- Email: [email protected]
NRC opens new fuel cell research facility
NEWS ‘Together with our partners, we now have several research and product development programs under way with the US Army, Air Force, Special Operations Command, and now the Navy to develop products which use our Hydrogen on Demand system,’ comments H. David Ramm, CEO of Millennium Cell. Millennium Cell is developing ‘hydrogen battery’ technology through a patented chemical process that safely stores and delivers hydrogen energy to power portable devices. The borohydride-based technology can be scaled to fit any application requiring high energy density for a long run-time in a compact space. The company is working with market partners to meet demand for its patented process in four areas: military, medical, industrial and consumer electronics. Contact: Millennium Cell Inc, Eatontown, New Jersey, USA. Tel: +1 732 542 4000, www.millenniumcell.com
NRC opens new fuel cell research facility
T
he National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has officially opened the new facility that houses its Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI). The applied research organization, which supports the nation’s hydrogen and fuel cell industry, recently moved to the C$20m (US$17.5m) facility located on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). NRC says that the move positions it at the center of the Vancouver-area cluster. This is considered by many to be the nucleus of this industry in Canada, with a significant concentration of fuel cell companies, suppliers, infrastructure developers and service providers. NRC-IFCI’s 6500 m2 (70 000 ft2) research facility provides a specialized and safe research environment for NRC scientists, collaborative industry and university partners. The new building provides an excellent platform for NRC’s hydrogen and fuel cell technology demonstration activities, as well as a home for the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program and British Columbia’s Hydrogen Highway. ‘The National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation is an asset to Canada’s hydrogen and fuel cell industry and further enhances the sector’s hydrogen and fuel cell research capacity,’ says John Tak, president of Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Canada. ‘This facility builds on a solid foundation of partnerships that our industry shares with the Government of Canada.’ The building addresses the Canadian hydrogen and fuel cell industry’s current and future 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
needs, and was designed to aid research, and encourage communication and collaboration among NRC-IFCI researchers and key stakeholders in the community, including those working in industry and Canadian universities. Key building highlights include hydrogensafe labs, a hydrogen fueling station, and building-integrated fuel cell technologies, including ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic technologies for producing hydrogen. This facility is awaiting LEED Gold certification by the US Green Building Council, in recognition of its innovative sustainability features. ‘This cutting edge facility underscores our government’s commitment to deliver real action on Canada’s environment by maintaining Canadian leadership in hydrogen and fuel cell research and development, and increasing our ability to compete in the global market place,’ comments the Honorable Maxime Bernier, federal minister of industry, and the minister responsible for the NRC. Contact: NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, 4250 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada. Tel: +1 604 221 3000, Web: ifci-iipc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
CFCL develops more powerful fuel cells
A
ustralian-based SOFC manufacturer Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has made a major step towards commercialization with the development of its next generation of fuel cells. The company says that the cells have demonstrated significant performance improvements, particularly in power density, and will be incorporated into its micro-combined heat and power (m-CHP) units to provide clean power for homes. CFCL says that this development has been assisted by its in-depth field trials and work it has done with power utility customers. The new fuel cell and redesigned system components aim to optimize the efficiency of the stack, and reduce the system cost in preparation for volume manufacture. The new stack is also more easily integrated into distributed generation appliances. These new cells are more than twice as powerful as the ones CFCL currently offers, and match or exceed other SOFC figures in terms of power density, which is measured by how many milliwatts of electricity are generated by each square centimetre of fuel cell. Early versions of CFCL’s new cells achieved a power density of more than 200 mW/cm². Current versions of the new cells have doubled that
again, bringing the power density to more than 400 mW/cm², with further improvements expected. A higher power density means that CFCL can produce the same amount of electricity from a much smaller fuel cell stack, and a smaller stack is cheaper and much easier to integrate into commercial appliances, such as m-CHP units. The technology comprises square ceramic fuel cells, arranged in a ‘window-frame’ display, supported by ceramic anodes and separated by metal interconnect plates. The cells use thin-film technology, comprising extremely thin electrolytes, which are better at conducting oxygen ions. The metal–ceramic fuel cell stack combines important technical features and intellectual property drawn from CFCL’s achievements in developing both all-ceramic and metal-ceramic stacks since 1992. The company has also significantly improved several key components that integrate the fuel cell stack into an m-CHP unit. Major improvements include a steam generator and heat-exchanger that are 50% and 40% smaller, respectively, and a 75% reduction in the airflow through the system. Contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells (Europe) Ltd, Chester, UK. Tel: +44 1244 893781, Email: [email protected]
SatCon develops fuel cell converter for US Navy
I
n the US, SatCon Technology of Boston, Massachusetts has been awarded a contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop a modular, high-density isolated DC/DC converter for a fuel cell power source. Under the contract, which is worth around $250 000 (with an option of an additional $100 000), the company will design, fabricate, test and deliver a modular 100 kW fuel-cell converter using an architecture based on a highvoltage DC/DC capacitive charger developed for the US Army Research Laboratory. The converter boosts the low-voltage, variable input from the fuel cell to provide a highquality, constant voltage DC output. This is a key component of the auxiliary fuel-cell power system that is to be tested on board a ship, and will demonstrate compatibility with the electrical distribution system used on the DDG 1000 class vessel (destroyer). This development is key
November 2006
NRC opens new fuel cell research facility
T
he National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has officially opened the new facility that houses its Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI). The applied research organization, which supports the nation’s hydrogen and fuel cell industry, recently moved to the C$20m (US$17.5m) facility located on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). NRC says that the move positions it at the center of the Vancouver-area cluster. This is considered by many to be the nucleus of this industry in Canada, with a significant concentration of fuel cell companies, suppliers, infrastructure developers and service providers. NRC-IFCI’s 6500 m2 (70 000 ft2) research facility provides a specialized and safe research environment for NRC scientists, collaborative industry and university partners. The new building provides an excellent platform for NRC’s hydrogen and fuel cell technology demonstration activities, as well as a home for the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program and British Columbia’s Hydrogen Highway. ‘The National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation is an asset to Canada’s hydrogen and fuel cell industry and further enhances the sector’s hydrogen and fuel cell research capacity,’ says John Tak, president of Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Canada. ‘This facility builds on a solid foundation of partnerships that our industry shares with the Government of Canada.’ The building addresses the Canadian hydrogen and fuel cell industry’s current and future 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
needs, and was designed to aid research, and encourage communication and collaboration among NRC-IFCI researchers and key stakeholders in the community, including those working in industry and Canadian universities. Key building highlights include hydrogensafe labs, a hydrogen fueling station, and building-integrated fuel cell technologies, including ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic technologies for producing hydrogen. This facility is awaiting LEED Gold certification by the US Green Building Council, in recognition of its innovative sustainability features. ‘This cutting edge facility underscores our government’s commitment to deliver real action on Canada’s environment by maintaining Canadian leadership in hydrogen and fuel cell research and development, and increasing our ability to compete in the global market place,’ comments the Honorable Maxime Bernier, federal minister of industry, and the minister responsible for the NRC. Contact: NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, 4250 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada. Tel: +1 604 221 3000, Web: ifci-iipc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
CFCL develops more powerful fuel cells
A
ustralian-based SOFC manufacturer Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has made a major step towards commercialization with the development of its next generation of fuel cells. The company says that the cells have demonstrated significant performance improvements, particularly in power density, and will be incorporated into its micro-combined heat and power (m-CHP) units to provide clean power for homes. CFCL says that this development has been assisted by its in-depth field trials and work it has done with power utility customers. The new fuel cell and redesigned system components aim to optimize the efficiency of the stack, and reduce the system cost in preparation for volume manufacture. The new stack is also more easily integrated into distributed generation appliances. These new cells are more than twice as powerful as the ones CFCL currently offers, and match or exceed other SOFC figures in terms of power density, which is measured by how many milliwatts of electricity are generated by each square centimetre of fuel cell. Early versions of CFCL’s new cells achieved a power density of more than 200 mW/cm². Current versions of the new cells have doubled that
again, bringing the power density to more than 400 mW/cm², with further improvements expected. A higher power density means that CFCL can produce the same amount of electricity from a much smaller fuel cell stack, and a smaller stack is cheaper and much easier to integrate into commercial appliances, such as m-CHP units. The technology comprises square ceramic fuel cells, arranged in a ‘window-frame’ display, supported by ceramic anodes and separated by metal interconnect plates. The cells use thin-film technology, comprising extremely thin electrolytes, which are better at conducting oxygen ions. The metal–ceramic fuel cell stack combines important technical features and intellectual property drawn from CFCL’s achievements in developing both all-ceramic and metal-ceramic stacks since 1992. The company has also significantly improved several key components that integrate the fuel cell stack into an m-CHP unit. Major improvements include a steam generator and heat-exchanger that are 50% and 40% smaller, respectively, and a 75% reduction in the airflow through the system. Contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au Or contact: Ceramic Fuel Cells (Europe) Ltd, Chester, UK. Tel: +44 1244 893781, Email: [email protected]
SatCon develops fuel cell converter for US Navy
I
n the US, SatCon Technology of Boston, Massachusetts has been awarded a contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop a modular, high-density isolated DC/DC converter for a fuel cell power source. Under the contract, which is worth around $250 000 (with an option of an additional $100 000), the company will design, fabricate, test and deliver a modular 100 kW fuel-cell converter using an architecture based on a highvoltage DC/DC capacitive charger developed for the US Army Research Laboratory. The converter boosts the low-voltage, variable input from the fuel cell to provide a highquality, constant voltage DC output. This is a key component of the auxiliary fuel-cell power system that is to be tested on board a ship, and will demonstrate compatibility with the electrical distribution system used on the DDG 1000 class vessel (destroyer). This development is key
November 2006