- Email: [email protected]
Astris delivers generator AFCs to Mobile Attic
FCBMay
14/06/2006
09:53
Page 10
NEWS DFC300A power plant at its new R&D center in Tsurumi in the second quarter of 2006. Tokyo Gas is one of Japan’s largest installers of natural gas-fueled distributed generation systems for high-efficiency combined heat and power applications. The company is considering adding DFC products to its energy generation portfolio, pending the outcome of its evaluation, to address additions to the current 2.2 GW of gas-fired cogeneration at 2000 locations across Japan. The utility is actively extending its pipelines to industrial gas users and expanding the country’s infrastructure. ‘Our ability to use this strategically important fuel source in high-efficiency distributed generation for firm and reliable baseload power applications represents a strong potential market for our MW-class products,’ says R. Daniel Brdar, president/CEO of FuelCell Energy. Contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com Or contact: Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81 3 5484 4531, www.tokyo-gas.co.jp
Angstrom launches fuel cell flashlight
C
anadian-based Angstrom Power has released its A2 micro hydrogen™ fuel cell flashlight, which it claims is ideal for use by search & rescue teams, military, disaster response units and organizations seeking fuel cell devices for public demonstrations. Running on hydrogen stored in the handle, the 1 W LED flashlight delivers a continuous run-time of more than 24 h on a single charge of hydrogen. The A2’s micro fuel cell technology was showcased to government and industry leaders at the recent opening of California’s HyRoad, the most comprehensive hydrogen demonstration program in North America [see page 3]. ‘The A2 flashlight is powered by micro hydrogen™ fuel cells and runs longer than any competing flashlight, says Dr Ged McLean, president/ CTO of Angstrom Power. ‘We are very pleased at the positive reception that the A2 has received from these industry events and from leading suppliers to specialty lighting markets.’ The flashlight uses an Angstrom micro hydrogen™ fuel cell to generate electrical power, and a proprietary metal hydride system for on-board storage of hydrogen. Refueling takes about 10 min using Angstrom’s portable refueling station. Future versions will also offer refueling in the field via a portable cartridge. 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The A2’s Luxeon LED produces white light with 10 times the brightness of similar LEDs for the same amount of power. Unlike traditional battery-powered flashlights, the A2 retains a constant light output for virtually its entire charge. Contact: Angstrom Power Inc, North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 980 9936, www.angstrompower.com
Hydrogen production from liquid fuels at ZBT
T
he ZBT Center for Fuel Cell Technology in Germany has successfully concluded a project to develop a fuel cell test stand to characterize fuel processing catalysts. The focus of the ZBT work, supported by the ministry for innovation, science, research & technology in Nordrhein-Westfalen, was to investigate catalyst activity and stability. ZBT has more than 10 years’ experience of studying reforming processes. Until now the main energy carriers have been natural gas and propane (LPG), but for mobile applications it makes more sense to use liquid fuels carried on board the vehicle. The test stand and ZBT’s expertise are also being employed in other projects. For example, a research proposal has been submitted to the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) for a project on innovative biodiesel reforming concepts, in collaboration with the Institut für Verfahrenstechnik (IVT, Institute for Process Engineering) at RWTH Aachen University. In this project, which is expected to get under way this summer, a biodiesel steam reformer is coupled with a membrane for gas cleanup. This will result in a compact, integrated operational model, which produces hydrogen from diesel for straightforward use in a PEM fuel cell. Contact: Dr Jens Mathiak, Fuel Processing Technology, Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik ZBT gGmbH, Duisburg, Germany. Tel: +49 203 7598 3419, Email: [email protected], www.zbt-duisburg.de
Dana develops AtmoPlas to extract hydrogen
U
S-based Dana Corporation has successfully tested a new application to recover hydrogen from methane gas at an extremely high rate, making the technology suitable for fuel cell applications requiring on-demand production capability.
The hydrogen recovery rate from the proprietary process – using the company’s AtmoPlas™ microwave atmospheric plasma technology – could potentially exceed 95%. The overall energy efficiency of the process is currently being optimized. ‘Successfully extracting hydrogen from methane, using Dana’s AtmoPlas microwave atmospheric plasma technology, is an industry first,’ says Dominique Tasch, VP of microwave technology for Dana. ‘As demands for alternative-fuel resources intensify, Dana is accelerating the development of advanced technologies to improve fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles. This is the latest development.’ The AtmoPlas technology generates and sustains plasma at atmospheric pressure – without costly vacuum equipment – to effectively harness microwave energy. AtmoPlas can exceed plasma temperatures of 1200°C within seconds, and there is no known practical upper temperature limit. This reduces cycle times and can lead to lower energy use. Other key benefits include lower operating and maintenance costs, and an overall reduction in capital investment. Through its global network of fuel cell technology centers, Dana has become a leading developer of high-volume production methods for fuel cell stack, balance-of-plant and fuelprocessor components for portable, small stationary and automotive applications. Contact: AtmoPlas Microwave Technologies, Dana Corporation, Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA. Tel: +1 248 293 7300, www.atmoplas.com
Astris delivers generator AFCs to Mobile Attic
C
anadian-based Astris Energi has shipped the initial order of two alkaline fuel cell generators to portable self-storage specialist Mobile Attic in Alabama, ahead of schedule. Mobile Attic has considerable manufacturing expertise, and will be using the Model E7 Astris generators – ordered at the end of last year [FCB, February] – to enhance its existing product portfolio with mobile storage units with added onboard power. ‘This will allow us to provide units with onboard power that can be used as operation centers in emergency situations, and we are currently evaluating a number of other applications,’ says Pete Cash, president of Mobile Attic. Contact: Astris Energi Inc, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 608 2000, www.astris.ca Or contact: Mobile Attic Inc, Elba, Alabama, USA. Tel: +1 866 874 8474, www.mobileattic.com
May 2006
14/06/2006
09:53
Page 10
NEWS DFC300A power plant at its new R&D center in Tsurumi in the second quarter of 2006. Tokyo Gas is one of Japan’s largest installers of natural gas-fueled distributed generation systems for high-efficiency combined heat and power applications. The company is considering adding DFC products to its energy generation portfolio, pending the outcome of its evaluation, to address additions to the current 2.2 GW of gas-fired cogeneration at 2000 locations across Japan. The utility is actively extending its pipelines to industrial gas users and expanding the country’s infrastructure. ‘Our ability to use this strategically important fuel source in high-efficiency distributed generation for firm and reliable baseload power applications represents a strong potential market for our MW-class products,’ says R. Daniel Brdar, president/CEO of FuelCell Energy. Contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com Or contact: Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81 3 5484 4531, www.tokyo-gas.co.jp
Angstrom launches fuel cell flashlight
C
anadian-based Angstrom Power has released its A2 micro hydrogen™ fuel cell flashlight, which it claims is ideal for use by search & rescue teams, military, disaster response units and organizations seeking fuel cell devices for public demonstrations. Running on hydrogen stored in the handle, the 1 W LED flashlight delivers a continuous run-time of more than 24 h on a single charge of hydrogen. The A2’s micro fuel cell technology was showcased to government and industry leaders at the recent opening of California’s HyRoad, the most comprehensive hydrogen demonstration program in North America [see page 3]. ‘The A2 flashlight is powered by micro hydrogen™ fuel cells and runs longer than any competing flashlight, says Dr Ged McLean, president/ CTO of Angstrom Power. ‘We are very pleased at the positive reception that the A2 has received from these industry events and from leading suppliers to specialty lighting markets.’ The flashlight uses an Angstrom micro hydrogen™ fuel cell to generate electrical power, and a proprietary metal hydride system for on-board storage of hydrogen. Refueling takes about 10 min using Angstrom’s portable refueling station. Future versions will also offer refueling in the field via a portable cartridge. 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The A2’s Luxeon LED produces white light with 10 times the brightness of similar LEDs for the same amount of power. Unlike traditional battery-powered flashlights, the A2 retains a constant light output for virtually its entire charge. Contact: Angstrom Power Inc, North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 980 9936, www.angstrompower.com
Hydrogen production from liquid fuels at ZBT
T
he ZBT Center for Fuel Cell Technology in Germany has successfully concluded a project to develop a fuel cell test stand to characterize fuel processing catalysts. The focus of the ZBT work, supported by the ministry for innovation, science, research & technology in Nordrhein-Westfalen, was to investigate catalyst activity and stability. ZBT has more than 10 years’ experience of studying reforming processes. Until now the main energy carriers have been natural gas and propane (LPG), but for mobile applications it makes more sense to use liquid fuels carried on board the vehicle. The test stand and ZBT’s expertise are also being employed in other projects. For example, a research proposal has been submitted to the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) for a project on innovative biodiesel reforming concepts, in collaboration with the Institut für Verfahrenstechnik (IVT, Institute for Process Engineering) at RWTH Aachen University. In this project, which is expected to get under way this summer, a biodiesel steam reformer is coupled with a membrane for gas cleanup. This will result in a compact, integrated operational model, which produces hydrogen from diesel for straightforward use in a PEM fuel cell. Contact: Dr Jens Mathiak, Fuel Processing Technology, Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik ZBT gGmbH, Duisburg, Germany. Tel: +49 203 7598 3419, Email: [email protected], www.zbt-duisburg.de
Dana develops AtmoPlas to extract hydrogen
U
S-based Dana Corporation has successfully tested a new application to recover hydrogen from methane gas at an extremely high rate, making the technology suitable for fuel cell applications requiring on-demand production capability.
The hydrogen recovery rate from the proprietary process – using the company’s AtmoPlas™ microwave atmospheric plasma technology – could potentially exceed 95%. The overall energy efficiency of the process is currently being optimized. ‘Successfully extracting hydrogen from methane, using Dana’s AtmoPlas microwave atmospheric plasma technology, is an industry first,’ says Dominique Tasch, VP of microwave technology for Dana. ‘As demands for alternative-fuel resources intensify, Dana is accelerating the development of advanced technologies to improve fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles. This is the latest development.’ The AtmoPlas technology generates and sustains plasma at atmospheric pressure – without costly vacuum equipment – to effectively harness microwave energy. AtmoPlas can exceed plasma temperatures of 1200°C within seconds, and there is no known practical upper temperature limit. This reduces cycle times and can lead to lower energy use. Other key benefits include lower operating and maintenance costs, and an overall reduction in capital investment. Through its global network of fuel cell technology centers, Dana has become a leading developer of high-volume production methods for fuel cell stack, balance-of-plant and fuelprocessor components for portable, small stationary and automotive applications. Contact: AtmoPlas Microwave Technologies, Dana Corporation, Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA. Tel: +1 248 293 7300, www.atmoplas.com
Astris delivers generator AFCs to Mobile Attic
C
anadian-based Astris Energi has shipped the initial order of two alkaline fuel cell generators to portable self-storage specialist Mobile Attic in Alabama, ahead of schedule. Mobile Attic has considerable manufacturing expertise, and will be using the Model E7 Astris generators – ordered at the end of last year [FCB, February] – to enhance its existing product portfolio with mobile storage units with added onboard power. ‘This will allow us to provide units with onboard power that can be used as operation centers in emergency situations, and we are currently evaluating a number of other applications,’ says Pete Cash, president of Mobile Attic. Contact: Astris Energi Inc, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 608 2000, www.astris.ca Or contact: Mobile Attic Inc, Elba, Alabama, USA. Tel: +1 866 874 8474, www.mobileattic.com
May 2006