- Email: [email protected]
NanoDynamics wins ONR contract to develop SOFCs for UAVs
NEWS mobile applications Editorial office: Elsevier Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom Tel:+44 1865 843239 Fax: +44 1865 843933 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Editor: Steve Barrett Production Editor: Esther Ibbotson Subscription Information An annual subscription to Fuel Cells Bulletin includes 12 printed issues and online access for up to 5 users. Prices: 1112 for all European countries & Iran US$1247 for all countries except Europe and Japan ¥147 800 for Japan (Prices valid until 31 December 2009) To subscribe send payment to the address above. Tel: +44 (0)1865 843687, Fax: +44 (0)1865 834971 Email: [email protected] or via www.fuelcellsbulletin.com. Subscriptions run for 12 months, from the date payment is received. Periodicals postage is paid at Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. Postmaster send all USA address corrections to: Fuel Cells Bulletin, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001, USA 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 (www.elsevier.com), selecting first ‘Support & contact’, then ‘Copyright & permission’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: +1 978 750 8400, fax: +1 978 750 4744, 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 Science Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and email 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
Bukh Bremen presents SFC’s EFOY for leisure boating applications
G
erman boating technology and equipment specialist Bukh Bremen GmbH used the recent boot 2009 exhibition in Düsseldorf to present the EFOY fuel cell for easy integration in sailboats. Produced by SFC Smart Fuel Cell, the EFOY fuel cell is an environmentally friendly, lightweight and silent power solution for boats and yachts that ensures 24/7 onboard power availability in any season or weather. The EFOY fuel cell is directly connected to the onboard battery. It can be installed almost anywhere on board, except in the engine compartment, as temperatures above 40°C will impair the fuel cell’s performance. In operation the fuel cell continuously monitors the battery’s state-of-charge. Once this drops below a predefined level, the fuel cell will automatically start up and recharge the battery. When the battery is full, the fuel cell will automatically return to standby. The EFOY fuel cell is almost silent in operation, a decisive advantage over generators which produce a lot of noise and exhaust emissions. The fuel cell will also operate in hybrid mode with a solar cell. In this combination it only switches on when the solar cell does not produce enough power. ‘Reliable off-grid power onboard is a major concern – wind- and water-powered generators are not reliable and efficient enough, solar panels are often in the way and may generate too little power, even in sunlight when the sail’s shadow is on them. And generators are just too loud and too heavy and big for smaller yachts,’ says Detlef Lange, managing director of Bukh Bremen. ‘The EFOY does not generate smell or noise; it is small and lightweight, fully automatic and always available. Just what sailboat owners need.’ ‘We are very proud that Bukh Bremen, a leading boat equipment specialist, has integrated our EFOY fuel cell into their product portfolio’, says Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell. ‘Now owners of sailboats and yachts can enjoy the same full power convenience and comfort of the EFOY fuel cells as thousands of motor home owners all across Europe.’ The EFOY fuel cell is available in four different models – EFOY 600, 900, 1200 and
1600 – with a charging capacity of 600 to 1600 Wh each per day, depending on the boat’s individual power requirements. Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, Brunnthal-Nord, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com
NanoDynamics wins ONR contract to develop SOFCs for UAVs
I
n the US, NanoDynamics Energy in upstate New York has received a one-year, $1.78 million grant from the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), to develop an innovative solid oxide fuel cell system that will be used as a main power source for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The grant will immediately fund the working partnership between NanoDynamics Energy and ONR in developing a flight-weight system with a 300 W power supply for the propulsion of the UAV, as well as the operation of its ancillary sensors and communication systems. ‘This program will capitalize on the recent technical breakthroughs we have demonstrated in small, lightweight, high-power-density systems for soldier-carried applications,’ says Dr Caine Finnerty, vice president of fuel cells at NanoDynamics Energy, a subsidiary of NanoDynamics Inc. ‘Our efforts will be focused toward scaling up this technology while maintaining the efficiency and mass characteristics required for a flight-weight SOFC.’ He continues: ‘Earlier battery and fuel cell systems posed limitations on both sensor system weight and power, as well as flight time. In addition, the fuel cells used previously were driven by hydrogen, which is not readily available in most tactical operation environments.’ NanoDynamics will apply its newest cell stack technology and fuel reforming capability to achieve the required system weight and efficiency goals of the UAV power system program. In addition, the group will capitalize on its recent success at the Department of Defense Research & Engineering’s (DoDR&E) Wearable Power Prize competition in reducing the weight and parasitic losses associated with a fuel cell’s control and support components (i.e. the balance-of-plant). Ground-based system development and testing will advance through 2009, and will include work by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in integrating the fuel cell with the aircraft, as well as developing its high-performance air pump. The NRL will also conduct a flight test program, currently planned for 2010.
March 2009
NEWS ‘Once refined, this system will provide a solution for military UAVs by creating a lightweight platform capable of powering more complex devices and exceptional flight times, factors which are currently in high demand,’ comments Paul DeWald, lead engineer for the program at NanoDynamics Energy. Contact: NanoDynamics Energy Inc, Buffalo, New York, USA. Tel: +1 716 853 4900, www.ndenergy.com
SymPowerco plans prototype hybrid vehicle
N
evada-based SymPowerco Corporation has entered into discussions with an automotive laboratory for the joint design, construction and testing of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The HEV prototype will serve as a testbed for the design of SymPowerco’s hybrid power systems, utilizing the company’s unique Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell. The HEV project aims to determine optimal battery requirements for the HEV, and confirm the system control and data acquisition (SCADA) specifications for SymPowerco’s hybrid power systems. It will also determine the fuel cell power delivery requirements of the hybrid power systems under various load conditions, and determine the design issues involving the retrofitting of existing plug-in electric vehicles with SymPowerco’s fuel cell and hybrid power technologies. SymPowerco unveiled design and performance details of its 5 W Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell – developed in collaboration with Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario – last summer [FCB, August 2008]. The firm has identified extensive markets for fuel cell hybrid power systems, including golf carts, small industrial vehicles, three-wheeled taxis in the Far East (tuk-tuks), motorbikes and similar small vehicles.
Contact: SymPowerco Corporation, North Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Tel: +1 702 968 9944, www.sympowercocorp.com
small stationary
Helbio order for fuel cell system with bio-ethanol reformer
G
reek-based Helbio has received an order from the University of
March 2009
Milan in Italy for a fuel cell power system operating on bio-ethanol. A group of Italian investors has subcontracted the University of Milan to evaluate the company’s GH2-5000 Energy System, and after this evaluation Helbio – a subsidiary of Swedishbased Morphic Technologies – has agreed to discuss volume deliveries and/or license cooperation. The GH2-5000 Energy System has been designed to operate in remote locations, without the need for external power input. It can be monitored and controlled remotely. The integrated fuel cell is manufactured by another Morphic subsidiary, Exergy Fuel Cells, based in Bologna, Italy [see page 1]. The power system under order is the second ethanol-powered fuel cell of this kind sold by Helbio. The first unit was sold to an ethanol-producing company in Greece, and that system has now been in operation for about six months. The GH2-5000 Energy System delivers 5 kW of electrical energy and at least 5 kW of thermal energy, using bio-ethanol as the energy source. It consists of a fuel processor which converts bio-ethanol and water into a hydrogen-rich stream, suitable to be fed to a PEM fuel cell. Reformation of ethanol is carried out in the steam-reforming mode within a specially designed reactor/catalyst system. Elimination of CO is achieved by two water-gas shift reactors and a methanation reactor. The effluent contains less than 20 ppm CO. The fuel processor and the fuel cell are highly integrated, and controlled via a common scheme, and thus operate in a very efficient manner. The overall efficiency of the system exceeds 90%. ‘Helbio and Exergy are the only companies worldwide which can provide integrated fuel cell energy systems based on renewable raw materials such as bio-ethanol, and we are of course very proud that our new power system has been selected by a major industrial actor for evaluation by the highly respected and qualified University of Milan’, says Professor Xenophon Verykios, managing director of Helbio SA. Use of bio-ethanol for power production has several advantages, including CO2-neutral production, ease of transportation and storage, high energy density of the stored raw material, and local availability. Indeed, Helbio’s Energy System does not require pure ethanol, but runs on an aqueous solution containing about 60–80% ethanol. This makes the energy carrier considerably less expensive, since the energy-intensive separation step is reduced to a large extent.
EDITOR IA L
G
oogle’s recent extension of its ‘Street View’ facility to several more countries made me wonder how well Google Maps and Google Earth serve the fuel cell community. Not very, seems to be the answer at the moment. Typing ‘fuel cells’ into the search box for businesses in Google Earth brings up plenty of markers, but it’s not at all easy to build up a reasonably complete picture of activities. As one might expect, North America and Europe produce plenty of ‘flags’, some of dubious interest to the fuel cell community, while in Japan, for example, there are some interesting photos flagged up. But it would be very useful to have the ability to quickly and easily click in a box or type in something that would bring up markers for fuel cell installations, companies, research centers, field trials, demonstrations and the like – and preferably with some way of sorting the layers or types of information. I believe the word for this is ‘mashup’, i.e. ‘a web application that combines data from one or more sources into a single integrated tool’, as Wikipedia defines it. There are maps of installations and the like available, such as Fuel Cells 2000’s state-bystate lists of US companies or fuel cell installations and vehicle demonstrations (www. fuelcells.org/info/maps.html), or a map of stationary fuel cell installations in California (www.casfcc.org/2/StationaryFuelCells/ CaliforniaInstallations.aspx). But a multilayered global map of such activities, that you could drill down into in a wide variety of ways, that’s what I would really like to see… And while I’m on the subject of how the latest information technology could be better used in terms of providing useful and ‘reader’-friendly information about fuel cells, it has occurred to me – as the owner of an iPod Touch, which is basically an iPhone without the phone or camera (but very useful for long journeys) – that it should be possible to download from Apple’s Apps Store (or one of the other similar facilities for other companies’ gadgets) an animated demo of how a fuel cell works. There are plenty of these on the web – e.g. Plug Power (www.plugpower. com/technology/demo.aspx), ReliOn (www. relion-inc.com/difference-fuel-cells-flsh. asp), the Schatz Energy Research Center (www.schatzlab.org/education/animation. html) – but how cool it would be if you could explain how fuel cells work to kids, your friends or your dog just by pulling out your iPhone or similar gadget and showing the animation on-screen right there… I look forward to hearing from some suitably inspired geeks shortly! Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
02233 Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited
2
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Bukh Bremen presents SFC’s EFOY for leisure boating applications
G
erman boating technology and equipment specialist Bukh Bremen GmbH used the recent boot 2009 exhibition in Düsseldorf to present the EFOY fuel cell for easy integration in sailboats. Produced by SFC Smart Fuel Cell, the EFOY fuel cell is an environmentally friendly, lightweight and silent power solution for boats and yachts that ensures 24/7 onboard power availability in any season or weather. The EFOY fuel cell is directly connected to the onboard battery. It can be installed almost anywhere on board, except in the engine compartment, as temperatures above 40°C will impair the fuel cell’s performance. In operation the fuel cell continuously monitors the battery’s state-of-charge. Once this drops below a predefined level, the fuel cell will automatically start up and recharge the battery. When the battery is full, the fuel cell will automatically return to standby. The EFOY fuel cell is almost silent in operation, a decisive advantage over generators which produce a lot of noise and exhaust emissions. The fuel cell will also operate in hybrid mode with a solar cell. In this combination it only switches on when the solar cell does not produce enough power. ‘Reliable off-grid power onboard is a major concern – wind- and water-powered generators are not reliable and efficient enough, solar panels are often in the way and may generate too little power, even in sunlight when the sail’s shadow is on them. And generators are just too loud and too heavy and big for smaller yachts,’ says Detlef Lange, managing director of Bukh Bremen. ‘The EFOY does not generate smell or noise; it is small and lightweight, fully automatic and always available. Just what sailboat owners need.’ ‘We are very proud that Bukh Bremen, a leading boat equipment specialist, has integrated our EFOY fuel cell into their product portfolio’, says Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell. ‘Now owners of sailboats and yachts can enjoy the same full power convenience and comfort of the EFOY fuel cells as thousands of motor home owners all across Europe.’ The EFOY fuel cell is available in four different models – EFOY 600, 900, 1200 and
1600 – with a charging capacity of 600 to 1600 Wh each per day, depending on the boat’s individual power requirements. Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, Brunnthal-Nord, Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com
NanoDynamics wins ONR contract to develop SOFCs for UAVs
I
n the US, NanoDynamics Energy in upstate New York has received a one-year, $1.78 million grant from the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), to develop an innovative solid oxide fuel cell system that will be used as a main power source for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The grant will immediately fund the working partnership between NanoDynamics Energy and ONR in developing a flight-weight system with a 300 W power supply for the propulsion of the UAV, as well as the operation of its ancillary sensors and communication systems. ‘This program will capitalize on the recent technical breakthroughs we have demonstrated in small, lightweight, high-power-density systems for soldier-carried applications,’ says Dr Caine Finnerty, vice president of fuel cells at NanoDynamics Energy, a subsidiary of NanoDynamics Inc. ‘Our efforts will be focused toward scaling up this technology while maintaining the efficiency and mass characteristics required for a flight-weight SOFC.’ He continues: ‘Earlier battery and fuel cell systems posed limitations on both sensor system weight and power, as well as flight time. In addition, the fuel cells used previously were driven by hydrogen, which is not readily available in most tactical operation environments.’ NanoDynamics will apply its newest cell stack technology and fuel reforming capability to achieve the required system weight and efficiency goals of the UAV power system program. In addition, the group will capitalize on its recent success at the Department of Defense Research & Engineering’s (DoDR&E) Wearable Power Prize competition in reducing the weight and parasitic losses associated with a fuel cell’s control and support components (i.e. the balance-of-plant). Ground-based system development and testing will advance through 2009, and will include work by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in integrating the fuel cell with the aircraft, as well as developing its high-performance air pump. The NRL will also conduct a flight test program, currently planned for 2010.
March 2009
NEWS ‘Once refined, this system will provide a solution for military UAVs by creating a lightweight platform capable of powering more complex devices and exceptional flight times, factors which are currently in high demand,’ comments Paul DeWald, lead engineer for the program at NanoDynamics Energy. Contact: NanoDynamics Energy Inc, Buffalo, New York, USA. Tel: +1 716 853 4900, www.ndenergy.com
SymPowerco plans prototype hybrid vehicle
N
evada-based SymPowerco Corporation has entered into discussions with an automotive laboratory for the joint design, construction and testing of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The HEV prototype will serve as a testbed for the design of SymPowerco’s hybrid power systems, utilizing the company’s unique Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell. The HEV project aims to determine optimal battery requirements for the HEV, and confirm the system control and data acquisition (SCADA) specifications for SymPowerco’s hybrid power systems. It will also determine the fuel cell power delivery requirements of the hybrid power systems under various load conditions, and determine the design issues involving the retrofitting of existing plug-in electric vehicles with SymPowerco’s fuel cell and hybrid power technologies. SymPowerco unveiled design and performance details of its 5 W Flowing Electrolyte Direct Methanol Fuel Cell – developed in collaboration with Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario – last summer [FCB, August 2008]. The firm has identified extensive markets for fuel cell hybrid power systems, including golf carts, small industrial vehicles, three-wheeled taxis in the Far East (tuk-tuks), motorbikes and similar small vehicles.
Contact: SymPowerco Corporation, North Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Tel: +1 702 968 9944, www.sympowercocorp.com
small stationary
Helbio order for fuel cell system with bio-ethanol reformer
G
reek-based Helbio has received an order from the University of
March 2009
Milan in Italy for a fuel cell power system operating on bio-ethanol. A group of Italian investors has subcontracted the University of Milan to evaluate the company’s GH2-5000 Energy System, and after this evaluation Helbio – a subsidiary of Swedishbased Morphic Technologies – has agreed to discuss volume deliveries and/or license cooperation. The GH2-5000 Energy System has been designed to operate in remote locations, without the need for external power input. It can be monitored and controlled remotely. The integrated fuel cell is manufactured by another Morphic subsidiary, Exergy Fuel Cells, based in Bologna, Italy [see page 1]. The power system under order is the second ethanol-powered fuel cell of this kind sold by Helbio. The first unit was sold to an ethanol-producing company in Greece, and that system has now been in operation for about six months. The GH2-5000 Energy System delivers 5 kW of electrical energy and at least 5 kW of thermal energy, using bio-ethanol as the energy source. It consists of a fuel processor which converts bio-ethanol and water into a hydrogen-rich stream, suitable to be fed to a PEM fuel cell. Reformation of ethanol is carried out in the steam-reforming mode within a specially designed reactor/catalyst system. Elimination of CO is achieved by two water-gas shift reactors and a methanation reactor. The effluent contains less than 20 ppm CO. The fuel processor and the fuel cell are highly integrated, and controlled via a common scheme, and thus operate in a very efficient manner. The overall efficiency of the system exceeds 90%. ‘Helbio and Exergy are the only companies worldwide which can provide integrated fuel cell energy systems based on renewable raw materials such as bio-ethanol, and we are of course very proud that our new power system has been selected by a major industrial actor for evaluation by the highly respected and qualified University of Milan’, says Professor Xenophon Verykios, managing director of Helbio SA. Use of bio-ethanol for power production has several advantages, including CO2-neutral production, ease of transportation and storage, high energy density of the stored raw material, and local availability. Indeed, Helbio’s Energy System does not require pure ethanol, but runs on an aqueous solution containing about 60–80% ethanol. This makes the energy carrier considerably less expensive, since the energy-intensive separation step is reduced to a large extent.
EDITOR IA L
G
oogle’s recent extension of its ‘Street View’ facility to several more countries made me wonder how well Google Maps and Google Earth serve the fuel cell community. Not very, seems to be the answer at the moment. Typing ‘fuel cells’ into the search box for businesses in Google Earth brings up plenty of markers, but it’s not at all easy to build up a reasonably complete picture of activities. As one might expect, North America and Europe produce plenty of ‘flags’, some of dubious interest to the fuel cell community, while in Japan, for example, there are some interesting photos flagged up. But it would be very useful to have the ability to quickly and easily click in a box or type in something that would bring up markers for fuel cell installations, companies, research centers, field trials, demonstrations and the like – and preferably with some way of sorting the layers or types of information. I believe the word for this is ‘mashup’, i.e. ‘a web application that combines data from one or more sources into a single integrated tool’, as Wikipedia defines it. There are maps of installations and the like available, such as Fuel Cells 2000’s state-bystate lists of US companies or fuel cell installations and vehicle demonstrations (www. fuelcells.org/info/maps.html), or a map of stationary fuel cell installations in California (www.casfcc.org/2/StationaryFuelCells/ CaliforniaInstallations.aspx). But a multilayered global map of such activities, that you could drill down into in a wide variety of ways, that’s what I would really like to see… And while I’m on the subject of how the latest information technology could be better used in terms of providing useful and ‘reader’-friendly information about fuel cells, it has occurred to me – as the owner of an iPod Touch, which is basically an iPhone without the phone or camera (but very useful for long journeys) – that it should be possible to download from Apple’s Apps Store (or one of the other similar facilities for other companies’ gadgets) an animated demo of how a fuel cell works. There are plenty of these on the web – e.g. Plug Power (www.plugpower. com/technology/demo.aspx), ReliOn (www. relion-inc.com/difference-fuel-cells-flsh. asp), the Schatz Energy Research Center (www.schatzlab.org/education/animation. html) – but how cool it would be if you could explain how fuel cells work to kids, your friends or your dog just by pulling out your iPhone or similar gadget and showing the animation on-screen right there… I look forward to hearing from some suitably inspired geeks shortly! Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3