Air Products will join companies and organizations around the nation on October 8, in celebrating National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.  As part of the day, Air Products will have its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the new Toyota Mirai, on display from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown.

Air Products "hydrogen ambassadors" will be with the car to raise awareness of the benefits that fuel cells and hydrogen technologies provide in generating reliable and resilient power, improving the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing America's energy security. 

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are clean, efficient, and quiet. Fuel cells utilize hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity in a chemical reaction without combustion to power the car.

This is the second year in a row that the United States has observed National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.  It was also formally recognized by the U.S. Senate for the second year with the passage of Senate Resolution 573.

National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day is being observed on October 8 as a reference to the atomic weight of hydrogen which is 1.008.

Air Products' hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will be on display during Saturday's Kids Discovery Expo at the Da Vinci Science Center.  Hosted by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), there will be complimentary refreshments, entertainment and door prizes at the free event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. 

Air Products and the Da Vinci Science Center have a history of working collaboratively on hydrogen-related projects, the most recent a few years ago involving a bus fueling and hydrogen education project.

"We are pleased to make the car available to the public during National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day and thank the Da Vinci Science Center and Sen. Pat Browne for allowing us to be a part of the Kids Discovery Expo," said Nick Mittica, commercial manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems for Air Products.  "Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are being leased and purchased today in California where there are a network of hydrogen fueling stations, many of which were designed and constructed by Air Products.  It is only a matter of time until these vehicles are also deployed in greater numbers on the East Coast."

Air Products, the leading global supplier of hydrogen to refineries to assist in producing cleaner burning transportation fuels, has vast experience in the hydrogen fueling industry.

In fact, several sites today for certain hydrogen fueling applications are fueling at rates of over 75,000 refills per year. Use of the company's fueling technology is increasing and is over 1,000,000 hydrogen fills per year.

The company has been involved in over 200 hydrogen fueling projects in the United States and 20 countries worldwide. Cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts, locomotives, planes, cell towers, material handling equipment, and even submarines have been fueled with trend-setting Air Products' SmartFuel® technologies.

Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. Air Products provides liquid and gaseous hydrogen and a variety of enabling devices and protocols for fuel dispensing at varied pressures.

Hydrogen for these stations can be delivered to a site via truck or pipeline, produced by natural gas reformation, biomass conversion, or by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is solar and wind driven.

For more information, visit Air Products’ SmartFuel Hydrogen Energy webpage.

10/10/2016