Fuel Cell to Work on Oil ?

2nd October 1959, Page 58

2nd October 1959

Page 58

Page 58, 2nd October 1959 — Fuel Cell to Work on Oil ?

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THE Esso Research and Engineering Co., New Jersey, U.S.A., are investigating the possibility of producing a fuel cell to operate on petroleum-based fuels. This was disclosed by Dr. W. J. Sweeney, vice-president of the company, at a meeting of the American National Petroleum Association.

Fuel cells, in which chemical energy is converted direct into electricity at high efficiency, were brought into prominence recently by the release of detailed information on the Bacon Hydrox fuel cell (The Commercial Motor, August 28). The Hydrox cell uses hydrogen and oxygen gases as its fuel. At present hydrogen is relatively expensive to produce, thus reducing the economic advantages of this form of electricity generation.

Already Esso have modified a fuel cell to operate on ethane gas. The cell is obviously very small, as it produces enough current to power only a torch bulb. Experiments are proceeding and it is hoped to produce eventually a cell which will operate on liquid fuels, such as heating oil. However, said Dr. Sweeney, the development of a practical unit would be long and tedious.

1,500 ENTER EXPRESS DAIRY DRIVERS' COMPETITION

ASERIES of eliminating local contests, which accommodated a total of 1,500 entrants, to determine the Express Dairy group of companies' " Driver of the Year" reached finality at the South Ruislip depot last Sunday.

Four tests faced the 22 finalists, who all used Bedford 5-ton platform vehicles with normal dairy surierstructures. The winner, J. Hudson, from Sheffield, demonstrated a clear superiority over his rivals and emerged with only 99 penalty points. The runners-up were I. Tiller, of Cricklewood, who collected 178 penalty marks, and S. Howes, of Premier Supermarkets, with 228.

The competitive events highlighted a pleasant day for a large number of the group's employees, and chairman of the group, Mr. W. A. Nell. presented the awards to the successful drivers.

POOLS WINNER GOES DOWN

.1-1 A POOLS win of £600 enabled a haul

age business to be started at Mansfield, but it failed in two years, it was said at Nottingham Bankruptcy • Court last week. Leonard Haslam, Chesterfield Road North, Mansfield, admitted a deficiency of £256.

Haslam started as a haulage contractor, without any previous experience, in October, 1955. The only work he did was the haulage of coal from an opencast site. In December, 1956, the lorry required a new engine, which raised the hire-purchase instalments on the vehicle. 1-Iaslam got behind with payments to creditors, and in October, 1957, the lorry was repossessed.

Haslam attributed his bankruptcy to the loss of business through the lorry being taken off the road for repairs.