- Email: [email protected]
ACAL boosts power density, further investment
NEWS development, in which an ‘Alpha’ prototype unit, comprising a 1 kW NetGenPlus™ unit integrated with a supplementary boiler, was installed and operated [FCB, February 2008]. The unit was installed last June at the Blackpool facilities of CFCL’s appliance partner, and has been continuously running (on the same stack) ever since.
ACAL boosts power density, further investment
U
he Washington-based US Fuel Cell Council is starting predictive testing of selected proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell gasket materials. This round-robin testing program is the culmination of more than two years’ work to identify critical gasket performance parameters, identify appropriate ASTM test protocols, select candidate gasket materials, and arrange for laboratory time and testing personnel to conduct the tests. While the USFCC expects each manufacturer to perform its own individual tests, the use of standardized testing protocols is intended to establish a baseline for gasket performance reporting that can be used across the industry. Results are expected later this year, with reporting at an industry symposium late in 2009. Four manufacturers of gasket materials were asked to participate, and these companies have agreed to supply test coupons as well as laboratory time for the project. The participating companies are Henkel, Wacker Chemical, Dana Holding Corporation and Michigan Adhesive Manufacturing Inc. Cerium Laboratories has also agreed to perform attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis on the test coupons at agreed-to intervals. ‘The industry cooperation shown by these manufacturers and laboratories is a sign of the priority they place on fuel cell technologies,’ comments Robert Wichert, technical director of the USFCC. ‘Their willingness to help establish an industry baseline for gasket performance shows that fuel cell technology has progressed beyond the proprietary research phase, into cooperative industry research for the benefit of all.’
K-based fuel cell developer ACAL Energy has raised the power density of its PEM technology to a significantly higher level, and claims that its platinum-free cathode system is now able to match the performance of conventional fuel cells. In other news, Japanese industrial giant Sumitomo Corporation has invested in the company. According to ACAL, the significant technical milestone should enable rapid commercialization of its platinum-free cathode technology (FlowCath®) for PEM fuel cells. The company has obtained peak power-density figures from its development fuel cells that consistently exceed 570 mW/cm2 since late December. This performance represents the highest power density level reported from a liquid platinumfree cathode system. ACAL says that its system is now performing at levels competitive with conventional fuel cells. Further improvements are expected during 2009, with an ultimate peak power-density target of over 1 W/cm2. FlowCath replaces the expensive precious metal catalyst found in conventional fuel cells with a proprietary low-cost liquid catalyst, significantly reducing the cost of the fuel cell. It also provides significant durability and reliability benefits, through system simplification and the elimination of the most common failure mechanisms found in standard systems. The company plans to introduce a 1 kW demonstration system in 2009. ‘This is a significant achievement, and clearly demonstrates that ACAL Energy’s liquid cathode technology will deliver performance that compares very well with conventional platinum fuel cells at much lower cost and improved reliability,’ says chief executive Dr Sb Cha. The company has also announced that it has received an investment from Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Japanese company with substantial business activities in energy, mineral and merchandise trading, through its investment arm SC Green Tech Ventures LLC. The investment is in addition to the previously announced £3.3 million fund-raising round completed at the beginning of December, led by Carbon Trust Investments and Solvay SA [FCB, February 2009]. The investments will be used to take the company to the next stage of development of the FlowCath cathode technology.
Contact: US Fuel Cell Council, Washington, DC, USA. Tel: +1 202 293 5500, www.usfcc.com
Contact: ACAL Energy Ltd, Runcorn, Cheshire, UK. Tel: +44 1928 511581, www.acalenergy.co.uk
Contact: Ceres Power Ltd, Crawley, W. Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1293 400404, www.cerespower.com Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells (Europe) Ltd, Chester, UK. Tel: +44 1244 893781, Email: [email protected] Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au
USFCC starts gasket testing program
T
April 2009
Solvay Solexis launches PFSA polymer
F
luorinated materials specialist Solvay Solexis has introduced a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer, characterized by short and light sidechains, that is specifically designed for the fuel cell industry. The material is now commercially available, after a pre-commercial phase and thorough field-testing. The Italian-based company says that the Aquivion™ material has a lower equivalent weight than competitive polymers, and its short side-chains make it unique among ionically conductive perfluoropolymers (ionomers). The new polymer is available as a membrane or dispersion. The gas-tight, cation-permeable membranes are produced through melt extrusion, and are available in various thicknesses and formats. The dispersions feature extremely low particle size distributions, and come in various solvent systems. According to Solvay Solexis, Aquivion’s superior properties enable simpler and more efficient PEM fuel cell systems to be designed that have a broad range of operating temperatures. It also has outstanding ion conductivity, especially at high temperatures and low humidity, and offers high performance and durability. Aquivion-based fuel cells have been operated continuously for more than 10 000 h without significant degradation, claims the company. As well as PEM fuel cells, Aquivion products can be used in applications as varied as electrolyzers, gas humidification or pervaporation systems, and as a surface modification agent for membrane filtration devices.
Contact: Solvay Solexis SpA, Bollate (Milano), Italy. Tel: +39 02 38351, www.solvaysolexis.com
SymPowerco creates design project, in HET discussions
N
evada-based SymPowerco Corporation has announced the creation of its SymPowerco Commercial Design Project (SCDP). The firm has also entered into expanded joint development discussions with Hybrid Energy Technologies Inc (HET) in Toronto, Canada. The multi-phase SCDP is expected to encompass all facets of the design of various
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9
ACAL boosts power density, further investment
U
he Washington-based US Fuel Cell Council is starting predictive testing of selected proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell gasket materials. This round-robin testing program is the culmination of more than two years’ work to identify critical gasket performance parameters, identify appropriate ASTM test protocols, select candidate gasket materials, and arrange for laboratory time and testing personnel to conduct the tests. While the USFCC expects each manufacturer to perform its own individual tests, the use of standardized testing protocols is intended to establish a baseline for gasket performance reporting that can be used across the industry. Results are expected later this year, with reporting at an industry symposium late in 2009. Four manufacturers of gasket materials were asked to participate, and these companies have agreed to supply test coupons as well as laboratory time for the project. The participating companies are Henkel, Wacker Chemical, Dana Holding Corporation and Michigan Adhesive Manufacturing Inc. Cerium Laboratories has also agreed to perform attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis on the test coupons at agreed-to intervals. ‘The industry cooperation shown by these manufacturers and laboratories is a sign of the priority they place on fuel cell technologies,’ comments Robert Wichert, technical director of the USFCC. ‘Their willingness to help establish an industry baseline for gasket performance shows that fuel cell technology has progressed beyond the proprietary research phase, into cooperative industry research for the benefit of all.’
K-based fuel cell developer ACAL Energy has raised the power density of its PEM technology to a significantly higher level, and claims that its platinum-free cathode system is now able to match the performance of conventional fuel cells. In other news, Japanese industrial giant Sumitomo Corporation has invested in the company. According to ACAL, the significant technical milestone should enable rapid commercialization of its platinum-free cathode technology (FlowCath®) for PEM fuel cells. The company has obtained peak power-density figures from its development fuel cells that consistently exceed 570 mW/cm2 since late December. This performance represents the highest power density level reported from a liquid platinumfree cathode system. ACAL says that its system is now performing at levels competitive with conventional fuel cells. Further improvements are expected during 2009, with an ultimate peak power-density target of over 1 W/cm2. FlowCath replaces the expensive precious metal catalyst found in conventional fuel cells with a proprietary low-cost liquid catalyst, significantly reducing the cost of the fuel cell. It also provides significant durability and reliability benefits, through system simplification and the elimination of the most common failure mechanisms found in standard systems. The company plans to introduce a 1 kW demonstration system in 2009. ‘This is a significant achievement, and clearly demonstrates that ACAL Energy’s liquid cathode technology will deliver performance that compares very well with conventional platinum fuel cells at much lower cost and improved reliability,’ says chief executive Dr Sb Cha. The company has also announced that it has received an investment from Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Japanese company with substantial business activities in energy, mineral and merchandise trading, through its investment arm SC Green Tech Ventures LLC. The investment is in addition to the previously announced £3.3 million fund-raising round completed at the beginning of December, led by Carbon Trust Investments and Solvay SA [FCB, February 2009]. The investments will be used to take the company to the next stage of development of the FlowCath cathode technology.
Contact: US Fuel Cell Council, Washington, DC, USA. Tel: +1 202 293 5500, www.usfcc.com
Contact: ACAL Energy Ltd, Runcorn, Cheshire, UK. Tel: +44 1928 511581, www.acalenergy.co.uk
Contact: Ceres Power Ltd, Crawley, W. Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1293 400404, www.cerespower.com Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells (Europe) Ltd, Chester, UK. Tel: +44 1244 893781, Email: [email protected] Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au
USFCC starts gasket testing program
T
April 2009
Solvay Solexis launches PFSA polymer
F
luorinated materials specialist Solvay Solexis has introduced a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer, characterized by short and light sidechains, that is specifically designed for the fuel cell industry. The material is now commercially available, after a pre-commercial phase and thorough field-testing. The Italian-based company says that the Aquivion™ material has a lower equivalent weight than competitive polymers, and its short side-chains make it unique among ionically conductive perfluoropolymers (ionomers). The new polymer is available as a membrane or dispersion. The gas-tight, cation-permeable membranes are produced through melt extrusion, and are available in various thicknesses and formats. The dispersions feature extremely low particle size distributions, and come in various solvent systems. According to Solvay Solexis, Aquivion’s superior properties enable simpler and more efficient PEM fuel cell systems to be designed that have a broad range of operating temperatures. It also has outstanding ion conductivity, especially at high temperatures and low humidity, and offers high performance and durability. Aquivion-based fuel cells have been operated continuously for more than 10 000 h without significant degradation, claims the company. As well as PEM fuel cells, Aquivion products can be used in applications as varied as electrolyzers, gas humidification or pervaporation systems, and as a surface modification agent for membrane filtration devices.
Contact: Solvay Solexis SpA, Bollate (Milano), Italy. Tel: +39 02 38351, www.solvaysolexis.com
SymPowerco creates design project, in HET discussions
N
evada-based SymPowerco Corporation has announced the creation of its SymPowerco Commercial Design Project (SCDP). The firm has also entered into expanded joint development discussions with Hybrid Energy Technologies Inc (HET) in Toronto, Canada. The multi-phase SCDP is expected to encompass all facets of the design of various
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9