Overpotential: Fuel Cells, Futurism, and the Making of a Power Panacea

Index

247 INDEX Abraham, Spencer, 167 Adams, Henry, 185 Admiralty, British, funds fuel cells, 27, 28 Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVMP), 181–82 AEC. See Atomic Energy Commission aerospace fuel cells, 50, 51, 54, 6–70, 81, 187; development vs. research, 68; PEMFCs, 72–75; as a space spin-off, 76–7; startup and deactivation time, 70, 217n1; as technological-prowess symbol, 66, 67; testing of, 71; uncoupled from commercial fuel cell development goal, 67 aerospace industry, 2, 30, 78, . See also aviation aerospace technology, adapted to automobiles, 137 AeroVironment, 137 Air Force hydrogen program, 30 Air Liquide (industrial gas company), 123 Air Products, 123; “Papa Bear” plant (Florida), 105 Akaka, Daniel K., 11 alkaline battery, advanced, 38 alkaline electrolyte systems, 64 alkaline fuel cell, 126, 132 Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, 167 Allis-Chalmers, 38, 48, 58, 5, 78, 131, 216n14, 221n71 Allison Gas Turbine Division, GM, 142 Allmand, A. J., 21, 24, 201n26 Almaula, B. C., 51–52, 210n7 Alternative Fuels Utilization Program, DOE, 115 American Automobile Manufacturers Association, 137–38 American Chemical Society, Cohn’s address to (163), 7, 80 American Gas Association, 86 American Motors Corporation Postal Van, 133 American Oil Company, 46 “American technological sublime” (Nye), 1 ammonia,  Amstock, Mark J., 153 Anglo American Corporation, 145 Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, 28 AN/PRC-47 radio, 61–62 A123 (lithium battery maker), 181 Apollo program, NASA, 33, 66, 6, 71, 78, 223n1 Appleby, A. J., 66, 4, 8, 104, 11, 121, 126, 15n1, 231n4 “applied” vs. “basic” research, 43, 53 Argonne National Laboratory, DOE, 11, 116 Armed Services Procurement Regulation XV, 43 Army: abandons membrane fuel cell program, 207n20; Electronics R&D Agency, 210n7; Mobility Command, and fuel cells, 131, 187; Office of Ordnance Research, 208n36; settles on methanol fuel cell, 4; Signal Corps, 187, 207n25; Signal Research and Development Laboratory, 44, 45 (see also Army Electronics R&D Laboratory); and the Union Carbide 300-watt fuel cell, 61–63 Army Electronics R&D Laboratory, 56; Power Sources Division, 51, 58 (see also Signal Research and Development Laboratory) Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory. See ERDL ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency, DOD), 33, 35–37, 38, 65, 187, 205n4, 210n65; budget and funding, 47, 4, 207n25, 208n30, 213n108; and conflicting IDA reports on fuel cell program, 47–48; drafts liquid fuel systems requirements, 44–45; and the IDA, 40–42, 46; materials science program, 42–43, 44, 55. See also Project Lorraine Arthur D. Little, engineering firm, 14, 155 artificial intelligence, 11 Asahi Chemical, supplies membrane to Ballard, 144 Asner, Glen R., 43 assumption of invariance, 15 astrology, 15n8 Atlantic Richfield, and CAFCP, 153 Atlas computer, U.K., 205n78 Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), 43, 77, 8, 1 atomic force microscopy, 10 ATPZEVs (advanced technology partial zero-emission vehicles), 164, 167, 16, 181 Austin A40-conversion car, Kordesch’s, 132, 23n10 automakers, 175, 177, 244n71; experimental vehicles of 170s, 132–34; and California’s clean-air regulations, 124, 126–127, 128, 135–3; and discourse of hydrogen, 114, 115, 158, 162–63, 166; and USCAR, 140 (see also USCAR) automobiles: conversion of, for hydrogen, 110, 111, 114; fuel-cell electric, 126; gasoline-powered, 11, 12, 130; “green,” 123–24, 137–38; hybrid gasoline-electric, 12–30; hydrogen-powered, 110–11, 112; industry’s investment in fuel cell research, 1; ultracompacts, 145 automobility, 125–26, 231n2, 244n70 AUTOnomy hydrogen fuel-cell car (GM), 167–68 aviation, 22, 112, 178, 204n70. See also aerospace industry Bacon, Francis Thomas, 12, 18–1, 21–22, 24, 38, 72, 0, 115, 1nn1–2, 203n61, 206n14, 222n3; on Army discards of fuel cells, 215n142; BEAMA Journal article (154), 27, 28; faith in technological progress, 32; on fuel cell discharge time, 201n32; and GE’s hydrocarbon cell, 50, 56; keynote address at WHEC 184, 22n55; and NRDC, 28–2; on nuclear energy vs. fuel cell, 203n63; on Pratt & Whitney cell problems, 217n21; speaks at first global fuel cell conference (Atlantic City, 15), 31; suggests fuel cells for cars, 201n2 Bacon, Roger, 1n1 Bacon, Sir Francis, 18 Bacon, Sir Nicholas, 18 Bacon cell, 12, 18–20, 30–33, 186, 203n65, 204n78; aerospace adaptation of, 6–72; applications, 25, 26, 17n2; and British postwar reconstruction, 22–25; and carbonaceous fuels, 31; commercial potential, 28, 2; demonstrations for U.S. Army, 15, 38; development cost, 204n67; as disposable primary battery, 72; proposed modification for hydrocarbon fuels, 27; revived British interest in, 25–28 Baker, Kenneth, 133, 237n81 Baker...