It took Thomas Edison two years and over 3,000 experiments to develop a marketable light bulb. It has taken 10 times that long and who-knows-how-many experiments to develop a system that is far more complicated: the inner workings of a reliable, marketable hydrogen fuel cell.

Now a research team led by Jeffrey Allen of Michigan Technological Univ. is nearing development of a mathematical model that will slash that R&D time and effort. It focuses on water, a fuel cell's worst enemy.

Water vapor is the only emission coming out of the tailpipe of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle, a big reason why fuel cells are so attractive. But moving that water out of the fuel cell can be a soggy problem. Just a teaspoon can kill the reaction that drives hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles. And, considering that it can take a stack of dozens of fuel cells to power a car, and a single flooded cell can take down the entire stack, water management becomes a looming issue.

Most of that watery action happens in the fuel cell's porous transport layer, or PTL, which is not much thicker than a coffee filter. That's where all the byproducts of the fuel cell's power-generating reaction meet up with a catalyst and react to form water vapor.

It's not easy to find out exactly what's happening in the PTL. "Everything is compressed like crazy," says Allen, a professor in mechanical engineering. "You have to get the gases—hydrogen and air—to the catalyst, and you have to get the water away. Figuring out how to do this has largely been a matter of trial and error."

The latest generation of hydrogen fuel-cell engines does an excellent job of managing water, but as new materials and designs enter the arena,Browse through our impressive range of downlight and buy online now. the industry is again faced with a long, costly experimental process to determine the best configuration.

"There's a whole new class of catalysts coming out, and we want to make sure it doesn't take another 20 years to optimize the materials set," says Allen.

Optimizing those up-and-coming materials to get rid of water is especially difficult, because the movement of water in the PTL appears to be random. "But that's what we're trying to predict," he says.

At high flow rates, water spreads out evenly. But when the flow rate is low, as it is in an operating fuel cell, it spreads out in irregular shapes like an amoeba, a process called "fingering." Other factors come into play as well, including how saturated the PTL is.

Allen's team incorporated those variables into a mathematical model with the aim of forecasting the movement of water. Then they tested it using four different types of PTL and found that they could predict how water would behave with a high degree of accuracy.

"We were really excited," Allen says. "This is the first time anyone has validated a model in a real sample. We're at the point where, by adjusting just one parameter, we are able to duplicate experimental results exactly."

Now, the group has incorporated temperature and evaporation into their model to make it an even better tool for fuel cell designers.

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Stephen Garcia spends five days a week -- often twice a day -- training.

It is the first time in his football life that he is without a team.  That is common for players training for the NFL draft.

"You get in there and analyze exactly what you're doing wrong and what you need to improve on," Garcia said about work with trainer Josh Cooper. "You can focus on that the next day out to get better every day."

Garcia recently showed his football skills at the Battle of Florida all-star game in Boca Raton.  The former South Carolina quarterback threw two touchdowns passes in his first football game since early November.

"I was pretty rusty," Garcia said. "I haven't worn pads in a few months, so it was definitely a little different but I feel like I picked up pretty quick."

No football was uncommon territory for Garcia.  He had it taken away when he was kicked off the South Carolina team by head coach Steve Spurrier.

"I was sitting around on Saturdays, like, what am I doing?" Garcia said. "It was a lot of soul-searching. It was tough."

Garcia's Gamecock career was filled with highs and lows.  He won 20 games as a starting quarterback and led them to a SEC East title.  He was also suspended five times before his dismissal.

"I always go through life not ever wanting to regret anything, but I definitely regret not listening," Garcia said. "Kind of finding out for myself the hard way up there. It was really embarrassing that it took that long.

"After I got kicked off, I feel like the light finally went off," Garcia added. "I guess it takes a little longer for some people. It finally clicked, and I definitely think I got more mature."

Now Garcia hopes to prove that to any NFL team willing to give him a chance.  As a player, he was successful on the field.

Garcia set Hillsborough County career passing records at Jefferson High School.  He was on pace to set several marks at South Carolina.

While at the Battle of Florida game, Garcia estimated talking to 20-25 scouts.  He told them all the same thing.

"The light bulb finally went off," Garcia said. "I feel like I'm a lot more mature and I've learned from the mistakes."

When driving on Old Post Road in Bedford, it may be difficult to see Tricare Physical Therapy. Comfortably tucked behind the parking lot, Mark Sirkin's brand new therapy office could be considered in a slightly inconvenient location. But for Sirkin, who resides in Mount Kisco, he found the spot to be perfect.

"It was important to me that the location is on the first floor, has available parking and handicap access," Sirkin said. "If you just had surgery for something, you don't want to have to negotiate stairs, or park down the street. So that was a big deal."

Sirkin's practice was opened on Jan. 1, not waiting long in the New Year to begin what he believes as a rarity in the Bedford area. "I want to make sure to try and get out there, and let people know I'm here," he explained, "because there really isn't much else around here in terms of physical therapy and rehabilitation."

Sirkin is a graduate of Ithaca College and the New York Medical College in Valhalla, and practiced for nearly a decade in Stamford with orthopedic surgeons. It was his wife, who grew up in Bedford, who knew about the location because of her local roots. He was pleased with not only the first floor location, but also the spacious interior.

"I wanted it to be big, that way I have the room to do everything I need to do with you. Whether you're an athlete, or someone who's looking to get back to day-to-day stuff," he said. "The simplest thing is gait analysis. But I need to have room to see you walk. If we're in a small room, you're taking three steps and turning around. That's not enough."

He decided to go all out in one facet of his practice, with the purchase of the state-of-the-art Optojump Next, a gadget that professional teams use to gauge athletes' performance. Through it's two bars and the LED lights that run between them, it reads nearly everything he needs to see how much you can handle.

"So maybe you've sprained an ankle. I'll have you do simple tests, then I get the objective data from it and then you'll have therapy," he explained. "Then after a few weeks I'll put you back in and give you the same group of tests. If you're better or worse, it's going to show it."

Despite the high price tag from Italy, the machine and every other piece of equipment was worth it, he says, because they all contribute to what the customer ultimately is looking for.

"We're a results-driven practice. You come here to get better. So you want to see progress," Sirkin said. "And that's one objective way to show you are not only getting better, but here is how much you are getting better over time."