Toyota Motor and its subsidiary, Woven Planet Holdings have developed a working prototype of its portable hydrogen cartridge. This cartridge design will facilitate the everyday transport and supply of hydrogen energy to power a broad range of daily life applications in and outside of the home. Toyota and Woven Planet will conduct Proof-of-Concept (PoC) trials in various places, including Woven City, a human-centered smart city of the future currently being constructed in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Portable Hydrogen Cartridge (Prototype). Prototype dimensions are 400 mm (16″) in length x 180 mm (7″) in diameter; target weight is 5 kg (11 lbs).
Toyota and Woven Planet are studying a number of viable pathways to carbon neutrality and consider hydrogen to be a promising solution. Hydrogen has significant advantages. Zero Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is emitted when hydrogen is used. Furthermore, when hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, CO2 emissions are minimized during the production process as well. Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity in fuel cell systems and can also be used as a combustion fuel.
Together with ENEOS Corporation, Toyota and Woven Planet are working to build a comprehensive hydrogen-based supply chain aimed at expediting and simplifying production, transport, and daily usage. These trials will focus on meeting the energy needs of Woven City residents and those living in its surrounding communities.
Suggested benefits of using hydrogen cartridges include:
- Portable, affordable, and convenient energy that makes it possible to bring hydrogen to where people live, work, and play without the use of pipes
- Swappable for easy replacement and quick recharging
- Volume flexibility allows for a broad variety of daily use applications
- Small-scale infrastructure can meet energy needs in remote and non-electrified areas and be swiftly dispatched in the case of a disaster
Today most hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels and used for industrial purposes such as fertilizer production and petroleum refining. To use hydrogen as an energy source in our homes and daily life, the technology must meet different safety standards and be adjusted to new environments. In the future, Toyota expects hydrogen will be generated with very low carbon emissions and used in a wider variety of applications. The Japanese government is working on a range of studies to promote the safe early adoption of hydrogen and Toyota and its business partners say they are excited to offer cooperation and support.
By establishing the underlying supply chain, Toyota hopes to facilitate the flow of a larger volume of hydrogen and fuel more applications. Woven City will explore and test an array of energy applications using hydrogen cartridges including mobility, household applications, and other future possibilities. In future Woven City demonstrations, Toyota will continue to improve the hydrogen cartridge itself, making it increasingly easy to use and improving the energy density.
Hydrogen Cartridge Applications
posed on greencarcongress
Post time: Jun-08-2022