Students Navigating The Hudson River With Hydrogen Fuel Cells
A group of ambitious Rensselaer students will soon sail up the Hudson River, propelled by pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells and a clear vision for a cleaner, greener future.
Their boat, the 22-foot New Clermont, is fit with a pair of 2.2-kilowatt fuel cell units. With a crew of three, the ship will launch from Pier 84 in Manhattan on September 21 and cruise at a cool 6 mph to arrive in Troy on the evening of September 25. The group is planning to make several stops along the way, showing off their one-of-a-kind boat, speaking with other green-minded individuals, and talking about the many environmental and potential economic benefits of building out the nation’s hydrogen economy.
“At its core, the New Clermont Project is about awareness. It’s a fun way to teach people about hydrogen energy,” said doctoral student William Gathright, who founded the group in early 2009. “We’re high-tech environmentalists. We want to share our vision of a time when people can take a pleasure cruise on their boat, or drive to the store, without leaving a trail of pollution and toxins behind them. We hope to inspire and challenge them to think of ways of making that vision a reality.”
Gathright, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow who is also pursuing a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management & Technology, has assembled a volunteer team of undergraduate and graduate students from a wide spectrum of academic disciplines. New Clermont team members are not receiving any course credit for the project.
The first few months of the project entailed recruiting a team with skills and expertise in materials science and engineering, electrical and systems engineering, management, and communications. Their only physical asset, at first, was the boat itself – a forgotten, neglected vessel that Gathright promptly renamed the New Clermont. The 40-year-old sailboat is a Bristol 22, sometimes called a Bristol Caravel, and measures 22 feet from aft to bow.
Along with major repairs, maintenance, and scrubbing away two decades worth of grime, Gathright and cohorts used their engineering know-how to prep the New Clermont to hold and support a pair of fuel cell units. The units, which are GenDrive class 3 systems on loan to the students from Latham, N.Y.-based fuel cell developer Plug Power, each weigh about 500 pounds and stand three feet wide by three feet tall. The team used a crane to lift the units into the New Clermont and sit them on specially engineered, homemade mounts.
“This project, from beginning to end, has certainly been an exercise in creative problem solving,” Gathright said. “But you know what? We’re Rensselaer students. Innovating and problem solving is what we do best.”
The New Clermont’s fuel cell units run on compressed hydrogen gas. A special membrane within the fuel cell systems separates the hydrogen into electrons and protons. The protons pass through the membrane and the electrons travel around a circuit, which creates electricity. After passing through the membrane, the protons and electrons are exposed to oxygen from the ambient air, which results in the creation of water and a small amount of heat. The electrochemical process is entirely pollution-free. The fuel cells power a pair of motors mounted on the stern of the New Clermont. Team members modified the store-bought engines to accept input from the fuel cell units.
Along with boosting the visibility and public awareness of hydrogen, fuel cells, and green energy, the New Clermont Project is also a celebration of American ingenuity and the rich technological history of New York state and the Hudson River. The project and boat are named after and will closely mirror the route of the world’s first commercial steamboat, the Clermont, which renowned captain Robert Fulton sailed from New York to Albany in the first years of the 19th century – almost exactly 200 years ago.
The New Clermont Project also coincides with the 400-year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic trek up what would eventually become the Hudson River.
“Just as Robert Fulton wanted to prove to the world that steam was a viable, economical means to power boats and unleash the economic potential of our waterways, we want to open people’s eyes to the viability of hydrogen and fuel cells as a way to power boats, and one day maybe even our cars, trucks, and homes,” said Lally School MBA student Leah Rollhaus, who helps lead the New Clermont Project.
The New Clermont Project had a busy summer, from participating in the annual Clearwater Festival to networking with the Capital Region and New York business communities to rally support and build a buzz around the September voyage. Along the way, the New Clermont Project also became a member group of the Rensselaer Student Sustainability Task Force, and joined ranks with the Institute’s Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship. The New Clermont will end its voyage at the docks of Rensselaer’s home town of Troy, N.Y., during the monthly Troy Night Out celebration.
“It’s been an outstanding experience, and I can’t wait to set sail, meet all sorts of interesting new people during our five-day voyage, and hopefully impress upon everyone that – with a little effort – we can all take ownership of the future and do our part to make this Earth a cleaner and greener place.”
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1. The students rode a boat runned by hydorgen fuel cells
2. The event took place in the Hudson River
3. There were three students that went on the voyage.
4. The boat is 22 feet.
5. They used that kind of fuels to reduce the amount of pollution then from using the regular type of fuel that pollutes the earth.
Some Examples are…
1. A group of students are sailing to the Hudson River, using a gas with non-polluting cells in it.
2. the boat is 22 feet long.
3.The event took place in the Hudson River.
4.the boat arived in Troy during the evening on sept., 25.
5. The ship will launch from peir 84 in Manhatton on September 21 going at a speed of 6 mph.
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The students will travel at a speed of 6mph.
They should arrive at their destination in about three days.
The students will make stops along the way to, talk to other pepole intrested in going green.
The boat they will travel on in thier jounrney is 40 years old.
1. A group of students will sail up the hudson river.
2. They will be pulled by a 22 foot New Clermont.
3. The ship will launch from Pier 84 in Manhattan on September 21 and cruise at a cool 6 mph to arrive in Troy on the evening of September 25
4. Their goal is to teach hydrogen energy.
5. It took the students several months to put together a team to sail the hudson river.
A group of students are sailing up the hudson river. Their boat’sfuel is pollution free gas. The ship will luanch on September 21 from pier 84 in manhattan going at a 6mph paceand will arrive in Troy September 25. The group will also stop at certain places to teach about economic benefits and showing off there unique boat. They hope to inspire and make there vision a reality.
Article Summary for November 2, 2009
1. Rensselaer students want a cleaner, greener furture.
2. There will sail up the Hudson River propelled by pollution free fuel.
3. New Clermont is the name of the boat they will travel on.
4. When the boat launches it will be going only 6 miles per hour.
5. They will arrive in Troy on September 25 with a crew of three.
1.Students navigated the Hudson Riven with pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells.
2.There were three students that went on the voyage.
3.The boat is 22 feet long.
4.The boat will launch at 6mph.
5.They will arrive in Troy in the evening of September 25 and they will have a crew of three.
1.) Some boats can run on hydrogen fuel cells.
2.)There were three students that went on the voyage.
3.)The boat is 22 feet long.
4.)When the boat launches it will be going only 6 miles per hour.
5.)It took the students several months to put together a team to sail the hudson river.
1.The boat that the ambitious kids are riding is 40 years old boat
2.The boat’s crew only has a crew of three
3.Clermont was 22 feet long
4.The kids will travel 3 mph on the boat
5.The three crew members used the students fuel to reduce reduce the amount of population
1) a group of students arre going up a river with a gas that has nonpuluting cells in it’
2) the boay that thay are riding in as a big part to put gas
3)the boat has a cew of three
4)they will crews the boat at six miles per hour intill they get to ther destination
5)the kind of boat it is is a steam bou=at
1.Students navigated the Hudson Riven with pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells.
2.There were three students that went on the voyage.
3.The boat is 22 feet long.
4.The boat will launch at 6mph.
5.They will arrive in Troy in the evening of September 25.
1. A group of students used Hydrogen fuel cells to sail the Hudson River.
2. The boat is 22 feet long, can be operated by a crew of three, and is called the New Clermont.
3. It will move at 6 mph.
4. The boat is 40 years old.
5. Leah Rollhaus lead the project.
1. Students are going to sail with pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells.
2.The are stopping to see who is intrested in keeping the invoroment clean.
3. This is a good way to teach people about hydrogen energy.
4.Their boat is measured at 22 feet long.
5.They will arive to their destntion in about 3 days and will arive in troy September 25.
A group of students is planning on sailing their one of a kind boat up the hudson river. it is a eco- friendly boat that they made themselves. the boat is 22 feet long and goes 3 mph. they are going to set sail sept. 21 and arrive at troy sept. 25.
Students plan on sailing up the Hudson River on polution free hydrogen fuel cells. They want a better, greener future. Their boat is a 22 feet New Clermont with 2.2 kilowatt fuel cell units. Three people will be on boardand they will leave Manhatten on September 21 until the 25. The group will stop along their journey to show off their envrionmentally friendly boat to local bystanders.
1.they are high-tech environmentalists
2.students free hydrogen fuel cells.
3.the boot is 22 feet long
4.they have busy summer’s
5.They will arrive in Troy in the evening of September 25.
1. A group of students are sailing to the Hudson River, using a gas with non-polluting cells in it.
2. the boat is 22 feet long.
3.The event took place in the Hudson River.
4.the boat arived in Troy during the evening on sept., 25.
5. The ship will launch from peir 84 in Manhatton on September 21 going at a speed of 6 mph.
A group of students are planning on going for a sail on a new kind of boat on the Hudson River. The boat is eco- friendly and it will take them on a sail across the Hudson River. The boat is 22 feet long and goes 3 miles per hour. They are planning to set sail onj sept. 25