From Sunday to Tuesday, NIU will witness a new fuel cell-powered bus that aims to lower pollution and dependence on foreign oil.

On Sunday, the bus will be available for demonstration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore, and then from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

This Monday, a discussion on the bus will be held in the Holmes Student Center’s Regency Room from 9 a.m. to noon and will feature speakers from Georgetown University. Mayor Frank Van Buer has been invited to attend, along with several area representatives. At this time, the bus will be housed in the King Memorial Commons. Details will be mentioned in this discussion, including hydrogen awareness, information on hydrogen breakdown and how the bus falls under the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

After the discussion, bus tours will be given in front of the HSC to NIU students from 2 to 4 p.m. On Tuesday, tours also will be available in front of the Engineering Building.

The following day, the bus will be brought to Argonne National Laboratories, then to the NIU Naperville Campus. On Thursday, the bus will be at the NIU Rockford campus. Similar tours will be given at both locations.

According to Petr Vanýsek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, fuel cells allow direct conversion of fuels into electricity, which avoids extra steps which cause harmful gases to be created.

“Unlike the combustion engine in an ordinary car, which requires burning of the fuel first and then converting the mechanical energy of the expanding hot gases into useful work, the fuel cell bypasses the additional steps,” Vanýsek said.

Although fuel cells are better for the environment, the price is still an obstacle.

“A cell with one kilowatt of power costs about $4,500,” Vanýsek said. “For comparison, a 200 horsepower engine one may find in a smaller bus equals to about 150 kilowatts, hence, the fuel cell ‘engine’ would cost some $675,000.”

The cost is one of the reasons fuel cells are still in developmental stages.