Students Build a Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell-Powered Locomotive

Engineering students at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. have successfully built and demonstrated a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered locomotive.

In testing at the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire, the hydrogen-powered narrow-gauge train managed to carry a load that weighed more than 8,800 pounds. ”The hydrogen system worked quietly, efficiently and reliably throughout two days of testing,” said project leader Stephen Kent. “The same could not be said for the mechanical, electrical and control systems, all of which required a degree of fettling.”

Though it’s the first hydrogen-powered locomotive to be built in the U.K., so-called “hydrail” projects have been underway elsewhere since 2002, when the first hydrogen-powered locomotive prototype debuted in a mine in Val d’Or, Quebec. Since then, projects in Japan, China, and Denmark have attempted to fuel trains with hydrogen, and there’s even an annual hydrail conference sponsored by Appalachian State University.

The appeal of a hydrogen-powered locomotive is especially great for rural lines, where diesel is the current fuel of choice. “It is highly unlikely they will ever be electrified, and at some point diesel is going to become too scarce and too expensive to carry on using,” Kent said. “Hydrogen appears to be an ideal alternative.”

The student-built locomotive features a hybrid drivetrain that combines a hydrogen fuel cell and lead acid batteries for power storage. It has a 1,320-gallon hydrogen tank that stores fuel at a low pressure of just 72.5 psi, and it’s possible to fit a larger tank to allow for greater range.

According to Kent, the first “rail-world” uses of hydrogen fuel cells will likely be in low-power situations. For example, trams, trolleys, shorter branch lines and switchers don’t require the same power needs as, say, a high-speed passenger train.

“It is probably not yet a viable solution for more power-hungry applications such as high-speed trains, but then high-speed services increasingly tend to operate on electrified routes, so perhaps that’s not an issue,” he said.

Source: Wired

Scientists Invent Oxygen Particle That If Injected, Allows You To Live Without Breathing

New Medical Discovery A team of scientists at the Boston Children’s Hospital have invented what is being considered one the greatest medical breakthroughs in ...

New Medical Discovery
A team of scientists at the Boston Children’s Hospital have invented what is being considered one the greatest medical breakthroughs in recent years. They have designed a microparticle that can be injected into a person’s bloodstream that can quickly oxygenate their blood. This will even work if the ability to breathe has been restricted, or even cut off entirely.

This finding has the potential to save millions of lives every year. The microparticles can keep an object alive for up to 30 min after respiratory failure. This is accomplished through an injection into the patients’ veins. Once injected, the microparticles can oxygenate the blood to near normal levels. This has countless potential uses as it allows life to continue when oxygen is needed but unavailable. For medical personnel, this is just enough time to avoid risking a heart attack or permanent brain injury when oxygen is restricted or cut off to patients.

Dr. John Kheir, who first began the study, works in the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Cardiology. He found inspiration for the drug in 2006, when he was treating a girl in the ICU who had a sever case of pneumonia. At the time, the girl didn’t have a breathing tube, when at the time she suffered from a pulmonary hemorrhage. This means her lungs had begin to fill up with blood, and she finally went into cardiac arrest. It took doctors about 25 minutes to remove enough blood from her lungs to allow her to breath. Though, the girl’s brain was severely injured due to being deprived of oxygen for that long and she eventually died.

Microparticle Composition
The microparticles used are composed of oxygen gas pocketed in a layer of lipids. A Lipid is a natural molecule that can store energy and act as a part of a cell membrane, they can be made of many things such as wax, vitamins, phospholipids, and in this case fat is the lipid that stores the oxygen.

These microparticles are around two to four micrometers in length and carry about three to four times the oxygen content of our own red blood cells. In the past, researchers had a difficult time succeeding as prior tests caused gas embolism. This meant that the gas molecules would become stuck trying to squeeze through the capillaries. They corrected this issue by packaging them into small deformable particles rather ones where the structure was rigid.

Potential Future Uses
Medical: There is the obvious medical uses where the microparticles can be used to save off death from a restriction in breathing due to inflammation of the lungs, collapsed lungs, and the like. It would be good to have these injections ready in hospitals and ambulances for when the time is needed.

Military: Can you imagine a navy seals capability when they wouldn’t need to surface for air and could stay underwater for over 20 minutes? If a boat was to begin to sink, you could shoot yourself as the boat is going down to ensure you aren’t drowned in the under current of the sinking vessel. How about for toxic gases when a facemask is unavailable. The military could have a number of uses for such a medical advancement.

Private Sector: Really this can be used as a precaution for anything nautical where the potential to drown is a real danger. Deep sea rescue crews could inject themselves prior to making a rescue, underwater welders can use it in case they become stuck or air is lost to their suits. The potential use for anything water related seems extremely worthwhile.

Conclusion
In the end, this is an amazing medical advancement and I cant help but recall the movie the Abyss when they took the pill, their helmets filled with air, and they were told they can breathe the water. Well what if they really couldn’t “breathe” water” but since the urge to breathe is natural, that must take place… even if you’re not breathing air per se. But your body was provided with enough oxygen for a time period by taking a pill. It’s just goes to show that anything, absolutely anything that can be thought up, can potentially one day become reality. Thank you scientists, for reminding me that people and their ingenuity are nothing short of awesome.

The author of this article is Damien S. Wilhelmi, an SEO tactician and SEM strategist. If you enjoyed this article, you can follow me on twitter @JakabokBotch. I am writing on behalf of Wilderness Aware Rafting who offer some of the best Colorado White Water Rafting trips in the state.

Source: Techwench