- Email: [email protected]
DMFC electrocatalysts
NEWS Honda plans to lease about 30 such cars in Japan and California during the next 2–3 years. On the same day another Honda FCX built to US specifications was delivered to Los Angeles City Hall in California. The City of Los Angeles is leasing five Honda FCXs in total, with the other four being delivered in 2003, to be used by its employees for commuting and regular business activities. Under the two-year lease agreement, the city will pay $500 a month for each vehicle. In addition, Honda has contracted with Air Products & Chemicals to provide the hydrogen fuel and refueling infrastructure.
DMFC electrocatalysts Superior MicroPowders in New Mexico has launched its latest electrocatalysts, developed for use in direct methanol fuel cells. These latest DMFC materials extend SMP’s Dynalyst™ family of catalysts, all of which are produced utilizing SMP’s proprietary spray-based powder production process. Dynalyst catalysts are claimed to offer several unique advantages, including lower cost through high Pt utilization, excellent performance, and reduced handling and MEA fabrication steps resulting from well controlled particle and aggregate sizes, with no additional milling needed. Contact: Superior MicroPowders LLC, 3740 Hawkins NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, USA. Tel: +1 505 342 1492, Fax: +1 505 342 2168, www.smp1.com
Starck to acquire majority stake in InDEC German-based metal powder specialist H.C. Starck GmbH has signed a non-binding letter of intent with ECN and Planet Capital in the Netherlands, the current shareholders in InDEC BV, to acquire a majority shareholding in the Dutch solid oxide fuel cell company. Starck has the option of acquiring the remaining interest in InDEC at a later date. Through the proposed investment in InDEC, Starck intends to acquire a prominent strategic foothold in the SOFC market. It will provide InDEC with extensive experience in commercializing high-tech products in fast-growing markets. This will enable InDEC to leverage its advanced ceramic fuel cells know-how by positioning itself as a worldwide supplier of SOFC cells to stack and system developers. InDEC was established in September 1999 as a spinoff from ECN, and manufactures planar ceramic components for SOFC applications. InDEC and ECN will now establish an extensive
January 2003
R&D program to further improve current cell types and develop of new cell types. Contact: H.C. Starck GmbH, Im Schleeke 78–91, D-38640 Goslar, Germany. Tel: +49 5321 7510, Fax: +49 5321 751 6192, www.hcstarck.com Or contact: Dr Kees van der Klein, Manager Clean Fossil Fuels, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, PO Box 1, NL-1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 224 564572, Fax: +31 224 568489, Email: [email protected], www.ecn.nl Or contact: InDEC Pilot Production BV, Westerduinweg 3, NL-1755 LE Petten, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 224 564888, Fax: +31 224 568615, www.indecpp.com Or contact: Dr Leo Blomen, Planet Capital Management, Bergweg 171, NL-3707 AC Zeist, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 30 666 8318, Fax: +31 30 670 3466, Email: [email protected], www.planetcapital.nl
New MEAs from Gore Gore Fuel Cell Technologies has unveiled key new MEA technologies for PEM fuel cells that project 40 000 h lifetimes under real-world stationary fuel cell operating conditions. The breakthrough comes out of the extensive knowledge gained through commercial introduction of the company’s Primea Series 56 MEA in 2001, which it claims set the industry standard for durability and power density in stationary applications. Gore’s internal R&D effort, combined with knowledge from technical support of customers, led to a fundamental understanding of the underlying durability mechanisms under varied operating conditions and different fuel streams. Critical advancements in its proprietary MEA technology, and new materials available exclusively to Gore, were developed to overcome identified limitations. Gore’s accelerated testing protocols demonstrate the robustness of this new technology, both through longer membrane life and lower voltage decay rates. A preliminary sampling program is now under way, with products available on a broader basis to qualified customers in early 2003. ‘Feedback from the market has been consistent regarding the ultimate need for a lifetime of at least 40 000 h to enable high-volume stationary applications,’ said John Mongan, business leader of Gore Fuel Cell Technologies. ‘We believe we have now reached the point where we have critical technologies in hand necessary to achieve this.’ The company is already working on applying derivative technologies to MEAs for other important markets, such as transportation and portable applications. Contact: Gore Fuel Cell Technologies, W.L. Gore & Associates Inc, 201 Airport Road, Elkton, MD 21922, USA. Tel: +1 410 506 7700, Fax: +1 410 506 7633, Email: [email protected], www.gore.com/fuelcells
In Brief Siemens Westinghouse delays SOFC manufacturing plans Blaming the general global economic downturn, Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation is delaying plans to fully occupy its $122m solid oxide fuel cell plant in Munhall, Pennsylvania. The company had initially hoped to occupy the 180 000 ft2 (17 000 m2) first-phase building by the end of 2002 and begin making fuel cells during 2003; the plant is now expected to begin manufacturing by 2004 for commercial deliveries in 2005/6. Hollow Pt nanotubes for double the catalytic effect Researchers at Miyazaki University in Japan have developed a method to produce platinum in the form of hollow nanotubes, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The hollow tubes have twice the catalytic effect of conventional platinum nanoparticles, because of their greater surface area than solid tubes, offering the same level of catalytic activity with less of the expensive platinum. The new platinum nanotubes, several tens of nm long and with outer and inner diameters of 6 nm and 3 nm, respectively, can double a reformer’s ability to obtain hydrogen from methane. New automotive customer for Ballard Ballard Power Systems has received a US$1.88m order from a new – but unidentified – automotive customer for its fuel cell engine and support services. The contract will include Ballard’s light-duty fuel cell engine, featuring the Mark 902 fuel cell module, application engineering, integration and vehicle launch support. Shell Hydrogen invests in QuestAir Shell Hydrogen has purchased an equity stake in Canadian-based QuestAir Technologies, a developer of gas purification technology. The US$7m investment will enable QuestAir to commercialize and further develop its proprietary hydrogen purification technology, aiming for use in fuel cell applications by 2006. The deal provides Shell Hydrogen with nonexclusive access to QuestAir’s technology for use in a number of applications, including stationary and automotive PEM fuel cell systems, stationary SOFC systems and vehicle hydrogen refueling stations. QuestAir will also work with HydrogenSource, the joint venture between Shell Hydrogen and UTC Fuel Cells, to integrate its technology with HydrogenSource’s 150 kW fuel processing system. The resulting product will be marketed to third-party developers of larger-scale stationary PEMFC power plants.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
DMFC electrocatalysts Superior MicroPowders in New Mexico has launched its latest electrocatalysts, developed for use in direct methanol fuel cells. These latest DMFC materials extend SMP’s Dynalyst™ family of catalysts, all of which are produced utilizing SMP’s proprietary spray-based powder production process. Dynalyst catalysts are claimed to offer several unique advantages, including lower cost through high Pt utilization, excellent performance, and reduced handling and MEA fabrication steps resulting from well controlled particle and aggregate sizes, with no additional milling needed. Contact: Superior MicroPowders LLC, 3740 Hawkins NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, USA. Tel: +1 505 342 1492, Fax: +1 505 342 2168, www.smp1.com
Starck to acquire majority stake in InDEC German-based metal powder specialist H.C. Starck GmbH has signed a non-binding letter of intent with ECN and Planet Capital in the Netherlands, the current shareholders in InDEC BV, to acquire a majority shareholding in the Dutch solid oxide fuel cell company. Starck has the option of acquiring the remaining interest in InDEC at a later date. Through the proposed investment in InDEC, Starck intends to acquire a prominent strategic foothold in the SOFC market. It will provide InDEC with extensive experience in commercializing high-tech products in fast-growing markets. This will enable InDEC to leverage its advanced ceramic fuel cells know-how by positioning itself as a worldwide supplier of SOFC cells to stack and system developers. InDEC was established in September 1999 as a spinoff from ECN, and manufactures planar ceramic components for SOFC applications. InDEC and ECN will now establish an extensive
January 2003
R&D program to further improve current cell types and develop of new cell types. Contact: H.C. Starck GmbH, Im Schleeke 78–91, D-38640 Goslar, Germany. Tel: +49 5321 7510, Fax: +49 5321 751 6192, www.hcstarck.com Or contact: Dr Kees van der Klein, Manager Clean Fossil Fuels, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, PO Box 1, NL-1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 224 564572, Fax: +31 224 568489, Email: [email protected], www.ecn.nl Or contact: InDEC Pilot Production BV, Westerduinweg 3, NL-1755 LE Petten, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 224 564888, Fax: +31 224 568615, www.indecpp.com Or contact: Dr Leo Blomen, Planet Capital Management, Bergweg 171, NL-3707 AC Zeist, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 30 666 8318, Fax: +31 30 670 3466, Email: [email protected], www.planetcapital.nl
New MEAs from Gore Gore Fuel Cell Technologies has unveiled key new MEA technologies for PEM fuel cells that project 40 000 h lifetimes under real-world stationary fuel cell operating conditions. The breakthrough comes out of the extensive knowledge gained through commercial introduction of the company’s Primea Series 56 MEA in 2001, which it claims set the industry standard for durability and power density in stationary applications. Gore’s internal R&D effort, combined with knowledge from technical support of customers, led to a fundamental understanding of the underlying durability mechanisms under varied operating conditions and different fuel streams. Critical advancements in its proprietary MEA technology, and new materials available exclusively to Gore, were developed to overcome identified limitations. Gore’s accelerated testing protocols demonstrate the robustness of this new technology, both through longer membrane life and lower voltage decay rates. A preliminary sampling program is now under way, with products available on a broader basis to qualified customers in early 2003. ‘Feedback from the market has been consistent regarding the ultimate need for a lifetime of at least 40 000 h to enable high-volume stationary applications,’ said John Mongan, business leader of Gore Fuel Cell Technologies. ‘We believe we have now reached the point where we have critical technologies in hand necessary to achieve this.’ The company is already working on applying derivative technologies to MEAs for other important markets, such as transportation and portable applications. Contact: Gore Fuel Cell Technologies, W.L. Gore & Associates Inc, 201 Airport Road, Elkton, MD 21922, USA. Tel: +1 410 506 7700, Fax: +1 410 506 7633, Email: [email protected], www.gore.com/fuelcells
In Brief Siemens Westinghouse delays SOFC manufacturing plans Blaming the general global economic downturn, Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation is delaying plans to fully occupy its $122m solid oxide fuel cell plant in Munhall, Pennsylvania. The company had initially hoped to occupy the 180 000 ft2 (17 000 m2) first-phase building by the end of 2002 and begin making fuel cells during 2003; the plant is now expected to begin manufacturing by 2004 for commercial deliveries in 2005/6. Hollow Pt nanotubes for double the catalytic effect Researchers at Miyazaki University in Japan have developed a method to produce platinum in the form of hollow nanotubes, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The hollow tubes have twice the catalytic effect of conventional platinum nanoparticles, because of their greater surface area than solid tubes, offering the same level of catalytic activity with less of the expensive platinum. The new platinum nanotubes, several tens of nm long and with outer and inner diameters of 6 nm and 3 nm, respectively, can double a reformer’s ability to obtain hydrogen from methane. New automotive customer for Ballard Ballard Power Systems has received a US$1.88m order from a new – but unidentified – automotive customer for its fuel cell engine and support services. The contract will include Ballard’s light-duty fuel cell engine, featuring the Mark 902 fuel cell module, application engineering, integration and vehicle launch support. Shell Hydrogen invests in QuestAir Shell Hydrogen has purchased an equity stake in Canadian-based QuestAir Technologies, a developer of gas purification technology. The US$7m investment will enable QuestAir to commercialize and further develop its proprietary hydrogen purification technology, aiming for use in fuel cell applications by 2006. The deal provides Shell Hydrogen with nonexclusive access to QuestAir’s technology for use in a number of applications, including stationary and automotive PEM fuel cell systems, stationary SOFC systems and vehicle hydrogen refueling stations. QuestAir will also work with HydrogenSource, the joint venture between Shell Hydrogen and UTC Fuel Cells, to integrate its technology with HydrogenSource’s 150 kW fuel processing system. The resulting product will be marketed to third-party developers of larger-scale stationary PEMFC power plants.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3