Hopkinton Firm Bets Big On Hydrogen
It's not just environmentalists that have something riding on Americans moving away from dirty fossil fuel-powered vehicles toward cleaner hydrogen-powered cars.
There are an increasing number of businesses with technology that are betting big on hydrogen, including Hopkinton-based Hy9 Corp.
Founded in 1998 by a Tufts University professor, Hy9 creates filters that convert hydrogen into a form that is almost 99.99 percent pure. That purity is essential for fuel cells that use hydrogen as a power source.
While the move to hydrogen-powered cars that run on fuel cells may seem far-fetched, the company has had some initial success. Earlier this month, Hy9 sold one of its purification systems to ITM Power in England, which is attempting to market hydrogen gas stations around Europe.
"There are probably only about 100 hydrogen fueling stations in the world, but the technology is starting to become more widespread," said Brad Bradshaw, CEO of Hy9. "We're hoping that as it does, our tools will be used to purify the hydrogen."
99.9% Pure
The purification system that Hy9 manufacturers in Hopkinton uses a metal membrane that allows only pure hydrogen to emerge. Unlike other products that use silver, Hy9's product uses copper and palladium, which are less expensive but equally effective in purification, according to Bradshaw.
ITM, which purchased one of the Hy9 purifiers, has a prototype of a mobile hydrogen fueling station that will be toured around England for demonstrations.
Unfortunately, companies like Hy9 are facing a bit of a chicken-and-the-egg proposition. On one hand, car makers are hesitant to produce fuel cell vehicles if there are no hydrogen power stations. But on the other hand, there's reticence to invest in a hydrogen power station infrastructure with no fuel cell cars on the road.
But Bradshaw said he's confident hydrogen vehicles will become more popular in the United States. Their performance is similar to that of electric-powered cars and their emissions are just water vapor. Boston's Logan Airport, for example, recently announced plans to install a hydrogen-powered bus to transport passengers between terminals.
But Hy9 isn't just banking on hydrogen cars.
The small company of less than a dozen employees also markets systems that can create hydrogen from other substances, such as natural gas or methanol. The same purification concept is used to create pure hydrogen fuel that can be used as a direct power source for small vehicles, such as forklifts, or as a backup power source, for cell phone towers.
The company has already sold more than 800 of its hydrogen conversion and purification systems, mostly to international customers in Europe, Bradshaw said.
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