FuelCellsWorks

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM/ASX: CFU) – a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings – today announced that it has entered a licence agreement with USA-based NexTech Materials, Ltd for NexTech to commercially offer solid oxide fuel cell interconnect coating solutions based on Ceramic Fuel Cells’ patented formulations.

Ceramic Fuel Cells has patented a technology which protects metal interconnect plates from chromium poisoning. This solution, which Ceramic Fuel Cells uses in its own fuel cell products, is useful for other developers of solid oxide fuel cells.

Based in Ohio, NexTech Materials is a leading provider of technology solutions for the solid oxide fuel cell market. NexTech’s customers are located in more than 35 countries and include fuel cell researchers, developers and manufacturers.

Ceramic Fuel Cells will receive a royalty from NexTech Materials’ sales, creating an additional revenue stream from Ceramic Fuel Cells’ existing intellectual property.

Ceramic Fuel Cells has developed a Fuel Cell Interconnect Device which provides a protective coating for cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells and other electrochemical devices. The company has been granted patents on the invention in the United States, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom), Australia and New Zealand.

Ceramic Fuel Cells has granted NexTech Materials a worldwide licence to use this patented coating technology to provide products and services to solid oxide fuel cell developers and

Chattanooga, Tennessee, today unveiled the City’s first Bloom Box, a 100 kW energy server based on cutting-edge fuel cell technology from California’s Bloom Energy.

Chattanooga, TN  — Officials and representatives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, today inaugurated the City’s first Bloom Box, a 100 kW energy server based on cutting-edge fuel cell technology from California’s Bloom Energy. The project is the continuation of a long-standing partnership, facilitated by Congressman Zach Wamp, between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the National Center for Computational Engineering (SimCenter), EPB, TVA, The Enterprise Center and Bloom Energy that began with Bloom’s first field trial of its technology in 2006. That successful field trial was a key milestone on Bloom’s path to commercialization.

“UTC and the Tennessee Valley, have been exceptional partners from the beginning and the valuable insights gained here have helped shape our product into the commercially viable entity it is today,” said KR Sridhar, Co-founder and CEO of Bloom Energy. “We are thrilled to be here to celebrate the continuation of Bloom Energy’s collaboration with Tennessee’s Congressional leadership, the Tennessee Valley Authority, EPB, and the University.”

UTC and the Tennessee Valley, have been exceptional partners from the beginning and the valuable insights gained here have helped shape our product into the commercially viable entity it is today

We are thrilled to be here to celebrate the continuation of Bloom Energy’s collaboration with Tennessee’s Congressional leadership, the Tennessee Valley Authority, EPB, and the University.

The Tennessee Valley has been involved with this technology for a long time, and we’re now at the point of demonstrating its viability as a compliment to the grid. The ultimate goal would be to manufacture fuel cells in Tennessee and further advance the new manufacturing boon in the Tennessee Valley Corridor

Bloom’s technology could have a tremendous impact for the world in creating new energy sources and is cleaner and more efficient than much of today’s power generation. Fuel cell technology coupled with increased nuclear energy could significantly shrink our country’s carbon footprint.

Energy independence and preserving the environment are critical national priorities. An efficient economical fuel cell with low or negligible carbon emission that can operate on a wide range of locally available fuels-such as natural gas and other biofuels – and then provide distributed electrical power without major transmission loss is one element in the solution to this critical issue

This type of research is exactly why the SimCenter must continue to grow and widen its interests to provide Chattanooga, the state and the nation with well-educated engineers to solve challenging important problems.

With major support from Congressman Zach Wamp, and in conjunction with TVA, this project will provide 24/7 clean reliable power to EPB’s building.

“The Tennessee Valley has been involved with this technology for a long time, and we’re now at the point of demonstrating its viability as a compliment to the grid. The ultimate goal would be to manufacture fuel cells in Tennessee and further advance the new manufacturing boon in the Tennessee Valley Corridor,” said Congressman Wamp. “Bloom’s technology could have a tremendous impact for the world in creating new energy sources and is cleaner and more efficient than much of today’s power generation. Fuel cell technology coupled with increased nuclear energy could significantly shrink our country’s carbon footprint.”

Located on the top floor of the EPB building’s parking garage, in downtown Chattanooga, the Bloom Box will be a showcase piece for innovation and for successful collaboration between the public and private sectors. By working closely with TVA, this project also highlights how distributed generation technologies such as Bloom’s can be an integral part of a clean smart grid for the 21st century.

“Energy independence and preserving the environment are critical national priorities. An efficient economical fuel cell with low or negligible carbon emission that can operate on a wide range of locally available fuels-such as natural gas and other biofuels – and then provide distributed electrical power without major transmission loss is one element in the solution to this critical issue,” said Dr. Harry McDonald, holder of the Chair of Excellence in Computational Engineering at the National Center for Computational Engineering (SimCenter). “This type of research is exactly why the SimCenter must continue to grow and widen its interests to provide Chattanooga, the state and the nation with well-educated engineers to solve challenging important problems.”

The units will be closely monitored by EPB, Bloom Energy, and the National Center for Computational Engineering (SimCenter) to optimize and simulate performance and to provide educational value on cutting edge energy technology.

Chattanooga continues to be on the forefront of technology. Home to the National Center for Computational Engineering (SimCenter), the largest municipal 100% Fiber Optics network, and one of the most automated Smart Grids in the nation, the 100 kW Energy Server is yet another shining example of Chattanooga quickly becoming a recognized national leader in state-of-the-art thinking and innovation.

Chattanooga, TENN. – Officials and representatives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recently inaugurated the City’s first Bloom Box, a 100kW energy server poised to become an important alternative energy source for the nation’s power grid.

The energy server uses solid oxide fuel cell technology developed by California’s Bloom Energy. Researchers from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s SimCenter: National Center for Computational Engineering evaluated the cell’s efficiency and will continue to monitor the new installation.

The project is the continuation of a long-standing partnership between the UTC SimCenter, EPB, TVA, and Bloom Energy that began with Bloom’s first field trial of its technology in 2006. That successful field trial was a key milestone on Bloom’s path to commercialization. 

Located on the top floor of the EPB building’s parking garage, in downtown Chattanooga, the Bloom Box will be a showcase piece for innovation and for successful collaboration between the public and private sectors.  By working closely with TVA, this project also highlights how distributed generation technologies such as Bloom’s can be an integral part of a clean smart grid for the 21st century.

“Energy independence and preserving the environment are critical national priorities. An efficient economical fuel cell with low or negligible carbon emission that can operate on a wide range of locally available fuels-such as natural gas and other biofuels-and then provide distributed electrical power without major transmission loss is one element in the solution to this critical issue,” said Dr. Harry McDonald, holder of the Chair of Excellence in Computational Engineering at the UTC SimCenter. “This type of research is exactly why the SimCenter must continue to grow and widen its interests to provide Chattanooga, the state and the nation with well-educated engineers to solve challenging important problems.”

The units will be closely monitored by the EPB, Bloom Energy, and the UTC SimCenter to optimize and simulate performance and to provide educational value on cutting edge energy technology.

“UTC and the Tennessee Valley, have been exceptional partners from the beginning, and the valuable insights gained here have helped shape our product into the commercially viable entity it is today,” said KR Sridhar.  “We are thrilled to be here to celebrate the continuation of Bloom Energy’s collaboration with Tennessee’s Congressional leadership, the Tennessee Valley Authority, EPB, and the University.”

With major support from Congressman Zach Wamp, and in conjunction with the TVA, this project will provide 24/7 clean reliable power to EPB’s building.

“The Tennessee Valley has been involved with this technology for a long time, and we’re now at the point of demonstrating its viability as a compliment to the grid. The ultimate goal would be to manufacture fuel cells in Tennessee and further advance the new manufacturing boon in the Tennessee Valley Corridor,” said Congressman Wamp. “Bloom’s technology could have a tremendous impact for the world in creating new energy sources that are cleaner and more efficient than much of today’s power generation. Fuel cell technology coupled with increased nuclear energy could significantly shrink our country’s carbon footprint.”

Bloom Energy’s technology produces clean, reliable, affordable power, practically anywhere, from a wide range of renewable or traditional fuel sources, including natural gas, wind, solar, and biomass. Bloom Energy Servers are among the most efficient energy generators available, providing for significantly reduced electricity costs and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. By generating power on-site where it is consumed, Bloom Energy offers increased power reliability and security.

Chattanooga continues to be on the forefront of technology.  Home to the UTC SimCenter National Center for Computational Engineering, the largest fiber to the home network, and one of the most automated Smart Grids in the nation, the 100 kW Energy Server is yet another shining example of Chattanooga quickly becoming a recognized national leader in state-of-the-art thinking and innovation.

“Here at UTC, we are proud of the progress our campus and our community have made in the areas of sustainability and energy innovation. And we are especially proud that the research scientists and students from our SimCenter played an integral part in the development of this exciting new technology,” said UTC Chancellor Roger Brown. “This is exactly the caliber of research and development this region is coming to expect from our campus.”

About Chattanooga’s Energy Server Partners:

Bloom Energy

Bloom Energy is a provider of breakthrough solid oxide fuel cell technology that generates clean, highly-efficient power onsite from virtually any fuel source. Bloom Energy’s mission is to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world. The Bloom Energy Server is currently producing power for several Fortune 500 companies. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. For more information, visit BloomEnergy.com.

EPB

A non-profit agency of the City of Chattanooga, EPB was established in 1935 and is one of the largest publicly-owned providers of electric power in the country, serving more than 168,000 residents and businesses in a 600 square-mile area.  Today, EPB is both an electric utility and a communications company, providing communications services for homes and businesses using their 100% fiber optic infrastructure.  For more information, visit epb.net.

National Center for Computational Engineering (SimCenter)

Located at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the SimCenter integrates research and education to establish next generation technologies in computational modeling, simulation, and design in support of such areas as defense, sustainable energy, environment, and health. Students in the SimCenter’s M.S. and Ph.D. programs participate in interdisciplinary team research to address a broad range of real world engineering challenges through engineering analysis and scientific and mathematical computation.  For more information, visit UTC.edu/SimCenter.

The Enterprise Center

The Enterprise Center, Inc. promotes high-tech economic development in the Chattanooga community to create jobs and build wealth. Our mission is to lead the City of Chattanooga’s and Hamilton County’s technology-based economic development initiatives thereby promoting the advancement of economic transformation in the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and the Tennessee Valley Corridor.  For more information, visit theenterprisectr.org.

TVA

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.  For more information, visit TVA.gov.

In these STM images of a platinum catalyst, (A) shows the terraced the surface under ultrahigh vacuum, (B) as the surface is covered with carbon monoxide and pressure increases, the terraces widen (C) when coverage is complete and press reaches one torr, the terraces fracture into nanoclusters (D) enlarged view shows triangular shape of the nanoclusters, two of which are marked by red lines. Image courtesy of Berkeley Lab Somorjai and Salmeron, et. al

When it comes to metal catalysts, the platinum standard is, well, platinum! However, at about $2,000 an ounce, platinum is more expensive than gold. The high cost of the raw material presents major challenges for the future wide scale use of platinum in fuel cells. Research at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) suggests that one possible way to meet these challenges is to think small – really small.

A study led by Gabor Somorjai and Miquel Salmeron of Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division showed that under high pressure, comparable to the pressures at which many industrial technologies operate, nanoparticle clusters of platinum potentially can out-perform the single crystals of platinum now used in fuel cells and catalytic converters.

“We’ve discovered that the presence of carbon monoxide molecules can reversibly alter the catalytic surfaces of platinum single crystals, supposedly the most thermodynamically stable configuration for a platinum catalyst,” said Somorjai, one of the world’s foremost experts on surface chemistry and catalysis. “This indicates that under high-pressure conditions, single crystals of platinum are not as stable as nanoclusters, which actually become more stabilized as carbon monoxide molecules are co-adsorbed together with platinum atoms.”

Gabor Somorjai (left), an authority on catalysis, and Miquel Salmeron, an authority on surface imaging, used a high-pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscope to observe the surface of a platinum catalyst under actual industrial reaction conditions. Image by Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs

“Our results also demonstrate that the limitations of traditional surface science techniques can be overcome with the use of techniques that operate under realistic conditions, says Salmeron, a leading authority on surface imaging and developer of the in situ imaging and spectroscopic techniques used in this study. He is also the director of Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division.

In this study, single crystal platinum surfaces were examined under high-pressure. The surfaces were structured as a series of flat terraces about six atoms wide separated by atomic steps. Such structural feature are common in metal catalysts and are considered to be the active sites where catalytic reactions occur. Single crystals are used as models for these features.

Somorjai and Salmeron coated the platinum surfaces in this study with carbon monoxide gas, a reactant involved in many important industrial catalytic processes, including the Fischer-Tropsch process for making liquid hydrocarbons, the oxidation process in automobile catalytic converters, and the degradation of platinum electrodes in hydrogen fuel cells. As carbon monoxide coverage of the platinum crystal surfaces approached 100-percent, the terraces began to widen – the result of increasing lateral repulsion between the molecules. When the surface pressure reached one torr, the terraces fractured into nanometer-sized clusters. The terraces were re-formed upon removal of the carbon monoxide gas.

“Our observations of the large-scale surface restructuring of stepped platinum highlights the strong connection between coverage of reactant molecules and the atomic structure of the catalyst surface,” says Somorjai. “The ability to observe catalytic surfaces at the atomic and molecular levels under actual reaction conditions is the only way such a phenomenon could be detected.”

Catalysts – substances that speed up the rates of chemical reactions without themselves being chemically changed – are used to initiate virtually every industrial manufacturing process that involves chemistry. Metal catalysts are the workhorses with platinum being one of the best. Industrial catalysts typically operate under pressures ranging from millitorr to atmospheres, and at temperatures ranging from room to hundreds of degrees Celsius. However, surface science experiments have traditionally been performed under high vacuum conditions and low temperatures.

“Such conditions will likely inhibit any surface restructuring process that requires the overcoming of even moderate activation barriers,” Somorjai says.

Says Salmeron, “The unanswered question today is what are the geometry and location of the catalyst atoms when the surfaces are covered with dense layers of molecules, as occurs during a chemical reaction.”

Somorjai and Salmeron have for many years been collaborating on the development of instrumentation and techniques that enable them to do catalysis studies under realistic conditions. They now have at their disposal unique high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) and an ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) beamline operating at the Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source, a premier source of synchrotron radiation for scientific research.

“With these two resources, we can image the atomic structure and identify the chemical state of catalyst atoms and adsorbed reactant molecules under industrial-type pressures and temperatures,” Salmeron says.

STM images revealed the formation of nanoclusters on the platinum crystal surfaces, and the AP-XPS spectra revealed a change in carbon monoxide electron binding energies. A subsequent collaboration with Lin-Wang Wang, a theorist in Berkeley Lab’s Computational Sciences Division, explained the change in structure as the result of the relaxation of the strong repulsion between carbon monoxide molecules that arises from their very high density on the surface when in equilibrium with elevated pressures of the gas.

“In the future, the use of these stable platinum nanoclusters as fuel cell catalysts may help to boost performance and reduce costs,” Somorjai says.

The next step for Somorjai and Salmeron and their research team will be to determine whether other adsorbed reactants, such as oxygen or hydrogen, also result in the creation of nanoclusters in platinum. They also want to know if nanoclusters can be induced in other metal catalysts as well, such as palladium, silver, copper, rhodium, iron and cobalt.

“If this nanoclustering is a general phenomenon, it will have major consequences for the type of structures that catalysts must have under high-pressure, high-temperature catalytic reaction conditions,” Somorjai says.

LIVERMORE, CA–UltraCell Corporation, a leading producer of portable fuel cells, today announced the shipment to the U.S. Military of the UltraCell Snorkel fuel cell system with an ultra-rugged two gallon fuel tank. The Snorkel system provides the end user virtually silent and hidden fuel cell operation for long term and unattended covert power.

The new Snorkel system provides a fuel cell enclosure that enables buried and camouflaged operation in a wide range of environments with UltraCell’s XX25 or XX55 fuel cells. The system can be paired with a broad range of fuel containers specific to the desired mission. Up to 25,000Whr (1000hr at 25W and 2500hr at 10W) of fuel can be connected to the enclosure.

All necessary power management is included within the Snorkel system, ensuring long runtime for either steady or varying loads ranging from one watt to 80W peak. The turn-key solution offers rapid fuel change-out capability and two power jacks.

“UltraCell is driven to provide not only the world’s best fuel cells, but also solutions that meet the most demanding requirements of end users,” said UltraCell CEO Keith Scott. “The Snorkel allows users to deploy fuel cells in the remotest of locations, and to provide long run power for stealth applications by being able to bury the power source.”

About UltraCell
UltraCell is a leading producer of fuel cell systems for mobile devices. The company has developed new micro fuel cell technologies and intellectual property in the field of methanol-based fuel cells. Its patented, award-winning portable fuel cell, the XX25™, achieved Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 status, a significant U.S. Army milestone and certification for military use and commercial production. For more information about UltraCell, please visit http://www.ultracellpower.com/.

Lyngby–Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S and Risø DTU have received a grant of 7.3 mill EUR (54.5 mill DKK) from the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP). The grant is given with the aim of ensuring that the current efforts within in ceramic fuel cells (SOFC) will be continued, leading to prototypes in 2012 which meet market demands for efficiency, life time and price.

Continued development and demonstration

The project allows Topsoe Fuel Cell and Risø DTU to continue their collaboration within development and demonstration as foreseen in the national strategy for that field. The project is also essential for the development of technological solutions for the Danish Micro Combined Heat and Power project – read more at www.dmkv.dk

Funding for internationally leading competences

The project is an extension of previous projects from the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program, ForskEL and the Advanced Technology Foundation, which have assisted in the formation of a unique competence within ceramic fuel cells.

”With the award of this grant, the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program has met its declared goal of supporting projects, where Danish competences are internationally leading, where the project participants have the necessary strength to expand the technology internationally and where they at the same time set up a credible business plan for capacity expansion and market introduction,” says Helge Holm-Larsen, Director of Business Development, Topsoe Fuel Cell.

Technology meeting energy and climate challenges

The SOFC technology is a very appropriate tool to achieve the Danish political goals for energy and climate, and the long term business potential will be the size of the wind turbine industry. ”Fuel cells are expected to become a key technology in the intelligent and de-centralized power system of the future. With rapid response time and great flexibility, SOFC can utilize many different types of fuel, e.g. natural gas, hydrogen, biogas and bio-ethanol, and regardless of which fuel that will supply adjustable power for the future, SOFC will use it more efficiently,” says project leader Jens Ole Gulløv, and adds: ”This 2-year project will ensure the necessary support to work through the gap between the idea concept and the product.”

A market oriented project

Compared to previous SOFC projects, the new project is characterized by being significantly more market oriented. ”The market orientation is expressed through the proto types which aim for specific product markets, while relevant milestones and objective market demands are ensured via an external hearing panel with the participation of independent energy companies and end users,” says Helge Holm-Larsen. 

Contact

Helge Holm-Larsen, Director of Business Development
Tel. +45 4527 2168, cell +45 2275 4168, e-mail hhl@topsoe.dk

www.topsoefuelcell.dk 

RICHARD BLACKBURN

One of the leaders in hybrid technology believes hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are the best solution to our energy needs.

Electric vehicles will only ever provide a partial solution to the problem of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the car industry, a leading Honda engineer says.

Thomas Brachmann, a senior engineer in advanced technology research for Honda in Europe, says fuel cell vehicles, which generate their own electricity on-board from a chemical reaction with hydrogen, are superior to electric vehicles and will be the “ultimate solution” to the industry’s energy needs.

He says that plug-in electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and range-extender hybrids – where a petrol engine kicks in to recharge an electric motor – are all stop-gap measures, while diesel and petrol vehicles will no longer be offered for sale by 2040.