The cartridge design will facilitate the everyday transport and supply of hydrogen energy to power a broad range of daily life applications in and outside of the home, Toyota says
Together with ENEOS Corporation, Toyota and its subsidiary Woven Planet are working to build a comprehensive hydrogen-based supply chain aimed at expediting and simplifying production, transport, and daily usage.
Toyota and Woven Planet will conduct Proof of Concept (“PoC”) trials in various places, including Woven City, a human-centered smart city of the future currently being constructed in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. These trials will focus on meeting the energy needs of Woven City residents and those living in its surrounding communities.
Hydrogen has significant advantages. Zero Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is emitted when hydrogen is used. Furthermore, when hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, CO2 emissions are minimized during the production process as well.
Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity in fuel cell systems and can also be used as a combustion fuel.
It is assumed one hydrogen cartridge will generate enough electricity to operate a typical household microwave for approximately 3-4 hours.
Benefits of Using Hydrogen Cartridges
- Portable, affordable, and convenient energy that makes it possible to bring hydrogen to where people live, work, and play without the use of pipes
- Prototype dimensions: 400mm (16″) in length x 180mm (7″) in diameter
- Target weight: 5 kg (11lbs)
- Swappable for easy replacement and quick recharging
- Volume flexibility allows for a broad variety of daily use applications*2
- Small-scale infrastructure can meet energy needs in remote and non-electrified areas and be swiftly dispatched in the case of a disaster
Next Steps for the Hydrogen Cartridge
Today most hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels and used for industrial purposes such as fertilizer production and petroleum refining.
To use hydrogen as an energy source in our homes and daily life, the technology must meet different safety standards and be adjusted to new environments.
In the future, we expect hydrogen will be generated with very low carbon emissions and used in a wider variety of applications.
Woven City will explore and test an array of energy applications using hydrogen cartridges including mobility, household applications, and many future possibilities we have yet to imagine.
Together with inventors and those living within and around Woven City, we will continue to advance mobility over time by constantly developing more practical applications for hydrogen cartridges.
In future Woven City demonstrations, we will continue to improve the hydrogen cartridge itself, making it increasingly easy to use and improving the energy density.
The ultimate goal of this project is to realize a carbon-neutral society where everyone can access clean energy, first in Japan and then throughout the world.
