- Email: [email protected]
Angstrom closes US$18m financing round
NEWS to allowing multiple power sources of varying voltages to connect to the ship’s electrical distribution grid. In addition, the technology is applicable to military and commercial vehicles, and pulse power systems. A bidirectional version of this converter is targeted at ‘plug-in’ hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). ‘Although this technology is primarily oriented towards the US Navy, the technology developed as a result of this effort is particularly well suited for our hybrid electric vehicle and aerospace systems that require high power-density, highly efficient electric drive systems,’ says David Eisenhaure, chairman/CEO of SatCon Technology. Contact: SatCon Technology Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 897 2400, www.satcon.com
Angstrom closes US$18m financing round
V
ancouver-based Angstrom Power has closed US$18 million of private equity financing. The new investment is led by VantagePoint Venture Partners, who join Angstrom’s existing investor consortium that includes Ventures West, GrowthWorks Capital, Chrysalix Energy, OPG Ventures and the Micro-Generation Technology Fund. Last fall Angstrom demonstrated what it claimed was the world’s highest energy density (>400 Wh/l) micro fuel cell system for portable electronic devices, i.e. with <25 cm3 system volume [FCB, January 2006]. The company has a clear research and development path to deliver performance well beyond these levels in 2007. The benefits of Angstrom’s patented Micro Hydrogen™ technology include high energy density, small form factors, passive operation and low-cost manufacturability. The company is also working with industry-leading strategic partners to develop infrastructure solutions to enable widely available and cost-effective fuel cartridges and refueling on a global scale. ‘We have looked closely at dozens of micro fuel cell companies over the last several years, and we have chosen Angstrom for our investment in this sector because of the exceptional base of intellectual property,’ explains Stephan Dolezalek, managing director with VantagePoint Venture Partners. ‘We believe that the company has, by far, the best opportunity to meet the future needs of the handheld consumer electronics manufacturers.’ In addition to the large market for handheld consumer electronics products such as cell
November 2006
phones, MP3 players and digital still cameras, Angstrom’s technology can be applied to military and industrial applications that require longer run-times. Angstrom Power was founded in 2001 to develop and commercialize microstructured fuel cells based on a novel fuel cell architecture developed by its CTO, Dr Ged McLean. Contact: Angstrom Power Inc, North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 980 9936, www.angstrompower. com
Hydrogen storage material has potential
R
esearch that is being done in the US shows that ammonia borane holds promise as a chemical compound to store and release hydrogen for use in vehicles powered by fuel cells, and it also appears stable enough to offset some safety concerns. The findings were presented by Pacific Northwest National Lab researcher Scot Rassat at the recent 232nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. For its relatively light weight, ammonia borane contains a large fraction of hydrogen that can be released as a gas. It is also a stable solid at room temperature. The material releases hydrogen for use in fuel cells on heating it to a temperature that approaches the boiling point of water. Studies have also investigated how the material will be affected by warm temperatures during storage – for example, those that may exist in a car parked in the hot, desert sun. Researchers from PNNL and Rohm & Haas measured heat flow and temperature over several days to evaluate potential safety issues associated with premature release of hydrogen gas when fuel is stored on board a vehicle at relatively high temperatures. The experiments and calculations both indicate that the stability of ammonia borane relates to its purity, and that it can remain stable for many days or longer periods at high temperatures. The research will also help to determine if auxiliary cooling is required to minimize the inadvertent release of hydrogen in a tank and keep the vehicle safe.
Contact: Dr Scot Rassat, Advanced Processing & Applications Group, Environmental Technology Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA. Tel: +1 509 376 1410, Email: [email protected], Web: advprocessapplications. pnl.gov
IN BRIEF NTT DoCoMo acquires stake in Aquafairy In Japan, mobile communications giant NTT DoCoMo is to acquire a large stake in Aquafairy Company, a micro fuel cell developer. The move will see the companies jointly developing micro fuel cells for cell phone handsets. DoCoMo says that it plans to acquire approximately a 36.5% stake in the company through the purchase of newly allocated shares in the near future. The two companies are already working on a micro fuel cell recharger for 3G Foma handsets using Aquafairy’s hydrogen fuel cell technology. Aquafairy was established in Osaka earlier this year, and currently employs 11 people. EHA’s ‘Hydrogen in the City’ task force The European Hydrogen Association has created a new task force, called ‘Hydrogen in the City’, to provide local authorities with information on readily available hydrogen applications, installation requirements and regulations, codes and standards. In close collaboration with EHA’s industry members and national member associations, the task force hopes to respond to the increasing requests of local communities for examples of feasible urban hydrogen projects. The task force will prepare an information package, adapted to local requirements and translated into different languages, that will contain examples of successful projects, product information, installation requirements and local regulations. The first information packages will be presented at the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2007, taking place 18–22 June in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The EHA brings together seven national associations – from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Spain – as well as the main hydrogen supply and distribution companies: Air Liquide, Air Products, Linde (now incorporating BOC), Norsk Hydro, Acciona Biocombustibles and Shell Hydrogen). World Trade Center redevelopment set to use ‘green’ energy In the US, the Governor of New York George Pataki has announced a package of energy and environmental measures that will be incorporated into the design of the World Trade Center (WTC) redevelopment. Among these are the use of fuel cells. The Freedom Tower and WTC Office Towers 2, 3 and 4 will be partially fueled by four 1.2 MW fuel cell systems, to be acquired by the New York Power Authority using funds appropriated in the 2006/7 budget. These fuel cells will provide on-site distributed generation and help to make the buildings less dependent on the grid. It is believed that this group of fuel cell systems will constitute one of the largest installations of its kind in the world.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
Angstrom closes US$18m financing round
V
ancouver-based Angstrom Power has closed US$18 million of private equity financing. The new investment is led by VantagePoint Venture Partners, who join Angstrom’s existing investor consortium that includes Ventures West, GrowthWorks Capital, Chrysalix Energy, OPG Ventures and the Micro-Generation Technology Fund. Last fall Angstrom demonstrated what it claimed was the world’s highest energy density (>400 Wh/l) micro fuel cell system for portable electronic devices, i.e. with <25 cm3 system volume [FCB, January 2006]. The company has a clear research and development path to deliver performance well beyond these levels in 2007. The benefits of Angstrom’s patented Micro Hydrogen™ technology include high energy density, small form factors, passive operation and low-cost manufacturability. The company is also working with industry-leading strategic partners to develop infrastructure solutions to enable widely available and cost-effective fuel cartridges and refueling on a global scale. ‘We have looked closely at dozens of micro fuel cell companies over the last several years, and we have chosen Angstrom for our investment in this sector because of the exceptional base of intellectual property,’ explains Stephan Dolezalek, managing director with VantagePoint Venture Partners. ‘We believe that the company has, by far, the best opportunity to meet the future needs of the handheld consumer electronics manufacturers.’ In addition to the large market for handheld consumer electronics products such as cell
November 2006
phones, MP3 players and digital still cameras, Angstrom’s technology can be applied to military and industrial applications that require longer run-times. Angstrom Power was founded in 2001 to develop and commercialize microstructured fuel cells based on a novel fuel cell architecture developed by its CTO, Dr Ged McLean. Contact: Angstrom Power Inc, North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 980 9936, www.angstrompower. com
Hydrogen storage material has potential
R
esearch that is being done in the US shows that ammonia borane holds promise as a chemical compound to store and release hydrogen for use in vehicles powered by fuel cells, and it also appears stable enough to offset some safety concerns. The findings were presented by Pacific Northwest National Lab researcher Scot Rassat at the recent 232nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. For its relatively light weight, ammonia borane contains a large fraction of hydrogen that can be released as a gas. It is also a stable solid at room temperature. The material releases hydrogen for use in fuel cells on heating it to a temperature that approaches the boiling point of water. Studies have also investigated how the material will be affected by warm temperatures during storage – for example, those that may exist in a car parked in the hot, desert sun. Researchers from PNNL and Rohm & Haas measured heat flow and temperature over several days to evaluate potential safety issues associated with premature release of hydrogen gas when fuel is stored on board a vehicle at relatively high temperatures. The experiments and calculations both indicate that the stability of ammonia borane relates to its purity, and that it can remain stable for many days or longer periods at high temperatures. The research will also help to determine if auxiliary cooling is required to minimize the inadvertent release of hydrogen in a tank and keep the vehicle safe.
Contact: Dr Scot Rassat, Advanced Processing & Applications Group, Environmental Technology Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA. Tel: +1 509 376 1410, Email: [email protected], Web: advprocessapplications. pnl.gov
IN BRIEF NTT DoCoMo acquires stake in Aquafairy In Japan, mobile communications giant NTT DoCoMo is to acquire a large stake in Aquafairy Company, a micro fuel cell developer. The move will see the companies jointly developing micro fuel cells for cell phone handsets. DoCoMo says that it plans to acquire approximately a 36.5% stake in the company through the purchase of newly allocated shares in the near future. The two companies are already working on a micro fuel cell recharger for 3G Foma handsets using Aquafairy’s hydrogen fuel cell technology. Aquafairy was established in Osaka earlier this year, and currently employs 11 people. EHA’s ‘Hydrogen in the City’ task force The European Hydrogen Association has created a new task force, called ‘Hydrogen in the City’, to provide local authorities with information on readily available hydrogen applications, installation requirements and regulations, codes and standards. In close collaboration with EHA’s industry members and national member associations, the task force hopes to respond to the increasing requests of local communities for examples of feasible urban hydrogen projects. The task force will prepare an information package, adapted to local requirements and translated into different languages, that will contain examples of successful projects, product information, installation requirements and local regulations. The first information packages will be presented at the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2007, taking place 18–22 June in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The EHA brings together seven national associations – from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Spain – as well as the main hydrogen supply and distribution companies: Air Liquide, Air Products, Linde (now incorporating BOC), Norsk Hydro, Acciona Biocombustibles and Shell Hydrogen). World Trade Center redevelopment set to use ‘green’ energy In the US, the Governor of New York George Pataki has announced a package of energy and environmental measures that will be incorporated into the design of the World Trade Center (WTC) redevelopment. Among these are the use of fuel cells. The Freedom Tower and WTC Office Towers 2, 3 and 4 will be partially fueled by four 1.2 MW fuel cell systems, to be acquired by the New York Power Authority using funds appropriated in the 2006/7 budget. These fuel cells will provide on-site distributed generation and help to make the buildings less dependent on the grid. It is believed that this group of fuel cell systems will constitute one of the largest installations of its kind in the world.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11