- Email: [email protected]
German Navy orders two more fuel cell subs
NEWS project, starting in 2009, and the configuration will be optimized in 2012.
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Contact: EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Karlsruhe, Germany. Tel: +49 721 6300, www.enbw.com Or contact: Siemens Power Generation, Fuel Cells Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 256 2022, www.powergeneration.siemens.com
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Euro industry outlines hydrogen infrastructure
E
nergy companies Shell Hydrogen and Total France, along with vehicle manufacturers BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors Europe, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge and Volkswagen have announced a joint approach to push hydrogen as a fuel for road transportation in Europe. While the public and private sectors already agree that the so-called ‘Lighthouse Projects’, integrating all aspects of hydrogen production, distribution and use, are the necessary next step, the alliance of energy companies and vehicle manufacturers believes that now is the time to move forward. In a common position paper, the companies have defined a near- and mid-term action plan to pave the way for the introduction of hydrogen-based mobility in Europe. While each firm is pursuing its own specific timelines, the group has commonly identified key phases over the next decade, comprising continuous technology development and cost reduction, pre-commercial technology refinement and market preparation, with commercialization of hydrogen powered vehicles potentially starting around 2015. The companies have identified a number of criteria for the implementation of Lighthouse Projects in Europe. A key priority moving forward is to concentrate efforts on a focused region for passenger cars, leveraging all resources to maximize the overall degree of learning. Based on these requirements, the group sees these Lighthouse Projects initially rolling out in Berlin for cars and city buses, and in additional selected cities and regions for city buses. All lessons learned will be shared across all regions, as will continuing education and outreach. In the paper, Next Steps for the Development of a Hydrogen Infrastructure for Road Transport in Europe, the group anticipates that the further rollout of hydrogen vehicles will be in three phases: •
Phase I, until 2010: Technology development and cost reduction: Bundling of hydrogen demand for cars to one pilot region in Europe for testing higher volumes of cars. 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Phase II, from 2010 to approximately 2015: Pre-commercial technology refinement and market preparation: Hydrogen refueling station infrastructure (700 bar CGH2 and LH2) of sufficient density for cars, publicly accessible and integrated into conventional stations, in one pilot region, and for city buses in a few selected cities/regions. Phase III, starting around 2015: Commercialization: The ramp-up of production, leading to mass production within at least 10 years for every OEM.
Implementing the next steps requires contributions from all public and private stakeholders involved in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, so the group encourages the engagement and contribution of additional companies as this initiative moves forward. The position paper is available at: www.hyweb.de/News/ Position_Paper_H2_Auto_Energy_OnePager_SEP2006.pdf
Systems shipyard alliance, are to build another two Class 212A submarines for the German Navy. The vessels are scheduled for delivery during 2012 and 2013. Both vessels will be equipped with an air-independent propulsion system using hydrogen fuel cell technology. Built from non-magnetic steel, the submarines will be based on a general design, established for four previous submarines, but the two new vessels will be adapted to the future deployment requirements of the German Navy. This order will allow HDW and Nordseewerke to retain their core industrial competence in the conventional submarine segment, and provide long-term security for several hundred jobs. The companies delivered a Class 212A fuelcell powered submarine to the German Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) earlier this year [FCB, June]. In addition, Israel recently purchased two Dolphin-class submarines manufactured by HDW for US$1.27 billion, one-third of which is being financed by the German government [FCB, October].
Jadoo fuel cell system for emergency use
Contact: Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, Kiel, Germany. Tel: +49 431 7000, www.hdw.de
C
Chemical screening to assess fuel cell materials
alifornia-based Jadoo Power Systems has introduced the XRT, a powerful fuel cell system that is designed for emergency response applications. The XRT provides critical support power when the electricity grid is either unavailable or unreliable. It can be used for power-hungry applications, such as recharging portable radios and laptop batteries, battery replacement for emergency lighting and critical communication devices, for example satellite phones and modems. The Jadoo XRT weighs about 23 kg (50 lb), but provides the energy of four 45 Ah batteries (which would double the weight). The mobile, rugged package can be configured to deliver application run-times well beyond that of standard deep-cycle marine batteries, says the company. A fully-configured XRT unit includes six NStor360 fuel canisters, providing up to 2200 Wh (180 Ah) of run-time; a single 100 W N-Gen fuel cell power unit; and provides 110 Vac and 12 Vdc outputs. Contact: Jadoo Power Systems Inc, Folsom, California, USA. Tel: +1 916 608 9044, www.jadoopower.com
German Navy orders two more fuel cell subs
H
owaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) and Nordseewerke, both part of the ThyssenKrupp Marine
A
new screening system is being developed at Georgia Tech in the US that will enable researchers to evaluate hundreds or thousands of potential materials for use in protonexchange membrane fuel cells in a single experiment. Part of a multi-partner project funded by the Department of Energy, J. Carson Meredith, an associate professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, is developing a methodology to produce low-cost, thermally stable membranes. ‘Current membranes on the market are costly because they are made from fluorinated materials as opposed to conventional hydrocarbon-based plastics,’ notes Meredith. ‘Durability is another issue. Because of the fuel cell’s harsh environment, the typical lifespan for a PEM is a couple of thousand hours. After that the membranes begin to degrade chemically – and literally fall apart. They develop leaks, and the fuel begins to cross over to the oxygen side, causing the electrical current to drop drastically.’ Meredith’s goal is to double the membrane’s durability and halve the costs. The other partners in the DOE-funded project are the University of Hawaii and three companies – Arkema, United Technologies and Johnson Matthey.
November 2006
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Contact: EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Karlsruhe, Germany. Tel: +49 721 6300, www.enbw.com Or contact: Siemens Power Generation, Fuel Cells Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 256 2022, www.powergeneration.siemens.com
•
Euro industry outlines hydrogen infrastructure
E
nergy companies Shell Hydrogen and Total France, along with vehicle manufacturers BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors Europe, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge and Volkswagen have announced a joint approach to push hydrogen as a fuel for road transportation in Europe. While the public and private sectors already agree that the so-called ‘Lighthouse Projects’, integrating all aspects of hydrogen production, distribution and use, are the necessary next step, the alliance of energy companies and vehicle manufacturers believes that now is the time to move forward. In a common position paper, the companies have defined a near- and mid-term action plan to pave the way for the introduction of hydrogen-based mobility in Europe. While each firm is pursuing its own specific timelines, the group has commonly identified key phases over the next decade, comprising continuous technology development and cost reduction, pre-commercial technology refinement and market preparation, with commercialization of hydrogen powered vehicles potentially starting around 2015. The companies have identified a number of criteria for the implementation of Lighthouse Projects in Europe. A key priority moving forward is to concentrate efforts on a focused region for passenger cars, leveraging all resources to maximize the overall degree of learning. Based on these requirements, the group sees these Lighthouse Projects initially rolling out in Berlin for cars and city buses, and in additional selected cities and regions for city buses. All lessons learned will be shared across all regions, as will continuing education and outreach. In the paper, Next Steps for the Development of a Hydrogen Infrastructure for Road Transport in Europe, the group anticipates that the further rollout of hydrogen vehicles will be in three phases: •
Phase I, until 2010: Technology development and cost reduction: Bundling of hydrogen demand for cars to one pilot region in Europe for testing higher volumes of cars. 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Phase II, from 2010 to approximately 2015: Pre-commercial technology refinement and market preparation: Hydrogen refueling station infrastructure (700 bar CGH2 and LH2) of sufficient density for cars, publicly accessible and integrated into conventional stations, in one pilot region, and for city buses in a few selected cities/regions. Phase III, starting around 2015: Commercialization: The ramp-up of production, leading to mass production within at least 10 years for every OEM.
Implementing the next steps requires contributions from all public and private stakeholders involved in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, so the group encourages the engagement and contribution of additional companies as this initiative moves forward. The position paper is available at: www.hyweb.de/News/ Position_Paper_H2_Auto_Energy_OnePager_SEP2006.pdf
Systems shipyard alliance, are to build another two Class 212A submarines for the German Navy. The vessels are scheduled for delivery during 2012 and 2013. Both vessels will be equipped with an air-independent propulsion system using hydrogen fuel cell technology. Built from non-magnetic steel, the submarines will be based on a general design, established for four previous submarines, but the two new vessels will be adapted to the future deployment requirements of the German Navy. This order will allow HDW and Nordseewerke to retain their core industrial competence in the conventional submarine segment, and provide long-term security for several hundred jobs. The companies delivered a Class 212A fuelcell powered submarine to the German Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) earlier this year [FCB, June]. In addition, Israel recently purchased two Dolphin-class submarines manufactured by HDW for US$1.27 billion, one-third of which is being financed by the German government [FCB, October].
Jadoo fuel cell system for emergency use
Contact: Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, Kiel, Germany. Tel: +49 431 7000, www.hdw.de
C
Chemical screening to assess fuel cell materials
alifornia-based Jadoo Power Systems has introduced the XRT, a powerful fuel cell system that is designed for emergency response applications. The XRT provides critical support power when the electricity grid is either unavailable or unreliable. It can be used for power-hungry applications, such as recharging portable radios and laptop batteries, battery replacement for emergency lighting and critical communication devices, for example satellite phones and modems. The Jadoo XRT weighs about 23 kg (50 lb), but provides the energy of four 45 Ah batteries (which would double the weight). The mobile, rugged package can be configured to deliver application run-times well beyond that of standard deep-cycle marine batteries, says the company. A fully-configured XRT unit includes six NStor360 fuel canisters, providing up to 2200 Wh (180 Ah) of run-time; a single 100 W N-Gen fuel cell power unit; and provides 110 Vac and 12 Vdc outputs. Contact: Jadoo Power Systems Inc, Folsom, California, USA. Tel: +1 916 608 9044, www.jadoopower.com
German Navy orders two more fuel cell subs
H
owaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) and Nordseewerke, both part of the ThyssenKrupp Marine
A
new screening system is being developed at Georgia Tech in the US that will enable researchers to evaluate hundreds or thousands of potential materials for use in protonexchange membrane fuel cells in a single experiment. Part of a multi-partner project funded by the Department of Energy, J. Carson Meredith, an associate professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, is developing a methodology to produce low-cost, thermally stable membranes. ‘Current membranes on the market are costly because they are made from fluorinated materials as opposed to conventional hydrocarbon-based plastics,’ notes Meredith. ‘Durability is another issue. Because of the fuel cell’s harsh environment, the typical lifespan for a PEM is a couple of thousand hours. After that the membranes begin to degrade chemically – and literally fall apart. They develop leaks, and the fuel begins to cross over to the oxygen side, causing the electrical current to drop drastically.’ Meredith’s goal is to double the membrane’s durability and halve the costs. The other partners in the DOE-funded project are the University of Hawaii and three companies – Arkema, United Technologies and Johnson Matthey.
November 2006