FuelCellsWorks

Munich– The technology group The Linde Group has been selected by Mercedes-Benz as the exclusive hydrogen partner for the F-CELL World Drive. This endurance trip will send three B-Class F-CELL hydrogen-powered fuel- cell cars right around the world. Over the entire tour, Linde will be the sole supplier of mobile hydrogen (H(2)) for the zero-emissions F-CELL models. Due to start on 30 January from Stuttgart, Germany, the trip will take each of the cars around 30,000 kilometres across four continents and 14 countries in 125 days.

“We are excited at the opportunity to partner with Mercedes-Benz and help showcase the capabilities of hydrogen-powered cars,” said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG. “Many years of experience in hydrogen technologies make us the partner of choice for both stationary and mobile refuelling facilities – even in the most challenging environments. Through projects such as the F-CELL World Drive, we are helping to accelerate the widespread establishment of a hydrogen infrastructure.”

Specially for the tour, Linde and Mercedes-Benz co-developed a new mobile 700- bar refuelling unit based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This houses all the technology required to compress and fuel H(2) on the move. Key design criteria included 700-bar refuelling pressure and a compact footprint for easy transport by air. Linde also developed the entire H(2) supply and logistics concept for the 400 or so refuelling stops planned around the globe, remote regions included. Linde will supply around 18,000 normal cubic metres of hydrogen in total for the tour.

Looking beyond the F-CELL World Drive, Daimler and Linde are working closely together on other projects to secure hydrogen supplies over the coming years as the number of fuel-cell cars on the roads increases. Both companies have been actively involved in the ‘H(2) Mobility’ initiative since 2009 for instance. Many big players, including companies from the oil and utilities sectors, have teamed up to build a nationwide H(2) infrastructure in Germany under the umbrella of ‘H(2) Mobility’.

Linde is a leading supplier of hydrogen fuelling systems. The company has already equipped more than 70 stations in 15 countries and has thus supported well over 200,000 successful H(2) refuelling stops worldwide.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its share­holders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

For TV footage of the F-CELL World Drive, visit http://www.the-linde-group.com/en/news_and_media/media_centre/index.html

A little disorder goes a long way, especially when it comes to harnessing the sun’s energy. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) jumbled the atomic structure of the surface layer of titanium dioxide nanocrystals, creating a catalyst that is both long lasting and more efficient than most materials in using the sun’s energy to extract hydrogen from water.

A nanoscale look at a photocatalyst that is both durable and very efficient. This high-resolution transmission electron microscope image of a titanium dioxide nanocrystal after hydrogenation reveals engineered disorder on the crystal’s surface, a change that enables the photocatalyst to absorb infrared light.

Their photocatalyst, which accelerates light-driven chemical reactions, is the first to combine durability and record-breaking efficiency, making it a contender for use in several clean-energy technologies.

It could offer a pollution-free way to produce hydrogen for use as an energy carrier in fuel cells. Fuel cells have been eyed as an alternative to combustion engines in vehicles. Molecular hydrogen, however, exists naturally on Earth only in very low concentrations. It must be extracted from feedstocks such as natural gas or water, an energy-intensive process that is one of the barriers to the widespread implementation of the technology.

“We are trying to find better ways to generate hydrogen from water using sunshine,” says Samuel Mao, a scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division who led the research. “In this work, we introduced disorder in titanium dioxide nanocrystals, which greatly improves its light absorption ability and efficiency in producing hydrogen from water.”

Mao is the corresponding author of a paper on this research that was published online Jan. 20, 2011 in Science Express with the title “Increasing Solar Absorption for Photocatalysis with Black, Hydrogenated Titanium Dioxide Nanocrystals.” Co-authoring the paper with Mao are fellow Berkeley Lab researchers Xiaobo Chen, Lei Liu, and Peter Yu.

Mao and his research group started with nanocrystals of titanium dioxide, which is a semiconductor material that is used as a photocatalyst to accelerate chemical reactions, such as harnessing energy from the sun to supply electrons that split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Although durable, titanium dioxide isn’t a very efficient photocatlayst. Scientists have worked to increase its efficiency by adding impurities and making other modifications.

The Berkeley Lab scientists tried a new approach. In addition to adding impurities, they engineered disorder into the ordinarily perfect atom-by-atom lattice structure of the surface layer of titanium dioxide nanocrystals. This disorder was introduced via hydrogenation.

Berkeley Lab scientist Samuel Mao leads a research team that is searching for sustainable ways to generate hydrogen for use in clean-energy technologies. In a first-of-its-kind development, they jumbled the surface layer of titanium dioxide nanocrystals, a feat that turned the material from white to black. It also created a photocatalyst whose efficiency outpaces others in using the sun’s energy to extract hydrogen from water. (Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs)

The result is the first disorder-engineered nanocrystal. One transformation was obvious: the usually white titanium dioxide nanocrystals turned black, a sign that engineered disorder yielded infrared absorption.

The scientists also surmised disorder boosted the photocatalyst’s performance. To find out if their hunch was correct, they immersed disorder-engineered nanocrystals in water and exposed them to simulated sunlight. They found that 24 percent of the sunlight absorbed by the photocatalyst was converted into hydrogen when using a sacrificial reagent, a production rate that is about 100 times greater than the yields of most semiconductor photocatalysts under the same conditions. More work needs to be done in order to reach comparable efficiency without the use of a sacrificial reagent, according to Mao.

In addition, their photocatalyst did not show any signs of degradation during a 22-day testing period, meaning it is potentially durable enough for real-world use.

Its landmark efficiency stems largely from the photocatalyst’s ability to absorb infrared light, making it the first titanium dioxide photocatalyst to absorb light in this wavelength. It also absorbs visible and ultraviolet light. In contrast, most titanium dioxide photocatalysts only absorbs ultraviolet light, and those containing defects may absorb visible light. Ultraviolet light accounts for less than ten percent of solar energy.

“The more energy from the sun that can be absorbed by a photocatalyst, the more electrons can be supplied to a chemical reaction, which makes black titanium dioxide a very attractive material,” says Mao, who is also an adjunct engineering professor in the University of California at Berkeley.

The team’s intriguing experimental findings were further elucidated by theoretical physicists Peter Yu and Lei Liu, who explored how jumbling the latticework of atoms on the nanocrystal’s surface via hydrogenation changes its electronic properties. Their calculations revealed that disorder, in the form of lattice defects and hydrogen, makes it possible for incoming photons to excite electrons, which then jump across a gap where no electron states can exist. Once across this gap, the electrons are free to energize the chemical reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.

“By introducing a specific kind of disorder, mid-gap electronic states are created accompanied by a reduced band gap,” says Yu, who is also a professor in the University of California at Berkeley’s Physics Department. “This makes it possible for the infrared part of the solar spectrum to be absorbed and contribute to the photocatalysis.”

This research was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Transmission electron microscopy imaging used to study the nanocrystals at the atomic scale was performed at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, a national user facility located at Berkeley Lab.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory managed by the University of California for the DOE Office of Science. Berkeley Lab provides solutions to the world’s most urgent scientific challenges including sustainable energy, climate change, human health, and a better understanding of matter and force in the universe. It is a world leader in improving our lives through team science, advanced computing, and innovative technology.

Cleveland-based TMI (Technology Management, Inc.), Ohio’s oldest fuel cell systems developer, is proud to announce that on January 21, 2011 at 4:51AM (EST), TMI’s AnywherEnergy Fuel Cell system reached an operating milestone of 1,000 hours fueled exclusively with untreated JP-8, also known as military logistic fuel. The milestone system run was conducted at the Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Fuel Cell Development Lab located at in Akron, Ohio.

TMI is working closely with leading defense contractor Lockheed Martin on a high efficiency military genset for the battlefield or peacekeeping missions in remote areas. TMI is teamed with Lockheed Martin and Stark State College of Technology on two Ohio Third Frontier Programs. In addition, this team received a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense in late September 2010.

“We are very proud of our system and our highly-skilled Ohio team of engineers including our valued partner, Lockheed Martin,” said Benson Lee, TMI’s President and CEO. “JP-8 contains sulfur and is highly corrosive to other fuel cell systems and to my knowledge this is the only known complete fuel cell system in the world to reach this milestone running on untreated military JP-8.”

TMI has focused on the design of a small-scale system since its earliest development nearly 20 years ago. The system design has specifically focused on a platform that could be easily manufactured by Ohio’s automotive and appliance manufacturers. Over the years, TMI has deployed multiple demonstrations that have set industry milestones including a 30-day, on-farm demonstration in 2009 funded by the Ohio Soybean Council utilizing raw soybean oil as the sole fuel source.

“Fuel cells have the potential to spearhead a huge new clean energy industry for both Ohio and the nation,” Lee said. “As TMI continues to reach critical milestones, and obtains the necessary funding and investments, we could be commercialized in military and residential market within 3 years.”

In late 2010, TMI finalized terms of a loan of $2.5 million from the State of Ohio Advanced Energy Program to support commercialization of TMI’s compact fuel cell system into kilowatt-scale markets, to include military, farm, home-based and remote distributed power applications. In addition, TMI was awarded and signed a $481,000 contract with the U.S. Department of Energy for a project entitled “Distributed Electric Power from Bio-based and Fossil Fuels”.

TMI’s system provides primary power as an option for end users who want or need 24/7 energy availability. This option can be in parallel with or independent from the utility grid. TMI’s modular 1- kW system provides the advantages of being sited almost anywhere, including indoors where surplus heat can be used for cogeneration (e.g., heating and cooling).

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Third Frontier Commission has recommended more than $14 million in funding through the Ohio Third Frontier’s Photovoltaics Program, Fuel Cell Program, and Advanced Energy Program.

The three programs work to accelerate the development and growth of some of the state’s most promising green technologies. The grants and loan will benefit both the industry and its supply chain by providing direct financial support to organizations seeking to investigate near-term specific commercial objectives; commercialize new products; commercialize manufacturing processes or technologies, or adapt or modify existing components that can reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of photovoltaic systems, fuel cell systems, or other advanced energy technologies; address technical and commercialization barriers; or demonstrate market readiness.

Fiscal Year 2011 Ohio Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program Awards

Rolls-Royce Fuel Cells Systems (US), Inc. (North Canton, Stark County) will receive $999,875, in collaboration with RoviSys Company, for the project Automation and Demonstration of Pilot-Scale Manufacturing for SOFCs. The project is further developing a measurement system for assessing real-time print quality of fuel cell layers and implementing a system for automated process control and traceability from raw materials to finished products.

Berlin– Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, a leading specialist in clean energy storage solutions, won Oliver Krautscheid as a new member of the Supervisory Board as of 13 January 2011. He is successor of Jens Spyrka who has left the Supervisory Board effective on 31 December 2010. The confirmation of Krautscheid will occur at the next Annual General Meeting on 21 June 2011.

Until 2004, Krautscheid was a Partner with the audit firm KPMG in Frankfurt. Since then, he has been an investment advisor for equity participations in companies for large family offices. Krautscheid has over 10 years of experience as Board Member of various companies. Currently he is a General Manager of a family holding, which he co-founded. In addition, he is Chairman of the Board with EPG Engineered nanoProducts Germany AG, Griesheim – listed in the Entry Standard and President of the Board with Corporate Equity Partners AG, Zug – listed in Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Dr. Henrik Colell, CEO of Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, emphasizes: “With Oliver Krautscheid we have gained a personality with extensive capital market experience and network for the Supervisory Board. His appointment is an enrichment for the company. We are grateful to Jens Spyrka for his commitment and his valuable support in the past. “

New research could pave the way for hydrogen to be used as a pollution-free alternative to conventional fuels.

Scientists at Glasgow University are using nanotechnology to find a way of storing the element in a solid state.

The gas could then be burned to release energy, or combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity.

In both cases, the only waste product would be water – meaning it could become a clean alternative to powering aircraft and car engines.

The major problems holding back the industrial-scale use of hydrogen to power fuel cells are that it can be expensive and difficult to store safely, and that it requires high volumes and weight to operate successfully.

The Glasgow team, which is working with EADS Innovation Works, aims to use nanotechnology to improve the efficiency of a hydrogen storage tank.

By modifying the composition and microstructure of the tank and hydrogen storage materials, it hopes to make it possible to store and distribute the hydrogen so efficiently that it becomes viable for powering fuel cells on aeroplanes.

Prof Duncan Gregory, from the university’s school of chemistry, said: “The largest bottleneck in the process of realising hydrogen-based technologies is storage.

“Finding a viable means of storing hydrogen in the solid state would pave the way for the industrial-scale use of hydrogen as a clean alternative to hydrocarbon-based fuels in aeroplanes.

“This exciting technology could deliver a genuine paradigm shift in aviation transport that will have immense benefits to the environment in terms of significantly reducing carbon emissions.”

They Glasgow team hopes to be able to fly an unmanned aircraft using a hydrogen-powered fuel cell if the new storage tank works well.

Rapid Progress Towards Field Validation

ACAL Energy and its development partners have put the ground works in place to install the world’s first FlowCath® fuel cell technology system to be used in a practical application at Solvay Interox Ltd, Warrington site. ACAL Energy is the developer of affordable and reliable fuel cell engines based on a platinum free cathode technology that will be a clean and economically sensible alternative to diesel and gasoline generators.

The field trial system is planned for installation in summer 2011, and will provide critical back-up power for an environmental remediation plant at Solvay’s Warrington plant. The installation is designed to help ACAL Energy and its partners to understand exactly how a back-up power system powered by its novel FlowCath® fuel cell engine power module will operate in a real application. The technology is expected significantly to reduce the balance of plant costs by eliminating the need for hydration, pressurization, separate cooling and other mechanical sub-systems commonly required when using conventional PEM fuel cells.

In the meantime, ACAL Energy is completing the low cost design and validation activity in its new laboratory testing facilities, with the support of partners including Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, UPS Systems plc, the University of Southampton and the Manufacturing Engineering Centre at Cardiff University, which is essential to meet the cost and performance targets for a commercially viable system.

This is the latest stage of a project announced last year and partly funded by the Technology Strategy Board. Progress on the project to date has been rapid and as a result, Solvay Interox Ltd took the opportunity over last summer to put in place the hydrogen fuel supply and infrastructure ready for installation of the back-up power unit.
“We’re well on track for this important next stage”, said Bob Longman, VP Engineering at ACAL Energy. “Our progress in the laboratory stages has exceeded our expectations and we are increasingly confident in the performance of the whole system.”

Bob McDonald, Engineering Manager at Solvay Interox Ltd agrees: “We are looking forward to supporting the installation to supply back up power for the remediation plant, which for Solvay Interox Ltd is seen as an opportunity to assess the technology for its value as a cost effective, sustainable back up power source“.

LONDON, UK– Intelligent Energy, the global clean power systems company, yesterday exhibited its innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology alongside a selection of the UK’s leading low carbon manufacturing firms at a Department of Business, Innovation and Skills event to promote UK manufacturing excellence and change perceptions of the industry. In attendance were Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, who asked firms to “throw open their doors” to the public to dispel the myth that Britain doesn’t make anything anymore.

The exhibition, held at the Westminster Conference Centre, launched the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Summit, a chance for industry leaders to develop the agenda for advanced manufacturing growth in the UK. Intelligent Energy exhibited its award-winning ENV fuel cell motorbike, a world’s first. “The low carbon motorbike is of particular interest,” noted Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, during his opening remarks at the Summit, having seen the ENV earlier in the day.

“With figures showing that manufacturing growth has reached a 16-year high, the sector is leading the way in rebalancing the economy and reducing the budget deficit” explained Mark Prisk. “We need to inspire future generations that manufacturing is a good career choice by promoting UK excellence. As a signal of our intent we have invited world leading examples of British design, engineering and manufacture to showcase their technologies at the department.”

Intelligent Energy has experienced high levels of growth, commercial progress and technical achievement in 2010 as evidenced by its lead role in delivering a fleet of zero emissions Fuel Cell Black Cabs for London 2012. The company has recently graduated to larger premises in the UK offering a new manufacturing capability that enables the mass deployment of its fuel cell systems, and has opened offices in Bangalore, India and Osaka, Japan to aid expansion.

“Intelligent decisions need to be made about low carbon technology and the exhibition to launch the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Summit is a terrific way to showcase the innovative low carbon manufacturing excellence that currently exists in the UK,” explained Dr Henri Winand, Chief Executive, Intelligent Energy. “Originally as a university spin out company, but now operating globally, we understand the importance of developing home-grown engineering talent – the lifeblood of any growing, forward-thinking manufacturing company. Our vision is to bring clean power systems to the masses and we are proud to exhibit our technology alongside the best of UK low carbon manufacturing.

Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise (left) discusses the ENV with Dr. Jon Moore, Director of Communications, Intelligent Energy.

Munich–Effective immediately, Dieter Klein has been named the new CEO of the provider of energy-management solutions and has accordingly been entrusted with stra-tegic and operative managerial responsibilities.

In his previous position at P21, Klein was responsible for all sales and marketing activi-ties worldwide. He also took care of cooperative activities such as partnerships and the implementation of services, as well as orientating the firm’s portfolio of solutions to meet its customers’ needs in the target markets of Europe, MEA and Asia.

“During the past year, Dieter Klein optimally familiarized himself with the market and the needs of our customers, and he was an essential participant in successful business transac-tions. Now he will also contribute his expertise in a strategic capacity,” says Waldemar Jantz, chairman of the advisory board of the P21 GmbH and representative of the principal share-holder, the Munich-based venture-capital firm Target Partners. “Dieter Klein is distinguished by his profound managerial know-how, his strong sense of dedication, and his undeviating orientation toward success. These characteristics combine to make him the ideal choice to serve as the business’s CEO.”

Before joining P21, Klein was CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks Indonesia, in which posi-tion he directed the entire operative business of the merged enterprise in Indonesia and thus formatively contributed to its economic success. Klein has held numerous high-responsibility positions in the course of his professional career, thereby acquiring cross-functional managerial expertise in the telecommunications industry and comprehensive global business praxis.

“I am honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me,” Klein says. “Our focal point is to further develop our portfolio of solutions and services to optimally meet the needs of our customers: i.e. using energy with the greatest possible efficiency while si-multaneously reducing CO2 emissions. My highly motivated coworkers and I daily strive to reach these important goals. Together with my team, I intend to further develop P21 so that we can achieve our growth targets.”

About P21

Headquartered in Munich, P21 GmbH develops, produces and markets energy-management solutions for the telecommunications industry. P21 has successfully proven the capability of its technology in various field tests with international mobile-telephony providers since 2004. On the basis of its patented hydrogen-powered PEM fuel-cell systems, the enterprise is already a leading supplier of energy solutions to assure uninterrupted electrical supply. P21 broadened its portfolio of services in 2009 to include other products and solutions which contribute toward efficient energy savings and cost reductions, as well as toward reduced CO2 emissions. Founded in 2001, P21 currently employs a staff of 50 people.

FOLSOM, California–Celebrities at this year’s Golden Globe Awards© ceremony in Beverly Hills walked the red carpet under environmentally clean lighting provided by Altergy and MultiQuip.

Altergy’s “zero emissions” Freedom Power™ fuel-cell system supplied earth friendly power to Mutiquip’s Earthsmart™ H2LT portable plasma light tower. Altergy fuel cells provide clean and quiet “off the grid” electrical power replacing traditional “dirty” diesel generators, normally used at such events, which are noisy, less reliable, and produce harmful air emissions.

Altergy also provided an additional stationary Freedom Power® fuel cell system which was used to deliver clean electrical power for numerous other Golden Globe Award’s electrical demands.

The Annual Golden Globe Awards® Ceremony is seen by millions in over 160 countries worldwide and is one of the top three most watched awards shows on television. In its 68th year, it is one of the few awards ceremonies that spans both television and motion picture achievements.

“These applications demonstrate the versatility and range of usages for our Freedom Power fuel-cell systems,” said Eric Metter, Altergy’s president and chief executive officer.  “We’ve established a strong base in telecommunications in recent years and the utilization of our clean power systems at the Golden Globe Awards shows our ability to provide new and exciting eco-friendly solutions to today’s numerous growing power demands.”

The Earthsmart™ system was used for the first time ever at the March 2010 Academy Awards® ceremony.  The eco-friendly system is now scheduled for use at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild® and GRAMMY awards, and will also again be in operation at the 83rd Academy Awards presentation, as well as for upcoming NASA Space Shuttle launches

“We’re excited to have our Earthsmart system being used at such a high-profile event,” said Torsten Erbel, vice president product management, engineering and customer support for Multiquip.  “It’s a great fit for this type of application where there’s a premium on quiet operation, safety and high efficiency.”

NBC News Video:

Watch the Video: Green Technology Hits Golden Globes

About Altergy

Altergy Systems® is the global leader in the design, manufacture, sales, marketing and deployment of fuel cell power systems.  Altergy’s Freedom Power™products are rugged, fully integrated, modular, scalable and highly-efficient fuel cell systems that generate power at the point-of-use making low cost, distributed power generation a reality and provide the solution to the serious global shortage of premium power and the growing demand for low cost, high quality power.  Altergy’s unique design allows fuel cells to be manufactured in high volume at low cost, making widespread use feasible.   These Freedom Powerproducts provide freedom from the grid, freedom from foreign oil, freedom from traditional energy solutions, freedom from batteries and freedom from pollution and are “Changing the Way the World Gets Its Power.”

Building Green Solutions Will Build Green Jobs; Plug Power’s Efforts Supported by Senator Schumer and Congressman Tonko

LATHAM, N.Y. — Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, reflects on the positive impact the company has seen in job creation due to President Obama’s support of important tax legislation and the continued commercialization of clean energy solutions. As discussed in the State of the Union address on January 25, 2011, Congress has provided and extended important tax credits which help create green jobs and sell green energy within the United States and abroad.

“In the nation’s effort to achieve energy independence, hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a promising solution, developed and manufactured right here in Upstate New York,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “With progressive policy in place to level the playing field, institutional roadblocks standing in the way of broader market adoption for clean and efficient energy can be overcome. Plug Power applauds President Obama and his administration for seeing the correlation between alternative energy and job growth, economic upturn and environmental progress.”

Specific to Plug Power’s business, the company has been able to add 20 new manufacturing jobs to its facility in Latham, NY where its GenDrive fuel cell units are completely manufactured. As the leader in the alternative energy space, Plug Power has brought the innovation of fuel cell products from research and development to commercial implementation. Plug Power has set the bar for hydrogen and fuel cell technology especially in the material handling space where the company has over 1,000 units in the field today. Plug Power currently has an 85% market share in the fuel cell powered material handling industry and is transforming the U.S. fuel cell manufacturing industry into a globally competitive force that will lead to the export, rather than the import, of these innovative energy products.

The Company’s 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility is capable of building 10,000 GenDrive units each year. In part due to positive tax credit and other incentives in place, Plug Power witnessed its customer base significantly accelerate in 2010 with the addition of customers like Sysco Houston, United Natural Foods, Inc. and BMW.

Plug Power’s fuel cell units are comprised of parts from over 100 suppliers throughout the United States. As customers continue to purchase GenDrive fuel cell units from Plug Power, the component suppliers see an increase in business as well. Every 1,000 GenDrive units Plug Power builds dispenses millions of dollars in orders to vendors in the company’s supply chain, who employ over 62 thousand people in the U.S.

Congressman Paul D. Tonko commented, “I commend the President for his bold vision on transforming our energy future – the evidence is clear: American leadership in clean energy technologies will create good jobs here at home, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and preserve our environment for generations to come. However, we are woefully behind other countries in these areas. I agree with the President, and have been advocating for years – this is the Sputnik moment of our time. Meeting this challenge and winning the global race on energy promises to transform our economy and lead to greater opportunities for future generations – in the same way the Space Race led to the advancements we enjoy today. Companies like Plug Power are meeting this challenge and helping customers transition to clean energy technologies with that added benefit – job creation.”

Senator Charles Schumer commented, “Last night we heard the President focus on job creation and a plan to grow our economy for the future. It’s companies like Plug Power that are going to lead this effort, harnessing the creativity and ingenuity of Upstate New Yorkers. Our state is home to some of the toughest, smartest, hardest working people in the country – we can compete with anyone. Hundreds of middle-class workers are already at work building the hydrogen fuel cells of tomorrow, and thanks to companies like Plug Power, our future is bright.”

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 2 million hours of runtime, Plug Power manufactures tomorrow’s incumbent power solutions today. Visit us at www.plugpower.com.

UK-based Cella Energy has developed a synthetic fuel that could lead to US$1.50 per gallon gasoline. It is hydrogen based fuel and produces no carbon emissions when burned. The technology is based on complex hydrides, and has been developed over a four year top secret program at the prestigious Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford. Early indications are that the fuel can be used in existing internal combustion engined vehicles without engine modification. Cella can manufacture the materials in the form of micron-sized beads it is possible to move the beads like a fluid. It looks a practical way to introduce hydrogen fuels that is mostly compatible with existing engines and fuel service station infrastructure.

Liquid hydrogen has a specific energy density of about 143MJ/Kg (megajoules per kilogram) compared to regular jet-fuel or kerosene at about 43MJ/Kg. This has big potential for rockets and airplanes and for military applications. Liquid hydrogen is very cold, and has to be stored at -253°C(-423°F). This means keep rockets on launch pads on standby is technically difficult and expensive. Cella’s hydrogen micro-beads are also a liquid hydrogen fuel but can be stored at normal temperatures. This means rockets can be kept on permanent stand-by at significantly reduced cost. So the beads would not be used in the rockets since they 6% hydrogen but for safer and cheaper storage.

Cella Energy uses the benefits of nano-structuring to encase hydrides using coaxial electrospinning. Cella Energy replaces the high pressure cylinders with a conventional shaped fuel tank that can be more easily packaged within an existing vehicle chassis design. Refuelling takes place form a regular fuel pump and requires no high pressure or very-low temperatures. This fits easily within the existing refueling infrastructure and means hydrogen could be provided for a billion existing road vehicles immediately.

Cella Energy have developed a method using a low-cost process called coaxial electrospinning or electrospraying that can trap a complex chemical hydride inside a nano-porous polymer that speeds up the kinetics of hydrogen desorption, reduces the temperature at which the desorption occurs and filters out many if not all of the damaging chemicals. It also protects the hydrides from oxygen and water, making it possible to handle it in air.

The coaxial electrospinning process that Cella uses is simple and industrially scalable, it can be used to create micron scale micro-fibres or micro-beads nano-porous polymers filled with the chemical hydride. Cella believes that this technology can produce an inexpensive, compound material that be handled safely in air, operates at low pressures and temperatures and has sufficiently high hydrogen concentration and rapid desorption kinetics to be useful for transport applications.

Our current composite material uses ammonia borane NH3BH3 as the hydride and polystyrene as the polymer nano-scaffold. Ammonia borane in its normal state releases 12wt% of hydrogen at temperatures between 110°C and 150°C, but with very slow kinetics. In our materials the accessible hydrogen content is reduced to 6wt% but the temperature of operation is reduced so that it starts releasing hydrogen below 80°C and the kinetics are an order of magnitude faster. Although ideal for our proof-of-concept work and potentially useful for the initial demonstrator projects it is not currently a viable commercial material: it is expensive to make and cannot be easily re-hydrided or chemically recycled.

Cella is now working on other hydride materials, these have slightly lower hydrogen contents but it is possible to cycle them into the hydride phase many hundreds of times and we are encapsulating these in hydrogen permeable high-temperature polymers based on polyimide

Use of the technology

There are two ways to use these materials:
Pure hydrogen solution for Zero carbon emissions or as a fuel additive.

The pure hydrogen solution is a way of storing and delivering hydrogen safely for use in an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell.

Fuel additive for lower carbon emissions.

For use as a fuel additive to reduce the carbon emissions from a hydrocarbon fuel such as gasoline, diesel, JP-8, jet-fuel or kerosene.

Pure hydrogen solution, how it would work in a vehicle

Cella we can manufacture the materials in the form of micron-sized beads it is possible to move the beads like a fluid. This opens up a number of opportunities:

It is no longer necessary to try and rehydrogenate the material within the vehicle. For most hydrogen storage materials this releases megajoules of energy. If the refuelling is to be done in a few minutes, this requires cooling to remove several hundred kilowatts of power. To facilitate rehydrogenation in the 3-4 minutes that the DOE targets stipulate, the thermodynamics require high temperatures and pressures of around 100bar. This requires substantial engineering and as such we don’t believe that on-car rehydrogenation is reasonable. With a fluidized hydride, it is possible to quickly fill or remove the material from the vehicle so that it can be recycled or rehydrided elsewhere.

Some Calculations from Nextbigfuture reader Goatguy

   FIGURE COMPONENT         COMMENT
--------- ----------------- ---------------------------
    147.0 MJ/kg             Hydrogen gas
      6.0 kg                in Test vehicle
    882.0 = MJ              in Test vehicle
    431.0 mi/6kg            of driving test
      2.0 = MJ/mile         …yielded
--------- ----------------- ---------------------------
 67,200.0 L of H2           @STP (300K, 14.2PSI)
     96.0 L of H2           @ 10,000 psi
     24.8 gal               @ 10,000 psi
      80%                   gas-in-tank volume
     31.0 gal               of gas bottles
--------- ----------------- ---------------------------
  3,000.0 mol H2            converting kg to moles
    750.0 mol CH4 to make   assuming 4:1 mol production
     12.0 kg CH4            therefore…
 50,700.0 BTU/kg            looked up for methane
608,400.0 BTU/load          therefore…
    $8.50 per 1,000,000 BTU looked up 2008, new england
    $5.17 for methane       therefore…

Researchers in Germany have designed a 3D carbon-based nanotube matrix that can store and release hydrogen extremely efficiently. The material could form the basis of a sustainable hydrogen economy, they say.

Hydrogen is a very clean and efficient energy source – when it burns the only by-product is water - and it is being looked to as an environmentally friendly next generation fuel. Materials that can store and release hydrogen are therefore highly desirable, but efforts to develop carbon materials for this purpose have only managed modest hydrogen uptake.

Stefano Leoni and colleagues at the Technical University of Dresden have now used a computer-based approach to design a 3D carbon nanotube structure that can store more hydrogen at room temperature than any other carbon-based material. ‘This is a top down approach from advanced mathematics, to geometry, to computer modelling, to chemical properties,’ Leoni says. The resulting material would be lightweight, cheap to make and non-toxic, say the researchers, meaning it would be suitable for large scale production.

The US Department of Energy’s target for hydrogen storage materials by 2015 is 6wt% – six per cent of the combined weight of the material after gas adsorption should be stored hydrogen. Leoni’s new nanotube material has a total hydrogen uptake of 5.5wt% at room temperature which suggests it could be an ideal candidate.

Inspired by natural sponges, the team designed a computer model that placed carbon nanotubes in the hole positions of a theoretical sponge network. ‘Putting cylinders next to each other is a way of packing them. But there is another way – to put them so they cross over each other, like the holes in a sponge. Using modelling we found how many arrangements the nanotubes could be arranged in to fit this criteria,’ Leoni tells Chemistry World.

The carbon nanotubes were arranged in parallel, but with none of them intersecting. Each nanotube is in contact with others, but not all the way along the edge of the nanotube. After hydrogen adsorption simulations, the team found that these structures adsorbed a significant amount of hydrogen. ‘The way we put them together provides some points of contact – at these points hydrogen preferentially adsorbed. Putting cylinders next to each other in a parallel fashion doesn’t have the same effect,’ explains Leoni.

‘This work may encourage experimentalists to explore the possibilities of preparing 3D networks with properties similar to the idealised structures reported here,’ says Eleanor Campbell, an expert in the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes, at the University of Edinburgh, in the UK. ‘It is difficult to make such well-ordered 3D networks and to my knowledge no one has succeeded so far with single-walled nanotubes, but a number of groups are now attempting to make them,’ she adds.

The next step for Leoni and his team is to make the structures experimentally with the help of collaborators. ‘We would expect the material to be acting in the forefront of energy materials in the very near future,’ he says.

Mike Brown

If you live in Oslo, you can now lease a hydrogen car!

Hynor currently has a Mazda RX8 that runs on hydrogen. It can be refilled at Økern Statoil in Oslo and Drammen. This is a rare opportunity to showcase your business while trying out a hydrogen propelled vehicle!

For more information: Contact Benjamin Myklebust at ZERO (benjamin@zero.no)

Minister State Helmut Rau and Environment and Transport Minister Tanja Gönner: Electric Mobility is a key component of sustainable energy management and secure jobs Baden-Württemberg is a member of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) – planned for spring 2011, EnBW accession

The Ministry of State Helmut Rau and the environment, transport minister Tanja Gönner recieved on Wednesday, 1 December 2010 in Stuttgart, the first fuel cell vehicles and battery powered vehicles for the fleet in Baden-Württemberg . Baden-Württemberg, has proven that the region is committed to prove viability of electric Transport. A total of  nine fuel cell vehicles and four Electro- Smart cars were purchased on lease basis.

Efforts to build two hydrogen filling stations  are uder way in Baden-Württemberg in 2011. The H2 stations will be supplied frorm hydrogen produced by wind energy.

– World’s First Community-level Demonstration of Pipelines Installed in an Urban District –

The Lab has introduced hydrogen buses to the taxi shuttle fleet at the main site. The vehicles run on pure hydrogen, resulting in near zero CO2 emissions. Photo by Jacqueline McBride/Newsline

Employees may notice a new look to two of the vehicles that provide taxi shuttle service at the Lab’s main site: As the banners on these taxis indicate, they run on pure hydrogen. This results in near zero CO₂ emissions at the point source.

These hydrogen taxis are part of a DOE-funded deployment of hydrogen powered vehicles and fueling infrastructure at nine federal facilities across the country to demonstrate this market-ready advanced technology.  Produced and leased by Ford Motor Company , one 12- passenger bus and one nine-passenger bus with wheelchair capability will complement LLNL’s  existing diesel-fueled taxis. They are part of LLNL’s strategy for an energy sustainable future and a cleaner environment.

With very few cost and technical issues limiting commercialization and deployment, hydrogen-powered vehicles can help create the demand needed to support the development of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. The taxis will be refueled on site using technology supplied by Air Products.

The project is funded by the DOE Office of and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fuel Cell Technologies Program. The DOE is actively engaged in market transformation efforts to demonstrate hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and educate the public about the safety, energy security and environmental advantages of hydrogen as a transportation fuel.

The project is a collaboration between Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national laboratories. The taxis will offer the opportunity for Lab personnel and the public to learn more about hydrogen fueled vehicles. Several educational community outreach activities are being planned for the future. Look for updates in Newsline.

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited [AIM/ASX:CFU], a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings, has signed an agreement with Adelaide-based Hills Holdings Limited for Hills to sell and service Ceramic Fuel Cells’ BlueGen gas-to-electricity units.

Under the agreement Hills will distribute BlueGen, initially in South Australia. Hills will also provide installation and after-sales service for BlueGen products Australia-wide and will help Ceramic Fuel Cells to develop the market for BlueGen.

Hills, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, is a leading manufacturer, distributor and installer of home products including premium solar hot water products. Hills had revenues last financial year of AUD 1.1 billion.

Hills has a wide range of businesses in three major categories: home, hardware and eco products; electronic security and entertainment; and building and industrial products.

The Australian market for BlueGen is estimated to be several hundred thousand units – the number of households connected to natural gas is more than three million.

In December 2010 German utility EWE, following two years of testing, placed an order worth up to AUD 6.6 million for up to 200 integrated micro CHP products made using Ceramic Fuel Cells’ patented technology.

BlueGen units are the latest breakthrough in small scale electricity generation. BlueGen uses ceramic fuel cells to turn natural gas into electricity and heat for hot water. Each BlueGen unit can produce twice the electricity needed to power an average Australian home. Surplus electricity can be sold back to the grid. BlueGen units can generate electricity at up to double the efficiency of the current Australian power grid, providing significant cost savings off energy bills and large carbon savings.

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Hills, an iconic Australian company in the home hardware and eco products market,” said Brendan Dow, Ceramic Fuel Cells’ Managing Director. “This agreement represents a further validation of our BlueGen product and what it can achieve in the energy market.”

Mr Dow added: “Hills designs, develops and makes its own appliances and solar products, so there are also longer term strategic opportunities for us to collaborate on the BlueGen manufacturing and supply-chain side.”

The agreement is in line with Ceramic Fuel Cells’ strategy to sell BlueGen units in Australia through distributors and to outsource the installation and service of BlueGen units. The agreement with Hills follows similar BlueGen distribution agreements with green products retailer Neco,

Toyota City, Japan–Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) plans to provide “TOYOTA FCHV-adv”^* fuel-cell-hybrid vehicles to an FCV (fuel-cell vehicle) car-service trial program to start on January 29 between Narita International Airport (Narita Airport) and other destinations.  The provision is in response to a request from the Research Association of Hydrogen Supply/Utilization Technology (HySUT), a participant in the Hydrogen Highway Project run by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as part of its Demonstration Program for Establishing a Hydrogen-based Social System.

The vehicles will be used in a car service All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) operates from Narita Airport for the Welcome-Home Limousine Taxi Service for passengers returning to Japan on flights from Europe or the U.S. and for its early morning pickup plan.

Under the same project, TMC has been providing an “FCHV-BUS” fuel-cell hybrid bus for use on a commercial route between central Tokyo and Tokyo International Airport (commonly known as Haneda Airport) since December last year.

To continue to promote the widespread use of FCVs, TMC will verify data obtained from the car-service trials (which will include highway use), and conduct ongoing research and development while actively cooperating with various organizations including the national government and the energy industry.

Outline of the TOYOTA FCHV-adv

Main Features

• Can operate in temperatures as low as -30°C (previous models could not be operated in temperatures below 0°C).
• Can travel approximately 830 km on a single tank of hydrogen (TMC measurements under the Japanese 10-15 test cycle).

^*Stands for “fuel cell hybrid vehicle-advanced”.

NEW YORK– CCM News, a provider of premium editorial videos for websites, newspapers, magazines, web portals and international broadcast, has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to produce the online video and global broadcast coverage of the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive 2011. Beginning at the end of January, Mercedes and CCM News producers will drive three B-Class F-Cell models around the world.

CCM News producers will be en route with the vehicles for the duration of the tour documenting its progress. Circling the world in an emission free vehicle allows CCM News and its producers to garner the most current, relevant, and compelling green stories from around the world. Those stories as well as the Fuel Cell World Drive will be featured in one of the first ever syndicated online news magazines, entitled Eco Trek.

Each week, CM News will make Eco Trek available to a select number of websites, blogs and aggregated news sites. Webmasters and producers interested in publishing Eco Trek episodes, should contact CCM directly.

For independent editorial reporting about the Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell World Drive, CCM News will make available video content to broadcasters and websites via download. CCM News will offer as well B-Roll News packages as voiced over news stories, featuring the Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell World Drive and stories about sustainable energy solutions. These content packages will be available free of charge for editorial use of broadcasters, Internet news sites, and relevant websites on a regular basis. Producers can subscribe to a regular news letter by sending an e-mail to info@ccm-news.com

The Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell Drive is an unparalleled long-distance journey that will take the fuel cell vehicles through 14 countries. Starting in southern Europe, the cars will drive through France, Spain and Portugal. They’ll then continue on to North America, where they will drive through both the USA as well as Canada. After crossing Australia the vehicles will travel on to Asia. From China, they will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia and finally northern Europe. The 125-day round-the-world tour will return to Stuttgart in early June.

Boeing Co., the Chicago-based aerospace company struggling to deliver its 787 Dreamliners on time, received a patent for an aircraft fuel tank for hydrogen fuel.

Patent 7,871,042, one of 3,849 U.S. patents issued on Jan. 18, covers a wing body tank that will be lighter than those now used for aircraft fuel, according to the patent.

The week’s opening of a “revolutionary” research and demonstration centre powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology is great news both for Fife and for Scotland, politicians have claimed.

First Minister Alex Salmond on a recent visit to the Hydrogen Office.

The new £4.7 million Hydrogen Office in Methil — which was officially opened by First Minister Alex Salmond on Tuesday — has already been identified as a “world leading” centre for innovation.

Derek Mitchell, project manager with the Hydrogen Office Limited (HOL), insists that tag is well-justified and said exciting times are ahead.

“The opening of the Hydrogen Office marks the completion of the first phase of this project and we can now start raising the profile of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies,” he said.

“Scotland has the potential to produce far more renewable energy than it currently generates for all its electrical needs.

“However-because we can’t control when we generate energy from some renewable sources-this huge potential is still limited.

“There is no need for such a limit and this breakthrough charts the future to realising Scotland’s full potential.”

Mr Mitchell insists there is little limit to the ambitions of experts working at the new site.

“Storing wind energy as hydrogen, which we can do in large quantities and for long periods, means we can then use this energy for virtually anything,” he said.

“This includes in our cars, our cooking, our homes and offices.  We can do this without generating any pollution or carbon dioxide and we can use this energy regardless of whether the wind is blowing.”

Levenmouth MSP Tricia Marwick is similarly impressed.

“The Hydrogen Office is an exciting, innovative development for the Levenmouth area and I know Derek Mitchell and his team have worked so hard to develop this project,” she told The Courier.

“I have given my support to the facility from the outset.  This is precisely the type of exciting, forward-looking project that has to be encouraged and I am delighted it has come to fruition.”

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker also had warm words.

“Fife’s reputation as a hub for Scotland’s growing renewables industry is getting stronger,” she said. This is also great news for the local economy.

“Green jobs are key to our economic future and I am committed to helping develop the skills to bring such jobs to the area.”