- Email: [email protected]
INI Power hits key technical milestone
NEWS
Editorial office: Elsevier Advanced Technology PO Box 150 Kidlington Oxford OX5 1AS United Kingdom Tel:+44 (0)1865 843239 Fax: +44 (0)1865 853160 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Editor: Steve Barrett Senior Production/Design Controller: Lin Lucas Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK; phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, email: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (http:// www.elsevier.com), by ‘Support and Contact’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: (+1) (978) 7508400, fax: (+1) (978) 7504744, and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: (+44) (0) 20 7631 5555; fax: (+44) (0) 20 7631 5500. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and e-mail addresses noted above. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.
02233 Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited
2
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Hydrogenics deploys forklifts at GM, FedEx
I
n Canada, Hydrogenics has successfully completed forklift field trials at GM of Canada’s car assembly plant in Oshawa and at FedEx Canada’s ‘mission-critical’ logistics hub at Toronto International Airport. Hydrogenics designed, built and integrated fuel cell hybrid power packs to replace the leadacid batteries in two Hyster 2500 kg Class 1 sitrider forklifts provided by NACCO Materials Handling Group. The forklifts were placed into service at two indoor multi-shift operations, to showcase the technical readiness of Hydrogenics’ fuel cell hybrid power pack and verify the benefits and value propositions for this market. In addition, Hydrogenics designed and built an indoor PEM electrolyzer hydrogen refueler that was used to refuel the forklifts during the trials. ‘We gained real-world learning for this nearterm application as our forklifts operated fulltime for three months in rigorous operations, with virtually no maintenance downtime,’ says Pierre Rivard, president/CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘Just as important, they finished the trials at the same high level of performance as they began.’ Battery management issues profoundly impact operations, including a marked decrease in forklift power prior to shift-end, loss of productivity due to battery change-out time, and significant dedicated space and staffing for battery management. In addition, 24 h operations require as many as three batteries per vehicle to cover the full shift rotation, contributing to ongoing capital cost infusions and battery disposal problems. The field trials addressed all of these battery limitations. The forklifts were operating at full power at the beginning and end of each shift, and were refueled by the forklift operators in two minutes or less from the refueling station. Contact: Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com
MTU plant at wastewater facility, further order
I
n Germany, MTU CFC Solutions and RWE Fuel Cells have commissioned a 250 kWe MTU HotModule® power plant at the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Works in Ahlen. The installation is the first molten carbonate fuel cell system in Europe to operate on anaerobic digester gas. The HotModule
system combines Direct Fuel Cell® (DFC) stack technology from US-based FuelCell Energy with MTU’s balance-ofplant design for the European market. Operating on sewage gas produced by the Ahlen facility itself, the fuel cell power plant generates electricity to run the wastewater treatment process; any excess power is fed to the grid. The power plant also generates 180 kW of by-product heat, harnessed to operate the gas digestion tower. Any remaining thermal energy is used to heat the office and plant buildings. Ahlen’s newly operational wastewater treatment plant – one of 10 worldwide in which FCE products are involved – replaced a combustion engine-driven cogeneration unit. FCE sees industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities with anaerobic gas digesters as an important application for its DFC power plants. In related news, FCE has received an order from MTU – its European strategic partner – for an additional 1.5 MWe of fuel cell stacks. The order consists of six 250 kWe DFC units to be incorporated into HotModule power plants for installation throughout Europe during 2006; the specific customers will be announced later. MTU CFC Solutions is a joint venture between MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, itself a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, and RWE Fuel Cells [FCB, September 2003]. Contact: MTU CFC Solutions GmbH, Ottobrunn, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 31534, www.mtu-cfc-solutions.com Or contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com Or contact: RWE Fuel Cells GmbH, Essen, Germany. Tel: +49 201 12 20221, www.rwe.com/fuelcell
INI Power hits key technical milestone
U
S-based INI Power Systems has achieved an important technical milestone in the development of its direct methanol laminar flow fuel cell (LFFC®) for consumer and military portable power applications. The company has demonstrated that the LFFC stack exceeds current state-of-the-art DMFC stack performance under commercially viable operating conditions. INI’s LFFC stack prototype has demonstrated superior electrochemical performance at low to moderate temperatures utilizing methanol and ambient air. This was accomplished through a new stack design that limits methanol crossover and remains water-neutral – both key issues in improving stack performance and eliminating
January 2006
NEWS complex water recovery equipment at a systems level. The latest LFFC stack design confirms the company’s approach to simplifying manufacturability and lowering cost, using flexible circuit materials and processes. The company has worldwide exclusivity to the Laminar Flow Fuel Cell concept, and has patented key improvements demonstrated to overcome the technical performance issues that have delayed the commercialization of conventional DMFCs in the 10–250 We power range: cathode flooding, water management, fuel crossover, and fuel efficiency. The LFFC takes advantage of the laminar flow properties of liquids within microfluidic channels. This means that two or more discrete fluids can flow together in physical contact, with little or no intermixing, while maintaining ionic conductivity. Accordingly, the LFFC does not require a conventional MEA, simplifying manufacture and reducing cost. The air-breathing system incorporates an ambient gas stream and gas diffusion electrode for internal gas exchange. The milestone event triggers the release of the remaining funds raised from Series A investors as part of a $3m financing in July 2004. Contact: INI Power Systems Inc, Cary, North Carolina, USA. Tel: +1 919 677 1654, www.inipower.com
General Hydrogen power pack orders from ePower Synergies, Bridgestone
B
C-based General Hydrogen has received two orders for its hydrogen-powered Hydricity® Pack power units, the first from international tire giant Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Company and the second from Illinoisbased ePower Synergies. The Hydricity units, which utilize Ballard fuel cells, will be used as replacements for conventional lead-acid batteries in forklifts. The Bridgestone order is destined for its Warren County manufacturing plant in Tennessee, which produces tires for trucks and buses. The Hydricity Packs will be used to power materials handling vehicles within the production plant. Delivery was scheduled for this month. Elsewhere, the power unit sold to ePower Synergies will be integrated into a forklift for use as part of a US Army Construction Engineering Research Lab project led by the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks. The unit is scheduled for delivery by mid-March. One of the EERC project objectives is to evaluate the performance of the hydrogen-powered
January 2006
forklift against a conventional propane-powered unit. The truck will be operated outdoors at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, providing feedback on the performance of the Hydricity Packs under extreme temperature and operating conditions. In addition to demonstrating hydrogen-fueled technologies, the EERC project is also concerned with the development of a field-portable process for producing hydrogen from JP-8 jet fuel, a common fuel used in all military vehicles. Contact: General Hydrogen (Canada) Corporation, Richmond, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 303 0050, www.generalhydrogen.com Or contact: ePower Synergies, Inc, Cordova, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 309 654 9299, www.epowersynergies.com Or contact: Energy & Environmental Research Center, National Center for Hydrogen Technology, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Tel: +1 701 777 5000, www.undeerc.org
Honda unveils third-gen Home Energy Station
I
n the US, Honda R&D Americas – in conjunction with its technology partner Plug Power – has introduced the Home Energy Station III, which provides heat and electricity for the home as well as fuel for a hydrogen-powered FCV. This more compact and efficient third-generation unit will be tested in conjunction with the Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle at the Honda R&D Americas headquarters in Torrance, California. The Home Energy Station III runs on natural gas. In keeping with the path established by earlier HES systems, the new version is designed to work in a home-based refueling environment, and is able to supply sufficient hydrogen to power a fuel cell vehicle, such as the Honda FCX, for daily operation while providing electricity for an average-sized household. A goal of the station is to provide high overall energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the more effective use of natural gas. The Home Energy Station III is roughly 30% smaller than its predecessor, with an approximately 25% increase in electric power output, and a faster startup time of about 1 min. Hydrogen storage and production capacity are improved by about 50% through the use of a new, high-performance natural gas reformer. The new system is also able to function as a backup power generation system during power outages by using the hydrogen in the storage tank to power the internal fuel cell, providing as much as 5 kW of electric power to the home in normal and emergency conditions.
IN BRIEF Greenland aims to be hydrogen leader In the frozen north, Greenland plans to pursue sustainable energy through the development of a hydrogen economy, according to a report in the Nunatsiaq News, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Greenland is looking to switch to hydrogen because it can be produced cheaply on Greenland’s ice cap, which has huge hydroelectric potential, or using excess energy from the Kangerluarsunnguaq hydroelectric plant. Hydrogen can turn renewable energies, such as solar, geothermal, hydroelectric or wind, into a stored energy source. This sounds very attractive to Johan Lund Olsen, Greenland’s minister for industry, energy, agriculture and labor, who sees a bright future ahead for hydrogen and hydrogen production. Lund says Greenland can, moreover, look towards becoming a major hydrogen producer, because the country can’t use all its energy locally. ‘Some can be used to make hydrogen,’ he says. ‘It’s very simple.’ The European Union is putting 300m into developing a hydrogen economy, and by 2030 the Nordic countries want hydrogen to provide 18% of their energy needs. The Nordic Council, the parliamentary cooperation body for the Nordic countries, is pumping another DKr7 million (US$1.5 million) into Arctic research. Greenland is positioning itself to be in the middle of the development of this new economy, Lund says, by constructing a third hydroelectric project, and smaller hydro plants near Sisimiut and Paamiut. LAX to evaluate hydrogen-fueled F-Cell The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved an agreement with Mercedes-Benz USA, its parent DaimlerChrysler and the Department of Energy to evaluate the ‘real-world’ use of a prototype hydrogen-fueled ‘F-Cell’ passenger vehicle at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Under the agreement, LAX will become the first US airport to evaluate DaimlerChrysler’s F-Cell car as part of the automaker’s participation in the DOE’s ‘Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project’. Thirty F-Cell vehicles are being placed throughout the US, including two other field trial sites in California, under a cooperative agreement between DOE and DaimlerChrysler. An important factor in selecting LAX for this program is the existence of a compressed hydrogen fueling station on airport property, which was opened in the fall of 2004 [FCB, December 2004]. The F-Cell will join LAX’s 470-strong fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles, alongside vehicles operating on compressed and liquefied natural gas, electricity, LPG and solar power.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
Editorial office: Elsevier Advanced Technology PO Box 150 Kidlington Oxford OX5 1AS United Kingdom Tel:+44 (0)1865 843239 Fax: +44 (0)1865 853160 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Editor: Steve Barrett Senior Production/Design Controller: Lin Lucas Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK; phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, email: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (http:// www.elsevier.com), by ‘Support and Contact’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: (+1) (978) 7508400, fax: (+1) (978) 7504744, and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: (+44) (0) 20 7631 5555; fax: (+44) (0) 20 7631 5500. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and e-mail addresses noted above. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.
02233 Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited
2
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Hydrogenics deploys forklifts at GM, FedEx
I
n Canada, Hydrogenics has successfully completed forklift field trials at GM of Canada’s car assembly plant in Oshawa and at FedEx Canada’s ‘mission-critical’ logistics hub at Toronto International Airport. Hydrogenics designed, built and integrated fuel cell hybrid power packs to replace the leadacid batteries in two Hyster 2500 kg Class 1 sitrider forklifts provided by NACCO Materials Handling Group. The forklifts were placed into service at two indoor multi-shift operations, to showcase the technical readiness of Hydrogenics’ fuel cell hybrid power pack and verify the benefits and value propositions for this market. In addition, Hydrogenics designed and built an indoor PEM electrolyzer hydrogen refueler that was used to refuel the forklifts during the trials. ‘We gained real-world learning for this nearterm application as our forklifts operated fulltime for three months in rigorous operations, with virtually no maintenance downtime,’ says Pierre Rivard, president/CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘Just as important, they finished the trials at the same high level of performance as they began.’ Battery management issues profoundly impact operations, including a marked decrease in forklift power prior to shift-end, loss of productivity due to battery change-out time, and significant dedicated space and staffing for battery management. In addition, 24 h operations require as many as three batteries per vehicle to cover the full shift rotation, contributing to ongoing capital cost infusions and battery disposal problems. The field trials addressed all of these battery limitations. The forklifts were operating at full power at the beginning and end of each shift, and were refueled by the forklift operators in two minutes or less from the refueling station. Contact: Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com
MTU plant at wastewater facility, further order
I
n Germany, MTU CFC Solutions and RWE Fuel Cells have commissioned a 250 kWe MTU HotModule® power plant at the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Works in Ahlen. The installation is the first molten carbonate fuel cell system in Europe to operate on anaerobic digester gas. The HotModule
system combines Direct Fuel Cell® (DFC) stack technology from US-based FuelCell Energy with MTU’s balance-ofplant design for the European market. Operating on sewage gas produced by the Ahlen facility itself, the fuel cell power plant generates electricity to run the wastewater treatment process; any excess power is fed to the grid. The power plant also generates 180 kW of by-product heat, harnessed to operate the gas digestion tower. Any remaining thermal energy is used to heat the office and plant buildings. Ahlen’s newly operational wastewater treatment plant – one of 10 worldwide in which FCE products are involved – replaced a combustion engine-driven cogeneration unit. FCE sees industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities with anaerobic gas digesters as an important application for its DFC power plants. In related news, FCE has received an order from MTU – its European strategic partner – for an additional 1.5 MWe of fuel cell stacks. The order consists of six 250 kWe DFC units to be incorporated into HotModule power plants for installation throughout Europe during 2006; the specific customers will be announced later. MTU CFC Solutions is a joint venture between MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, itself a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, and RWE Fuel Cells [FCB, September 2003]. Contact: MTU CFC Solutions GmbH, Ottobrunn, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 31534, www.mtu-cfc-solutions.com Or contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com Or contact: RWE Fuel Cells GmbH, Essen, Germany. Tel: +49 201 12 20221, www.rwe.com/fuelcell
INI Power hits key technical milestone
U
S-based INI Power Systems has achieved an important technical milestone in the development of its direct methanol laminar flow fuel cell (LFFC®) for consumer and military portable power applications. The company has demonstrated that the LFFC stack exceeds current state-of-the-art DMFC stack performance under commercially viable operating conditions. INI’s LFFC stack prototype has demonstrated superior electrochemical performance at low to moderate temperatures utilizing methanol and ambient air. This was accomplished through a new stack design that limits methanol crossover and remains water-neutral – both key issues in improving stack performance and eliminating
January 2006
NEWS complex water recovery equipment at a systems level. The latest LFFC stack design confirms the company’s approach to simplifying manufacturability and lowering cost, using flexible circuit materials and processes. The company has worldwide exclusivity to the Laminar Flow Fuel Cell concept, and has patented key improvements demonstrated to overcome the technical performance issues that have delayed the commercialization of conventional DMFCs in the 10–250 We power range: cathode flooding, water management, fuel crossover, and fuel efficiency. The LFFC takes advantage of the laminar flow properties of liquids within microfluidic channels. This means that two or more discrete fluids can flow together in physical contact, with little or no intermixing, while maintaining ionic conductivity. Accordingly, the LFFC does not require a conventional MEA, simplifying manufacture and reducing cost. The air-breathing system incorporates an ambient gas stream and gas diffusion electrode for internal gas exchange. The milestone event triggers the release of the remaining funds raised from Series A investors as part of a $3m financing in July 2004. Contact: INI Power Systems Inc, Cary, North Carolina, USA. Tel: +1 919 677 1654, www.inipower.com
General Hydrogen power pack orders from ePower Synergies, Bridgestone
B
C-based General Hydrogen has received two orders for its hydrogen-powered Hydricity® Pack power units, the first from international tire giant Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Company and the second from Illinoisbased ePower Synergies. The Hydricity units, which utilize Ballard fuel cells, will be used as replacements for conventional lead-acid batteries in forklifts. The Bridgestone order is destined for its Warren County manufacturing plant in Tennessee, which produces tires for trucks and buses. The Hydricity Packs will be used to power materials handling vehicles within the production plant. Delivery was scheduled for this month. Elsewhere, the power unit sold to ePower Synergies will be integrated into a forklift for use as part of a US Army Construction Engineering Research Lab project led by the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) in Grand Forks. The unit is scheduled for delivery by mid-March. One of the EERC project objectives is to evaluate the performance of the hydrogen-powered
January 2006
forklift against a conventional propane-powered unit. The truck will be operated outdoors at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, providing feedback on the performance of the Hydricity Packs under extreme temperature and operating conditions. In addition to demonstrating hydrogen-fueled technologies, the EERC project is also concerned with the development of a field-portable process for producing hydrogen from JP-8 jet fuel, a common fuel used in all military vehicles. Contact: General Hydrogen (Canada) Corporation, Richmond, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 303 0050, www.generalhydrogen.com Or contact: ePower Synergies, Inc, Cordova, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 309 654 9299, www.epowersynergies.com Or contact: Energy & Environmental Research Center, National Center for Hydrogen Technology, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Tel: +1 701 777 5000, www.undeerc.org
Honda unveils third-gen Home Energy Station
I
n the US, Honda R&D Americas – in conjunction with its technology partner Plug Power – has introduced the Home Energy Station III, which provides heat and electricity for the home as well as fuel for a hydrogen-powered FCV. This more compact and efficient third-generation unit will be tested in conjunction with the Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle at the Honda R&D Americas headquarters in Torrance, California. The Home Energy Station III runs on natural gas. In keeping with the path established by earlier HES systems, the new version is designed to work in a home-based refueling environment, and is able to supply sufficient hydrogen to power a fuel cell vehicle, such as the Honda FCX, for daily operation while providing electricity for an average-sized household. A goal of the station is to provide high overall energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the more effective use of natural gas. The Home Energy Station III is roughly 30% smaller than its predecessor, with an approximately 25% increase in electric power output, and a faster startup time of about 1 min. Hydrogen storage and production capacity are improved by about 50% through the use of a new, high-performance natural gas reformer. The new system is also able to function as a backup power generation system during power outages by using the hydrogen in the storage tank to power the internal fuel cell, providing as much as 5 kW of electric power to the home in normal and emergency conditions.
IN BRIEF Greenland aims to be hydrogen leader In the frozen north, Greenland plans to pursue sustainable energy through the development of a hydrogen economy, according to a report in the Nunatsiaq News, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Greenland is looking to switch to hydrogen because it can be produced cheaply on Greenland’s ice cap, which has huge hydroelectric potential, or using excess energy from the Kangerluarsunnguaq hydroelectric plant. Hydrogen can turn renewable energies, such as solar, geothermal, hydroelectric or wind, into a stored energy source. This sounds very attractive to Johan Lund Olsen, Greenland’s minister for industry, energy, agriculture and labor, who sees a bright future ahead for hydrogen and hydrogen production. Lund says Greenland can, moreover, look towards becoming a major hydrogen producer, because the country can’t use all its energy locally. ‘Some can be used to make hydrogen,’ he says. ‘It’s very simple.’ The European Union is putting 300m into developing a hydrogen economy, and by 2030 the Nordic countries want hydrogen to provide 18% of their energy needs. The Nordic Council, the parliamentary cooperation body for the Nordic countries, is pumping another DKr7 million (US$1.5 million) into Arctic research. Greenland is positioning itself to be in the middle of the development of this new economy, Lund says, by constructing a third hydroelectric project, and smaller hydro plants near Sisimiut and Paamiut. LAX to evaluate hydrogen-fueled F-Cell The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved an agreement with Mercedes-Benz USA, its parent DaimlerChrysler and the Department of Energy to evaluate the ‘real-world’ use of a prototype hydrogen-fueled ‘F-Cell’ passenger vehicle at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Under the agreement, LAX will become the first US airport to evaluate DaimlerChrysler’s F-Cell car as part of the automaker’s participation in the DOE’s ‘Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project’. Thirty F-Cell vehicles are being placed throughout the US, including two other field trial sites in California, under a cooperative agreement between DOE and DaimlerChrysler. An important factor in selecting LAX for this program is the existence of a compressed hydrogen fueling station on airport property, which was opened in the fall of 2004 [FCB, December 2004]. The F-Cell will join LAX’s 470-strong fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles, alongside vehicles operating on compressed and liquefied natural gas, electricity, LPG and solar power.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3