FuelCellsWorks

By Mariko Yasu

Panasonic Corp. Aims to boost sales of household fuels cells to as many as 100,000 units in 2015 from 3,000 to 5,000 estimated for 2010, the company said in a statement today.

Fuel cells generally use hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. Panasonic started selling household fuel cells in May 2009, a product that has a power output of 1000 watts, according to the company’s website.

Berlin-based provider of energy storage solutions receives grant from Federal Ministry of Economics

Berlin–Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG, a leading specialist in clean energy storage solutions, is developing an innovative energy management system for electric vehicles which will enable energy storage solutions with a significantly increased range.

The goal of the project is to develop an energy management system, with which it will be possible to hybridise modern lithium-ion batteries with fuel cells, thus creating energy storage solutions offering a significantly higher range for electric vehicles. Energy management systems control and optimise energy flows within the storage solution and therefore constitute a central component of future electric mobility solutions.

Electric vehicles are currently becoming extremely significant, not only in Germany, but also around the world. The German government has set itself the target of having at least one million electric vehicles and 500,000 fuel cell vehicles on Germany’s roads by 2020. However, due to the limited energy density of batteries, even with lithium-ion technology, electric vehicles run on batteries alone do not have the range offered by today´s normal motor vehicles. Fuel cell-battery hybrid vehicles are therefore regarded as a better solution by numerous experts.

Dr. Henrik Colell, CEO, commented: “The energy management system is a central component of our technology strategy for the development of innovative energy storage solutions with a higher storage capacity and range. As such, we are coming closer to our goal of positioning ourselves as a provider of fully-electric hybrid solutions in the attractive market for special vehicles.”

Berlin-based Embeddeers GmbH is Heliocentris’ project partner. Embeddeers is a service provider in the field of automotive development whose clients include well-known automotive suppliers. The company’s specific expertise lies in the planning and implementation of control software for comfort electronics and drive trains in passenger and commercial vehicles. In this project, Embeddeers is responsible for the generic and project specific control of the energy management. Forchert-Consulting (Berlin) is responsible for the project co-ordination. Heliocentris will develop the entire energy manager including the necessary power electronics. Production and global marketing and sales are to be carried out by Heliocentris.

In future, the energy management system is to be used and marketed as a central component of Heliocentris’ energy storage solutions. Perspectively, it will also be possible for other electric mobility providers to use the energy management system in their vehicles.

Development is to be completed by the end of 2011. It is being financially supported by the Federal Ministry for Economics with Heliocentris receiving €175,000.

Encouraged by:

• Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie
• ZIM Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand

About Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG

Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG is a specialist for clean energy storage solutions based on a smart combination of batteries, fuel cells and energy management. Areas of application are mobile and stationary applications that require longer ranges than current batteries can provide. Examples are electric vehicles, onboard and emergency power supplies as well as electricity supply for off-grid applications such as monitoring stations or energy self-sufficient houses.  Heliocentris has been developing and marketing fuel cell-based energy solutions for more than 10 years now. Heliocentris initially targeted the training and lab markets as typical pioneer markets, where it has successfully positioned itself as one of the worldwide market leaders. Since 2006, Heliocentris has been entering selected industrial markets with considerable growth potential. With customers in over 60 countries and a broad distribution and partner network, Heliocentris is globally well positioned. Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG is listed at the Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse (Entry Standard) and employs in total 50 staff with its head office in Berlin and a subsidiary in Vancouver, Canada. Further information is available at: www.heliocentris.com.

For the optimal gas supply of a SOFC fuel cell stack during a test run or sintering process, it is necessary to accurately position the test item inside the furnace of the testing or sintering station.

The gas inlet and outlet is realized through a ground plate in the furnace bottom, the so-called manifold. Combined with a controlled mechanical load for the defined compression on top of the stack, the leak-tightness between stack and manifold, as a prerequisite for correct measurement results, is achieved. A wrong positioning of the test item can therefore cause in an under-supply with gases and, as worst case, in the destruction of the stack.

With a clever modification of the furnace concept, FuelCon has developed in close consultation with their customers a solution that sustainable simplifies the SOFC stack adjustment and provides higher accuracy for the stack positioning. The company has integrated a reflecting side as well as an automatically controlled lightening inside the furnace, which allows to easily looking at the stack from all sides. This provides not only a convenient connection of current and voltage collectors with the test item. It furthermore simplifies the connection of thermocouples for controlling and monitoring the temperature distribution inside the stack. 

A development, which would be also interesting for visitors of the “9th European Solid Oxid Fuel Cell Forum”. Taking place from June 29th to July 2nd in Lucerne (Switzerland), the forum provides the international setting for discussing latest trends, developments and technical progresses of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell research. FuelCon will participate at this event as exhibitor and present its test and assembling systems.

Southampton, UK– Bac2, the cleantech materials and components company, has announced an improved version of its ElectroPhen ® material for the production of moulded fuel cell bipolar plates. Called EP1109, the new material was originally developed for operation in direct methanol fuel cells. However, tests in low temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have indicated that using EP1109 results in higher output voltages from individual cells and that the steady-state cell voltage is maintained for longer, both of which are desirable characteristics.

Bipolar plates contain channels through which fuel, air and water vapour flow and they need to be electrically conductive to pass the current generated by the cells. Bipolar plates can be made from conductive materials such as graphite or metal. Graphite plates are not economical because they need to be individually machined to create the flow channels. Metal plates suffer from surface corrosion due to the acidic environment in a fuel cell stack. These problems are overcome with ElectroPhen®, which is a chemically inert, electrically conductive, thermoset composite material made using Bac2’s patented polymer technology. It can be compression moulded and cured at low temperature, enabling plates to be produced quickly and economically in any quantity. Compared with other composite materials, ElectroPhen® can achieve the required conductivity for fuel cell plates with a lower loading of graphite. This means that the flow properties of ElectroPhen® moulding compounds are superior, leading to a better mould fill and tighter dimensional tolerance.

For prototyping purposes, Bac2 can supply either moulded blank ElectroPhen® plates or plates machined by Bac2 to the customers’ designs, prior to producing mould tools for high volume production. Standard blank plates are available in sizes from 60mm x 40mm up to 300mm x 200mm. The mechanical strength of ElectroPhen® allows plates of 1mm thickness or less to be produced, enabling production of compact fuel cell stacks.

Bac2 Ltd
Bac2 is the developer of ElectroPhen®, an electrically conductive plastic that will make a significant contribution to the early adoption of clean energy from fuel cell stacks. Fuel cells are technically proven sources of clean energy for our planet, but adoption is presently limited by cost. Bac2 is in the process of developing ElectroPhen® commercially and has patents pending in Europe, America and Japan. ElectroPhen® is made from readily available low-cost constituents, can be pressed or moulded to complex shapes, and is robust enough for harsh environments. By comparison, competitors produce composite plates using electrically insulating resins to bind together conductive particles such as graphite. In addition to its role in fuel cells, Bac2 will find an increasingly wide range of applications for ElectroPhen in electrical and electronic industries.

Bac2, Millbrook Technology Campus, Second Avenue, Southampton, S015 0DJ
james.lewis@bac2.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 331413

LATHAM, N.Y– Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLU), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, today announced that its GenDrive(TM) fuel cell units will power Walmart Canada’s fleet of electric lift trucks at the company’s sustainable refrigerated distribution center in Alberta, Canada.

The GenDrive systems will be integrated into trucks manufactured by Crown Equipment Corporation. Both perishable and freezer goods will be distributed in Walmart Canada’s newly-built facility to support retail stores in Western Canada. The GenDrive freezer units will operate in conditions as low as -20 degrees F (-29 degrees C).

By utilizing GenDrive-powered lift trucks from the design stage, costs associated with installing, maintaining and operating traditional lead-acid battery systems are avoided. The decision to move forward with hydrogen-powered trucks and supporting infrastructure at the start allows for the possibility of future use at other existing sites.

In addition to lower operating costs, GenDrive allows for productivity increases, as material handling vehicles maintain maximum power and speed during an entire shift. Units can be refueled in less than two minutes, minimizing lost productivity.

Most importantly, the use of GenDrive hydrogen fuel cells provides companies with a power solution that aligns with environmental initiatives. With a possible greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of up to 72%, compared to batteries charged from the grid, GenDrive supports a sustainable operation.

“Plug Power is thrilled our GenDrive fuel cell product is helping Walmart Canada’s Alberta facility become one of the most energy-efficient distribution facilities of its kind in North America,” said Plug Power’s CEO, Andy Marsh. “Plug Power’s complete product suite allowed Walmart to implement the GenDrive solution throughout its entire fleet. The commercial economics make sense and we believe customers see the benefits this progressive solution brings to its operations.”

“Crown’s substantial research and development of fuel cell forklifts are focused on designs and applications customized to our customers’ unique requirements,” said Jim Moran, senior vice president, Crown Equipment. “There are measurable benefits, such as cost savings and increased productivity, which can be achieved by using fuel cells in forklifts within certain applications. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Walmart in its efforts to realize these benefits in its Canada facility.”

The systems are expected to begin shipping in June and will be operational at Walmart Canada in fall of 2010.

About Plug Power Inc.

The architects of modern fuel cell technology, Plug Power revolutionized the industry with cost-effective power solutions that increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon footprints. Long-standing relationships with industry leaders forged the path for our key accounts, including Wegmans, Whole Foods, and FedEx Freight. With more than 1,000 units in the field and over 1.5 million hours of runtime, Plug Power manufactures tomorrow’s incumbent power solutions today. Visit us at www.plugpower.com.