdogen powered trucks may very well be even more modern and crisp looking vs fuel guzzling gasoline or diesel engine trucks of today, and could even feature great looking Rims and Mag Wheels. The extra cost of mag-wheels for trucks will be quite minor vs substantial fuel savings over diesel/gas engine trucks and semi-trailers!

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