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CMR Fuel Cells wins innovation awards
NEWS when used in a full-sized fuel cell generator, which would improve on other technologies. Current hydrogen fuel cells – which require hydrogen plants and new infrastructure, Barnett points out – have been calculated to have a 29% fuel efficiency, while commercial gas/electric hybrid vehicles have already achieved 32%. ‘The advent of hybrid vehicles has shaken up the fuel cell community and made researchers rethink hydrogen as a fuel,’ adds Barnett, who foresees his new fuel cells being developed for use in battery/SOFC hybrid technology for vehicle propulsion or in auxiliary power units. ‘We need to look at the SOFC – the one kind of fuel cell that can work with other fuels beside hydrogen – as an option.’ Because conventional SOFCs operate at high temperatures (600–800°C), Barnett recognized that the heat could be used internally for chemically reforming hydrogen, eliminating the need for hydrogen plants with their relatively low fuel efficiency. Barnett and Zhan found the optimal temperature for their system to be 600–800°C. The key to the new fuel cell is a special thinfilm catalyst layer, through which the hydrocarbon fuel flows toward the anode. This porous layer, which contains stabilized zirconia and small amounts of ruthenium and cerium, chemically and cleanly converts the fuel to hydrogen. ‘A major drawback of using SOFCs is that carbon from the fuel is deposited all over the anode because of the high temperatures,’ says Barnett. ‘But our thin-film catalyst, plus the addition of a small amount of oxygen, eliminates those deposits, making it a viable technology to pursue with further research. We have shown that the fuel cell is much more stable with the catalyst and air than without.’ Contact: Professor Scott A. Barnett, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 847 491 2447, Email: [email protected], www.matsci.northwestern.edu
CMR Fuel Cells wins innovation awards
I
n the UK, fuel cell developer CMR Fuel Cells has been selected as the overall winner of this year’s Carbon Trust Innovation Awards. Cambridge-based CMR, which also won the individual & small business category award, has developed a simple but revolutionary technology which has the potential to make commercially viable fuel cells, in particular the low-cost, long run-time power solutions demanded by portable electronic products. 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The company’s unique, patented technology reduces the cost of a fuel cell stack by up to 80%, its size by up to 90%, and the products can be manufactured using printing or roll-toroll techniques, improving reliability and further reducing costs. CMR is a spin-out from The Generics Group, a leading technology consulting, development and investment organization. CMR was spun out last year to exploit a revolutionary flowthrough cell utilizing mixed reactants [FCB, March 2004]. Generics retains a 20% stake after financing received from The Carbon Trust and Conduit Ventures. CMR Fuel Cells has also been selected as one of Red Herring’s Top 100 private companies to watch in 2005. The companies selected by the editorial team at Red Herring, the leading magazine of business technology and innovation, have demonstrated outstanding achievements, representing the most instrumental leaders in the technology industry. This is the first time the magazine has compiled a list focused exclusively on the most promising start-ups in Europe. Contact: CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, Harston, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875295, www.cmrfuelcells.com
PolyFuel breakthrough with ‘hot bondable’ hydrocarbon membrane
C
alifornia-based fuel cell membrane developer PolyFuel has announced a new version of its hydrocarbon membrane for portable applications, which it claims provides fuel cell manufacturers with the high-performance attributes of its predecessor, while at the same time providing significantly greater manufacturing flexibility. Last year PolyFuel unveiled the world’s first commercial hydrocarbon-based membrane for portable direct methanol fuel cells [FCB, March 2004]. While hydrocarbon membranes offer several advantages over fluorocarbon membranes, particularly in reducing the size, weight and cost and increasing the runtime of portable fuel cell systems, until now they have also typically required different manufacturing approaches to those used to fabricate fuel cells from fluorocarbon membranes. ‘With PolyFuel’s new membrane, that is no longer the case,’ explains Jim Balcom, president/ CEO of PolyFuel. ‘Fuel cell manufacturers can now utilize our new membrane as a drop-in replacement for Nafion® or other fluorocarbon membranes in their existing MEA fabrication processes.’
The innate plastic characteristics of fluorocarbon membranes mean they soften at relatively low temperatures, which has allowed the development of MEA fabrication techniques where the membrane is ‘hot-bonded’ to the adjacent components. Hydrocarbon membranes, which are typically stronger and more durable, have not lent themselves to this technique, since they do not soften at the same low temperatures as fluorocarbon membranes. PolyFuel’s new ‘hot-bondable’ membrane, however, permits manufacturers to effectively ‘drop in’ the more desirable hydrocarbon membrane into fabrication processes originally designed for Nafion. PolyFuel’s original breakthrough hydrocarbon membrane, and this new hot-bondable version, have been engineered specifically for portable fuel cell applications. The hydrocarbon polymer is designed to be uniquely durable in the presence of methanol, the most commonly used fuel for portable fuel cells. In addition, the membrane properties have been optimized for high performance and high fuel efficiency. The hot-bondable version results from a proprietary surface modification, which allows the membrane to behave in a way similar to Nafion during the bonding or MEA fabrication process, while retaining the underlying advantages of the original PolyFuel hydrocarbon membrane. Contact: PolyFuel Inc, Mountain View, California, USA. Tel: +1 650 429 4700, www.polyfuel.com
First field trial for CFCL’s SOFC, increased power
A
ustralian SOFC developer Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd (CFCL) has signed an agreement with Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (GippsTAFE) training center for Australia’s first field trial of a fuel cell powered micro-CHP (combined heat and power) generator. CFCL has also nearly doubled the power output per cell in the past year, from 3 to 5.5 We, which means it can generate 1 kWe from a smaller stack. This would reduce the material, manufacturing and assembly costs of stacks and therefore the cost of the prototype micro-CHP units. CFCL has teamed with GippsTAFE for its expertise in training in the electrical, gas, energy, water and telecoms industries. The prototype trial will be conducted at GippsTAFE’s Chadstone campus by its subsidiary, Energy and Telecommunications Training Australia (ETTA). The trial will also utilize the expertise developed by GippsTAFE in its long association with the Latrobe Valley electricity generation industry.
June 2005
CMR Fuel Cells wins innovation awards
I
n the UK, fuel cell developer CMR Fuel Cells has been selected as the overall winner of this year’s Carbon Trust Innovation Awards. Cambridge-based CMR, which also won the individual & small business category award, has developed a simple but revolutionary technology which has the potential to make commercially viable fuel cells, in particular the low-cost, long run-time power solutions demanded by portable electronic products. 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The company’s unique, patented technology reduces the cost of a fuel cell stack by up to 80%, its size by up to 90%, and the products can be manufactured using printing or roll-toroll techniques, improving reliability and further reducing costs. CMR is a spin-out from The Generics Group, a leading technology consulting, development and investment organization. CMR was spun out last year to exploit a revolutionary flowthrough cell utilizing mixed reactants [FCB, March 2004]. Generics retains a 20% stake after financing received from The Carbon Trust and Conduit Ventures. CMR Fuel Cells has also been selected as one of Red Herring’s Top 100 private companies to watch in 2005. The companies selected by the editorial team at Red Herring, the leading magazine of business technology and innovation, have demonstrated outstanding achievements, representing the most instrumental leaders in the technology industry. This is the first time the magazine has compiled a list focused exclusively on the most promising start-ups in Europe. Contact: CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, Harston, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875295, www.cmrfuelcells.com
PolyFuel breakthrough with ‘hot bondable’ hydrocarbon membrane
C
alifornia-based fuel cell membrane developer PolyFuel has announced a new version of its hydrocarbon membrane for portable applications, which it claims provides fuel cell manufacturers with the high-performance attributes of its predecessor, while at the same time providing significantly greater manufacturing flexibility. Last year PolyFuel unveiled the world’s first commercial hydrocarbon-based membrane for portable direct methanol fuel cells [FCB, March 2004]. While hydrocarbon membranes offer several advantages over fluorocarbon membranes, particularly in reducing the size, weight and cost and increasing the runtime of portable fuel cell systems, until now they have also typically required different manufacturing approaches to those used to fabricate fuel cells from fluorocarbon membranes. ‘With PolyFuel’s new membrane, that is no longer the case,’ explains Jim Balcom, president/ CEO of PolyFuel. ‘Fuel cell manufacturers can now utilize our new membrane as a drop-in replacement for Nafion® or other fluorocarbon membranes in their existing MEA fabrication processes.’
The innate plastic characteristics of fluorocarbon membranes mean they soften at relatively low temperatures, which has allowed the development of MEA fabrication techniques where the membrane is ‘hot-bonded’ to the adjacent components. Hydrocarbon membranes, which are typically stronger and more durable, have not lent themselves to this technique, since they do not soften at the same low temperatures as fluorocarbon membranes. PolyFuel’s new ‘hot-bondable’ membrane, however, permits manufacturers to effectively ‘drop in’ the more desirable hydrocarbon membrane into fabrication processes originally designed for Nafion. PolyFuel’s original breakthrough hydrocarbon membrane, and this new hot-bondable version, have been engineered specifically for portable fuel cell applications. The hydrocarbon polymer is designed to be uniquely durable in the presence of methanol, the most commonly used fuel for portable fuel cells. In addition, the membrane properties have been optimized for high performance and high fuel efficiency. The hot-bondable version results from a proprietary surface modification, which allows the membrane to behave in a way similar to Nafion during the bonding or MEA fabrication process, while retaining the underlying advantages of the original PolyFuel hydrocarbon membrane. Contact: PolyFuel Inc, Mountain View, California, USA. Tel: +1 650 429 4700, www.polyfuel.com
First field trial for CFCL’s SOFC, increased power
A
ustralian SOFC developer Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd (CFCL) has signed an agreement with Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (GippsTAFE) training center for Australia’s first field trial of a fuel cell powered micro-CHP (combined heat and power) generator. CFCL has also nearly doubled the power output per cell in the past year, from 3 to 5.5 We, which means it can generate 1 kWe from a smaller stack. This would reduce the material, manufacturing and assembly costs of stacks and therefore the cost of the prototype micro-CHP units. CFCL has teamed with GippsTAFE for its expertise in training in the electrical, gas, energy, water and telecoms industries. The prototype trial will be conducted at GippsTAFE’s Chadstone campus by its subsidiary, Energy and Telecommunications Training Australia (ETTA). The trial will also utilize the expertise developed by GippsTAFE in its long association with the Latrobe Valley electricity generation industry.
June 2005