- Email: [email protected]
Intelligent Energy fuel cells significantly boost drone flight time
NEWS as unlimited starts and stops, as well as the ability to start up in –10°C environments, with no need for added air compressors and humidification equipment. ‘The market for hydrogen-powered forklift equipment in North America is attracting new equipment integration firms and forklift OEMs to provide robust, reliable, and commercially viable materials handling equipment that can operate under a wide range of environments,’ says Hydrogenics CEO Daryl Wilson. ‘Hydrogenics’ standard heavy-duty fuel cell power modules can be put to work across a variety of applications, and our simple package makes it easy for vehicle integrators to incorporate into their products – whether it be for cars, buses, or in this case, forklifts.’ In other news, Hydrogenics has completed its underwritten public offering of just under 2.5 million common shares at a price of US$7.75 per share, giving it $17.9 million after discounts and commissions but before expenses. The Kolon Hydrogenics joint venture in South Korea recently started commercial operations of its initial 1 MW fuel cell stationary power system [FCB, December 2015, p6]. That followed the signing of supply agreements to bring Hydrogenics fuel cell and hydrogen refueling station technology to China, as well as using the company’s Powerto-Gas energy storage technology [FCB, November 2015, p1]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com
Intelligent Energy fuel cells significantly boost drone flight time
U
K-based Intelligent Energy has developed a prototype hydrogen fuel cell powered range-extender for drones (small unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs). The range-extender offers longer flight times and fast refueling, addressing two of the biggest challenges for manufacturers of battery-powered drones. Intelligent Energy unveiled the prototype of the hydrogen PEM fuel cell range-extender on a drone at the recent CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The lucrative market for commercial drones is rapidly growing, but it is being held back by the short range and long recharging times associated with batteries. By combining an ultra-lightweight fuel cell stack with a battery, IE’s range-extender offers up to several hours of drone flight time, rather than the typical 20 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
minutes maximum flight times seen today. In addition, fuel cells can significantly reduce the downtime currently required for recharging between flights, from one or two hours to an average of two minutes. ‘Drones are one of the most exciting new technologies. [But] even with advanced batteries their value is limited. For commercial use, they need to offer better flight times and range,’ says Julian Hughes, group business development director and acting managing director for Intelligent Energy’s Consumer Electronics Division. ‘That will all become possible with the release of our range-extender platform,’ he continues. ‘A longer flight time coupled with a quick refuel opens a wide range of new commercial possibilities for businesses, such as drones for inspection of offshore platforms, search and rescue, high-quality aerial photography, precision agriculture, and parcel delivery and more.’ For the past 14 months Intelligent Energy has independently tested drones with fuel cell and battery hybrid systems. Flight tests were conducted on two configurations: one solely powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, the other powered by a fuel cell/ battery hybrid system. A camera was operated on the test flights, and was found to record a steady image with no interruptions – a critical feature for commercial drone use. Intelligent Energy has previously worked with Boeing to power the world’s first manned fuel cell aircraft in commercial airspace [FCB, April 2008, p1], and with Airbus for an auxiliary power unit [FCB, November 2009, p4]. The company is developing a wide range of fuel cell applications, including integration into smartphones [FCB, December 2015, p7], power for telecom towers in India [FCB, October 2015, p1], and automotive applications [FCB, October 2015, p2 and November 2015, p10]. Intelligent Energy, Loughborough, UK. Tel: +44 1509 271271, www.intelligent-energy.com
SMALL STATIONARY
Latest release of Ceres Power technology targets new markets, applications
U
K-based Ceres Power reports excellent progress with the latest release of its V3 Steel Cell solid oxide fuel cell technology platform. The improved efficiency and power density will enable Ceres to address high-
efficiency, power-only applications for the commercial-scale market, as well as significantly improving the economic case for the residential market. The V3 intermediate-temperature SOFC technology is the result of extensive development and long-term testing and validation at Ceres, which is part of its planned annual technology release process. Last spring the company reported a 40% increase in the overall power density of its Steel Cell technology [FCB, May 2015, p5]. For the commercial-scale market, which requires higher-power applications, Ceres has developed a modular stack concept for the first time using the V3 technology, which in initial testing has achieved 55% net electrical efficiency. This is very important, as 50% is generally seen as the tipping point when the technology becomes viable for commercial and light industrial-scale applications. For the residential market, Ceres has developed the Steel Gen platform, a 1 kW class power system which uses the V3 technology, to achieve 50% net electrical efficiency in one of the most compact fuel cell system designs available. This platform is now available to OEM partners, allowing fuel cell power systems running on natural gas and based on Ceres Power’s Steel Cell technology to achieve poweronly efficiencies in the home or business which are higher than state-of-the-art centralised generating plants, and an overall efficiency up to 90% when also capturing the heat. ‘Our strategy is simple: to make our Steel Cell technology the platform for a range of distributed power generation products for every home and business,’ says CEO Phil Caldwell. ‘We have already seen high levels of early-stage interest in higher-power products from US, Korea, and Japan. Having achieved this latest technical advance, we now expect to announce progress on a number of new partnerships in the near future.’ Ceres has subsequently signed a new agreement with Honda R&D in Japan to jointly develop SOFC stacks using Ceres’ metal-supported Steel Cell technology for a range of potential power equipment applications [see page 1]. Ceres Power, Horsham, West Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1403 273463, www.cerespower.com
Cascadiant continues to expand Indonesia R&D partnership
G
reen energy solutions company Cascadiant in Jakarta has expanded
January 2016
Intelligent Energy fuel cells significantly boost drone flight time
U
K-based Intelligent Energy has developed a prototype hydrogen fuel cell powered range-extender for drones (small unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs). The range-extender offers longer flight times and fast refueling, addressing two of the biggest challenges for manufacturers of battery-powered drones. Intelligent Energy unveiled the prototype of the hydrogen PEM fuel cell range-extender on a drone at the recent CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The lucrative market for commercial drones is rapidly growing, but it is being held back by the short range and long recharging times associated with batteries. By combining an ultra-lightweight fuel cell stack with a battery, IE’s range-extender offers up to several hours of drone flight time, rather than the typical 20 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
minutes maximum flight times seen today. In addition, fuel cells can significantly reduce the downtime currently required for recharging between flights, from one or two hours to an average of two minutes. ‘Drones are one of the most exciting new technologies. [But] even with advanced batteries their value is limited. For commercial use, they need to offer better flight times and range,’ says Julian Hughes, group business development director and acting managing director for Intelligent Energy’s Consumer Electronics Division. ‘That will all become possible with the release of our range-extender platform,’ he continues. ‘A longer flight time coupled with a quick refuel opens a wide range of new commercial possibilities for businesses, such as drones for inspection of offshore platforms, search and rescue, high-quality aerial photography, precision agriculture, and parcel delivery and more.’ For the past 14 months Intelligent Energy has independently tested drones with fuel cell and battery hybrid systems. Flight tests were conducted on two configurations: one solely powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, the other powered by a fuel cell/ battery hybrid system. A camera was operated on the test flights, and was found to record a steady image with no interruptions – a critical feature for commercial drone use. Intelligent Energy has previously worked with Boeing to power the world’s first manned fuel cell aircraft in commercial airspace [FCB, April 2008, p1], and with Airbus for an auxiliary power unit [FCB, November 2009, p4]. The company is developing a wide range of fuel cell applications, including integration into smartphones [FCB, December 2015, p7], power for telecom towers in India [FCB, October 2015, p1], and automotive applications [FCB, October 2015, p2 and November 2015, p10]. Intelligent Energy, Loughborough, UK. Tel: +44 1509 271271, www.intelligent-energy.com
SMALL STATIONARY
Latest release of Ceres Power technology targets new markets, applications
U
K-based Ceres Power reports excellent progress with the latest release of its V3 Steel Cell solid oxide fuel cell technology platform. The improved efficiency and power density will enable Ceres to address high-
efficiency, power-only applications for the commercial-scale market, as well as significantly improving the economic case for the residential market. The V3 intermediate-temperature SOFC technology is the result of extensive development and long-term testing and validation at Ceres, which is part of its planned annual technology release process. Last spring the company reported a 40% increase in the overall power density of its Steel Cell technology [FCB, May 2015, p5]. For the commercial-scale market, which requires higher-power applications, Ceres has developed a modular stack concept for the first time using the V3 technology, which in initial testing has achieved 55% net electrical efficiency. This is very important, as 50% is generally seen as the tipping point when the technology becomes viable for commercial and light industrial-scale applications. For the residential market, Ceres has developed the Steel Gen platform, a 1 kW class power system which uses the V3 technology, to achieve 50% net electrical efficiency in one of the most compact fuel cell system designs available. This platform is now available to OEM partners, allowing fuel cell power systems running on natural gas and based on Ceres Power’s Steel Cell technology to achieve poweronly efficiencies in the home or business which are higher than state-of-the-art centralised generating plants, and an overall efficiency up to 90% when also capturing the heat. ‘Our strategy is simple: to make our Steel Cell technology the platform for a range of distributed power generation products for every home and business,’ says CEO Phil Caldwell. ‘We have already seen high levels of early-stage interest in higher-power products from US, Korea, and Japan. Having achieved this latest technical advance, we now expect to announce progress on a number of new partnerships in the near future.’ Ceres has subsequently signed a new agreement with Honda R&D in Japan to jointly develop SOFC stacks using Ceres’ metal-supported Steel Cell technology for a range of potential power equipment applications [see page 1]. Ceres Power, Horsham, West Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1403 273463, www.cerespower.com
Cascadiant continues to expand Indonesia R&D partnership
G
reen energy solutions company Cascadiant in Jakarta has expanded
January 2016