- Email: [email protected]
Nasa, Pacific Northwest team on SOFC sealing
NEWS and are currently being prepared for operation to support a variety of applications within the telecoms, industrial, research and government sectors. The GenCore 5T product – fueled by bottled hydrogen – is designed to provide extended-run backup power specifically for the telecoms industry in the demanding outside plant (OSP) market. The product has undergone extensive testing, and has recently received Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing and been certified as FCC-compliant. Twelve customer service personnel have been trained to install and service the product. The company is pleased with the level of customer interest in the GenCore product line so far, according to Mark Sperry, Plug’s chief marketing officer. ‘We believe the GenCore product carries a compelling value proposition against the existing technologies being deployed in backup applications within the telecommunications and industrial markets,’ he adds. Plug is also building on the core reformer technology developed for its GenSys fuel cell systems, with the launch of a new line of onsite natural gas-fueled hydrogen generators for industrial applications, such as generator cooling and metals processing. Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, NY, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
Sustainable Energy inverters for Nuvera demos in Japan
C
anadian-based Sustainable Energy Technologies has delivered the first of several grid-interactive inverters ordered by US/Italian company Nuvera Fuel Cells, for demonstrations of its Avanti™ distributed generation fuel cell system in Japan. Nuvera, a leading developer of fuel cell power systems, stacks and fuel processors based in Massachusetts and Milan, has been using Sustainable Energy’s inverter products for several months [FCB, July 2003], and is very pleased with their performance, according to Josh Lutton, director of distributed generation at Nuvera. ‘It is a simple, robust design that offers excellent grid-interactive performance,’ he says. Contact: Sustainable Energy Technologies, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tel: +1 403 508 7177, www.sustainableenergy.com Or contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 498 6732, www.nuvera.com
6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Nasa, Pacific Northwest team on SOFC sealing
T
he Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington is collaborating with Nasa’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio to solve one of the toughest technical challenges in the development of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. The two research organizations have signed a Space Act Agreement to jointly develop sealing technologies for SOFC stacks. SOFC stacks comprise thin ceramic cells separated by gas seals, which prevent fuels and oxidants from intermixing. Robust seal materials and engineered architectures are essential to ensure long-term stable operation of SOFCs. ‘Our objective is to develop composite materials and designs that will improve the strength and fracture toughness of composite glass and glass-ceramic-based seals,’ says Ajay Misra, chief of Nasa Glenn’s Ceramics Branch. ‘The seals must stand up to the extremes of pressure, temperature and other environmental conditions that occur during extended operation.’ ‘The arrangement complements PNNL’s work in glass seals and Nasa’s expertise in glass and glass-ceramic composites,’ adds Prabhakar Singh, PNNL’s director of fuel cell development. ‘While each organization will continue to maintain its own research program, participants will jointly identify, prioritize, develop and test new fuel cell seal technologies.’ PNNL has already developed a sealant comprising glass powder developed in-house and a commercial binder system. The goal is to assemble a 60-cell stack to generate 5 kWe. PNNL provides technical leadership for DOE’s Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), a collaborative effort by industry, academia and other research organizations to develop and commercialize an SOFC power generation system within the next 10 years. The system is intended to be modular, and capable of using a variety of liquid and gaseous fuels. Nasa is investigating SOFCs to meet the need for high-efficiency, low-emission power capabilities for aviation and space applications. The Glenn Research Center leads its R&D in aeropropulsion, and plays a significant role in promoting safe, superior and environmentally compatible US civil and military aircraft propulsion systems.
Contact: Dr Prabhakar Singh, Director of Fuel Cell Development, Energy Science & Technology Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Richland, Washington, USA. Tel: +1 509 375 5945, Email: [email protected], www.pnl.gov/energy Or contact: Dr Ajay Misra, Chief of Ceramics Branch, Nasa Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Tel: +1 216 433 8193, Email: [email protected], www.grc.nasa.gov
German project to operate Ansaldo MCFC on sewage off-gas
I
n Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety & Energy Technology (UMSICHT) has commissioned a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) developed by Italian-based Ansaldo. The unit is now cleanly generating power from sewage off-gas produced by the sewage treatment plant in Kohlfurth, operated by the Wupperverband water utility. The project, which is being supported by the environment department of the Nordrhein-Westfalen state government, will also examine the economic viability of the process. The off-gas is produced by the decomposition of organic sewage sludge, but previously only a fraction of the energy contained in the CO2 and methane gas mixture has been used for electric power generation. The use of MCFC technology, however, could allow power generation to become 100% renewable using the sewage off-gas. The off-gas contains sulfur, halogens, volatile hydrocarbons and siloxane, all of which which can destroy the fuel cell even in trace concentrations, and have to be removed. UMSICHT researchers have therefore developed a four-level gas cleanup plant, which is designed in such a way that all the cleaning stages can be tested separately. Initial tests show that using just three gas cleanup stages results in sufficient gas purity for the high-temperature MCFCs. The project involves researchers from Fraunhofer UMSICHT, the Wupperverband and the Institute for Waste Management & Waste Technologies at the University of Duisburg-Essen. So far the system has been used to generate 1 kWe, but if it runs successfully the project team – led by UMSICHT’s Dr Ralf Hiller – envisages higher output powers, and eventually series production. Contact: Dr-Ing Ralf Hiller, Fuel Cell Systems, Energy Technology Department, Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Oberhausen, Germany. Tel: +49 208 8598 1273, Email: [email protected], www.umsicht.fhg.de/WWW/ UMSICHT/Produkte/ET/BrenSZel.html
February 2004
Sustainable Energy inverters for Nuvera demos in Japan
C
anadian-based Sustainable Energy Technologies has delivered the first of several grid-interactive inverters ordered by US/Italian company Nuvera Fuel Cells, for demonstrations of its Avanti™ distributed generation fuel cell system in Japan. Nuvera, a leading developer of fuel cell power systems, stacks and fuel processors based in Massachusetts and Milan, has been using Sustainable Energy’s inverter products for several months [FCB, July 2003], and is very pleased with their performance, according to Josh Lutton, director of distributed generation at Nuvera. ‘It is a simple, robust design that offers excellent grid-interactive performance,’ he says. Contact: Sustainable Energy Technologies, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tel: +1 403 508 7177, www.sustainableenergy.com Or contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 498 6732, www.nuvera.com
6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Nasa, Pacific Northwest team on SOFC sealing
T
he Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington is collaborating with Nasa’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio to solve one of the toughest technical challenges in the development of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. The two research organizations have signed a Space Act Agreement to jointly develop sealing technologies for SOFC stacks. SOFC stacks comprise thin ceramic cells separated by gas seals, which prevent fuels and oxidants from intermixing. Robust seal materials and engineered architectures are essential to ensure long-term stable operation of SOFCs. ‘Our objective is to develop composite materials and designs that will improve the strength and fracture toughness of composite glass and glass-ceramic-based seals,’ says Ajay Misra, chief of Nasa Glenn’s Ceramics Branch. ‘The seals must stand up to the extremes of pressure, temperature and other environmental conditions that occur during extended operation.’ ‘The arrangement complements PNNL’s work in glass seals and Nasa’s expertise in glass and glass-ceramic composites,’ adds Prabhakar Singh, PNNL’s director of fuel cell development. ‘While each organization will continue to maintain its own research program, participants will jointly identify, prioritize, develop and test new fuel cell seal technologies.’ PNNL has already developed a sealant comprising glass powder developed in-house and a commercial binder system. The goal is to assemble a 60-cell stack to generate 5 kWe. PNNL provides technical leadership for DOE’s Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), a collaborative effort by industry, academia and other research organizations to develop and commercialize an SOFC power generation system within the next 10 years. The system is intended to be modular, and capable of using a variety of liquid and gaseous fuels. Nasa is investigating SOFCs to meet the need for high-efficiency, low-emission power capabilities for aviation and space applications. The Glenn Research Center leads its R&D in aeropropulsion, and plays a significant role in promoting safe, superior and environmentally compatible US civil and military aircraft propulsion systems.
Contact: Dr Prabhakar Singh, Director of Fuel Cell Development, Energy Science & Technology Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Richland, Washington, USA. Tel: +1 509 375 5945, Email: [email protected], www.pnl.gov/energy Or contact: Dr Ajay Misra, Chief of Ceramics Branch, Nasa Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Tel: +1 216 433 8193, Email: [email protected], www.grc.nasa.gov
German project to operate Ansaldo MCFC on sewage off-gas
I
n Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety & Energy Technology (UMSICHT) has commissioned a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) developed by Italian-based Ansaldo. The unit is now cleanly generating power from sewage off-gas produced by the sewage treatment plant in Kohlfurth, operated by the Wupperverband water utility. The project, which is being supported by the environment department of the Nordrhein-Westfalen state government, will also examine the economic viability of the process. The off-gas is produced by the decomposition of organic sewage sludge, but previously only a fraction of the energy contained in the CO2 and methane gas mixture has been used for electric power generation. The use of MCFC technology, however, could allow power generation to become 100% renewable using the sewage off-gas. The off-gas contains sulfur, halogens, volatile hydrocarbons and siloxane, all of which which can destroy the fuel cell even in trace concentrations, and have to be removed. UMSICHT researchers have therefore developed a four-level gas cleanup plant, which is designed in such a way that all the cleaning stages can be tested separately. Initial tests show that using just three gas cleanup stages results in sufficient gas purity for the high-temperature MCFCs. The project involves researchers from Fraunhofer UMSICHT, the Wupperverband and the Institute for Waste Management & Waste Technologies at the University of Duisburg-Essen. So far the system has been used to generate 1 kWe, but if it runs successfully the project team – led by UMSICHT’s Dr Ralf Hiller – envisages higher output powers, and eventually series production. Contact: Dr-Ing Ralf Hiller, Fuel Cell Systems, Energy Technology Department, Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Oberhausen, Germany. Tel: +49 208 8598 1273, Email: [email protected], www.umsicht.fhg.de/WWW/ UMSICHT/Produkte/ET/BrenSZel.html
February 2004