- Email: [email protected]
Proton Energy, Northern Power to be combined
NEWS The fuel cell developer will employ its proprietary PEM technology to deliver to Suzuki a series of advanced, compact and lightweight fuel cell systems, which are intended to become an integral part of Suzuki’s future motor products. These fuel cell systems will demonstrate class-leading fuel cell performance under typical automotive environmental conditions. Intelligent Energy has developed a range of fuel cell, fuel processing, desulfurization and hydrogen generation technologies. Its unique and proprietary PEM fuel cell designs are based on the use of thin metallic bipolar plates, which make the fuel cell extremely compact and well suited to mass production. In addition, Intelligent Energy’s fuel cell systems are designed to be simple, robust and cost-effective solutions, which are especially attractive for automotive applications. Contact: Intelligent Energy Ltd, Mayfair, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 7958 9033, www.intelligent-energy.com Or contact: Suzuki Motor Corporation, Miyakoda R&D Center, Fuel Cell Project, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, Japan. Tel: +81 53 428 5109, www.suzuki.co.jp
Energy Systems. ‘This new functional structure allows us to focus more precisely on the markets, critical business drivers and capabilities that give Distributed Energy Systems the best prospects for the higher-margin revenues we need to foster strong, sustained, profitable growth.’ Schwallie also announced the appointment of three senior vice presidents to implement the reorganization. Mark Murray, who had been heading the company’s commercial hydrogen business, now leads the sales and marketing functions for all products, systems and services. Betsy Anderson assumes responsibility for all of the company’s engineering, production, project management and service activities, expanding her prior operating responsibilities beyond energy systems, products and services. And Robert Friedland takes on management duties encompassing all technology innovation, including the hydrogen R&D programs he previously ran. Contact: Distributed Energy Systems Corporation (and Proton Energy Systems), Wallingford, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 678 2000, www.distributed-energy.com or www.protonenergy.com
Proton Energy, Northern HTceramix collaborates Power to be combined with SOFCpower
C
onnecticut-based Distributed Energy Systems Corporation is combining its two subsidiaries – Northern Power Systems and Proton Energy Systems – to reduce costs and strengthen systems sales, engineering, production, service and technology development. The reorganization is also expected to enhance efficiencies of its systems engineering, products and service capabilities, and enable more and better cross- fertilization in advanced technology development. The company, which creates and delivers products and solutions for the decentralized energy marketplace, said the reorganization will result in a charge of approximately $1m, reflecting the elimination of about 60 jobs, or 20% of the workforce, and related expenses. The reorganization is estimated to result in annual savings of approximately $4–5m. In addition, the Waitsfield, Vermont location will be closed, and its activities moved to the company’s 110 000 ft2 (10 200 m2) facility in Barre, Vermont. ‘During the past year, it became increasingly clear that we would benefit going forward by implementing our strategy now, to become a one-company organization,’ comments Ambrose L. Schwallie, CEO of Distributed
6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
S
wiss-based HTceramix has established a partnership with SOFCpower in Italy for the industrial production and commercialization of the former’s integrated solid oxide fuel cell system, HoTbox™. HTceramix has also expanded its facilities, in part to cope with a large increase in orders from the Asia-Pacific region, and will be adding multiple test benches for stacks and HoTboxes. Meanwhile, SOFCpower is setting up a pilot production line that will be operational by the end of 2007. HTceramix exhibited its latest products at the recent Fuel Cell Expo 2007 in Tokyo. Recent technical results include an excellent performance of the 500 W-class stack, which achieved a maximum power output of more than 630 W at 30% electrical efficiency, with homogeneous performance of each cell component. Efforts over the coming weeks will concentrate on delivering HTceramix’s 1 kW-class stack. SOFCpower is a new Italian company established to spin out SOFC activities started four years ago within the Eurocoating SpA Turbocoating Group. Turbocoating is a pri-
vately held company focused on developing and manufacturing coatings and special processes for gas turbine and aeroengine component manufacturers. SOFCpower aims to become a leader in the development and commercialization of stacks and power generation units to be integrated into SOFC systems. HTceramix SA is a developer of SOFCs, with a mission to manufacture and deliver fully integrated SOFC generators to system integrators at competitive prices. At the heart of its development is the SOFConnex™ based stack, which uses a unique approach for stacking ceramic fuel cells. Two years ago HTceramix integrated one of its SOFC stacks with a thermal management system manufactured by Dantherm in Denmark [FCB, July 2005]. The company was founded in 2000 using technology developed over 10 years at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Contact: HTceramix SA, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. Tel: +41 24 426 1083, www.htceramix.ch Or contact: SOFCpower Srl, Pergine Valsugana (Trento), Italy. Tel: +39 046 151 8932, www.sofcpower.com
Contract extension for NuVant’s DMFC research
I
n the US, NuVant Systems has been awarded an extension to a government research contract aimed at developing ways to extend the lifetime of portable power fuel cells. The Indiana-based technology company, which develops and licenses advanced fuel cell components and component evaluation instrumentation, instituted its Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Lifetime Improvement Program last October as part of a $1.74m contract from the Department of Defense. The DOD’s amendment to the contract to $2.61m will fund NuVant Systems’ continuing research and development of DMFCs. ‘For portable fuel cells, one of the advantages of liquid methanol fuel over compressed hydrogen fuel is that liquid methanol has a much higher energy density and is easier to handle,’ says company founder Dr Eugene Smotkin, who also chairs the firm’s science advisory board. He is also professor of chemistry at Northeastern University in Boston, and a research professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. ‘As part of this contract extension, we will hold workshops to introduce companies and
April 2007
Energy Systems. ‘This new functional structure allows us to focus more precisely on the markets, critical business drivers and capabilities that give Distributed Energy Systems the best prospects for the higher-margin revenues we need to foster strong, sustained, profitable growth.’ Schwallie also announced the appointment of three senior vice presidents to implement the reorganization. Mark Murray, who had been heading the company’s commercial hydrogen business, now leads the sales and marketing functions for all products, systems and services. Betsy Anderson assumes responsibility for all of the company’s engineering, production, project management and service activities, expanding her prior operating responsibilities beyond energy systems, products and services. And Robert Friedland takes on management duties encompassing all technology innovation, including the hydrogen R&D programs he previously ran. Contact: Distributed Energy Systems Corporation (and Proton Energy Systems), Wallingford, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 678 2000, www.distributed-energy.com or www.protonenergy.com
Proton Energy, Northern HTceramix collaborates Power to be combined with SOFCpower
C
onnecticut-based Distributed Energy Systems Corporation is combining its two subsidiaries – Northern Power Systems and Proton Energy Systems – to reduce costs and strengthen systems sales, engineering, production, service and technology development. The reorganization is also expected to enhance efficiencies of its systems engineering, products and service capabilities, and enable more and better cross- fertilization in advanced technology development. The company, which creates and delivers products and solutions for the decentralized energy marketplace, said the reorganization will result in a charge of approximately $1m, reflecting the elimination of about 60 jobs, or 20% of the workforce, and related expenses. The reorganization is estimated to result in annual savings of approximately $4–5m. In addition, the Waitsfield, Vermont location will be closed, and its activities moved to the company’s 110 000 ft2 (10 200 m2) facility in Barre, Vermont. ‘During the past year, it became increasingly clear that we would benefit going forward by implementing our strategy now, to become a one-company organization,’ comments Ambrose L. Schwallie, CEO of Distributed
6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
S
wiss-based HTceramix has established a partnership with SOFCpower in Italy for the industrial production and commercialization of the former’s integrated solid oxide fuel cell system, HoTbox™. HTceramix has also expanded its facilities, in part to cope with a large increase in orders from the Asia-Pacific region, and will be adding multiple test benches for stacks and HoTboxes. Meanwhile, SOFCpower is setting up a pilot production line that will be operational by the end of 2007. HTceramix exhibited its latest products at the recent Fuel Cell Expo 2007 in Tokyo. Recent technical results include an excellent performance of the 500 W-class stack, which achieved a maximum power output of more than 630 W at 30% electrical efficiency, with homogeneous performance of each cell component. Efforts over the coming weeks will concentrate on delivering HTceramix’s 1 kW-class stack. SOFCpower is a new Italian company established to spin out SOFC activities started four years ago within the Eurocoating SpA Turbocoating Group. Turbocoating is a pri-
vately held company focused on developing and manufacturing coatings and special processes for gas turbine and aeroengine component manufacturers. SOFCpower aims to become a leader in the development and commercialization of stacks and power generation units to be integrated into SOFC systems. HTceramix SA is a developer of SOFCs, with a mission to manufacture and deliver fully integrated SOFC generators to system integrators at competitive prices. At the heart of its development is the SOFConnex™ based stack, which uses a unique approach for stacking ceramic fuel cells. Two years ago HTceramix integrated one of its SOFC stacks with a thermal management system manufactured by Dantherm in Denmark [FCB, July 2005]. The company was founded in 2000 using technology developed over 10 years at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Contact: HTceramix SA, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. Tel: +41 24 426 1083, www.htceramix.ch Or contact: SOFCpower Srl, Pergine Valsugana (Trento), Italy. Tel: +39 046 151 8932, www.sofcpower.com
Contract extension for NuVant’s DMFC research
I
n the US, NuVant Systems has been awarded an extension to a government research contract aimed at developing ways to extend the lifetime of portable power fuel cells. The Indiana-based technology company, which develops and licenses advanced fuel cell components and component evaluation instrumentation, instituted its Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Lifetime Improvement Program last October as part of a $1.74m contract from the Department of Defense. The DOD’s amendment to the contract to $2.61m will fund NuVant Systems’ continuing research and development of DMFCs. ‘For portable fuel cells, one of the advantages of liquid methanol fuel over compressed hydrogen fuel is that liquid methanol has a much higher energy density and is easier to handle,’ says company founder Dr Eugene Smotkin, who also chairs the firm’s science advisory board. He is also professor of chemistry at Northeastern University in Boston, and a research professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. ‘As part of this contract extension, we will hold workshops to introduce companies and
April 2007