FuelCellsWorks

 ABHISHEK SINGH

 This image shows the likely structure of a metal organic framework optimized for storage of hydrogen.

New research by Rice University scientists suggests that a class of material known as metallacarborane could store hydrogen at or better than benchmarks set by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program for 2015.

The work could receive wide attention as hydrogen comes into play as a fuel of the future for cars, in fuel cells and by industry.

The new study by Rice theoretical physicist Boris Yakobson and his colleagues, which appears in the online Journal of the American Chemical Society, taps the power of transition metals scandium and titanium to hold a load of hydrogen molecules — but not so tightly that they can’t be extracted.

A matrix made of metallacarboranes would theoretically hold up to 8.8 percent of its weight in hydrogen atoms, which would at least meet and perhaps surpass DOE milestones issued a year ago for cars that would run on hydrogen fuel.

Yakobson, a professor in mechanical engineering and materials science and of chemistry at Rice, said inspiration for the new study came from the development of metallacarboranes, now well-known molecules that combine boron, carbon and metal atoms in a cage-like structure.

“A single metal atom can bind multiple hydrogen molecules,” Yakobson said, “but metals also tend to aggregate. Without something to hold them, they clump into a blob and are useless.”

Abhishek Singh, lead author of the study, a former postdoctoral researcher for Yakobson and now an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, calculated that boron clusters would grip the titanium and scandium, which would in turn bind hydrogen. “The metals fit like a gem in a setting, so they don’t aggregate,” Yakobson said. Carbon would link the clusters to form a matrix called a metal organic framework (MOF), which would act like a sponge for hydrogen.

Investigation of various transition metals showed scandium and titanium to have the highest rate of adsorption (the adhesion of transient molecules — like hydrogen — to a surface). Both demonstrate an affinity for “Kubas” interaction, a trading of electrons that can bind atoms to one another in certain circumstances. “Kubas is a special interaction that you often see mentioned in hydrogen research, because it gives exactly the right binding strength,” Yakobson said.

“If you remember basic chemistry, you know that covalent bonds are very strong. You can bind hydrogen, but you cannot take it out,” he said. “And on the other extreme is weak physisorption. The molecules don’t form chemical bonds. They’re just exhibiting a weak attraction through the van der Waals force.

“Kubas interaction is in the middle and gives the right kind of binding so hydrogen can be stored and, if you change conditions — heat it up a little or reduce pressure — it can be taken out. You want the framework to be like a fuel tank.”

Kubas allows for reversible storage of hydrogen in ambient conditions — ranging from well above to well below room temperature — and that would make metallacarborane materials highly attractive for everyday use, Yakobson said. Physisorption of hydrogen by the carbon matrix, already demonstrated, would also occur at a much lower percentage, which would be a bit of a bonus, he said.

Other studies have demonstrated how to make carborane-based MOFs. “That means they can already make three-dimensional frameworks of material that are still accessible to gas. This is very encouraging to us,” Yakobson said. “There are many papers where people analyze a cluster and say, ‘Oh, this will also absorb a hydrogen,’ but that’s not useful. One cluster is nothing.

“But if chemists can synthesize this particular framework with metallacarborane as an element, this may become a reality.”

Arta Sadrzadeh, a graduate student in Yakobson’s lab, is a co-author.

The Robert Welch Foundation and the Department of Energy supported the project.

Read the abstract here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja104544s

• German army introduces portable JENNY fuel cells in a new energy network for soldiers
• Flexible all-in-one solution energy includes portable JENNY fuel cell, SFC Power Manager, solar panel, hybrid battery and extensive accessories 
• Solution reduces weight, increases mobility and improves endurance of soldiers in action

Brunnthal/Munich– SFC Energy AG, technology and market leader for mobile and off-grid power solutions based on fuel cells, has received a further serial order from the German army. Through this order, the German army will be introducing the portable JENNY fuel cell into a new energy network for soldiers. The system solution consists of the portable JENNY fuel cell, the SFC Power Manager, a hybrid battery specially tailored to the system, and a solar panel, as well as extensive accessories. As a powerful and flexible electricity supply, the energy network allows operation of widely different power-consumers – e.g. radios, navigational equipment, night-vision equipment, laser range-finders, portable computers, and PDAs – which can be used when stationary and on the march. The order size is around 1 million Euros. The order was received in the third quarter of 2010, and the systems are expected to be delivered before the end of 2010.

With this power supply and management system, SFC is impressively proving its long-term and internationally-excellent expertise in the field of portable energy. This hybrid solution links fuel cells, solar cells, batteries, and intelligent power management in an integrated energy network. It reduces the load of a soldier by up to 80 percent compared to conventional electricity supply solutions. Through the SFC Power Manager, an intelligent voltage converter, almost any device can be flexibly supplied with electricity using available sources, such as fuel cells, solar panels, or batteries. Furthermore, the network also allows different battery types to be charged on the move during operations. The power supply and energy management is fully automatic, practically soundless, emission-free, and almost undetectable.

“With the second serial order from the German army in 2010, SFC is further extending its leadership as the main provider of independent power supplies in the defense area,” said Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG. “This is a significant milestone; we have moved from being a development partner to a product/system supplier. In 2008, SFC won the Wearable Power Prize of the US Ministry of Defense; now our technology has been rolled out in production. The outstanding technology of SFC allows reliable off-grid power supply, significant reduction in weight, and increased flexibility in field operations. It thus contributes to an extended range of operations by military forces, as well as taking into account the new requirements on an international level, and increases the safety of soldiers in operation.”

Assuming successful deployment and the necessary budgetary funds, current user plans show that further demand can be expected over the next three years.

More information at www.sfc.com

About SFC Energy AG
SFC Energy AG (www.sfc.com) is market leader in fuel cell technologies for mobile and off-grid power applications serving the leisure, industrial and defense markets. As one of Germany’s technology pioneers, SFC has won numerous innovation awards. SFC has alliances with leading companies in a wide range of industries.  Unlike most other fuel cell manufacturers, who are in the research and development phase or run subsidized demonstration projects, SFC has shipped about 19,000 fully commercial products to industrial and private end users for more than six years, and has created a convenient fuel cartridge supply infrastructure. SFC is DIN ISO 9001:2008 certified. SFC is based in Brunnthal, Germany, and has a sales and technical service office in the U.S. SFC Energy AG is listed in the Prime Standard on the German stock exchange (WKN 756857).

ANN ARBOR, MICH. – Adaptive Materials was recently awarded the $1.5 million Phase II option of their existing Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to provide 50‐watt solid oxide fuel cells to the U.S. Army. Total DARPA funding for both Phases I and II totals $2.5 million. Specifically, Adaptive Materials would deliver portable power for use by soldiers in the field via fuel cells powered by JP‐8, the Army’s kerosene‐based logistic fuel type.

“We continue to meet the power needs of our armed forces by innovating and delivering the fuel cells needed in the field,” said Michelle Crumm, Adaptive Materials chief business officer.  “Adaptive Materials’ reliable, portable and rugged fuel cells are the benchmark for the military’s future power sources.”

Designed to give the individual warfighter a lightweight, quiet, efficient and reliable power source, Adaptive Materials fuel cells are useful for a variety of portable electronics. Its 50‐watt system can power a range of applications, including laptops, radios, GPS units, and sensors.

”The integration of JP‐8 into fuel cells will lead to higher power systems for unmanned systems, extending their range and operational usefulness,” Crumm added. “More capable unmanned systems help to keep soldiers out of harm’s way, without burdening the soldier with fuel management issues.”

Since the 50‐watt units that Adaptive Materials will deliver are fueled directly with JP‐8, these systems will simply slip into the current operations of soldiers and decrease the reliance on supply convoys that are at risk for attack. JP‐8, a fuel that is similar to commercial diesel and aviation fuel, is used as the prominent fuel on the battlefield. JP‐8 is used in everything from tactical generators and unmanned vehicles to the military’s mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, helicopters, and fighter aircraft.

Adaptive Materials will deliver its fuel cells to the Army Research Laboratory in late 2011 for field-testing.

Ceres Power Holdings plc today successfully demonstrated its integrated, wall-mounted Combined Heat and Power (‘CHP’) product at its fuel cell mass manufacturing facility in Horsham.

The CHP product was demonstrated operating in representative home-like environments including a kitchen and the company’s installer training area. The CHP product used standard boiler connections for gas, water and electricity and was connected to a standard hot water tank and radiator central heating system.

Operating on mains natural gas, the product ran autonomously generating power on demand, exporting and importing electricity to and from the grid as needed and delivered representative domestic hot water and space heating needs, responding to calls for heat from a standard room thermostat.

The CHP product also demonstrated its unique capability for rapid electricity loadfollowing in response to changing electrical loads being switched on and off including lights and various standard domestic appliances.

Peter Bance, Chief Executive Officer, Ceres Power, commented: “Ceres Power demonstrated the unique differentiation of its CHP product; a single wall-mounted unit that can directly replace a conventional boiler and rapidly follow the electrical load. Being able to generate electricity on demand is a valuable differentiator enabled by our unique technology. Low-carbon despatchable power is what the energy world needs. We are now focusing operationally on installing our CHP products in consumers’ homes as part of the commercial field trials in conjunction with British Gas.”

DANBURY, Conn.– FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL ), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government, and utility customers, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded approximately $2.0 million to FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) to further develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and reliable method for compressing hydrogen for storage under high pressure utilizing its solid-state Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor (EHC) technology.

 DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program fosters the development and enhancement of technologies that will expand the market for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for both transportation and stationary power generation. Hydrogen is generally produced at a location different from where it is used, resulting in the need for transportation and storage. High compression storage is an important component for expanding the use of hydrogen, particularly for vehicle refueling.

 Fuel cells generate clean electricity using an electrochemical process, without combustion. Byproducts of this electrical generation process include heat and hydrogen. Utilizing these byproducts allows the DFC(R) power plants to generate three revenue streams including: 1) clean electricity; 2) usable high quality heat; and, 3) hydrogen for vehicle refueling or industrial uses. Fuel cells provide reliable power around the clock and can be located at the point of use for the hydrogen. The electricity and heat can be used on-site or the electricity can be supplied to the electrical grid. The benefit of the EHC technology is the ability to compress the hydrogen produced by the fuel cell for on-site storage and use at a later time. Additionally, the EHC technology has no moving parts, which should enhance reliability while potentially decreasing costs as compared to traditional, multi-stage mechanical compressors.

 FuelCell Energy successfully demonstrated a single stage EHC technology to compress hydrogen to 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi), and received an achievement award from the DOE in May 2009 for the accomplishment. Under this new contract, the Company will further enhance its existing EHC technology to compress greater quantities of hydrogen at 3,000 psi and also develop an EHC prototype within the next three years to compress hydrogen to 12,000 psi. The ability to efficiently and cost effectively compress large volumes of hydrogen to 3,000 psi targets industrial users that currently use multi-stage mechanical compressors and compression to 12,000 psi targets hydrogen vehicle refueling.

 ”Efficient and cost effective hydrogen compression is a key enabler for hydrogen-powered vehicle refueling or for using hydrogen as a fuel for power generation,” said Christopher Bentley, Executive Vice President, Government R&D Operations, Strategic Manufacturing Development, FuelCell Energy, Inc. “Our existing fuel cell technology provides a unique and economically compelling approach to generating clean power, usable heat and hydrogen. Capturing and storing this excess hydrogen byproduct from the fuel cell potentially opens new markets for our fuel cell technology.”

 About FuelCell Energy

 DFC(R) fuel cells are generating power at over 50 locations worldwide. The Company’s power plants have generated over 600 million kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The Company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com

ITM Power plc (ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) has signed an agreement to become the latest organisation to participate in Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST). The trials will involve ITM’s transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel), which will be used to power two Revolve Technologies hydrogen Ford Transit Vehicles for use in operations. Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM, will make reference to the arrangement as part of his presentation at the ‘Making Way for Scotland’s Hydrogen Energy’ Conference, taking place later today.

SSE, has the most diverse range of fuel sources amongst UK generators including 2,370MW of capacity for generating electricity from renewable energy sources, supplies electricity and gas to around 9.45 million customers in Great Britain and Ireland, and is focused on the provision of reliable, sustainable energy. SSE recently announced that it has developed 10 eco-homes in Slough, in a unique project designed to understand the changing role of the energy supplier in a low-carbon society. SSE’s involvement in joining the HOST programme will enable it to analyse the suitability of using green hydrogen to decarbonise its sizeable fleet, which regularly travels the length and breadth of the country on a ‘return-to-base’ principle.

Commenting for ITM Power, CEO Graham Cooley stated “We are delighted that SSE, a major electricity and gas provider with a focus on sustainable energy supply to the built environment and transport, has joined the HOST programme in order to appraise the potential of ITM’s energy storage: clean fuel technology, for decarbonising return-to-base logistics fleet vehicles. We have been encouraged by the support that HOST has attracted to date and we expect that support to continue to grow with organisations from other sectors in the near future.”

David Densley, Head of Sustainable Transport for SSE, said: “We are pleased to support ITM Power in the development of its Transportable High Pressure Hydrogen Refuelling Station to demonstrate the proposition of decarbonising the return to depot vehicle fleet, using hydrogen derived from renewable energy. This is an exciting trial for SSE as it will give us a much clearer picture of the role of hydrogen for storing energy and as a clean fuel.”

Losses widened on lower revenues at Ceres Power in the year to June 30, but the fuel cell technology company is confident that it can benefit from the trend towards green technology. Pre-tax losses widened to £12.8m from £8.3m as revenues slipped to £786,000 from £952,000. ‘A Ceres Power CHP product will be one of the lowest cost ways to reduce the carbon footprint of homes,’ said chairman Brian Count. ‘We are focused on installing CHP products into consumers’ homes across the country in partnership with British Gas and are confident that we can deliver sales in mid 2012 as a platform for a volume ramp-up thereafter.’ CHP (Combined Heat and Power) is a method of capturing heat as electricity is generated.

Yesterday Ceres’ rival CHP boiler supplier Energetix also saw losses widen and complained that commercialisation of its products was taking longer than originally anticipated.

Successful testing of an experimental hydrogen plant at Tecnimont KT’s Chieti test site in Italy brings highly efficient hydrogen production a step closer. The novel hydrogen plant uses membrane technology to achieve substantial energy saving. Hydrogen separation membranes were provided by the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). Several months of testing in an integrated plant have shown both the feasibility of the innovative concept and excellent performance of ECN’s Hysep membrane technology.

The hydrogen plant is based on Reformer and Membrane Modules configuration (RMM) and integrates membrane separation and reaction modules. The advantage is a lower operating temperature of the process. Instead of the 850-900 ^oC required in the traditional plant, the RMM process operates well below 650 ^oC. With its partners Tecnimont-KT have now demonstrated the process on a 20 Nm³/h hydrogen scale.

ECN delivered a 0.4 m² membrane module to perform the tests.  These membranes are a novel technology based on thin-film Pd layers on ceramic supports. During the experiments the two most important performance indicators where closely monitored: the flux (or hydrogen yield per m² of membrane) and the purity of the product. Both were shown to be high. More importantly, they remained high during the whole experiment which included 500 hours of operation and more than 50 thermal cycles. While testing at this scale and under actual process conditions is in itself already a one-of-a-kind, the stable performance shown in these tests is unique.

The hydrogen separation membrane technology developed at ECN is based on low-cost starting materials and standard fabrication technologies. Good results have been achieved in the lab both using membranes for purification and integrating reaction and separation. Long-term stability testing and testing under process condition are necessary steps in bringing the technology to a commercial stage. Field tests, such as those carried out by Tecnimont-KTI and partners, are essential to demonstrate the membrane technology as a market-ready technology.

About ECN
ECN (the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands) is a non-profit organization developing and bringing to the market high-level knowledge and technology for a sustainable energy supply. ECN develops palladium (Pd) alloy composite membranes for hydrogen separation from reformate, and has acquired a worldwide position in the field of membrane reactors based on inorganic membranes. More information about ECN’s Hysep membrane technology is available  at www.hysep.com.

About Tecnimont KT
Tecnimont KT (formerly Technip KTI S.p.A.) is a company of Maire Tecnimont S.p.A., a leading Engineering and Main Contracting Group operating worldwide in the Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals, Power, Infrastructure and Civil Engineering sectors. The Group also has key competences in licensing and IP, and specific focus in renewable energy. With a presence in over 30 countries and 4 continents, the Group currently controls over 50 operating companies, with main Italian offices in Rome, Milan and Turin.

Tecnimont KT, headquartered in Rome, is an international process engineering company with over 35 years of experience in the design and realization of plants for the chemical, petrochemical and refining industries. It also operates as a provider of proprietary technologies and as EPC contractor for medium-sized plants and has realized over 500 projects throughout the world, with significant references in the fields of sulfur recovery and gas  processing, in hydrogen and syngas production, as well as in high temperature furnaces for refineries and petrochemical plants.

* Opel receives prestigious f-cell award in bronze

* Trend-setting test system for future hydrogen filling stations

The coveted fcell Award recognizes practical developments in the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Opel received the bronze for its work in helping develop ways to efficiently test hydrogen filling stations.

Rüsselsheim/Stuttgart– Opel engineers have received the f-cell award in bronze for their work in developing an innovative testing system for 700-bar hydrogen filling stations. The award was presented at the largest and most prestigious conference on hydrogen and fuel cells in Germany.

Sponsored by the Environment Ministry of Baden-Wurttemberg and the Stuttgart Region Economic Development, the coveted award recognizes practical developments in the field of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Rita Forst, Vice President of Engineering at Opel, views the prize as acknowledgement of the extensive research and development work done by Opel engineers in the field of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and beyond.

“It is essential that we look at infrastructure issues such as the easy and safe refueling of fuel cell vehicles. There is hardly a new, fully integrated hydrogen filling station in Germany which has opened before being first validated using our experience. With every new station, we get closer to our goal of launching emissions-free fuel cell vehicles in 2015,” Forst said.

Opel engineers share their knowledge within the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP), a project co-funded by the German government to demonstrate the practicality of hydrogen as a fuel for road transport, and with other automobile manufacturers.

In addition to working on HydroGen4, Opel’s current fuel cell vehicle, Opel engineers help develop ways to efficiently test new hydrogen filling stations. In the past a specially prepared vehicle had to be used to carry out the appropriate tests, which required massive effort and major alterations to the vehicle that prevented it from driving again.

Opel has designed a special test-rig that checks the refueling process with all possible parameters and all possible scenarios. All available communication interfaces can also be tested: Not only the actual tank parameters are communicated to the gas station; individual values are manipulated and errors in data transmission are provoked, in order to test the correct reaction of the hydrogen refueling station.

The results can be transferred using modern simulation facilities to other manufacturers with different tank systems. This eliminates the need for a multiple, manufacturer-specific testing of refueling stations.

In the future, it is conceivable that technical testing institutions such as TÜV, can use this or similar test equipment to check the hardware configuration of the refueling stations and the safety of the refueling process.

As the number of hydrogen filling stations increases in the coming years, Opel’s work will offer great benefits. Developing and testing infrastructure efficiently and uniformly avoids unnecessary work by automobile manufacturers, energy companies, suppliers and testing institutes.

North Canton, OH – The Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) awarded Stark State College a $1.7 million award to further advance the commercialization of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology and to develop a prototype system to reduce fuel consumption by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Under the 15-month contract, Stark State will work with Lockheed Martin and Technology Management Inc. (TMI) to develop and demonstrate fuel cell components that can meet performance requirements for military generator sets or “gensets” which are major consumers of fuel in theater. Gensets provide warfighters with power for lighting, air conditioning, computers, radios and other command and control systems. The DoD has more than 100,000 gensets deployed around the world.

Fuel cells are alternative energy sources that use an efficient, pollution-free, chemical reaction to convert fuel into electricity and have the added advantage of quiet, indoor operation. This emerging technology offers the potential of reduced emissions and higher fuel efficiency.

“This project builds on the existing applied research and development relationship among Lockheed Martin, TMI and Stark State,” said, John O’Donnell, president of Stark State College, referring to current projects funded by the State of Ohio and Department of Energy. “This is another step toward the evolution of fuel cell development in Ohio and the education of a workforce to support job creation.”

“An investment like this not only contributes to saving soldiers’ lives but reducing fuel costs to the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Congressman John Boccieri (D-Alliance). “These funds aid Stark State in developing the technology to reduce fuel use and ultimately urge the Department of Defense to replace its aging current generation systems with this more fuel-efficient system. These funds will ultimately reduce the cost in supporting our troops overseas and reduces the risk soldiers in fuel convoys face from potential attacks.”

Stark State will function as the prime contractor, having been involved with fuel cell education and workforce development activities since 2003 when it received its first Ohio Third Frontier grants totaling $3.35 million to construct the $4.7 million Fuel Cell Prototyping Center that brought the global headquarters of Rolls Royce Fuel Cell Systems (US), Inc. to the Jackson Township campus. As a result of these activities, the College has received more than $20 million in grant support for fuel cell education and commercialization efforts and become a national leader in the development of fuel cell curriculum at the associate degree and secondary levels.

Lockheed Martin and TMI will work to develop a more rugged fuel cell genset capable of withstanding harsh military environments. Utilizing the core technology developed by TMI, the team has built multiple full-cell-powered gensets operating on the military’s high sulfur JP-8 standard fuel – a unique technological achievement. The test generators demonstrated more than 675 hours of operation, including 100 hours of continuous operation in August 2010.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Technology Management, Inc. (TMI) in Cleveland, is a small business dedicated to the commercialization of a core product portfolio based solely on the TMI SOFC technology. Their mission is to manage and implement the technology development process and provide entrepreneurial marketing management, including formation of strategic relationships with major corporations such as Lockheed Martin at the earliest stages to ensure the highest quality of manufacturing, distribution, and service. TMI’s engineering and development facilities occupy about 10,000 sq ft of laboratory space built specifically to accommodate the operation and testing of TMI fuel cell systems and fabrication of components. TMI operates 30+ fully instrumented fuel cell test stands under multiple Government-funded and internally sponsored programs for SOFC component and system development and testing. TMI also has extensive in-house fabrication and sample analysis equipment.

Recently, the Ministry of Science, international partners Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) jointly organized the “International Hydrogen fuel cell technology and vehicle development Forum” in the city.

At the meeting, Tongji University Automotive experts introduced since the Shanghai World Expo 173 fuel cell vehicles (including 70 fuel-cell cars, three fuel cell buses and 100 fuel sightseeing cars) have been continuously running for 5 months, and the overall operation is good.

These buses are made by Tongji University in cooperation with the domestic production of five major OEMs. Among them, only elevated in the park trails and sightseeing Beihuan fuel cell car running, as of August 31 this year, has accumulated 1.37 million passenger trips, the total mileage is 44 thousand kilometers.

Hydrogen as energy, truly zero emissions “fuel cell vehicles”, is considered to solve the transportation energy and environmental problems of today’s best solution to one of the cars represent the future direction of development. The experts believe that fuel cell vehicles on the road in the industry still faces serious challenges, the key components needed to further improve the stability, durability, cost reduction, on the other hand, fuel cell vehicles of large-scale is need supporting the construction  hydrogen filling station operators and other infrastructure.

SAN JOSE, Calif.–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) and Bloom Energy Corporation (www.BloomEnergy.com) today announced completion of the largest commercial Bloom Energy fuel cell installation to date, designed to supply approximately one-third of the electricity required by Adobe’s downtown San Jose headquarters.

A total of 12 Bloom Energy Servers – also known as Bloom boxes – have been installed on the 5th floor of Adobe’s West Tower at the company’s headquarters campus, which is composed of three high-rise towers and a parking structure. Each server is the size of an average parking space and contains thousands of Bloom fuel cells – flat, solid ceramic squares made from a sand-like powder – which will convert air and biogas into electricity via a clean electrochemical process, producing zero net carbon emissions. Typically, one server generates enough power to meet the needs of approximately 100 average U.S. homes or one small office building.

Adobe is a recognized leader for its green building efforts, having earned distinction as the world’s first commercial enterprise to achieve four platinum certifications under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED® program. The Bloom fuel cell installation is Adobe’s second major renewable energy installation; in December 2009, Adobe installed 20 Windspire® wind turbines. Now, as a Bloom Energy customer, Adobe can efficiently generate its own electricity on site, further reducing the company’s carbon footprint, lowering energy costs and mitigating power outage risks. Adobe expects to reduce its carbon footprint by approximately 121.5 million pounds over 10 years, which is the equivalent to taking 1,810 compact cars off the road annually.

“Installing Bloom Energy fuel cells supports Adobe’s efforts to remain at the forefront of utilizing impactful, clean technologies to reduce our environmental footprint,” said Randall H. Knox, III, senior director, Global Workplace Solutions, Adobe. “We hope to be an example to other companies considering cleaner, more affordable energy sources for their operations.”

“Adobe has long been a leader in setting the bar for environmental sustainability in Silicon Valley,” said Stu Aaron, vice president of marketing and product management, Bloom Energy. “With its significant installation of Bloom Energy Servers, the company can now enjoy a smarter, localized energy source that will both reduce its carbon impact and its electricity costs. We’re fortunate to work with companies that embrace responsible power consumption and make energy innovation a critical part of their business strategy.”

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

About 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 www.BloomEnergy.com.

• Partnership certifies Toughbook products by Panasonic for operation     with SFC fuel cells
• SFC Energy Approved“ certification by SFC standardizes green fuel cell technology for defense applications

Brunnthal/Munich and Wiesbaden, Germany– Panasonic, worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products, is „SFC Energy Approved” partner of SFC. The partnership comprises a certification of Panasonic’s Toughbook products for operation with fuel cells by SFC. Within this certification, products of the Toughbook family by Panasonic, with Panasonic Toughbook models CF-19, CF-31 CF-52 und CF-U1 leading the way, successfully completed compatability checks with SFC products. They receive the quality seal of the fuel cell manufacturer which approves ecological operation and improved efficiency of the hardened notebooks through combination of conventional energy supply with fuel cells.

„SFC Energy Approved“ standardizes green fuel cell technology including intelligent power management solutions by SFC for defense applications and qualifies electronical equipment for environmentally friendly fuel cell technology. Fuel cells by SFC extend autonomy of electrical devices compared to conventional batteries by a multiple degree. As reliable, emission-free, ecological power supply they offer maximum security of supply at minimum of weight to the soldier.
“The partnership between Panasonic and SFC Energy achieves decisive benefits for our defense customers“, explains Holger W. Kalnischkies, General Manager Panasonic Computer Products Europe. „Besides the customer appreciated mobility and ergonomics of our Panasonic Toughbook systems the fuel cell solutions enable longer standby times on missions. Compact dimensions, light weight and simplified field logistics play an outstanding role thereby. The products of both companies excellently complement each other and take account of the changed conditions in military operations. This offers our industrial customers significant competitive advantages because they can meet the increased requirements”.

„We are very pleased about our partnership with Panasonic”, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG. „This cooperation once again confirms that our product solutions guarantee more flexible and prolonged periods of application for products by Panasonic. And all this with considerable competitive advantages, especially for end-users and soldiers. With our primary product features, lightweight and non-detectable energy supply, we jointly ensure not only to improve soldiers’ abilities but also to simplify logistics for power supply in the field”.

SFC Energy AG is technology and market leader for mobile and off-grid power solutions based on fuel cells, having sold about 19,000 fully commercialised fuel cells for leisure, industry and defense markets for more than six years. For defense applications the company offers reliable, lightweight and environmentally friendly energy supply with the portable energy network consisting of the JENNY fuel cell and the SFC Power Manager and the mobile EMILY 2200 fuel cell for vehicle and field-based operation. The products increase mobility, effectiveness and security of soldiers in the field.

For further information visit www.sfc.com and www.toughbook.eu

About SFC Energy AG
SFC Energy AG (www.sfc.com) is market leader in fuel cell technologies for mobile and off-grid power applications serving the leisure, industrial and defense markets.  As one of Germany’s technology pioneers, SFC has won numerous innovation awards.  SFC has alliances with leading companies in a wide range of industries.  Unlike most other fuel cell manufacturers, who are in the research and development phase or run subsidized demonstration projects, SFC has shipped about 19,000 fully commercial products to industrial and private end users for more than six years, and has created a convenient fuel cartridge supply infrastructure. SFC is DIN ISO 9001:2008 certified. SFC is based in Brunnthal, Germany, and has a sales and technical service office in the U.S. SFC Energy AG is listed in the Prime Standard on the German stock exchange (WKN 756857).

About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of JPY 7,42 billion for FY 2009 (ended March 31, 2010). The Company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more information on the Company and the Panasonic brand, visit the Company’s website at http://www.panasonic.net.

DANBURY, Conn. — FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government, and utility customers, today announced the sale of a 1.4 megawatt DFC1500 fuel cell power plant to the Rancho California Water District in southern California. Electricity from the fuel cell will power a pumping station located in Temecula, California. FuelCell Energy will service the power plant under a multi-year service agreement. The plant will use natural gas as fuel and is expected to be operational by late 2011. 

Increasingly stringent exhaust permitting requirements at both the State and Federal level caused the Rancho California Water District (RCWD) to evaluate alternatives to the existing internal-combustion natural gas powered engines used at their Ace Bowen pumping station. The analysis included an evaluation of the economics, compliance with future expected emissions regulations, protection against energy price volatility, reliability/redundancy, maintenance simplicity, and noise considerations. RCWD chose electric pumps powered by a DFC1500 fuel cell power plant as the fuel cell emits virtually no pollutants, generates higher electrical efficiency, and offers the most attractive economics compared to the alternatives considered. 

“RCWD’s 2010 Strategic Plan included an objective to evaluate the use of renewable and efficient energy systems when economically appropriate. The favorable cost profile of the fuel cell power plant and the ability to meet current and future emissions requirements drove this purchasing decision,” said Corey Wallace, Engineering Manager, Rancho California Water District. “The high efficiency of the fuel cell will decrease the amount of natural gas that we purchase, generating savings, and the estimated lifecycle costs of the fuel cell power plant, when coupled with available financial incentives, are lower than the alternatives considered.” 

Fuel cells generate power without combustion resulting in the generation of clean electricity. Due to the lack of combustion, the fuel cell emits virtually zero pollutants such as NOx, SOx or particulate matter. This clean power generation will help the District meet the stringent emission regulations issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the local air pollution control agency. SCAQMD reports that its region, including Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is the smoggiest region of the U.S.

The fuel cell electrical generation process is highly efficient, resulting in fuel savings for customers and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to combustion based power sources. Fuel cells are 47 percent efficient versus 34 percent efficiency estimated by the District for lean burn reciprocating engines, one of the alternatives considered. The higher efficiency of the fuel cells will reduce the amount of natural gas purchased. 

The District’s Ace Bowen pumping station requires a reliable source of power that is available around the clock, and the fuel cell will deliver reliable base load power. 

“The Rancho California Water District performed a rigorous analysis of the many different power generation alternatives available and in the end, chose a fuel cell power plant from FuelCell Energy,” said Phong Nguyen, Director Business Development, FuelCell Energy, Inc. “Our fuel cell solution meets the needs for clean and efficient power generation offered in an economically compelling and quiet manner.”

Rancho California Water District serves more than 140,000 people in a service area spanning 100,000 acres located in southwest Riverside County, California. 

About FuelCell Energy

DFC® fuel cells are generating power at over 50 locations worldwide. The Company’s power plants have generated over 550 million kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The Company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com

A Bend company says they have one of the answers in the emerging fuel cell industry, and it could very well bring more jobs to Central Oregon. Element One has a three deal with a Taiwan company to provide then the components that extract hydrogen from water. “It’s very significant for two reasons. One, it secures our manufacturing partners. They are in the process of building out a very significant manufacturing align. So as we sell our fuel cells, we have a source for primarily the Asian-Pacific region because that is where the growth is in this market.” Element One Chief Operating Officer Robert Schluter says the biggest market for these cells right now is backup power for communications. He says extracting hydrogen from water is more economical than storing compressed hydrogen. Element One of Bend hopes to employ up to ten people next year and many more than that the following year.

The U.S. Navy has picked General Motors’ Honeoye Falls plant to design and build high-tech fuel cell technologies for use in a new fleet of underwater vehicles.

The decision to award the $1.6 million contract comes after a personal effort by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer in which he lobbied the Navy to choose the Honeoye Falls company, according to Schumer’s office.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product.

As long as fuel is supplied, the fuel cell will continue to generate power. The process is clean, quiet and highly efficient.

As one green power machine touched down in the Hill Tuesday, City Hall staffers worked behind-the-scenes to build another one downtown.

Students at Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy got front-row seats Tuesday as a 400-kilowatt fuel cell landed at their school, prompting one energy official to call New Haven a “hotbed” of green energy.

The fuel cell will provide power to the Clemente school and the Hill Central School, which is currently being rebuilt. It is the first fuel cell to be installed at an elementary or middle school in Connecticut, officials said; Middletown and South Windsor have them at their high schools.

Mayor John DeStefano heralded the new fuel cell as a cleaner way to send energy to the new school at 360 Columbus Ave. Meanwhile, other City Hall staffers pursued a potential new project—building another fuel cell in the plaza behind City Hall.

Three … Two … One …

The city bought the fuel cell for $2.28 million from UTC Power, with the help of a $500,000 grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

UTC Power Vice President Mike Brown led students in a countdown to see the cell lowered, slowly, onto a concrete pad near the Clemente school’s parking lot around 11 a.m. Tuesday. (Click on the video at the top of the story to watch.)

The pre-K to 8 school plans to use the new addition not just for power, but for science lessons.

The fuel cell will take in natural gas and extract hydrogen, creating 1.5 btus of thermal energy per hour, which will sent to a heating and cooling system connected to the school, Brown said. The 400-kilowatt cell will generate “more than enough electricity” to power both schools. No water is consumed or discharged during the process, which is one reason it’s considered to be “green.”

The fuel cell was paid for mostly by city bonds. Within 10 years, it will more than pay itself back in energy savings, with an expected $2 million in savings, according to schools Chief Operating Officer Will Clark.

The unit will take about six to eight weeks to power up. That means it will be powering students’ classroom lights by Thanksgiving. The school will stay on the grid, so that it can still get electricity in case of an emergency, but it will get all its power from the fuel cell, Brown said.

In public remarks, Brown pronounced New Haven a “hotbed” for fuel cells.

Rick Ross of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund agreed. Fuel cells have been around for 150 years, but the first commercially available fuel cell didn’t hit the market until 1992, he said. Since then, 300 commercial fuel cells have been put to use in 20 countries. Fuel cells like the one at Clemente are “helping the world transition to hydrogen,” and wean off of dirtier methods of energy production, he said.

While New Haven doesn’t have the most fuel cells in the state—Middletown and Bloomfield are ahead—it has been very busy of late, Ross noted.

The city’s first fuel cell was built in 2002 at the Water Pollution Control Authority. Yale recently built one at the Peabody Museum. Another one recently arrived at the downtown 360 State apartment tower. Then came the new one at Clemente.

“That’s a pretty good concentration of fuel cells.

EERC hosts a conference dedicated to the progression of Hydrogen research.

Nathan Twerberg

 

Nathan Twerberg

 

The U.S. Department of Energy is offering an online training course on hydrogen safety for laboratory researchers and technical personnel. The course, Hydrogen Safety Training for Researchers, focuses on appropriate hydrogen safety handling practices key to preventing accidents.

Six modules are included in the course, with a quiz at the end of each module:

• Course Introduction and Overview
• Basic Handling Precautions for Hydrogen Use as they Relate to Hydrogen’s Physical and Chemical Properties
• Safety Issues Related to Pressurized Systems
• Safety Issues Related to Cryogenic Systems
• Overview of Emergency Response Considerations for Hydrogen Incidents
• High-Level Overview of the Codes and Standards that Apply to Hydrogen Applications.

The course also features supplementary resources, such as a library section that includes publications, related links and a glossary of terms. The course was developed with significant input from the Hydrogen Safety Panel and takes approximately four hours to complete.

Visit Hydrogen Safety Training for Researchers on the Web to access the course.

Engineering researchers from Tufts University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard University have demonstrated the low-temperature efficacy of an atomically dispersed platinum catalyst, which could be suitable for on-board hydrogen production in fuel-cell-powered vehicles of the future.

An alternative to copper, which under certain conditions can ignite spontaneously, the platinum-based catalyst is highly active and stable. The researchers’ understanding of the structure and function of the new catalyst could help manufacturers design highly effective – but less costly – catalysts on standard, inexpensive support metal oxides.

Led by Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, a Tufts University School of Engineering professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Manos Mavrikakis, a UW-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering, the research team published its findings in the Sept. 24 issue of the journal Science.

Only small amounts of hydrogen occur naturally on Earth – yet, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the country’s demand for hydrogen is about 9 million tons per year.

Manufacturers produce about 95 percent of this hydrogen through steam reforming of natural gas, a catalytic process in which steam reacts with methane to yield carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This mixture is known as synthesis gas, or syngas, and is an intermediate in production processes for synthetic fuels, ammonia and methanol, among other compounds.

Another application for hydrogen is fuel for the hydrogen economy, an effort that aims to exploit high-energy-density hydrogen as a cleaner source of energy, particularly for low-temperature fuel-cell-powered devices, including vehicles.

Fuel cells use electrochemical processes to convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing direct current that powers a motor. Fuel cell vehicles require highly purified hydrogen, which is produced through a water-gas-shift reaction. This key step strips “residual” carbon monoxide from hydrogen generated through steam reforming of fossil fuels, such as natural gas. Water-gas-shift catalysts decrease the amount of carbon monoxide in hydrogen and increase the hydrogen content by harvesting hydrogen from water molecules.

Catalysts currently used in industry for hydrogen purification are copper-based, supported on zinc oxide and alumina. Because copper is pyrophoric (it could spontaneously ignite when exposed to air; air in fuel cell operation is relatively common), researchers have considered platinum as a substitute. However, platinum is costly and, says Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, researchers must prepare it in very fine particles on more “exotic” supports, such as the rare-earth oxide ceria, which makes it effective for a low-temperature water-gas-shift reaction.

However, while cerium is the most abundant of the rare-earth elements, this natural abundance occurs in just a few places around the world, and, says Mavrikakis, access to it may be limited for various reasons, including geopolitical.

The Tufts researchers initially discovered that sodium improves the platinum activity in the water-gas-shift reaction, which now can take place at low temperatures, even on inert materials like silica. They carried out detailed structural studies and found extra active oxygen species on the surface that helped the platinum complete the reaction cycle. They also found that the sodium or potassium ions helped to stabilize the catalytic site.

In later experiments, they saw their catalyst perform as well as platinum on ceria. Collaborator David Bell of Harvard University used atomic-resolution electron microscopy to view stabilized platinum clusters and atoms on the silica support – visual confirmation that the new catalyst operates like those on ceria supports.

Mavrikakis’ team set out to understand why. The researchers drew on powerful computational resources, including the UW-Madison Division of Information Technology and the Center for High-Throughput Computing, as well as an ultrafast 10G data network, to model the new catalyst, atom by atom. “There is no experimental way that you can look at the atoms ‘at work’ – that is, while the reaction is happening,” says Mavrikakis. “You need to start talking about individual atoms, which you can see with the highest-resolution electron microscopes – but not during the reaction. So you can only suggest that perhaps these atoms are active, but there is no way to substantiate it unless you put an atomic-scale quantum-mechanical model together and come up with a more realistic and well-founded suggestion about what is responsible for making this catalyst so active.”

Although platinum is among the most expensive catalytic materials, the new catalyst contains only trace amounts of platinum, yet is robust and effective at low temperatures. Essentially, its structure is a series of small “clusters” comprising only a few atoms, each in a specific arrangement. Each cluster is composed of one or a few a platinum atoms surrounded by a mixture of oxygen, hydroxyl and potassium atoms and is “seated” on the standard aluminum or silica support.

The researchers say the advance is important in part because, through a combination of experiments and first-principles theory, the work reveals a new type of active site for a specific, very important chemical reaction. “Most of the time, people are happy to say, ‘Well, we’ve found a material. It works for a given application,’” says Mavrikakis.

In this case, says Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, the team took the next step to determine how and why the catalyst works. “If we want to move to the next stage with cheaper materials that are doing the specific chemical transformations, we need to understand the fundamentals,” she says.

Other authors on the paper include UW-Madison postdoctoral associate Guowen Peng, Ph.D. student Jeff Herron, and then-Ph.D. students (now alumni) Peter Ferrin and Anand Nilekar; and Tufts University research professor Howard Saltsburg, postdoctoral associate Rui Si, Ph.D. student Yanping Zhai, former Ph.D. student Weiling Deng and master’s student Danny Pierre.

The U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation provided primary funding for the research.