Tag Archives: hydrogen

Philippe Starck designs futureproof Hydrogen refueling station disguised in an invisible cloak

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Philippe Starck is renowned for his ingenuity when it comes to enriching lives with unique creations. The acclaimed French designer and architect has proved time and again what comes to the fore when unwavering focus and brilliance are fused. In the latest venture with HRS (leading European manufacturer of hydrogen stations), Starck has created one of the most striking hydrogen refueling stations you would come across.

Dubbed HRS by Starck, the prototype of the refueling station is currently on show at the COP28 climate summit at Expo City Dubai. Being a part of the Green Zone hub (dedicated to decarbonization and energy transition) the creation leverages HRS’s high-capacity refueling prowess and Philippe’s innovation to make possible such a resourceful collaboration.

Designer: Philippe Starck

Amplifying the core idea of clean fuel transition, the fuelling station takes an almost invisible form, just like Hydrogen which is inherently a colorless, clean gas. The fuelling station is made out of polished reflective steel material, as Philippe envisioned it in his mind to have the essence of disappearance. From the very beginning, Starck was crystal clear about the form of the HRS by Starck hydrogen refueling station. This smart-looking device mimics the character of disappearance, dissolving from the viewers’ eyesight, only to reflect the surroundings.

From a distance, the onlookers can only make the distinction when viewing the sunset orange hue from inside the dispenser column on one side. Interestingly, as the viewer has a closer look and peeks inside the rig, it’s almost empty. Obviously, Starck wasn’t going to stop at this, so he added optical effects known as dichroism. For this, the dispenser is fitted with a dichroic-treated glass panel. That is, the refueling rig changes color even though is completely colorless.

The designer wants to dematerialize the design of the refueling rig, thereby making it unobstructed and shifting attention toward the transparent nature of the clean gas. Coming on to the practical aspect of HRS by Starck, the design is modular and scalable. It can dispense hydrogen for vehicles including cars, HGVs, buses, trains, construction machinery and even boats. The dispenser comes with two pressure settings – 350 bar and 700 bar for multi-vehicle compatibility.

The refueling dispenser is all set to be operational by 2024 if the project doesn’t hit any speedbumps. Truly, this design revolving around “elegant and intelligent energy” is all set to serve the future.

The post Philippe Starck designs futureproof Hydrogen refueling station disguised in an invisible cloak first appeared on Yanko Design.

The world’s first hydrogen cargo bike is the future of transportation as it runs without batteries!

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The LAVO bike from StudioMOM is the world’s first hydrogen bike, requiring no heavy batteries, particulates, or CO2 emissions for operation.

Nowadays, it seems bikes are the preferred mode of transportation in crowded cities. Traffic is no joke and public transportation has seen some major changes since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, so people are hitting the streets with shiny electric and portable bicycles. While bikes are generally more environmentally friendly than cars and trucks, they come with their own list of setbacks. Becoming the world’s first hydrogen bike, the LAVO bike from StudioMOM is a small solution to a big problem.

Requiring no heavy batteries, particulates, or CO2 emissions, the LAVO bike was designed to bring us, as StudioMOM puts it, “one step closer to an emission-free society.” Acquiring hydrogen from water and solar energy, the LAVO bike is outfitted with small hydrogen tanks that power up the bike for operation.

LAVO’s proprietary energy storage system converts electricity from solar panels using an electrolyzer that divides water into its hydrogen and oxygen components, relocating them to a long-term storage system that contains a metal alloy to produce hydrogen.

Only requiring around ten minutes for charging, the LAVO bike runs for a range of about 150km before recharging. Constructed using lightweight material, the LAVO bike keeps a cargo build to cater to the basic weight that comes with a hydrogen-based system.

Describing the choice to make LAVO a cargo bike, StudioMOM notes, “Long-range cargo solutions, in particular, require a lot of energy. Then an extra hydrogen tank of 1.2 kg is surely preferable to an extra battery that weighs 6 kg.” From its modular assembly system to its ergonomic build, the LAVO bike was designed as less of a traditional cargo bike and more of an innovative mode of transport–LAVO was designed for change.

Designer: StudioMOM

EV maker Karma wants to power electric cars with a methanol fuel cell

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Karma is working on something different from its normal EVs — hydrogen cars that use methane as a base fuel, Autoblog has reported. Karma is teaming with Denmark’s Blue World Technologies on a methanol fuel cell that reforms methanol into hydrogen, w...

GM has ditched plans to build Nikola’s hybrid fuel-cell pickup

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General Motors has ditched plans to build Nikola's electric/fuel-cell hybrid pickup and it will no longer take a stake in the company. Nikola has announced a revamped, non-binding agreement that should see it use GM's Hydrotec fuel-cell system in its...

This hydrogen fuel based pod is the vehicle of choice for a green future!

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We all once believed flying cars would be the future for the auto industry. Then cars started driving themselves, so that future was left up to the designers to decide. But never has the future weighed so heavily above us than it has in 2020. Globally, designers are utilizing this moment to construct what they believe the future of the auto industry will and, in some cases, should look like, including Moscow-based, Nikita Konopatov who recently conceptualized a hydrogen-fueled car for the future, called Future Center Europe. The fuel-cell vehicle design would move on two cylindrical barrels with a bubbled body, an image representative of molecular hydrogen combustion. The decision to construct a new automobile fueled by hydrogen is both feasible and deliberate. With the frequency of road transportation decreasing, and therefore air pollution, as a result of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, many of us have consciously shifted toward greener alternatives. Fuel cell vehicles indicate one green alternative since the electric vehicles use generators to turn hydrogen into electricity, providing energy.

Hydrogen fuel is produced once hydrogen reacts with oxygen to make water. Since hydrogen is an energy carrier, which means it transmits energy from a primary source, such as solar energy or coal, it can be used as fuel for cars. Extracting hydrogen from compounds can be tricky, but it is possible through electrolysis, which is the most popular, ecological, and efficient option. Konopatov describes his design as “atypical,” but it is also so utopian, it discredits any possibility of a future doomsday. With columnar wheels and panoramic windows, this design could inspire sci-fi anime or become one. Who wouldn’t take a drive? On paper, this design points out our seemingly new reality and how we interact with it. Globally, we’re embracing simplicity, sprucing up our own corner of the world, and modifying our lens for alternative living in order to meet it halfway. Similarly, Nikita Konopatov’s fuel cell vehicle nods towards a simpler, albeit faraway future world, where cars might not fly, but breathe like us.

Designer: Nikita Konopatov