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| The Basics | Fuel Cell News | |
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| The Basics | Fuel Cell News | |
| This
weeks highlights:
-Teledyne Awarded $4.3 million NASA Contract Option
to Deliver a PEM Fuel Cell Power System
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| Teledyne
Awarded $4.3 million NASA Contract Option to Deliver a PEM Fuel Cell Power
System
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY) today announced that Teledyne
Energy Systems, Inc., was awarded a $4.3 million contract option to develop
and deliver an "engineering model" Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel
cell power system rated at 7 kilowatts to NASA's Glenn Research Center.
The 20 month option represents Phase II of Teledyne Energy Systems' contract
awarded in 2001 to develop a more reliable, powerful and low maintenance
fuel cell power system for use in NASA's Second Generation Reusable Launch
Vehicle (RLV) Program. In addition, the contract includes a second, optional
$1.2 million advanced technology task.
H2RV – FORD HYDROGEN HYBRID RESEARCH VEHICLE DEARBORN, Mich. - While widespread sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles may be years off, Ford's H2RV technology concept car could be built and sold today. The H2RV combines an internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen, boosted by a supercharger, with a Ford patented Modular Hybrid Transmission System (MHTS). Ford Motor Company is the only automaker to develop this powertrain combination and put it into service. Two H2RV vehicles, based upon the best-selling Ford Focus wagon, are now on the streets of southeastern Michigan, generating thousands of real-world miles. "H2RV is proven technology - it could be put into production," said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "What we are lacking are the other two legs of this three-legged stool - a fueling infrastructure for hydrogen, and uniform laws and regulations that will allow its use across the nation." Emissions from the H2RV of all pollutants, including carbon dioxide, are nearly zero. The electric motor in the automatic transmission and the advanced embedded controls allow the H2RV to stop the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is at rest and start it again quickly and smoothly, offering extra power for acceleration. The hydrogen hybrid powertrain was unveiled to the public in the Model U concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. It combined the hydrogen hybrid powertrain with a range of safety, telematic and material technologies. Model U was called "a model for change for the next century." The drivable version of the powertrain was unveiled as the H2RV during the Ford Centennial celebration in June. Scores of journalists from around the world were able to experience driving the H2RV firsthand during a media drive held in a Detroit-area park. "The hydrogen internal combustion engine in the H2RV has reliability proven to be similar to a gasoline-fueled engine," said Bob Natkin, group leader for hydrogen ICE development, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "Maintenance is much the same, as is long-term durability." Natkin says hydrogen ICE engines have logged thousands of hours on dynamometers, and more than 10,000 miles on the road under the hood of Ford Focus vehicles. In the H2RV, the hydrogen-powered engine is mated to a Modular Hybrid Transmission System. As the name suggests, the MHTS system can be used interchangeably in various vehicle structures. MHTS is a full hybrid system using a single 300-volt electric motor, upgraded automatic transmission and modified hydraulics. "The MHTS offers a familiar drive experience and better fuel economy", said Dr. Arun Jaura, project leader for hybrid electric vehicle development, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "Fuel cells promise improved efficiencies, but hydrogen-powered hybrids offer a near-term cost-effective bridge to fuel cell technology," said Jaura. "Ford is dedicated to the realization of fuel cell powertrains in mass produced consumer vehicles. But fuel cell powertrains are not ready for mass production in the near term." Ford is also a leader in fuel cell vehicle research. In June, Ford announced that it would place a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell Focus vehicles on the streets of Vancouver, British Columbia for evaluation early in 2004. The Ford Focus FCV produces zero emissions, and uses a Ballard fuel cell engine that converts chemical energy into electrical energy using hydrogen and oxygen. The electrical energy then powers the vehicle's electric-drive motor, producing only water and heat as by-products. In comparison, the basis for the H2RV is its hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine which is regarded as a transition or "bridging" strategy to stimulate the hydrogen infrastructure and related hydrogen technologies including on-board hydrogen fuel storage, hydrogen fuel dispensing and hydrogen safety sensors. The H2ICE engine has many benefits. H2ICE's are all-weather capable, requiring zero warm-up and have no cold start issues. H2ICE's are highly efficient (52 percent peak indicated efficiency). H2ICE's can easily achieve SULEV emissions, or better, and more than 99 percent reduced CO2 vehicle emissions. Performance is comparable to gasoline while fuel economy is increased by 25 percent with the engine only and up to 50 percent with an aggressive hybrid electric strategy. "The transition of where we are today to a hydrogen economy is going to be a huge national and international challenge that is going to require coordination between governments, fuel providers and ourselves in a scale that we have never seen before," said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt. "Whether we want to take that step is a decision for public and government - but Ford Motor Company is ready with product today." H2RV VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS Platform Ford Focus Wagon - ZTW
POWERTRAIN & HEV RELATED SYSTEMS 2.3L Supercharged, Intercooled Hydrogen ICE
PERFORMANCE 0 - 60 mph 11 seconds
3 local firms in fuel cell technology to seek VC Although fuel cells have been known to science for more than 150 years and were used on the Apollo spacecraft, they are attracting more interest lately amid growing concern about depleting precious resources and environmental pollution. Three Chicago area companies are at the forefront of emerging technologies that can make fuel cells more cost-effective and efficient for transportation initiatives, such as powering buses and cars, to stationary installations, and providing electrical needs for your home. "The way we look at the market is that there is a very important market for fuel cell technologies in remote areas of the U.S. and in developing countries where there is a great cost associated with laying traditional power lines and in certain industrial applications," said David Cepla, business development associate for HyRadix in Des Plaines. HyRadix HyRadix is focused on commercializing hydrogen generation systems. The company's technology converts natural gas and propane to hydrogen, which is then fed to a fuel cell to make electricity. HyRadiz initially is focusing on industrial markets that spend a lot of money transporting hydrogen to use in metals, electronics, and fat-and-oil industries. HyRadix wants to install systems onsite to convert natural gas so that companies will eliminate the expensive transportation of hydrogen. Unitel Technologies Unitel Technologies, based in Mount Prospect, has a new product under development called TerraGas that will make hydrogen from landfill gas. Dumps create landfill gas naturally that must be burned off at a great expense, and it also pollutes the environment. "Making hydrogen from landfill gas is a lot cheaper than using natural gas," said Unitel CEO Serge Randhava. "We developed this process over the last three years with scientists at Argonne." Wangtec Wangtec, located in Woodbridge, was founded about 10 years ago by Chi Wang and is now getting lots of attention in the market. "We can take any hydrocarbon fuel like gasoline, natural gas, propane and methanol, and convert it into hydrogen for application in fuel cells," said Neill Howey, business development manager. "My dream is to see a fuel cell powering a house that can refill a fuel cell-powered car in the garage," said Howey, although he, Randhava and Cepla emphasize that these technologies are emerging and that much work needs to be done. "For a few decades, fuel cell technology suffered from a lack of attention," Randhava said. "But it picked up a lot of steam in the last few years, and we are beginning to see some applications. It's getting there." The three companies are trying to raise investment capital to commercialize their inventions and will make presentations today at the ARCH Development Partners forum sponsored by the Illinois Coalition. With any luck, they will catch the attention of savvy investors who
understand the tremendous potential for fuel cell applications.
New car travels 1200 miles on one gallon of hydrogen THE race for eco-friendly motors stepped up a gear yesterday after a revolutionary car travelled the equivalent of 1200 miles on just one gallon of hydrogen. The green machine, which made its debut at the Shell Eco Marathon in Alford, Aberdeenshire, is powered by the latest fuel cell technology, and its Aberdeen-based designers hope it will mean the end of the road for petrol-powered cars. David McGrath, managing director of fuel cell company siGEN, who has been working on the BOC Gh2ost for the past four months, said: "This is the first car of its kind in the UK. We are trying to begin the transition from the oil industry to alternative energy. "The only output is pure water. We can produce hydrogen from renewable sources in huge amounts and, whereas oil is a finite source, hydrogen can be used again and again. So from the wind turbine to the wheel, there is absolutely no pollution in the entire cycle." Sponsored by national gas company BOC, the silent vehicle weighs just 100kg with the driver on board and has a top speed of 20mph. It is run by a fuel cell generator that converts energy stored by hydrogen atoms into electricity. But with such green credentials, lack of government support has been "astonishing", says Mr McGrath. "The executive is totally lacking in vision. Britain is lagging so far behind, it's astonishing. We need to empower development and spend intelligent levels of funding. America has spent $1.2bn on fuel cell technology over five years." He argues reluctance to embrace new technologies has affected industry in Aberdeen. "Engineers have emigrated and more top-end jobs are beginning to go abroad," he said. The team plans to compete on the UK and European circuit this year. The BOC Gh2ost prototype will be displayed at this autumn's Grove Fuel Cell Symposium in London. Suffolk University Begins H2 Generation / Fuel Cell Demo BOSTON, MA, August 10, 2003 - What do you get when you combine a hydrogen generator, storage tanks, a fuel cell stack, an electric model truck, scientific expertise and a large dose of student enthusiasm? A program, launched by Suffolk University, to discover ways to improve how fuel cells perform and what they cost to operate. Students and faculty in Suffolk's physics department are completing the first setup and test phase of a project to gauge how well all the pieces of their customized fuel cell system work together. The knowledge gained will provide a springboard to the school's large-scale plan -- a wind and photovoltaics-powered hydrogen generator to fuel hydrogen-based power systems -- at the university's Friedman Field Statiion in Edmunds, Maine. With the support of Linde Gas (www.linde-gas.com), the world's largest cylinder gas supplier and Proton Energy Systems (www.protonenergy.com), a leading manufacturer of on-site hydrogen generators, Suffolk's Frank Sagan Energy Research Laboratory now has an integrated system for on-site production and safe storage of hydrogen for a 60-watt fuel cell. Linde Gas Senior Project Specialist Ernest Glynn engineered a complete system for Suffolk based on a compact 600 cc/minute electrolysis laboratory hydrogen generator manufactured by Proton Energy Systems. Ultra-pure hydrogen gas from the generator feeds into a low pressure (150 psi) metal hydride tank that safely stores large volumes of hydrogen. Hydrogen stored in the metal hydride tanks (from 70-liter to 1,500-liter) provides input to the fuel cell. To complete Phase One, faculty and students are documenting average run times for the generator to fill the metal hydride tanks. "Because we have frequent, small- volume needs, designing a system for on-site hydrogen generation made sense," said Suffolk Physics Department Chairman Walter Johnson, Ph.D. "We also wanted to become acquainted with the mechanics, costs, and issues involved in making hydrogen via electrolysis. The Proton generator has a small footprint that fits into our compact laboratory, and produces hydrogen at a rate that is sufficient." Suffolk's demonstration project has garnered national recognition. Physics, Environmental Engineering, and Electrical Engineering students Demetra Barlas, Juliana Martinez, Sebastian Ganly and German Useros were selected from many applicants to present a poster paper, Hydrogen Fuel Cell: Energy Alternative for Transportation, at a conference sponsored by the Air and Waste Management Association in San Diego, CA. Phase Two of Suffolk's project will involve cycling the stored hydrogen through the 60-watt fuel cell stack. Students will gauge how fast hydrogen is used, and the power-generating capabilities of the fuel cell. In the final phase, the fuel cell will be connected to and power the electric motor in a small radio controlled truck. "This project will help us determine the lifetime of fuel cell components, measure the advantages of using a metal hydride storage system for hydrogen, and how a hydrogen fuel cell can reduce emissions for the vehicles we test," said Tom Naderi, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of environmental engineering at Suffolk University. "Hydrogen is being used for ever-expanding applications, from generating cleaner-burning gasolines, to powering new-generation automobiles, to generating power," said Cliff Caldwell, RNA Manager of Specialty Gases, Linde Gas. "As a leading hydrogen provider, Linde supplies thousands of customers globally who perform research on new uses of hydrogen. Our work with Proton Energy Systems and Suffolk University is another example of Linde's ongoing commitment to exploring environmentally sound uses for this exciting molecule." "The exciting work at Suffolk's Frank Sagan Energy Research Laboratory is a great example of how the next generation of scientists are helping perfect hydrogen-based technologies," said Proton Energy Systems CEO Walter "Chip" Schroeder. "We're honored to be working with Linde and with Suffolk University to provide faculty and students with the essential equipment for their progress." Standards pave way for fuel cell technology Several
standards developers, in the US and internationally, have begun fuel cell
standardisation projects that have the potential to quicken market acceptance
of new fuel cell products and protect the consumers who use them.
One area in which fuel cells have already been put to use around the world is stationary power generation. In the New York metropolitan area, organisations that have installed such systems include the NYPD's Central Park Police precinct, the Conde Nast Building, the New York Aquarium, St. Vincent's and the North Central Bronx Hospitals, and the Hunts Point, Oakwood Beach, and Red Hook Wastewater Treatment Plants. According
to the non-profit organisation Fuel Cells 2000, fuel cells can reduce facility
energy service costs by 20% to 40% (over conventional supply methods) in
large building systems. Further, stationary fuel cells are particularly
useful in waste treatment facilities because they can use the methane gas
that is a byproduct of waste treatment to generate power.
CSA America, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, is responsible for one prominent fuel cell standard in the US: ANSI Z21.83 1998, Fuel Cell Power Plants. In addition, CSA is developing CSA FC1-200x, Stationary Fuel Cell Power Systems, which is being considered as an American National Standard. FC1 covers the safe operation, construction and performance of packaged stationary fuel cell power systems that do not exceed 10 MW of power output and are used with hydrogen gas, gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon fuel, or zinc particulate. Similarly, the US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed ANSI/NFPA 852-2000 (with an updated version currently under review), which also applies to the installation of stationary fuel cell power plants. This includes a singular prepackaged self-contained power plant unit, a combination of prepackaged self-contained units, and power plant units comprised of two or more factory matched modular components. Also under development by CSA America and pending approval as American National Standards are CSA FC2, Residential Fuel Cell Power Generators, and CSA FC3-200x, Portable Fuel Cell Power Systems. According to Fuel Cells 2000, residential fuel cell power generators can be connected to the local electric grid to provide supplemental service or can stand alone to provide service to areas that are without power lines. Fuel cells operate silently in contrast to noisy gas-powered generators, and the heat that they produce as a byproduct of their electricity-producing chemical reaction can be used for water or space heating. FC3-200x applies to portable indoor and/or outdoor fuel cell power systems with outputs of 600W or less. Such systems could be used to power nearly any appliance, from yard equipment to computers to lights, in a way that gas-powered generators are commonly used today. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) are ANSI members and accredited standards developers who have standards that address additional areas of fuel cell technology. UL has a new project titled UL 2265-200x, Standard for Safety for Replacement Fuel Cell Power Units for Appliances. This covers stand alone fuel cell power units that can be connected to appliances 'by a cord and plug arrangement or other connection means such as termination connectors integrated into the casing of the replacement fuel cell power unit.' Small portable fuel cells could eventually replace batteries in devices such as cell phones and laptops, power tools, and even hearing aids. SAE is also helping to ensure the safety of fuel cell use with SAE J 2578, Recommended Practice for General Fuel Cell Vehicle Safety, which provides mechanical and electrical system guidelines for designing fuel cell vehicles for use on public roads. Internationally, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 105 for fuel cell standards met in late June 2003 to discuss drafts of standards for several aspects of fuel cell technology. The drafts, part of the IEC 62282 family of standards, cover terminology for fuel cell technologies, fuel cell modules, stationery fuel cell power plants (their safety, test methods, and installation), fuel cell systems for propulsion and auxiliary power units, and portable fuel cell appliances. According to a report from the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer that participates in IEC TC 105, the committee realises that it will meet challenges in developing international standards for certain fuel cell uses due to varying installation codes in different countries. But the group hopes to develop standards that are flexible enough to allow for these differences.
Japan successfully tests fuel cell ocean probe vehicle TOKYO (AP) - Japanese researchers successfully tested the world's first deep sea probe run on fuel cells in a step toward more efficient ocean exploration, an official said Tuesday. Urashima, a red-and-white, 10-meter (yard) long torpedo-shaped submarine, successfully navigated shallow waters off the port of Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Monday, said Katsumi Nozawa, a spokesman for The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center. By using hydrogen-based fuel cell batteries, the submarine can more than double the underwater distance covered on standard lithium-ion batteries, Nozawa said. Equipped with a water sampling device and a digital camera, Urashima is designed to dive as deep as 3,500 meters (2.17 miles) and cruise as far as 300 kilometers (186 miles). The submarine, scheduled for actual use in 2005, is expected to take deep sea water samples from places unreachable by humans, such as areas around undersea volcanos and below the Arctic ice cap. The goal is to analyze amounts of carbon dioxide, sodium and other chemicals for information on global warming and other environmental changes. Researchers were planning to test the submarine again Tuesday in deeper
waters of the Pacific Ocean, Nozawa said.
Specification
PEM fuel cell
U.S. Department of Energy Recognizes FuelCell Energy's DFC3000 Power Plant 2 Megawatt Power Plant at Global Energy's Wabash River Energy, Ltd.
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Facility Will Be the World's First
Industrial Scale Fuel Cell Power Plant Powered by Coal-Derived Synthesis
Gas
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCEL
- News) announced today
that at a ceremony held at the Wabash River Energy, Ltd. Integrated Gasification
Combined Cycle (IGCC) Facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL) has recognized its first two-megawatt Direct FuelCell® (DFC®)
power plant as the world's first industrial scale fuel cell power plant
powered by coal-derived synthesis gas.
The two-megawatt DFC3000 power plant is expected to be operational on natural gas in the fourth quarter of 2003. Mechanical and electrical balance of plant components, including equipment for fuel processing, water treatment, thermal management and inverter for the conversion of direct current to alternating current, have been installed and will be tested before the two fuel cell modules are delivered to the site later this year. FuelCell Energy will also build a separate Synthesis Gas Processing Facility to process the refined coal synthesis gas suitable for the DFC3000 power plant. The DFC3000 power plant will operate on synthesis gas in the first quarter of 2004. Global Energy, Inc. of Cincinnati, OH, owns the Wabash River Energy, Ltd. IGCC facility. FuelCell Energy, Inc. will own and manage the operation of the DFC3000 power plant. "By working with Global Energy, FuelCell Energy will be able to demonstrate power generation from coal without combustion, with significantly lower emissions and greater fuel efficiency than conventional combustion technologies," said Jerry D. Leitman, chairman and CEO of FuelCell Energy. "This partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy marks a major advancement of our megawatt-class program, introducing our clean, efficient two-megawatt DFC power plant to a customer site." "The truly remarkable aspect of this technology is its ability to produce its own hydrogen, well ahead of a national hydrogen infrastructure that has yet to be developed," said Michael Smith, Energy's Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy. Because the fuel cell operates at high temperatures (1,200 oF) that allow fuel reformation to occur, the system can internally generate hydrogen from fossil fuels as well as wastewater treatment (anaerobic) gas. "In fact," said Smith, "it can churn out enough hydrogen to generate electricity and supply cogeneration applications." "We are excited to report that recent improvements now enable synthesis gas (SG) production from America's solid fuels (Coal, PetCoke, Renewables) at prices below market pipeline gas. This will help America's economy and its power, gas, and transportation fuel industries to move forward efficiently and effectively. SG production from America's strategic solid fuel reserves will push back on imports and balance of payments issues while creating jobs in related railroad and mining industries," said Harry H. Graves, President and CEO of Global Energy, Inc. "Gasification Technology, IGCC projects, and fuel cells offer the most promising future for optimal efficiency, environmental benefits, and low cost energy production. Enhanced use of coal in the United States supports the critical national goal of energy independence." FuelCell Energy expects to deliver a one-megawatt DFC power plant later this summer to a King County Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility near Seattle, Wash. Experience gained with the operation of these megawatt-class fuel cell power plants should enable the Company to develop larger DFC power plants operating on a variety of hydrocarbon fuels. The potential for combined heat and power applications greater than one megawatt in the United States is estimated to be over 25,000 megawatts(1). About Direct FuelCells Direct FuelCells efficiently generate clean electricity at distributed locations near the customer, including hospitals, schools, universities, hotels and other commercial and industrial facilities, as well as in grid support applications for utility customers. In essence, Direct FuelCells are like large, continuously operating batteries generate electricity as long as fuel, such as natural gas, is supplied. Since the fuel is not burned, there is no pollution commonly associated with the combustion of fossil fuels. Because hydrogen is generated directly within the fuel cell module from readily available fuels such as synthesis gas, natural gas and wastewater treatment gas, DFC power plants are ready today and do not require the creation of a hydrogen infrastructure. This high-efficiency technology generates more electric power from less fuel and with less carbon dioxide emissions than traditional methods using combustion. General Motors sponsors nationwide fuel cell education program LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology students from Virgil Middle School located in downtown Los Angeles will get hands-on experience by building a working fuel cell vehicle model today during the GM Tech Tour for Students at Dodger Stadium. The Tech Tour for Students program is designed to teach middle school students about fuel cell technology by allowing them to help assemble a hydrogen fuel cell model car and learn about the positive environmental and economic benefits of a hydrogen economy. The program also highlights the ongoing fuel cell research and development that GM is embarking on as part of its ultimate vision of a hydrogen economy. "In the not too distant future, fuel cell technology will be part of these students' daily lives," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president, environment and energy. "By creating a curriculum that explores the technology now, our goal is to build an understanding and awareness about the technologies that our industry's engineers believe will ultimately reinvent the automobiles we drive today." The program is an extension of GM's nationwide in-school fuel cell education program, "Fuel Cells: Driving the Future." This curriculum was launched last year, and has reached nearly 3.5 million middle school students. It was developed by Lifetime Learning Systems, Inc., a division of Weekly Reader Corp., and it provides science teachers with an engaging curriculum that highlights the fundamentals of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Weekly Reader is the leading classroom periodical publisher and currently serves more than 11 million children (pre-K through high school) and 400,000 teachers nationwide. Tech Tour for Students and "Fuel Cells: Driving the Future" are part of GM's broader K-12 education initiative, which strives to enlighten and educate children about important technology issues that will impact their futures. These initiatives provide timely and interesting information, as well as suggestions for applying these ideas in a science curriculum. GM's Tech Tour for Students is traveling to five U.S. cities in conjunction with the 2003 GM Technology Tour. Other stops have included Albany, NY; and Sacramento. The tour has also traveled to Ottawa, Canada, and will visit San Francisco in September. The Technology Tour provides local public policy and other opinion leaders an opportunity to experience advanced automotive technologies and innovative vehicles that offer a glimpse of future transportation. Included in the tour is GM's Hy-wire, the world's first drivable vehicle that combines by-wire technology with a fuel cell propulsion system. Other featured vehicles include gas-electric hybrids, clean diesels, and other fuel-efficient technologies like displacement on demand and continuously variable transmissions. "GM has created and supported these education initiatives because we believe they are essential in creating a sustainable future," said Lowery. "Through our outreach programs, we involve young people to demonstrate that we all have a responsibility to protect our environment." General Motors Corp. [Kurs/Chart] , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs 341,000 people globally in its core automotive business and subsidiaries. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190 countries. In 2002, GM sold more than 8.6 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's consumer website at www.GM.com . GM's corporate responsibility website, www.GMability.com , contains additional information about GM's environmental education initiatives. Palcan Fuel Cells Launches Production With Initial Orders For Its Fuel Cell Stacks Palcan Fuel Cells Ltd. (TSX-V:PC) is pleased to announce that Voller Energy, headquartered in the United Kingdom, has confirmed an order for 100 of Palcan's fuel cell stacks. This production order follows Voller Energy's initial test trial of Palcan's fuel cell stacks. Voller Energy The order forward books production and ordered 100 units of Palcan's
120-watt proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks for delivery over the
next twelve months. This will effect the initial deployment of Voller's
Portapak VE100, a portable generating unit and battery charger. The Portapak
VE100 is targeted towards the mobile customer that has an immediate need
for independent power to recharge (on the fly) either a laptop computer,
cellular telephone, power tool or other similar device. The Portapak VE100
is capable of providing electricity in remote off-grid locations to power
up lighting, cooking and personal communications devices leaving minimal
thermal footprint.
Nagase & Co., Ltd. The Company is also pleased to report initial sales of US$55,000 from
Nagase Corporation Ltd resulting from a recent marketing agreement signed
between the two companies for the promotion, marketing and sales of Palcan's
products in Japan. This first sale through Nagase follows our recent signing
of a joint venture distribution agreement for Japan. "We are pleased with
the level of interest Nagase Corporation Ltd. has generated to date, in
light of their short tenure, and look forward to a solid relationship in
the future," states Dr. Shen. Dr. Shen will be traveling to Nagase headquarters
in Tokyo, Japan the week of August 11, 2003 to further refine marketing
strategies.
Anuvu Announces Availability of Fuel Cells For Educational Research and Teaching First Commercially Available, Industrial Quality 1.5 kW Fuel Cells Meet
Increased Demand for Research and Education Tools
Anuvu Incorporated, a pioneering developer and supplier
of fuel cell products, has announced the first commercially available,
industrial quality 1.5 kW fuel cells for educational institutions and research-based
organizations. Anuvu will provide the same fuel cells it currently uses
to power vehicles, boats and off grid power generation for research and
hands-on laboratory teaching applications.
Anuvu's Power-X(TM) 1.5 kW fuel cells can now be used for bench testing, reliability testing and prototype development and in classrooms for educational learning programs. Anuvu's fuel cells are currently used in a number of automotive and marine vehicle applications including the four-door sedan and light pickup versions of the Anuvu Clean Urban Vehicle, as well as a zero emission harbor water taxi. The result of nearly ten years of research and development, Anuvu's 1.5. kW Power-X(TM) fuel cells are smaller, less expensive, and more robust than similar commercially available options. International concerns over increased greenhouse gases, vehicle-related petroleum usage, and poor air quality have given hydrogen fuel cell development initiatives increased importance in the education industry. Educational research facilities throughout the world are eager to increase education and development on fuel cells to help facilitate the anticipated $100 billon dollar "hydrogen economy." In his 2003 State of the Union address, President George Bush proposed spending 1.2 billion dollars in research and development funding for clean, hydrogen-powered vehicles technologies. Anuvu's Power-X(TM) fuel cells are already being used by Kettering University and leading research facilities in Italy and Brazil. At its campus in Flint, Michigan, Kettering (formerly General Motors Institute) is using Anuvu's fuel cells for in-house research and teaching of educational seminars that instruct students on appropriate design considerations for fuel cells in transportation applications. In addition to workshops and seminars, Kettering's multi-year program includes plans to adapt the popular EV1 electric vehicle into a fuel cell battery electric hybrid zero emission vehicle. "Located in the automotive capital of the world, Kettering aims to be a step ahead in automotive-related research and development," said Craig Hoff, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University. "Academic interest in fuel cells is rapidly growing but the tools needed for universities to conduct cost-effective research and teaching haven't been available. Anuvu's high-quality fuel cells are helping us in our immediate research and prototype design efforts." "Our fuel cells are the only commercially available products that educational institutions can affordably buy and use in the lab or classroom for meaningful research and teaching applications," said Rex Hodge, president and CEO of Anuvu. "The Anuvu 1.5 kW Power-X(TM) fuel cell is not a plastic toy. This is a state of the art industrial power source and offers countless opportunities to learn from studies in real energy conversion for real world applications."
Mazda to develop rotary hydrogen car Mazda aims to develop a rotary-engine car powered by hydrogen, which would be far less costly than fuel-cell cars and more environment-friendly than gasoline vehicles. Japan's fifth-ranked automaker will unveil a prototype car at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, aiming to put it on the market in some five years, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports. The car, with the roughly 150-horsepower engine and based on the RX-8 sports car, would be able to run about 200km on a single tank of fuel, the economic daily said. Rotary engines are less fuel-efficient than internal combustion engines when running on gasoline, but are expected to be more efficient than standard engines when powered by hydrogen, it said. It would cost Y3-4 million ($A38,000-51,000) to build a car mounted with the hydrogen-powered rotary engine, it said.
GTI Fuel Cell Test Reaches Important Milestone GTI recently reached a major project milestone in its proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell development program. Researchers report that a novel uncoated metal bipolar separator plate surpassed one year of endurance testing (over 8,760 hours). The metallic plates showed a significant improvement in corrosion resistance, with excellent formability for high-volume stamping operations. These findings increase the potential for the future development and commercialization of lower-cost fuel cell components for vehicular, portable, and stationary applications. "This is an exciting development," says Bill Liss, GTI's Director, Advanced Energy Systems. "The automotive industry needs increased power density, high-volume manufacturability, and significantly lower cost in bipolar plates before mass produced fuel cell vehicles are viable. This first full year of testing validates the potential of our technology to meet those goals." Endurance testing measurements of surface contact resistance indicate virtually no degradation on the cathode or anode side of the low-cost metal plates. Current resistance measurements (referred to as IR losses) attributed to the bipolar plates remained constant over time during cell testing. These IR losses were approximately 10 percent lower than the losses seen in the high-performance graphite plates that have typically been used in fuel cell development. "This is important because reduced current resistance losses translate into improved power density and higher efficiency," adds Len Marianowski, GTI's Executive Scientist. Using a procedure developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for
determining the corrosion rate of bipolar plates, GTI measurements indicate
the corrosion rate for this material is less than 10 percent of the allowable
rate recently specified by DOE. Independent analysis of the PEM membrane
material used in cell testing indicates essentially no products of contamination
from the metal plates.
Fund proposed for hydrogen fuel R&D-India The petroleum ministry has decided to constitute an India Hydrogen Corpus Fund, with contribution from all public sector oil units, to develop hydrogen as an automobile fuel. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will be the nodal agency for the fund. The ministry has decided that the research and development division of IOC will set up a dedicated team to work on hydrogen fuel. The team will also include representatives from other public sector oil units. IOC has been directed to prepare a roadmap for two years to initiate work in identified areas such as production of hydrogen, its storage and distribution. The oil company will also organise large-scale field trials in the next five years in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers. The petroleum ministry has decided to establish an India Hydrogen Congress, with the involvement of all interested parties, which will serve a forum for interaction and exchange of ideas at the international conference to be held later this year. The Planning Commission has also set up a committee under its member N K Singh to set out a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in the country. The committee will assess India's comparative advantages in developing hydrogen, suggest research initiatives and work out a schedule for the introduction of the new technology. Hydrogen does not occur in free state in large quantities. It is extracted from water through electrolysis. The economics of hydrogen fuel cell technology is a major hurdle to its commercialisation.
House Defense Appropriations subcommittee approves funding for DOD mobile technology-Direct Liquid Ethanol Delivery System A House Defense Appropriations subcommittee has set aside $14 million to further develop the Defense Department’s research and testing of battlefield situational awareness and power source technology through the next year, a subcommittee official said yesterday. Of the $14 million in appropriations, $3 million would be allocated to the Direct Liquid Ethanol Delivery System, a project to develop fuel cell alternatives to battery power in the battlefield. Two Companies that are partnering on this project are Itronix and General Dynamics Corp. "The ethanol fuel cell technology could produce up to 10 times the electrical power that batteries can for significantly less weight," said Chris Marzilli, vice president and general manager for commercial hardware systems for General Dynamics C4 Systems Inc., a business unit of General Dynamics Corp. Total funding is still pending approval from the Senate. One company involved in the development of a Direct Liquid Ethanol Fuel Cell is Medis Technologies. Medis recently announced they and General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD - News), had signed an agreement for Medis to design and develop a pre-production prototype of Medis' fuel cell Power Pack for the ruggedized personal digital assistant (PDA) system that General Dynamics is developing for the military.
Ebara to sell Fuel Cell Modules at Discount to Academics Ebara Corp. (TSE:6361) plans to sell fuel cells at a discount to university researchers, charging them just 800,000 yen (US$6,717.04) for a 1.2kw-class power module. Many leading companies are developing fuel cells for vehicles and home cogeneration power systems, but by making it easier for academic scientists to get their hands on fuel cells, Ebara aims to create an environment that can nurture ideas and yield new applications. The sales will be made though Ebara Ballard Corp., a joint venture between Ebara and Canada's Ballard Power Systems Inc., the world's largest fuel cell company. Ebara Ballard sells a fuel cell system for use as an emergency power source that is priced at 2.5 million yen, and that combines a power module with control equipment, power converter and batteries. The system that it will sell to university researchers will include only the power module, made by Ballard Power Systems.
Dalian Institute conducts first test of 5kW fuel cell with methanol reformer The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, one of the leading developers of fuel cell technology in China, has recently announced the successful operation of a 5kW fuel cell with an integrated methanol reformer. During the first test of the system on August 3, the performance of both the fuel processor and the fuel cell system were completely normal and stable. The CO concentration of the hydrogen gas was ca. 30ppm, and the hydrogen content attained 53%.The power output of the fuel cell was around 5.0 to 5.2 kW throughout the test. Data obtained showed that the fuel cell had a superior CO tolerating ability, and its waste gas could be utilized as the fuel gas of the reforming unit, thus achieving an optimal energy balance of the whole integrated system. The size of the 5kW mobile reforming unit was 750x680x400mm, weighing 50 kg. Dalian did not comment on the type of fuel cell system in question, although it is undoubtedly PEMFC-based.
State firm keeps N.Y. region lit-UTC Power, GE help out in blackout While the rest of New York City was plunged into darkness Thursday by a massive blackout, the Central Park Precinct lights remained on because of a Connecticut company. A United Technologies Corp. subsidiary and Fairfield-based General Electric Co. both saw products perform during the blackout, but the two companies worked from different ends of the power spectrum. Windsor-based UTC Power provided the product that kept the lights on at the precinct, independent of the grid, while GE, as a main provider of turbines and generators, worked with power plant personnel to restore the grid. In 1999, UTC Power installed fuel cells at the Central Park Precinct. After a brief trial, the precinct was completely removed from the grid and became a grid-independent facility that same year. Fuel cells convert hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air into electricity without combustion. The technology is highly efficient and less polluting than other power generating technologies. On Thursday, a police officer at the precinct, who preferred not to give his name, confirmed that they did not lose power during the blackout that left 50 million people in the dark from Michigan to New Jersey and north into Canada. "It's called stationary distributed generation," said Peter Dalpe, a UTC Power spokesman. He said UTC's fuel cell worked exactly as expected Thursday, and the precinct continues to have electricity. Dalpe said UTC sees its stationary distributed generation (SDG) products as a way to help avoid problems like this in the future. Besides fuel cells, the company also makes micro-turbines, which can also free buildings from the power grid. However, Dalpe said the technology is still very expensive and the grid remains the cheaper alternative. But the new technology could help Connecticut and other areas that are dealing with load problems, according to Dalpe. If some facilities are removed from the grid by installing SDG technology, it could free up more power, and eliminate the need for more power plants. Beryl Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Public Utility, said the SDG technology could help reduce the load on the grid "as things become more practical and more routine." She said, however, the cost of the technology remains prohibitive, but added that 30 years ago people were saying the same thing about home computers. Dalpe said the technology is also being used to supplement grid failures. UTC installed fuel cells in Nebraska and Alaska that kick on and provide power when the grid fails, he said. Dalpe also said UTC is looking to develop back-up systems for cell towers. During the blackout, cell phone service was interrupted in New York because the cell towers did not have any power. Although, UTC products kept the Central Park Precinct power on, GE said some of its products also performed well during the blackout. GE provided portable generators to hospitals and other businesses affected by the blackout, according to GE spokesmen. Dennis Murphy, a spokesman for Atlanta-based GE Power Systems, said GE rolled out 35 megawatts of emergency power within 12 hours of the beginning of the blackout in New York City and Long Island. GE also provided power in other states during the outage, he said. Now, GE engineers are working with power plants to get them up and running, he said. Murphy said GE doesn't provide SDG technology, but does make fuel cells for use in conjunction with the grid. GE also manufactures the large industrial turbines and generators that power the grid. UTC subsidiary Pratt & Whitney also makes large industrial turbines. Murphy said he hasn't heard anything more on the cause of the blackout. He said an engineer told him that it took months to figure out the cause of the 1965 blackout that also plunged much of the Northeast into darkness. |
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