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Ebara Ballard unveils pre-commercial 1 kWe generator
NEWS state-of-the art bipolar plate press, which produces bipolar plate blanks and bipolar plates with flow-fields to serve all customer needs. In addition to bipolar and monopolar plates, Entegris also provides fluid handling components, assemblies and service for balance-of-plant (BOP) applications to the fuel cell industry. Contact: Entegris Inc, 3500 Lyman Boulevard, Chaska, MN 55318, USA. Tel: +1 952 556 3131, Fax: +1 952 556 1880, www.entegrisfuelcells.com
Global delivers prototypes to Enbridge, development milestone Calgary-based Global Thermoelectric has delivered on schedule two prototype natural gas SOFC systems to Enbridge’s facilities in Toronto. Global has also announced that a single fuel cell membrane has recently surpassed one year of continuous testing in its Calgary facilities. The first of the Enbridge systems has been commissioned, generating electricity for testing purposes, while the second is anticipated to start up by March. Enbridge will operate the systems for up to six months. Global is continuing its own in-house testing of three similar systems. This program, which has already recorded 9000 h of testing since October and demonstrated a net AC electrical efficiency of nearly 28%, will yield data about performance attributes of the systems and subcomponents. The findings will contribute significantly to improving the performance and robustness of the next generation prototype system, ‘Aurora’, which will incorporate significant improvements in efficiency, reliability and cost rationalization. Commissioning of these units should begin this summer. ‘The continuous testing of a single cell membrane for over a year is a significant accomplishment because it very clearly demonstrates the potential of the technology,’ said Brian Borglum, Global’s VP/chief technology officer. ‘From these results, it is possible to extrapolate that Global’s cell membranes today have a useful life of at least 25 000 h (nearly three years), clearly nearing Global’s 2005 commercial target.’ Meanwhile, Stephen J.J. Letwin, Enbridge’s group vice president for distribution & services, has been appointed to Global’s board of directors. Contact: Global Thermoelectric Inc, 4908 – 52nd Street SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3R2, Canada. Tel: +1 403 204 6100, Fax: +1 403 204 6105, www.globalte.com
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Fuel Cells Bulletin
Or contact: Enbridge Inc, 3000 Fifth Avenue Place, 425 – 1st Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8, Canada. Tel: +1 403 231 3900, Fax: +1 403 231 3920, www.enbridge.com
Stuart, Dynetek, Toyota partner on California hydrogen fueling Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS) has selected Toronto-based Stuart Energy Systems to provide the on-site hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support the automaker’s new fuel cell vehicle program in California, in which it is leasing six FCHV cars to the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Davis. Toyota has purchased a Stuart Energy Community Fueler CF-450 Station, its first on-site electrolysis hydrogen fueling station in the state, now installed at TMS’s headquarters in Torrance. Calgary-based Dynetek supplied the compressed hydrogen storage system. The CF-450 station at Torrance generates 24 kg of clean hydrogen fuel per day, enough to meet the fueling needs of a small fleet of FCVs. It can dispense hydrogen at 3600 or 5000 psi (250 or 350 bar) and allows for Toyota’s FCVs to be filled as quickly as a gasoline vehicle. The station uses Stuart Energy’s patented intelligent hydrogen fueling station technology, in which information is exchanged between system components and the user. The company now has three intelligent hydrogen fueling stations operating in California, with another coming later this year. Dynetek also supplied Stuart Energy with stationary hydrogen storage for its hydrogen fueling station in Richmond, California where California Fuel Cell Partnership members fill their FCVs on demonstration runs between Sacramento and Richmond. The company is also supplying its 10 000 psi (700 bar) hydrogen storage system for Ford’s hydrogen internal combustion engine hybrid Model U car, unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Contact: Stuart Energy Systems, 5101 Orbitor Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4V1, Canada. Tel: +1 905 282 7700, Fax: +1 905 282 7701, www.stuartenergy.com Or contact: Dynetek Industries Ltd, 4410 – 46th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3N7, Canada. Tel: +1 403 720 0262, Fax: +1 403 720 0263, www.dynetek.com Or contact: Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc, 19001 S. Western Avenue, Torrance, CA 90509, USA. Tel: +1 310 468 5084, Fax: +1 310 468 7803, www.toyota.com
Ebara Ballard unveils pre-commercial 1 kWe generator Tokyo-based Ebara Ballard, the joint venture between Ballard Power Systems in Canada and Ebara Corporation in Japan, has unveiled the first generation of its pre-commercial 1 kWe stationary combined heat and power PEM fuel cell generator for the Japanese residential market, building on the secondgeneration engineering prototype fuel cell generator unveiled in January 2002. The generator is manufactured by Ebara Ballard and comprises a Ballard® fuel cell, Ebara’s newly developed pumps and blowers, a reformer based on technology licensed from Tokyo Gas, and a hot water storage tank. The 1 kWe cogeneration fuel cell generator offers a total (heat and electricity) system efficiency of 92% (LHV), of which 34% is the AC electrical efficiency. The system also offers a high partial-load efficiency; at 50% rated load the total system efficiency is 78% (LHV) with AC electrical efficiency of 31%. Ebara Ballard plans to introduce the generator, in limited volumes, to the Japanese residential market as a distributed power source in late 2004. The pre-commercial power plant will undergo extensive testing both in Ebara Ballard’s facility and in the field, allowing further product improvement prior to commercial launch of the initial commercial version. Contact: Ebara Ballard Corporation, 1-6-34 Kohnan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8480, Japan. Tel: +81 3 5461 6558, Fax: +81 3 5461 6087, www.ebara.co.jp
Gaz de France to test first Hexis SOFC in France Swiss-based Sulzer Hexis has signed a cooperation agreement with Gaz de France in which GdF will test a pre-series HXS 1000 Premiere residential solid oxide fuel cell system. This is the first Sulzer Hexis pre-series system to enter operation in France, although systems are in operation in Switzerland and Germany. GdF, which is a leading participant in fuel cell development in France, will install and test the pre-series system in a test house built on its R&D site near Paris. Installation should now be complete, and the unit will be in operation until the end of 2003. GdF is conducting the test as part of an ongoing research program to evaluate the readiness of various fuel cell technologies and
March 2003
Global delivers prototypes to Enbridge, development milestone Calgary-based Global Thermoelectric has delivered on schedule two prototype natural gas SOFC systems to Enbridge’s facilities in Toronto. Global has also announced that a single fuel cell membrane has recently surpassed one year of continuous testing in its Calgary facilities. The first of the Enbridge systems has been commissioned, generating electricity for testing purposes, while the second is anticipated to start up by March. Enbridge will operate the systems for up to six months. Global is continuing its own in-house testing of three similar systems. This program, which has already recorded 9000 h of testing since October and demonstrated a net AC electrical efficiency of nearly 28%, will yield data about performance attributes of the systems and subcomponents. The findings will contribute significantly to improving the performance and robustness of the next generation prototype system, ‘Aurora’, which will incorporate significant improvements in efficiency, reliability and cost rationalization. Commissioning of these units should begin this summer. ‘The continuous testing of a single cell membrane for over a year is a significant accomplishment because it very clearly demonstrates the potential of the technology,’ said Brian Borglum, Global’s VP/chief technology officer. ‘From these results, it is possible to extrapolate that Global’s cell membranes today have a useful life of at least 25 000 h (nearly three years), clearly nearing Global’s 2005 commercial target.’ Meanwhile, Stephen J.J. Letwin, Enbridge’s group vice president for distribution & services, has been appointed to Global’s board of directors. Contact: Global Thermoelectric Inc, 4908 – 52nd Street SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3R2, Canada. Tel: +1 403 204 6100, Fax: +1 403 204 6105, www.globalte.com
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Or contact: Enbridge Inc, 3000 Fifth Avenue Place, 425 – 1st Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3L8, Canada. Tel: +1 403 231 3900, Fax: +1 403 231 3920, www.enbridge.com
Stuart, Dynetek, Toyota partner on California hydrogen fueling Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS) has selected Toronto-based Stuart Energy Systems to provide the on-site hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support the automaker’s new fuel cell vehicle program in California, in which it is leasing six FCHV cars to the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Davis. Toyota has purchased a Stuart Energy Community Fueler CF-450 Station, its first on-site electrolysis hydrogen fueling station in the state, now installed at TMS’s headquarters in Torrance. Calgary-based Dynetek supplied the compressed hydrogen storage system. The CF-450 station at Torrance generates 24 kg of clean hydrogen fuel per day, enough to meet the fueling needs of a small fleet of FCVs. It can dispense hydrogen at 3600 or 5000 psi (250 or 350 bar) and allows for Toyota’s FCVs to be filled as quickly as a gasoline vehicle. The station uses Stuart Energy’s patented intelligent hydrogen fueling station technology, in which information is exchanged between system components and the user. The company now has three intelligent hydrogen fueling stations operating in California, with another coming later this year. Dynetek also supplied Stuart Energy with stationary hydrogen storage for its hydrogen fueling station in Richmond, California where California Fuel Cell Partnership members fill their FCVs on demonstration runs between Sacramento and Richmond. The company is also supplying its 10 000 psi (700 bar) hydrogen storage system for Ford’s hydrogen internal combustion engine hybrid Model U car, unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Contact: Stuart Energy Systems, 5101 Orbitor Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4V1, Canada. Tel: +1 905 282 7700, Fax: +1 905 282 7701, www.stuartenergy.com Or contact: Dynetek Industries Ltd, 4410 – 46th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3N7, Canada. Tel: +1 403 720 0262, Fax: +1 403 720 0263, www.dynetek.com Or contact: Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc, 19001 S. Western Avenue, Torrance, CA 90509, USA. Tel: +1 310 468 5084, Fax: +1 310 468 7803, www.toyota.com
Ebara Ballard unveils pre-commercial 1 kWe generator Tokyo-based Ebara Ballard, the joint venture between Ballard Power Systems in Canada and Ebara Corporation in Japan, has unveiled the first generation of its pre-commercial 1 kWe stationary combined heat and power PEM fuel cell generator for the Japanese residential market, building on the secondgeneration engineering prototype fuel cell generator unveiled in January 2002. The generator is manufactured by Ebara Ballard and comprises a Ballard® fuel cell, Ebara’s newly developed pumps and blowers, a reformer based on technology licensed from Tokyo Gas, and a hot water storage tank. The 1 kWe cogeneration fuel cell generator offers a total (heat and electricity) system efficiency of 92% (LHV), of which 34% is the AC electrical efficiency. The system also offers a high partial-load efficiency; at 50% rated load the total system efficiency is 78% (LHV) with AC electrical efficiency of 31%. Ebara Ballard plans to introduce the generator, in limited volumes, to the Japanese residential market as a distributed power source in late 2004. The pre-commercial power plant will undergo extensive testing both in Ebara Ballard’s facility and in the field, allowing further product improvement prior to commercial launch of the initial commercial version. Contact: Ebara Ballard Corporation, 1-6-34 Kohnan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8480, Japan. Tel: +81 3 5461 6558, Fax: +81 3 5461 6087, www.ebara.co.jp
Gaz de France to test first Hexis SOFC in France Swiss-based Sulzer Hexis has signed a cooperation agreement with Gaz de France in which GdF will test a pre-series HXS 1000 Premiere residential solid oxide fuel cell system. This is the first Sulzer Hexis pre-series system to enter operation in France, although systems are in operation in Switzerland and Germany. GdF, which is a leading participant in fuel cell development in France, will install and test the pre-series system in a test house built on its R&D site near Paris. Installation should now be complete, and the unit will be in operation until the end of 2003. GdF is conducting the test as part of an ongoing research program to evaluate the readiness of various fuel cell technologies and
March 2003