- Email: [email protected]
H Power cogen system for Swedish ‘green’ project
NEWS catalysts and services to the refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries. Contact: DCHTechnologyInc, 24832Avenue Rockefeller,Valencia,CA 91355, USA.Tel:+1 661 775 8120, Fax:+1 661 257 9398, www.dcht.com
Commercialization, demonstration projects in Connecticut The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) has announced the finalists in a program to stimulate development and commercialization of fuel cell technology. The announcement marked the official kick-off of the five-year program. Connecticut is the first of the 14 deregulated American states to launch a fuel cell initiative of this magnitude. The projects - representing collaboration among private- and public-sector businesses were selected from 31 proposals. Each project will potentially stimulate R&D and commercialization, while providing highly visible sites to demonstrate the use of fuel cell energy generation. The program has a 2002 project budget of approximately US$8 million; finalists will also be making substantial financial contributions to their projects. The finalists include a demonstration project at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, featuring a 25 kWe integrated SOFC/reformer system being developed by Massachusetts-based Ztek Corporation; a 50 MWe fuel cell power plant in Fairfield County, used to power a compressor station and provide excess power to the grid; fuel cells supplied by UTC Fuel Cells to be installed at the State of Connecticut Department of Information Technology data center in East Hartford, at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, and at the New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority; and two fuel cells supplied by FuelCell Energy to be installed at the Pepperidge Farm Bakery in Bloomfield. Contact: ConnecticutCleanEnergyFund,999 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT06067, USA.Tel:+1 860 563 0015, Fax: +1 860 563 6978, www.ctcleanenergy.com
Fraunhofer micro fuel cell initiative will develop economical series production The goal of the 'Fraunhofer Initiative Micro Fuel Cells' is to develop new solutions for
(~
power supplies for portable electronic devices. Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, six German and one US-based Fraunhofer institutes have linked up to develop reliable fuel cells which are ready for production. The results of the work were presented at the recent Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany. The institutes involved will contribute their special expertise to the initiative. Several aspects of the development and production of fuel cell systems are being investigated, including simulation and characterization of fuel cells as well as development and control of the entire system. In addition, aspects of materials technology, production and assembly will be investigated, and micro-valves will be developed for the hydrogen supply. 'The bonding technology, without screws using only adhesives, is one of the new developments that we are presenting in Hannover,' explained Christopher Hebling, head of the department of energy technology at Fraunhofer ISE. The researchers demonstrated the automated production of fuel cell stacks at the fair, with the help of a small assembly. Other new items are the bipolar plates made from conductive polymers, fully integrated operational control, and thermal coupling of the metal hydride containers and the fuel cell. As well as showing an improved prototype miniature fuel cell system to supply power to a DV-camcorder, the researchers also unveiled a notebook PC with a fuel cell system integrated into the housing. 'In addition to the area of consumer production, an interesting field of application for micro fuel cells is the wireless measuring technology, for example environmental sensors or reporting devices for traffic jams,' said Hebling. 'The operation of the system in outdoor applications presents us with exciting new challenges.' Contact: Dr ChristopherHebling,ManagerFraunhoferInitiative for Micro Fuel Cells,Fraunhofer Institute for SolarEnergySystemsISE,Heidenhostrasse 2, D-79110 Freiburg,Germany.Tel:+49 761 4588 5195, Fax:+49 761 4588 9320, Email:[email protected], www.mikrobrennstoffzelle.com Or contact: Dipl.-Ing. UIf Groos, Mikroenergietechnik, FraunhoferISE.Teh+49 761 4588 5202, Fax:+49 761 4588 9320, [email protected], www.mikroenergietechnik.de
New SOFC design reduces material costs A joint R&D group at Siemens in Pittsburgh, USA and Erlangen, Germany has developed a
new design for the company's solid oxide fuel cells, which is claimed to significantly reduce the volume and hence the cost of the materials required to build an industrial-scale SOFC power generation system. In the Siemens Westinghouse tubular SOFC systems, the fuel cell itself is set in a long tube which is closed at one end. At an operating temperature of 950°C, air is fed into these tubes while the outside is flushed with natural gas. Each tube supplies a voltage of 0.65 V and a current of 160 A, and has a surface area of 850 cm 2. To create higher voltages, individual tubes are switched in series. However, this creates voltage losses as the current passes along the tube's circumference. The Pittsburgh and Erlangen laboratories therefore took a fresh approach. The developers believe that the next generation of fuel cells will consist of flat elements into which up to 10 tubes are set side by side. The current travels along a shorter path, which also significantly reduces the internal resistance. Initial tests have confirmed the developers' expectations. Model calculations have shown that the new cell design is able to achieve three times the power density of the existing cell type. This means that both materials and costs can be saved while producing the same amount of power. Contact: SiemensWestinghousePowerCorporation, StationaryFuel Cells,1310 BeulahRoad,Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5098,USA.Tel:+1 412 256 2022, Fax:+1 412 256 1233,www.pg.siemens.com/en/fuelcells Or contact: Dr Hartmut Runge,CorporateTechnology Press Office, SiemensAG, CC P CT,Postfach,D-81730 Mfinchen, Germany.Tel: +49 89 636 49030, Fax:+49 89 636 49220, Email:[email protected]
H Power cogen system for Swedish' green' project New Jersey-based H Power is to deliver a 4.0 kWe cogeneradon fuel cell system to Naps Systems Oy, a leading Finnish solar power system company and a subsidiary of Fortum Corporation. This delivery - due by the summer - will be under the previously announced distribution agreement between H Power and Naps. Naps will in turn deliver the system to Birka Energi, which has a cooperation project with the R&D department of ABB in Sweden to supply an energy system for an environmental information center. H Power's cogeneration system will be installed at the Environmental Information
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 44
Centre in Hammarby Sj6stad, a residential development in Stockholm, Sweden to use and demonstrate a sustainable energy system that provides both electricity and heat. Birka Energi and ABB have selected an H Power cogeneration fuel cell system as their core energy source for this project. The system will be fueled by stored hydrogen produced through a photovoltaic solar cell system combined with an electrolyzer. A second source of hydrogen will be from biogas produced from municipal waste at a nearby plant, which will be fed to H Power's fuel processor to produce high-quality hydrogen. The fuel cell system will be 'net metered,' enabling excess electricity generated by the fuel cell system to be fed back into the grid. 'This cogeneration fuel cell system is an important step in our cooperation with H Power,' commented Timo Rosenlof, Naps' president/CEO. 'Our global partnership and customer networks represent great potential and have lots of interests towards fuel cells. We believe we can sharply increase volumes in the near future, and demonstrations like this one with Birka Energi and ABB are valuable promotions for those parties considering investment in this great new technology.' As a leading solar power systems company, Naps wants to demonstrate its high level of technical expertise, to supply advanced systems combining fuel cell and solar power components. 'This is not just a nice technical invention, but something we can deliver today,' added Rosenlof. Contact: H Power Corporation,1373 BroadStreet,
Clifton, NJ 07013, USA.Tel:+1 973 249 5444, Fax:+1 973 249 5450, www.hpowet.com Or contact: Naps SystemsOy, Pakkalankuja7A,
FIN-01510Vantaa,Finland.Tel:+358 10 45 25711, Fax:+358 10 45 25744, www.napssystems.com
Successful beta test for Millennium Cell's H2 storage technology Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee
has successfully completed a beta test program to evaluate the Hydrogen on Demand TM technology developed by New Jersey-based Millennium Cell Inc. The program was managed by UT-Battelle under contract with the US Department of Energy, and required ORNL to evaluate the Hydrogen on Demand technology for potential use in near-term portable power generation applications.
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 44
'Millennium Cell's technology is very compact, controllable and with excellent dynamic load following capabilities,' said Dr Franqois G. Pin, corporate fellow and leader of ORNEs robotics and energetic machines group. 'The test program has proven that this new fuel system has high energy density, excellent safety characteristics, non-flammabilityand a favorable environmental impact. It is one of the best systems we have tested.' Dr Stephen S. Tang, president/CEO of Millennium Cell, said that the company has begun discussions with ORNL to become a private-sector partner in a DOE initiative to develop a new, low-cost process to manufacture and regenerate sodium borohydride. The Hydrogen on Demand process generates pure hydrogen or electricity from sodium borohydride, which in the presence of a particular catalyst either releases hydrogen or produces electricity. The technology can be applied in transportation as well as portable power. Contact: Millennium Cell Inc, One IndustrialWay
West, Eatontown,NJ 07724, USA.Tel:+I 732 542 4000, Fax:+I 732 542 4010, www.millenniumcell.com Or contact: Dr FrancoisPin, Robotics& Energetic
MachinesGroup,Oak RidgeNational Laboratory,PO Box 2008, MS 6305, Oak Ridge,TN 37831-6305,USA. Tel: +1 865 574 6130, Fax:+1 865 574 4624, Email: [email protected],www.ornl.gov/ engineering science technology/robotics.htm $1111U
I
First fuel cell submarine christened at HDW The world's first fidl-size submarine with fuel cell propulsion has been officially named. The vessel, 'U31', is under construction at the shipyard of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) in Kiel, Germany. HDW is the first shipyard in the world to offer a fuel cell propulsion system ready for series production. The class 212A submarine is destined for the German navy, and is the first of four submarines of this class currently under construction at the yards of H D W in Kiel and Thyssen Nordseewerke in Emden. After comprehensive tests and trials, U31 is scheduled for commissioning in March 2004. The submarine is characterized by an airindependent propulsion system using hydrogen PEM fuel cells developed and manufactured by Siemens, and apparently rated at about 300 kWe. The fuel cell plant permits the new class of submarines to cruise under water for weeks without surfacing. Conventional diesel-electric
Commercialization, demonstration projects in Connecticut The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) has announced the finalists in a program to stimulate development and commercialization of fuel cell technology. The announcement marked the official kick-off of the five-year program. Connecticut is the first of the 14 deregulated American states to launch a fuel cell initiative of this magnitude. The projects - representing collaboration among private- and public-sector businesses were selected from 31 proposals. Each project will potentially stimulate R&D and commercialization, while providing highly visible sites to demonstrate the use of fuel cell energy generation. The program has a 2002 project budget of approximately US$8 million; finalists will also be making substantial financial contributions to their projects. The finalists include a demonstration project at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, featuring a 25 kWe integrated SOFC/reformer system being developed by Massachusetts-based Ztek Corporation; a 50 MWe fuel cell power plant in Fairfield County, used to power a compressor station and provide excess power to the grid; fuel cells supplied by UTC Fuel Cells to be installed at the State of Connecticut Department of Information Technology data center in East Hartford, at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, and at the New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority; and two fuel cells supplied by FuelCell Energy to be installed at the Pepperidge Farm Bakery in Bloomfield. Contact: ConnecticutCleanEnergyFund,999 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT06067, USA.Tel:+1 860 563 0015, Fax: +1 860 563 6978, www.ctcleanenergy.com
Fraunhofer micro fuel cell initiative will develop economical series production The goal of the 'Fraunhofer Initiative Micro Fuel Cells' is to develop new solutions for
(~
power supplies for portable electronic devices. Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, six German and one US-based Fraunhofer institutes have linked up to develop reliable fuel cells which are ready for production. The results of the work were presented at the recent Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany. The institutes involved will contribute their special expertise to the initiative. Several aspects of the development and production of fuel cell systems are being investigated, including simulation and characterization of fuel cells as well as development and control of the entire system. In addition, aspects of materials technology, production and assembly will be investigated, and micro-valves will be developed for the hydrogen supply. 'The bonding technology, without screws using only adhesives, is one of the new developments that we are presenting in Hannover,' explained Christopher Hebling, head of the department of energy technology at Fraunhofer ISE. The researchers demonstrated the automated production of fuel cell stacks at the fair, with the help of a small assembly. Other new items are the bipolar plates made from conductive polymers, fully integrated operational control, and thermal coupling of the metal hydride containers and the fuel cell. As well as showing an improved prototype miniature fuel cell system to supply power to a DV-camcorder, the researchers also unveiled a notebook PC with a fuel cell system integrated into the housing. 'In addition to the area of consumer production, an interesting field of application for micro fuel cells is the wireless measuring technology, for example environmental sensors or reporting devices for traffic jams,' said Hebling. 'The operation of the system in outdoor applications presents us with exciting new challenges.' Contact: Dr ChristopherHebling,ManagerFraunhoferInitiative for Micro Fuel Cells,Fraunhofer Institute for SolarEnergySystemsISE,Heidenhostrasse 2, D-79110 Freiburg,Germany.Tel:+49 761 4588 5195, Fax:+49 761 4588 9320, Email:[email protected], www.mikrobrennstoffzelle.com Or contact: Dipl.-Ing. UIf Groos, Mikroenergietechnik, FraunhoferISE.Teh+49 761 4588 5202, Fax:+49 761 4588 9320, [email protected], www.mikroenergietechnik.de
New SOFC design reduces material costs A joint R&D group at Siemens in Pittsburgh, USA and Erlangen, Germany has developed a
new design for the company's solid oxide fuel cells, which is claimed to significantly reduce the volume and hence the cost of the materials required to build an industrial-scale SOFC power generation system. In the Siemens Westinghouse tubular SOFC systems, the fuel cell itself is set in a long tube which is closed at one end. At an operating temperature of 950°C, air is fed into these tubes while the outside is flushed with natural gas. Each tube supplies a voltage of 0.65 V and a current of 160 A, and has a surface area of 850 cm 2. To create higher voltages, individual tubes are switched in series. However, this creates voltage losses as the current passes along the tube's circumference. The Pittsburgh and Erlangen laboratories therefore took a fresh approach. The developers believe that the next generation of fuel cells will consist of flat elements into which up to 10 tubes are set side by side. The current travels along a shorter path, which also significantly reduces the internal resistance. Initial tests have confirmed the developers' expectations. Model calculations have shown that the new cell design is able to achieve three times the power density of the existing cell type. This means that both materials and costs can be saved while producing the same amount of power. Contact: SiemensWestinghousePowerCorporation, StationaryFuel Cells,1310 BeulahRoad,Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5098,USA.Tel:+1 412 256 2022, Fax:+1 412 256 1233,www.pg.siemens.com/en/fuelcells Or contact: Dr Hartmut Runge,CorporateTechnology Press Office, SiemensAG, CC P CT,Postfach,D-81730 Mfinchen, Germany.Tel: +49 89 636 49030, Fax:+49 89 636 49220, Email:[email protected]
H Power cogen system for Swedish' green' project New Jersey-based H Power is to deliver a 4.0 kWe cogeneradon fuel cell system to Naps Systems Oy, a leading Finnish solar power system company and a subsidiary of Fortum Corporation. This delivery - due by the summer - will be under the previously announced distribution agreement between H Power and Naps. Naps will in turn deliver the system to Birka Energi, which has a cooperation project with the R&D department of ABB in Sweden to supply an energy system for an environmental information center. H Power's cogeneration system will be installed at the Environmental Information
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 44
Centre in Hammarby Sj6stad, a residential development in Stockholm, Sweden to use and demonstrate a sustainable energy system that provides both electricity and heat. Birka Energi and ABB have selected an H Power cogeneration fuel cell system as their core energy source for this project. The system will be fueled by stored hydrogen produced through a photovoltaic solar cell system combined with an electrolyzer. A second source of hydrogen will be from biogas produced from municipal waste at a nearby plant, which will be fed to H Power's fuel processor to produce high-quality hydrogen. The fuel cell system will be 'net metered,' enabling excess electricity generated by the fuel cell system to be fed back into the grid. 'This cogeneration fuel cell system is an important step in our cooperation with H Power,' commented Timo Rosenlof, Naps' president/CEO. 'Our global partnership and customer networks represent great potential and have lots of interests towards fuel cells. We believe we can sharply increase volumes in the near future, and demonstrations like this one with Birka Energi and ABB are valuable promotions for those parties considering investment in this great new technology.' As a leading solar power systems company, Naps wants to demonstrate its high level of technical expertise, to supply advanced systems combining fuel cell and solar power components. 'This is not just a nice technical invention, but something we can deliver today,' added Rosenlof. Contact: H Power Corporation,1373 BroadStreet,
Clifton, NJ 07013, USA.Tel:+1 973 249 5444, Fax:+1 973 249 5450, www.hpowet.com Or contact: Naps SystemsOy, Pakkalankuja7A,
FIN-01510Vantaa,Finland.Tel:+358 10 45 25711, Fax:+358 10 45 25744, www.napssystems.com
Successful beta test for Millennium Cell's H2 storage technology Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee
has successfully completed a beta test program to evaluate the Hydrogen on Demand TM technology developed by New Jersey-based Millennium Cell Inc. The program was managed by UT-Battelle under contract with the US Department of Energy, and required ORNL to evaluate the Hydrogen on Demand technology for potential use in near-term portable power generation applications.
Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 44
'Millennium Cell's technology is very compact, controllable and with excellent dynamic load following capabilities,' said Dr Franqois G. Pin, corporate fellow and leader of ORNEs robotics and energetic machines group. 'The test program has proven that this new fuel system has high energy density, excellent safety characteristics, non-flammabilityand a favorable environmental impact. It is one of the best systems we have tested.' Dr Stephen S. Tang, president/CEO of Millennium Cell, said that the company has begun discussions with ORNL to become a private-sector partner in a DOE initiative to develop a new, low-cost process to manufacture and regenerate sodium borohydride. The Hydrogen on Demand process generates pure hydrogen or electricity from sodium borohydride, which in the presence of a particular catalyst either releases hydrogen or produces electricity. The technology can be applied in transportation as well as portable power. Contact: Millennium Cell Inc, One IndustrialWay
West, Eatontown,NJ 07724, USA.Tel:+I 732 542 4000, Fax:+I 732 542 4010, www.millenniumcell.com Or contact: Dr FrancoisPin, Robotics& Energetic
MachinesGroup,Oak RidgeNational Laboratory,PO Box 2008, MS 6305, Oak Ridge,TN 37831-6305,USA. Tel: +1 865 574 6130, Fax:+1 865 574 4624, Email: [email protected],www.ornl.gov/ engineering science technology/robotics.htm $1111U
I
First fuel cell submarine christened at HDW The world's first fidl-size submarine with fuel cell propulsion has been officially named. The vessel, 'U31', is under construction at the shipyard of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) in Kiel, Germany. HDW is the first shipyard in the world to offer a fuel cell propulsion system ready for series production. The class 212A submarine is destined for the German navy, and is the first of four submarines of this class currently under construction at the yards of H D W in Kiel and Thyssen Nordseewerke in Emden. After comprehensive tests and trials, U31 is scheduled for commissioning in March 2004. The submarine is characterized by an airindependent propulsion system using hydrogen PEM fuel cells developed and manufactured by Siemens, and apparently rated at about 300 kWe. The fuel cell plant permits the new class of submarines to cruise under water for weeks without surfacing. Conventional diesel-electric