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DOE funds fuel cell catalysts, hydrogen contamination R&D
NEWS / IN BRIEF Technical Fibre Products Ltd, Kendal, Cumbria, UK. Tel: +44 1539 818220, www.tfpglobal.com Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd, Swindon, UK. Tel: +44 1793 755600, www.jmfuelcells.com Innovate UK: www.innovateuk.org
RESEARCH
DOE funds fuel cell catalysts, hydrogen contamination R&D
T
he US Department of Energy has announced the 2015 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 1 Awards, including projects focusing on non-platinum catalysts for fuel cells and detection of contaminants in hydrogen. DOE’s key hydrogen objectives are to reduce the cost of producing and delivering hydrogen to less than $4 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (gge), to enable fuel cell electric vehicles to be competitive with gasoline vehicles. Key fuel cell objectives are to reduce system cost to $40/kW and improve durability to 5000 h (equivalent to 150 000 miles or 240 000 km of driving) for automotive fuel cell systems by 2020. The projects on non-platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts for fuel cells that were selected for negotiation are: UÊ Proton OnSite (www.protononsite.com) of Wallingford, Connecticut will develop a non-precious metal catalyst based on doped cobalt oxides [see also page 8]. UÊ pH Matter LLC (www.phmatter.com) of Columbus, Ohio will develop a non-precious metal catalyst based on phosphorusdoped carbon-nitrogen materials. Both of these projects will use the novel catalysts to prepare high-performance oxygen electrodes, enabling production of reversible alkaline membrane fuel cells with better performance and lower cost than current technology. The two projects on detection of contaminants in hydrogen are: UÊ Southwest Sciences Inc (www.swsciences. com) of Santa Fe, New Mexico will develop a diode laser sensor for detection of typical impurities found in hydrogen fuel at the refueling station. UÊ Sustainable Innovations LLC (www. sustainableinnov.com) of East Hartford, Connecticut has teamed with the University of Connecticut to develop an
February 2015
innovative multichannel hydrogen fuel quality monitor, to detect multiple hydrogen impurities at the refueling station. DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: www.energy.gov/eere/ transportation/hydrogen-and-fuel-cells
FuelCon, Fraunhofer ISE testing PEMFC start-stop phenomena
I
n Germany, FuelCon AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are developing a testing station for analysing start-stop cycles in PEM fuel cells. The work is part of the three-year ‘Stress’ project funded by the federal ministry for economic affairs and energy (BMWi), which runs to the end of March. PEM fuel cells are mostly stressed by electrical load changes and start-stop processes, with the latter mainly occurring in mobile applications. Irreversible corrosion processes at the electrodes result in greater degradation of the individual cells. Therefore the ‘Stress’ project aims to develop an application-oriented test system, including the necessary testing environment for the evaluation of these processes, focusing on automotive and mobile applications. The implemented fuel cell testing environment should allow both practical adjustment and the simulation of operational conditions, and the testing method itself should be adapted for different applications. As part of the project, Fraunhofer ISE organised a workshop on Start-Stop Phenomena and Strategies for PEM Fuel Cells in December, where FuelCon’s Mathias Bode gave a presentation on suitable test environments and methods. Bode explains that the test environment for analysing start-stop phenomena is a significant project milestone. Working with researchers at Fraunhofer ISE, FuelCon succeeded in developing a testing environment that is practicable for PEM single cells as well as stacks, and ensures high process reproducibility. Fuel cell testing systems in FuelCon´s Evaluator series can be equipped with several extensions, one of which is the ‘Start-StopExtension’ allowing the simulation of start-stop cycles for accelerated degradation of the cell. The start-stop extension includes the necessary process engineering as well as testing scripts and an enhanced safety concept. FuelCon AG, Magdeburg-Barleben, Germany. Tel: +49 39203 514400, www.fuelcon.com Fraunhofer ISE, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/ise-h2fuelcell
IN BRIEF Sales of Ene-Farm residential fuel cell systems in Japan pass 100 000 milestone Cumulative sales of Ene-Farm, which became the world’s first commercial residential fuel cell system when it was released in Japan in May 2009 [FCB, March 2009, p11], surpassed 100 000 units in September 2014, according to the Japan Gas Association (www.gas.or.jp/en). The Ene-Farm line initially comprised PEM fuel cell based systems from several manufacturers, and was later expanded to include models using solid oxide fuel cells, which have higher generation efficiency than PEMFCs [FCB, April 2012, p4], as well as stand-alone units that continue operating during power outages, and models that can be installed in apartment building pipe shafts [FCB, November 2013, p4]. Ene-Farm is a frontrunner in Japan’s planned hydrogen energy society, because it generates power using city (natural) gas modified with hydrogen. The Strategic Energy Plan adopted by the Japanese government sets Ene-Farm targets of 1.4 million units by 2020, and 5.3 million units (10% of all households) by 2030. Japan’s gas industry will work closely with Ene-Farm manufacturers, the housing sector, and the energy industry to further expand Ene-Farm installations. FCHEA study on US state policy, funding The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA, www.fchea.org) in the US has released a new report, 2014 State Policy Activity WrapUp – Fuel Cells & Hydrogen. This annual report aggregates recent state-level policies and funding opportunities that support the development and deployment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in a range of applications. While federal funding has supported fuel cell and hydrogen R&D and demonstration for more than a decade, many states have also stepped up support for these technologies to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve power reliability. The latest report highlights activities in 18 states, and shows a significant increase in the number of policies and incentives compared to 2013, while the number of states covered in the report has doubled. Policies and incentives reported in the study include fuel cell electric vehicles, with eight states developing networks of hydrogen fueling stations to support growing numbers of FCEVs on their roads; power generation, with a number of states offering funding to help businesses and municipalities deploy stationary fuel cells for distributed (onsite) power generation; and economic stimulus, with several states developing fuel cell manufacturing and supply chains to help build state economies and create jobs. Download the free report: http://tinyurl.com/fchea-states-2014
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
RESEARCH
DOE funds fuel cell catalysts, hydrogen contamination R&D
T
he US Department of Energy has announced the 2015 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 1 Awards, including projects focusing on non-platinum catalysts for fuel cells and detection of contaminants in hydrogen. DOE’s key hydrogen objectives are to reduce the cost of producing and delivering hydrogen to less than $4 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (gge), to enable fuel cell electric vehicles to be competitive with gasoline vehicles. Key fuel cell objectives are to reduce system cost to $40/kW and improve durability to 5000 h (equivalent to 150 000 miles or 240 000 km of driving) for automotive fuel cell systems by 2020. The projects on non-platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts for fuel cells that were selected for negotiation are: UÊ Proton OnSite (www.protononsite.com) of Wallingford, Connecticut will develop a non-precious metal catalyst based on doped cobalt oxides [see also page 8]. UÊ pH Matter LLC (www.phmatter.com) of Columbus, Ohio will develop a non-precious metal catalyst based on phosphorusdoped carbon-nitrogen materials. Both of these projects will use the novel catalysts to prepare high-performance oxygen electrodes, enabling production of reversible alkaline membrane fuel cells with better performance and lower cost than current technology. The two projects on detection of contaminants in hydrogen are: UÊ Southwest Sciences Inc (www.swsciences. com) of Santa Fe, New Mexico will develop a diode laser sensor for detection of typical impurities found in hydrogen fuel at the refueling station. UÊ Sustainable Innovations LLC (www. sustainableinnov.com) of East Hartford, Connecticut has teamed with the University of Connecticut to develop an
February 2015
innovative multichannel hydrogen fuel quality monitor, to detect multiple hydrogen impurities at the refueling station. DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: www.energy.gov/eere/ transportation/hydrogen-and-fuel-cells
FuelCon, Fraunhofer ISE testing PEMFC start-stop phenomena
I
n Germany, FuelCon AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are developing a testing station for analysing start-stop cycles in PEM fuel cells. The work is part of the three-year ‘Stress’ project funded by the federal ministry for economic affairs and energy (BMWi), which runs to the end of March. PEM fuel cells are mostly stressed by electrical load changes and start-stop processes, with the latter mainly occurring in mobile applications. Irreversible corrosion processes at the electrodes result in greater degradation of the individual cells. Therefore the ‘Stress’ project aims to develop an application-oriented test system, including the necessary testing environment for the evaluation of these processes, focusing on automotive and mobile applications. The implemented fuel cell testing environment should allow both practical adjustment and the simulation of operational conditions, and the testing method itself should be adapted for different applications. As part of the project, Fraunhofer ISE organised a workshop on Start-Stop Phenomena and Strategies for PEM Fuel Cells in December, where FuelCon’s Mathias Bode gave a presentation on suitable test environments and methods. Bode explains that the test environment for analysing start-stop phenomena is a significant project milestone. Working with researchers at Fraunhofer ISE, FuelCon succeeded in developing a testing environment that is practicable for PEM single cells as well as stacks, and ensures high process reproducibility. Fuel cell testing systems in FuelCon´s Evaluator series can be equipped with several extensions, one of which is the ‘Start-StopExtension’ allowing the simulation of start-stop cycles for accelerated degradation of the cell. The start-stop extension includes the necessary process engineering as well as testing scripts and an enhanced safety concept. FuelCon AG, Magdeburg-Barleben, Germany. Tel: +49 39203 514400, www.fuelcon.com Fraunhofer ISE, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/ise-h2fuelcell
IN BRIEF Sales of Ene-Farm residential fuel cell systems in Japan pass 100 000 milestone Cumulative sales of Ene-Farm, which became the world’s first commercial residential fuel cell system when it was released in Japan in May 2009 [FCB, March 2009, p11], surpassed 100 000 units in September 2014, according to the Japan Gas Association (www.gas.or.jp/en). The Ene-Farm line initially comprised PEM fuel cell based systems from several manufacturers, and was later expanded to include models using solid oxide fuel cells, which have higher generation efficiency than PEMFCs [FCB, April 2012, p4], as well as stand-alone units that continue operating during power outages, and models that can be installed in apartment building pipe shafts [FCB, November 2013, p4]. Ene-Farm is a frontrunner in Japan’s planned hydrogen energy society, because it generates power using city (natural) gas modified with hydrogen. The Strategic Energy Plan adopted by the Japanese government sets Ene-Farm targets of 1.4 million units by 2020, and 5.3 million units (10% of all households) by 2030. Japan’s gas industry will work closely with Ene-Farm manufacturers, the housing sector, and the energy industry to further expand Ene-Farm installations. FCHEA study on US state policy, funding The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA, www.fchea.org) in the US has released a new report, 2014 State Policy Activity WrapUp – Fuel Cells & Hydrogen. This annual report aggregates recent state-level policies and funding opportunities that support the development and deployment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in a range of applications. While federal funding has supported fuel cell and hydrogen R&D and demonstration for more than a decade, many states have also stepped up support for these technologies to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve power reliability. The latest report highlights activities in 18 states, and shows a significant increase in the number of policies and incentives compared to 2013, while the number of states covered in the report has doubled. Policies and incentives reported in the study include fuel cell electric vehicles, with eight states developing networks of hydrogen fueling stations to support growing numbers of FCEVs on their roads; power generation, with a number of states offering funding to help businesses and municipalities deploy stationary fuel cells for distributed (onsite) power generation; and economic stimulus, with several states developing fuel cell manufacturing and supply chains to help build state economies and create jobs. Download the free report: http://tinyurl.com/fchea-states-2014
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11