- Email: [email protected]
NanoDynamics contract to develop 400 W SOFC
NEWS / CONFERENCE the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Founded in January 2006, SCHFCA was created by eight organizations devoted to hydrogen and fuel cell initiatives: the Center for Hydrogen Research, Clemson University, EngenuitySC, Savannah River National Laboratory, the SC Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Research Authority, SC State University and the University of South Carolina. The 2009 National Hydrogen Association Conference and Hydrogen Expo will be held 30 March–3 April at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia, SC.
400 W demonstration unit via a cost-effective manufacturing approach suitable for future scaling to larger systems,’ adds company president John Ruberto. ‘The unit will also be designed to operate on a number of fuel types, including hydrogen and biofuels.’
Contact: South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Tel: +1 803 233 0040, www.schydrogen.org
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For more on the 2009 NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo, go to: www.hydrogenconference.org
NanoDynamics contract to develop 400 W SOFC
B
uffalo, NY-based NanoDynamics Energy has received a 15-month, $2.4 million contract from the US Department of Energy, for the development of a 400 W solid oxide fuel cell. The SOFC will be designed to operate on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen and methane. The contract continues funding of a project begun in 2006 with DOE’s Biomass program, under which NanoDynamics Energy developed a process to fabricate a single tubular cell capable of generating in excess of 20 W. These cells were then tested and assessed for performance on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen, methane and biogas fuels. ‘As off-gas from waste treatment plants can vary widely in composition, and is subsequently considered a fairly low-quality fuel source, we tested the performance of our cells on a variety of gas compositions, and found that across the board they could maintain relatively stable and efficient performance,’ says Dr Caine Finnerty, the firm’s VP of energy products. He continues: ‘These tests helped further demonstrate the feasibility of using low-quality fuels in SOFCs, and allowed us to advance our initial single-cell success into development of a small three-cell stack capable of operating on hydrogen, waste gas and propane. This stack produced more than a 60 W output on each of the fuels tested, and further underscored the inherent real-world advantages of SOFC technology.’ ‘This new contract will fund efforts to bundle the previously developed SOFCs into a
November 2008
Contact: NanoDynamics Energy Inc, Buffalo, New York, USA. Tel: +1 716 853 4900, www.ndenergy.com
S. Africa commits funding for hydrogen economy he South African government has launched a hydrogen and fuel cells research strategy, as part of a drive to build a value-added manufacturing platform around its platinum group metals resource base. The government will invest some R400 million (US$40m) over three years, and it is envisaged that 80% of the funding will be channeled towards technology and expertise development, while the balance will be used to stimulate private sector research. Through the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy, South Africa will seek to supply 25% of global catalyst demand by 2020, as well as build on its existing knowledge of high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactors and coal gasification technology in order to develop hydrogen solutions. More than 75% of the world’s known platinum reserves are in South Africa. Three centers of excellence have been established, covering catalyst development, hydrogen infrastructure, and systems integration. The Centre of Competence for Catalysis is hosted jointly by the MINTEK national mineral research organization and the University of Cape Town; the Centre for Systems Integration and Validation is hosted by the University of the Western Cape; and the Hydrogen Infrastructure Centre of Competence is jointly hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and North-West University [FCB, February 2008]. The South African Department of Science and Technology is apparently in negotiations with Johnson Matthey and Anglo Platinum in a bid to win their support for the venture, while state-owned enterprises Eskom and PetroSA have already made substantial investments, according to a report in South Africa’s Engineering News Online.
For more on DST’s centers of excellence, go to: www.dst.gov.za/centres-of-excellence
CONFERENCE REPORT
T
he recent Fuel Cells Science & Technology 2008 conference in Copenhagen (www.fuelcelladvances.com) was the fourth in a biennial series that has taken in Amsterdam, Munich and Turin, and this year attracted a sellout capacity of 280 delegates. As well as substantial numbers from Denmark, the UK and Germany, the conference again attracted a significant attendance from Asia, in particular Japan. The event took place in the convivial surroundings of Dansk Industri, one of the leading industry associations in Denmark. The technical sessions saw more than 50 presentations, with three plenaries, including the opening keynote from Dr Subhash C. Singhal of Pacific Northwest National Lab in the US, winner of the 2008 Grove Medal. The fuels and fuel processing session covered a variety of fuels, including landfill gas, ammonia and ethanol, and also considered impurities such as sulfur and even mercury. The modeling papers reported mainly on SOFCs and PEMFCs, with increasing interest in failure analysis and damage prediction. In the membranes field there is interest in understanding what affects durability, and operation at higher temperatures and/or limited humidification is a key research topic. The second day focused on materials science and on cell and stack technology. The former included reports on thermal stresses in SOFCs, and several on materials for PEMFC electrodes and in particular catalysts, for which durability is improving. The papers on cell and stack technology included several on cost reduction in PEM and DMFCs, and others on stability and sealing in SOFCs, with a couple on MCFCs. The poster sessions were also busy, with 170 posters presented. There was also a small table-top exhibition, with Haldor Topsoe, IRD, Dantherm Air Handling, Comsol, Brooks Instrument and Quantachrome. An additional highlight was a follow-on visit to Risø National Lab. It turns out that the Danish fuel cell industry owes a lot to work at Risø. The renowned Danish wind energy industry owes a similar debt to Risø, which was originally set up to support a nascent Danish nuclear energy industry that – thanks to a political decision in the 1960s – never materialized. But its legacy in wind energy and fuel cells has been farreaching, and it continues to provide a solid research base for these sectors.
Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
400 W demonstration unit via a cost-effective manufacturing approach suitable for future scaling to larger systems,’ adds company president John Ruberto. ‘The unit will also be designed to operate on a number of fuel types, including hydrogen and biofuels.’
Contact: South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Tel: +1 803 233 0040, www.schydrogen.org
T
For more on the 2009 NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo, go to: www.hydrogenconference.org
NanoDynamics contract to develop 400 W SOFC
B
uffalo, NY-based NanoDynamics Energy has received a 15-month, $2.4 million contract from the US Department of Energy, for the development of a 400 W solid oxide fuel cell. The SOFC will be designed to operate on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen and methane. The contract continues funding of a project begun in 2006 with DOE’s Biomass program, under which NanoDynamics Energy developed a process to fabricate a single tubular cell capable of generating in excess of 20 W. These cells were then tested and assessed for performance on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen, methane and biogas fuels. ‘As off-gas from waste treatment plants can vary widely in composition, and is subsequently considered a fairly low-quality fuel source, we tested the performance of our cells on a variety of gas compositions, and found that across the board they could maintain relatively stable and efficient performance,’ says Dr Caine Finnerty, the firm’s VP of energy products. He continues: ‘These tests helped further demonstrate the feasibility of using low-quality fuels in SOFCs, and allowed us to advance our initial single-cell success into development of a small three-cell stack capable of operating on hydrogen, waste gas and propane. This stack produced more than a 60 W output on each of the fuels tested, and further underscored the inherent real-world advantages of SOFC technology.’ ‘This new contract will fund efforts to bundle the previously developed SOFCs into a
November 2008
Contact: NanoDynamics Energy Inc, Buffalo, New York, USA. Tel: +1 716 853 4900, www.ndenergy.com
S. Africa commits funding for hydrogen economy he South African government has launched a hydrogen and fuel cells research strategy, as part of a drive to build a value-added manufacturing platform around its platinum group metals resource base. The government will invest some R400 million (US$40m) over three years, and it is envisaged that 80% of the funding will be channeled towards technology and expertise development, while the balance will be used to stimulate private sector research. Through the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy, South Africa will seek to supply 25% of global catalyst demand by 2020, as well as build on its existing knowledge of high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactors and coal gasification technology in order to develop hydrogen solutions. More than 75% of the world’s known platinum reserves are in South Africa. Three centers of excellence have been established, covering catalyst development, hydrogen infrastructure, and systems integration. The Centre of Competence for Catalysis is hosted jointly by the MINTEK national mineral research organization and the University of Cape Town; the Centre for Systems Integration and Validation is hosted by the University of the Western Cape; and the Hydrogen Infrastructure Centre of Competence is jointly hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and North-West University [FCB, February 2008]. The South African Department of Science and Technology is apparently in negotiations with Johnson Matthey and Anglo Platinum in a bid to win their support for the venture, while state-owned enterprises Eskom and PetroSA have already made substantial investments, according to a report in South Africa’s Engineering News Online.
For more on DST’s centers of excellence, go to: www.dst.gov.za/centres-of-excellence
CONFERENCE REPORT
T
he recent Fuel Cells Science & Technology 2008 conference in Copenhagen (www.fuelcelladvances.com) was the fourth in a biennial series that has taken in Amsterdam, Munich and Turin, and this year attracted a sellout capacity of 280 delegates. As well as substantial numbers from Denmark, the UK and Germany, the conference again attracted a significant attendance from Asia, in particular Japan. The event took place in the convivial surroundings of Dansk Industri, one of the leading industry associations in Denmark. The technical sessions saw more than 50 presentations, with three plenaries, including the opening keynote from Dr Subhash C. Singhal of Pacific Northwest National Lab in the US, winner of the 2008 Grove Medal. The fuels and fuel processing session covered a variety of fuels, including landfill gas, ammonia and ethanol, and also considered impurities such as sulfur and even mercury. The modeling papers reported mainly on SOFCs and PEMFCs, with increasing interest in failure analysis and damage prediction. In the membranes field there is interest in understanding what affects durability, and operation at higher temperatures and/or limited humidification is a key research topic. The second day focused on materials science and on cell and stack technology. The former included reports on thermal stresses in SOFCs, and several on materials for PEMFC electrodes and in particular catalysts, for which durability is improving. The papers on cell and stack technology included several on cost reduction in PEM and DMFCs, and others on stability and sealing in SOFCs, with a couple on MCFCs. The poster sessions were also busy, with 170 posters presented. There was also a small table-top exhibition, with Haldor Topsoe, IRD, Dantherm Air Handling, Comsol, Brooks Instrument and Quantachrome. An additional highlight was a follow-on visit to Risø National Lab. It turns out that the Danish fuel cell industry owes a lot to work at Risø. The renowned Danish wind energy industry owes a similar debt to Risø, which was originally set up to support a nascent Danish nuclear energy industry that – thanks to a political decision in the 1960s – never materialized. But its legacy in wind energy and fuel cells has been farreaching, and it continues to provide a solid research base for these sectors.
Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11