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Future of hydrogen cars examined
orikazu Ambo, Daily Staff Writer
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Frank Colvin, vice president for General Motors Global Fuel Cell Activities, said "the hydrogen does have a future" for developing a new type of fuel-cell automobile during the one-hour presentation in the Science building at San Jose State University.
This second-time memorial lecture, sponsored by the Institute for Scientific Information, honored Samuel Lazerow, a former Chief of Acquisitions at the National Library of Architecture, who devoted his distinguished service in the library profession, said Blanche Woolls, a moderator and director at the school of library and information science at SJSU.
In the lecture titled "Fuel Cell Research and the Role of the Information Professional," Colvin told more than 50 students, residents and faculty members that his objective of fuel-cell development is to establish a car with no contamination to the environment.
"Only thing that comes out of the vehicle is pure water, even though you might not want to drink it," he said.
Colvin, a graduate of Purdue University in Indiana, has worked for GM for about 38 years.
Colvin said he hopes that hydrogen would also be extracted from resources such as crude oil and coal.
In terms of marketing, Colvin said the hybrid cars, the vehicles drivable with a rechargeable battery and gasoline, rather than just the gas, should be designed as compelling for customers to buy, affordable and sustainable.
"We have to attract customers and let them want the vehicle for some reason," he said.
Colvin is already excited to visualizing the hybrid cars being sold saying, "We will be ready by the end of the decade to start encouraging purchasing the hybrid car."
To the question of whether hydrogen can be pumped up at the gas station, Colvin said it is difficult to know at this point.
Bernadette Geyer, director of Outreach Programs for the U.S. Fuel Cell Council, said there are about 9,500 gas stations in California, and in order to build a system to supply hydrogen for each gas station, it will cost $1.5 million.
Since GM had commenced its first testing on fuel cells in 1964, Colvin said the company has continued struggling to succeed advancing its development.
"Hydrogen does have a new future," he said. "But, at the same time, there are many problems to clean up now."
Colvin said he recognized various problems that existed especially in GM cars' engines.
He said that for problem solution, in-depth research and further development of fuel-cell vehicles, sharing effective information with GM's partner companies such as Toyota and Subaru for the project is imperative for engineers across the globe.
Colvin, who grew up with a librarian mother, sister and cousin, said gathering and sharing information has been crucial for the strategic research, introducing a Web site that he called GM's virtual library.
Colvin also said the success of hydrogen development could be useful in other infrastructures.
By developing hydrogenics, a prototype fuel-cell unit, Colvin said it could provide back-up power to cellular phone towers during energy blackouts.
Lupe Ramirez, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, said he now has a better understanding of the technology behind the hybrid car.
"I became more interested after the (Colvin's) lecture," Ramirez said.
Walter Catalan, a mechanical engineering senior, who is pursuing his career in creating fast cars, said Colvin's talk provided reliable information about the hybrid vehicles.
"There was good information in his lecture," Catalan said. "I learned more about the hybrid car."
Don Fadden, a San Jose resident who was invited by an SJSU librarian, said he attended the Lazerow lecture as the second time.
Fadden commented the Colvin's lecture was "fascinating."
Fadden said, "The hydrogen has a fascinating potential. The development of hybrids should keep it going."
If the hybrid technology had already developed by now, the United States did not have to go to war for seeking more oil, he added.
"If we have the hybrid vehicles already, our troops wouldn't have to be in Kuwait."
Dan Fuller, professor of the library and information science school at SJSU, said developing the fuel-cell automobiles is very important.
Robert Sutton, software engineer and programmer as well as Colvin's cousin who had not seen him for almost a decade, told the inside story of how Colvin gained his career in GM.
Sutton said on the way to a business interview, Colvin was taking an elevator to head for the office.
In the elevator, a woman dropped a pile of papers. As quick as he could, he picked them up for her. Then, later the woman turned out to be a secretary for his future boss who ended up hiring Colvin, Sutton said.
"That's how he got the job," he said. Colvin "always likes to help others," he said.
Colvin has always been curious, passionate and capable of what he does, Sutton continued. "I'm sure he is an inspiration for young engineers."
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