Roger E. Billings - Hydrogen Energy

Hydrogen Energy

Billings' involvement in hydrogen energy began when he converted a car to run on hydrogen in 1965 as a high school student, which won him a Gold and Silver award at the International Science Fair and a scholarship to Brigham Young University. Billings generated interest in hydrogen technology by demonstrating a number of working prototypes, including cars, buses, forklifts, tractors, and a hydrogen-powered home.

In 1971, as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University (BYU), Billings received a research grant from the Ford Motor Company and his own lab to continue his studies of the hydrogen-fueled automobile. In the summer of 1972, Billings headed a team from Brigham Young University that won first prize for low emissions at the Urban Vehicle Design Competition held at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their winning entry was a hydrogen powered Volkswagen.

Between 1966 and 1982, Billings successfully converted 18 vehicles of various types to run on hydrogen. After the initial family car-sized vehicles, Billings turned to larger means of transportation. Billings’ hydrogen powered buses – converted to hydrogen first in 1976 and running in Provo, Utah, then in Riverside, California – were successful demonstrations of hydrogen as a fuel for mass transit vehicles. The Postal Jeep project in 1977 demonstrated the potential use of hydrogen as a practical and advantageous fuel for fleet vehicles.

In 1975, Billings and his team built the “Hydrogen Homestead” prototype, a home which included hydrogen-run heat pump, water heater, oven, range, fireplace log, outdoor grill, a car and tractor. The Homestead project resulted in the development of some innovative hydrogen applications and demonstrated that hydrogen was compatible with existing home appliances. Originally part of the Hydrogen Homestead Project, the hydrogen-fueled Cadillac Seville featured a dual-fuel system, hydrogen and gasoline, which could be switched back and forth. This made the vehicle practical for everyday use at a time when hydrogen availability was not abundant. Its improved metal hydride storage system operated at a lower temperature than previous units, allowing a cost saving on construction material. The Cadillac was featured in the 1977 inaugural parade for President Jimmy Carter.

In 1991 Billings developed the first automobile to be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The vehicle converted hydrogen into water and electricity and was more efficient than the internal combustion vehicles Billings had converted during his earlier years. The improved efficiency of the fuel cell made the commercial application of hydrogen cars more feasible.

Billings demonstrated this next-level innovation in the practical development of hydrogen as a fuel for transportation—the hydrogen fuel cell car. The Philadelphia unveiling of the car — LaserCel 1 — is the first reported functional fuel cell application in a small transportation vehicle.

Billings was touted in the press for his contributions in developing hydrogen energy. The Enterprise business journal called Billings “The Father of Hydrogen Technology.” (Bentley, 1975) An Omni Magazine report on his work in 1982 dubbed him “The Hydrogen Man” (Rose, 1982), and an article in the July 21, 2003 issue of Time Magazine referred to him as "Dr. Hydrogen". (Barlett, Steele 2003).