- Email: [email protected]
Green-power Energy Observer boat plans round-the-world trip
NEWS distribution vehicles, backup power, and portable fuel cells. PowerCell recently received an order for the S2 fuel cell stack from a different Chinese automotive company, for use as a hydrogenbased range-extender for electrified passenger cars [FCB, September 2016, p4]. Volvo spin-out PowerCell has been developing fuel cell technology for more than a decade, and has perfected a unique design for a light, versatile, and reliable power source for automotive, transportation, and stationary applications. Its fuel cells are designed to handle reformed hydrogen from e.g. biogas, natural gas, biodiesel, or standard diesel. The company has also built up extensive know-how on reformer technology. The company offers three PEM fuel cell stack platforms: S1 (1–5 kW), S2 (5–25 kW), and S3 (20–100 kW). It has also combined its fuel cell and reformer technology into the PowerPac generator. It is collaborating in a Norwegian project to reduce diesel consumption for electricity generation during grocery vehicle deliveries [FCB, April 2015, p3], and is operating a PowerPac generator at a Swedish telecom base station [November 2015, p1]. PowerCell Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 720 3620, www.powercell.se
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Mitsubishi Nichiyu, Plug Power show fuel cell powered forklift
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apanese electric forklift manufacturer Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift displayed a GenDrive® fuel cell system, supplied by US-based Plug Power, in an industrial truck at the recent Logis-Tech Tokyo materials handling trade show in Japan. The truck is the culmination of a year of product evaluation and engineering collaboration. Mitsubishi Nichiyu showed the Plug Power GenDrive Model 1600 hydrogen PEM fuel cell in its own Class 1 electric forklift truck. The company has been testing the vehicle in Kyoto since June. Mitsubishi Nichiyu is one of the world’s top 10 industrial forklift manufacturers, and was formed in 2012 from the merger of Nippon Yusoki and the forklift division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. (In 2008 MHI integrated a Hydrogenics PEM fuel cell system in a general-purpose Nichiyu commercial
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Fuel Cells Bulletin
forklift [see the forklifts feature in FCB, October 2010].) The merger means that Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift can offer a full line-up of electric and fuel-powered forklift trucks and automatic guided vehicles. Plug Power has more than 7000 hydrogen fuel cell products deployed in the North American materials handling sector [e.g. FCB, August 2016, p2, and see the Plug Power feature in FCB, December 2011]. The company is also expanding into the European electric lift truck market, including two major contracts in France with Carrefour and FM Logistic [July 2016, p1]. Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift: www.nmf.co.jp/en
Intelligent Energy showcases lightweight stacks for UAVs
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K-based Intelligent Energy flew a hydrogen fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, or drone) at the recent InterDrone event in Las Vegas. The company also displayed some ultra-lightweight PEM fuel cell stacks to demonstrate just how light the technology is. ‘UAVs are one of the most exciting new technologies, but even with advanced batteries their value is limited. For commercial use, they need to offer better flight times and range,’ says IE’s commercial director, Julian Hughes. ‘That could all become possible with our range-extender platform. A longer flight time coupled with a quick refuel opens a wide range of new commercial possibilities for businesses, such as UAVs for inspection of offshore platforms, search & rescue, high-quality aerial photography, precision agriculture, and parcel delivery and more.’ In January Intelligent Energy unveiled its prototype hydrogen PEM fuel cell rangeextender on a UAV at the CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas [FCB, January 2016, p4], and subsequently signed a Letter of Intent with a major, unnamed UAV manufacturer to develop hydrogen fuel cell powered drones for commercial rollout [February 2016, p3]. IE is developing a wide range of fuel cell applications, although it has scaled back its ambitions following a recent business restructuring [April 2016, p8] and refinancing [June 2016, p11]. There is plenty of competition in developing fuel cell power for UAVs, including Protonex [FCB, May 2016, p3] and Neah Power
[November 2014, p6] in the US, EnergyOr in Canada [April 2016, p5], Cella Energy in the UK [March 2016, p4], Horizon in Singapore [March 2016, p15], Micro Multi Copters Aero Technology Co (MMC) in China [June 2016, p4], and FlyH2 Aerospace in South Africa [November 2015, p5]. Intelligent Energy, Loughborough, UK. Tel: +44 1509 271271, www.intelligent-energy.com
Green-power Energy Observer boat plans round-the-world trip
A
French partnership is preparing the Energy Observer catamaran, which will be powered by the sun, wind, and fuel cells using hydrogen generated onboard when it sets sail in February 2017 on a six-year voyage around the world. Energy Observer will travel around France in 2017, the Mediterranean in 2018, northern Europe in 2019, the Americas and Caribbean in 2020, Oceania and Asia in 2021, and India and the Middle East in 2022, before returning to Paris. The multi-hull is currently in a shipyard at Saint-Malo in Brittany, awaiting the installation of solar panels, wind turbines, and electrolysis equipment. ‘We are going to be the first boat with an autonomous means of producing hydrogen,’ says Victorien Erussard, who is leading the project with documentary filmmaker Jacques Delafosse. The boat’s batteries will power the electric motors, using solar and wind energy in good weather. ‘If there’s no sun or wind, or if it’s night, stored hydrogen – generated by electrolysis powered by the solar panels and two wind turbines – will take over,’ explains Erussard. This approach means that no carbonemitting fossil fuels will be used throughout the entire trip. The Energy Observer was designed in partnership with a team of naval architects and researchers at the CEA-Liten institute in Grenoble, which is dedicated to renewable energy technologies, including fuel cells. At a total cost of E4.2 million (US$4.7 million), the boat will be fitted with sensors to act as moving laboratory for CEA-Liten.
Energy Observer brochure (6MB PDF): http://bit.ly/2cYU9ux Project website: www.energy-observer.org [currently under construction] CEA-Liten: http://liten.cea.fr/cea-tech/liten/en
October 2016
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Mitsubishi Nichiyu, Plug Power show fuel cell powered forklift
J
apanese electric forklift manufacturer Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift displayed a GenDrive® fuel cell system, supplied by US-based Plug Power, in an industrial truck at the recent Logis-Tech Tokyo materials handling trade show in Japan. The truck is the culmination of a year of product evaluation and engineering collaboration. Mitsubishi Nichiyu showed the Plug Power GenDrive Model 1600 hydrogen PEM fuel cell in its own Class 1 electric forklift truck. The company has been testing the vehicle in Kyoto since June. Mitsubishi Nichiyu is one of the world’s top 10 industrial forklift manufacturers, and was formed in 2012 from the merger of Nippon Yusoki and the forklift division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. (In 2008 MHI integrated a Hydrogenics PEM fuel cell system in a general-purpose Nichiyu commercial
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
forklift [see the forklifts feature in FCB, October 2010].) The merger means that Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift can offer a full line-up of electric and fuel-powered forklift trucks and automatic guided vehicles. Plug Power has more than 7000 hydrogen fuel cell products deployed in the North American materials handling sector [e.g. FCB, August 2016, p2, and see the Plug Power feature in FCB, December 2011]. The company is also expanding into the European electric lift truck market, including two major contracts in France with Carrefour and FM Logistic [July 2016, p1]. Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift: www.nmf.co.jp/en
Intelligent Energy showcases lightweight stacks for UAVs
U
K-based Intelligent Energy flew a hydrogen fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, or drone) at the recent InterDrone event in Las Vegas. The company also displayed some ultra-lightweight PEM fuel cell stacks to demonstrate just how light the technology is. ‘UAVs are one of the most exciting new technologies, but even with advanced batteries their value is limited. For commercial use, they need to offer better flight times and range,’ says IE’s commercial director, Julian Hughes. ‘That could all become possible with our range-extender platform. A longer flight time coupled with a quick refuel opens a wide range of new commercial possibilities for businesses, such as UAVs for inspection of offshore platforms, search & rescue, high-quality aerial photography, precision agriculture, and parcel delivery and more.’ In January Intelligent Energy unveiled its prototype hydrogen PEM fuel cell rangeextender on a UAV at the CES 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas [FCB, January 2016, p4], and subsequently signed a Letter of Intent with a major, unnamed UAV manufacturer to develop hydrogen fuel cell powered drones for commercial rollout [February 2016, p3]. IE is developing a wide range of fuel cell applications, although it has scaled back its ambitions following a recent business restructuring [April 2016, p8] and refinancing [June 2016, p11]. There is plenty of competition in developing fuel cell power for UAVs, including Protonex [FCB, May 2016, p3] and Neah Power
[November 2014, p6] in the US, EnergyOr in Canada [April 2016, p5], Cella Energy in the UK [March 2016, p4], Horizon in Singapore [March 2016, p15], Micro Multi Copters Aero Technology Co (MMC) in China [June 2016, p4], and FlyH2 Aerospace in South Africa [November 2015, p5]. Intelligent Energy, Loughborough, UK. Tel: +44 1509 271271, www.intelligent-energy.com
Green-power Energy Observer boat plans round-the-world trip
A
French partnership is preparing the Energy Observer catamaran, which will be powered by the sun, wind, and fuel cells using hydrogen generated onboard when it sets sail in February 2017 on a six-year voyage around the world. Energy Observer will travel around France in 2017, the Mediterranean in 2018, northern Europe in 2019, the Americas and Caribbean in 2020, Oceania and Asia in 2021, and India and the Middle East in 2022, before returning to Paris. The multi-hull is currently in a shipyard at Saint-Malo in Brittany, awaiting the installation of solar panels, wind turbines, and electrolysis equipment. ‘We are going to be the first boat with an autonomous means of producing hydrogen,’ says Victorien Erussard, who is leading the project with documentary filmmaker Jacques Delafosse. The boat’s batteries will power the electric motors, using solar and wind energy in good weather. ‘If there’s no sun or wind, or if it’s night, stored hydrogen – generated by electrolysis powered by the solar panels and two wind turbines – will take over,’ explains Erussard. This approach means that no carbonemitting fossil fuels will be used throughout the entire trip. The Energy Observer was designed in partnership with a team of naval architects and researchers at the CEA-Liten institute in Grenoble, which is dedicated to renewable energy technologies, including fuel cells. At a total cost of E4.2 million (US$4.7 million), the boat will be fitted with sensors to act as moving laboratory for CEA-Liten.
Energy Observer brochure (6MB PDF): http://bit.ly/2cYU9ux Project website: www.energy-observer.org [currently under construction] CEA-Liten: http://liten.cea.fr/cea-tech/liten/en
October 2016