A functioning prototype of Toyota’s portable hydrogen cartridge has been produced by Woven Planet, a division of Toyota.
This cartridge design will make it easier to carry and distribute hydrogen energy for a variety of common uses both inside and outside the home. Toyota and Woven Planet will perform Proof of Concept (“PoC”) experiments in a variety of locations, including Woven Metropolis, a human-centered smart city of the future being built in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Toyota and Woven Planet are researching a range of feasible carbon-neutral paths, with hydrogen being one of them. Hydrogen offers a lot of advantages. When hydrogen is consumed, no carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. Additionally, when hydrogen is created utilizing sustainable energy sources like wind, sun, geothermal, and biomass, CO2 emissions are reduced during the manufacturing process. Hydrogen may be utilized as a combustion fuel as well as a source of power in fuel cell devices.
Toyota and Woven Planet are collaborating with ENEOS Corporation to develop a full hydrogen-based supply chain aimed at speeding up and simplifying manufacturing, transportation, and everyday use. These tests will be focused on satisfying the energy demands of the people of Woven City and the neighboring areas.
Advantages of Hydrogen Cartridges
- Portable, inexpensive, and handy energy that allows hydrogen to be delivered to people’s homes, workplaces, and recreational activities without the use of pipes.
- Dimensions of the prototype: 400mm (16″) in length x 180mm (7″) in diameter
- 5 kg is the goal weight (11lbs)
- Swappable for rapid recharge and easy replacement
- The volume flexibility enables for a wide range of everyday applications*2.
- Small-scale infrastructure can provide electricity to rural and non-electrified locations while also being quickly deployed in the event of a disaster.
The Hydrogen Cartridge’s Next Steps
The majority of hydrogen produced today comes from fossil fuels and is utilized in industries such as fertilizer manufacture and petroleum refining. To use hydrogen as a source of energy in our homes and daily lives, the technology must fulfill a variety of safety requirements and be adapted to new conditions. We predict hydrogen to be produced with extremely low carbon emissions in the future and used in a wider range of applications. The Japanese government is conducting a number of research in order to encourage the safe early adoption of hydrogen, and Toyota and its business partners are eager to help.
Our mission is to make hydrogen a commonplace energy source by making it safe, convenient, and economical. We intend to enable the passage of a higher amount of hydrogen and fuel more applications by developing the underlying supply chain. Woven City will employ hydrogen cartridges to investigate and test a variety of energy uses, including transportation, domestic applications, and many future possibilities we have yet to envisage. We will continue to increase mobility over time by continually inventing additional practical applications for hydrogen cartridges in collaboration with innovators and individuals who live in and around Woven City. We will continue to develop the hydrogen cartridge itself in future Woven City demos, making it easier to use and boosting the energy density.
The project’s ultimate objective is to create a carbon-neutral society where everyone has access to clean energy, initially in Japan and later globally. By performing human-centered demonstrations in and around Woven City, Toyota and Woven Planet want to build best practices for bringing clean hydrogen energy into daily living. These hands-on experiences will help us figure out how to turn hydrogen into a known, well-used, and well-loved energy source.
