- Email: [email protected]
Sandia partnership to develop fuel cell ferry, largest fueling station
NEWS ROAD VEHICLES Editorial office: Elsevier Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom Tel:+44 (0)1865 843239 Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Publishing Director: Deborah Logan Editor: Steve Barrett E-mail: [email protected] Production Support Manager: Lin Lucas E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Information An annual subscription to Fuel Cells Bulletin includes 12 issues and online access for up to 5 users. Prices: 1477 for all European countries & Iran US$1655 for all countries except Europe and Japan ¥196 100 for Japan (Prices valid until 31 December 2015) Subscriptions run for 12 months, from the date payment is received. More information: http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp?isbn=14642859 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.
12977 Digitally Produced by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited
Hydrogen fuel cell Sandia partnership to system shows future of develop fuel cell ferry, BMW eDrive technology largest fueling station
B
MW demonstrated its latest fuel cell electric vehicle at the recent BMW Group Innovation Days 2015 event, held at its Miramas test track in southern France. The demonstration vehicle, based on a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, was used in driving demonstrations for the first time, to highlight the results of the automaker’s R&D activities in hydrogen fuel cell drive systems. BMW has been investigating the use of hydrogen as an energy source for more than 30 years. In 2006 the BMW Hydrogen 7 was unveiled as the first luxury sedan powered by a hydrogen internal combustion engine, and in 2010 the company unveiled a hybrid electric 1 Series car featuring a UTC Power PEM fuel cell system as an auxiliary power unit [FCB, April 2010, p3]. BMW has also been working on hydrogen fuel cell drive systems for more than 15 years. The fuel cell, housing and ancillary systems in the new Gran Turismo demonstrator car are the initial results from the collaboration between BMW and Toyota on FCEV technology [FCB, February 2013, p2]. The collaboration – with about 100 people involved in the fuel cell project across the two companies – aims to have an initial group of approved components ready by 2020. The partners are also supporting hydrogen infrastructure development in the key markets, through jointly created technological standards to make FCEVs easier to use and increase their market reach. The vehicle’s hydrogen storage is in a tunnel tank between the front and rear axles. This comprises industry-standard 700 bar compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2) vessel technology, as well as innovative cryogenic pressure vessel technology (CCH2), patented by BMW, for storing gaseous hydrogen at low temperature and 350 bar pressure. This gives an operating range of over 500 km (300 miles). The cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks can be refueled at the new Total multi-energy service station opposite the BMW Group Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich, which features a hydrogen pump using cryocompressed fueling technology developed by Linde [see page 7].
BMW Hydrogen 7: http://tinyurl.com/bmw-hydrogen7
2
Fuel Cells Bulletin
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
I
n California, Sandia National Laboratories and San Francisco’s Red and White Fleet are partners in the SF-BREEZE (San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric vessel with Zero Emissions) project, which aims to design, build and operate a highspeed, fuel cell powered passenger ferry. The project also includes a hydrogen refueling station, thought to be the world’s largest, which will serve fuel cell cars, buses, and fleet vehicles in addition to the ferry and other maritime vessels. Sandia is leading the study in partnership with Red and White Fleet, the American Bureau of Shipping, US Coast Guard, and naval architect Elliott Bay Design Group. Other contributors include the California Air Resources Board and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) is funding a feasibility study to examine the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the project. ‘Rather than a tour boat that would primarily be a demonstration project, Red and White Fleet believes a high-speed passenger ferry makes economic sense,’ says Sandia project lead, mechanical engineer Joe Pratt. ‘Fuel cells and hydrogen are heavier than existing diesel engines and fuel, so the question becomes, can you build a boat powered by hydrogen fuel cells that is both large and fast enough? The feasibility study will provide that answer.’ A preliminary conceptual study shows the answer is probably yes, but it will require a boat specially designed to accommodate hydrogen storage and the fuel cell technology. A traditional passenger ferry can’t easily be retrofitted with a hydrogen fuel cell, so it was essential to include a naval architect in the feasibility study. The ferry design will include collaboration with the American Bureau of Shipping and the Coast Guard to ensure the final design conforms to safety and reliability rules and regulations. The project is also looking at the requisite hydrogen refueling station, since the high-speed passenger ferry would use about 1000 kg of hydrogen per day – rather more than the 5 kg of hydrogen per week used by an average fuel cell electric vehicle. To support the ferry and
August 2015
NEWS / EDITORIAL other potential users, the station would have a capacity of 1500 kg/day, about twice the size of the current largest hydrogen station. It would also be the first hydrogen station to simultaneously serve land and marine uses. Sandia is also leading the Maritime Fuel Cell project, a six-month pilot just getting under way at the Port of Honolulu in Hawaii that is using a hydrogen fuel cell to power refrigerated containers on land and on transport barges [FCB, March 2014, p7]. Contact: Dr Joe Pratt, Sandia National Labs, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 294 2133, Email: [email protected] Sandia, Maritime Hydrogen: http://maritime.sandia.gov Maritime Administration: www.marad.dot.gov Red and White Fleet: www.redandwhite.com
100°C, hydrogen is released within minutes. Each gramme of Cella material safely stores approximately 1 litre of hydrogen gas. ‘Combining IAI’s legacy of excellence in aerospace manufacturing with Cella’s technological expertise in hydrogen storage could result in a UAV of unmatched performance,’ says Professor Stephen Bennington, managing director of Cella Energy. ‘We will be looking to expand our US capabilities at the Kennedy Space Center to deliver this programme’ [FCB, October 2011, p9]. IAI, Israel’s largest aerospace and defence company, is a global leader in UAS development and production. In 2010 it successfully integrated the Aeropak fuel cell from Singapore-based Horizon Energy Systems as a next-generation power system for the Bird Eye 650 UAS [FCB, September 2010, p4].
Cella Energy, Israel Aerospace Industries work on fuel cell UAV
Cella Energy, Harwell, Didcot, UK. Tel: +44 1235 437740, www.cellaenergy.com
I
MATIMOP, Israeli Industry Center for R&D: www.matimop.org.il
srael Aerospace Industries (IAI) and UK-based Cella Energy have been awarded US–Israeli industrial funding to develop and evaluate a fuel cell power system for IAI’s BirdEye Mini UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), based on Cella’s proprietary solid hydrogen fuel system. The industrial research and development funding is from Space Florida, the state’s aerospace and spaceport development authority, and MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Center for R&D. The grant was approved under the Florida–Israel Innovation Partnership Program for a collaborative project in the field of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), which will offer near-term potential for commercialisation and economic benefit for both Florida and Israel. The potential benefit of the project is to double or even triple the UAV flight duration at the same battery weight, solving one of the biggest limitations of battery-operated UAVs [see the feature on military UAVs in FCB, December 2007]. The project will be launched shortly, subject to export regulations and collaboration agreement. Cella’s proprietary hydrogen technology provides a lightweight, high-performance alternative to lithium-polymer batteries, the power source typically used in small UAVs [FCB, August 2012, p3]. The company has developed a plastic-like hydrogen storage material that can be pressed and shaped into any form [see the feature on plastics in fuel cells in FCB, May 2011, p15]. When heated above
August 2015
Cella Energy US Inc, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. Tel: +1 321 261 3671. Israel Aerospace Industries: www.iai.co.il
SMALL STATIONARY
EPS launches energy storage demo site with NTU in Singapore
A
new demonstration site has been launched in Singapore to illustrate the Electro Power Systems energy storage system. This move seals the partnership between EPS – now headquartered in France – and Nanyang Technological University, following the initial agreement signed in February with the Energy Research Institute @NTU. Electro Power Systems and the NTU Energy Research Institute will pursue their partnership on the new demo site, sharing technological knowhow. A series of meetings are being organised in partnership with the institute to present the technology and EPS solutions to companies in Singapore, and to the wider Asia-Pacific region. These companies are mainly working in data centres, hospitals, and the mining industry, and are interested in backup power, business continuity, and energy storage solutions. ‘Today Singapore is the technological experimentation platform for energy transition for the entire Asia-Pacific area,’ says Carlalberto Guglielminotti, CEO of Electro Power Systems.
EDITORIAL
P
ower purchase agreements (PPAs) are increasingly being used by fuel cell manufacturers to generate steady revenues from their installed systems. PPAs are widely used in the power sector, but they have evolved in the case of distributed generation as they facilitate the financing of DG assets such as fuel cells. In this issue alone, we report on three fuel cell industry deals that revolve around PPAs. Bloom Energy and Constellation are collaborating on 40 MW of SOFC project developments in the US, under which customers will purchase the power generated by Bloom Energy Servers under 15-year PPAs [page 1]. In Germany, the electricity produced by the AFC Energy KORE alkaline fuel cell system in Stade will be sold to the local utility Stadtwerke Stade GmbH [page 5], and FuelCell Energy Solutions and E.ON will offer decentralised CHP solutions with MW and multi-MW Direct FuelCell® molten carbonate power plants to existing and new customers, via a PPA financing or leasing structure [page 6]. FuelCell Energy in the US is a key adopter of the PPA approach, not surprisingly since its DFC® power plants are large and expensive pieces of kit. For example, FCE is executing a 20-year PPA with the City of Riverside in California to install a 1.4 MW power plant at the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant [FCB, June 2015, p7], and is installing a 1.4 MW power plant at the Pepperidge Farm bakery in Bloomfield, Connecticut [FCB, May 2015, p6]. FCE’s 1.4 MW power plant project at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut works on a similar basis, although in this case the project has been transferred to NRG Energy [FCB, March 2015, p5]. Last summer Hydrogenics created a joint venture with Kolon Water & Energy in South Korea, which represented the Canadian company’s first participation in PPAs with local businesses in Korea [FCB, July 2014, p7]. We have two news features in this issue. The first reports on US Department of Energy funding for 16 research projects on SOFC technology, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Program [pages 12–13]. The other reports on work at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that has put firm numbers on the high costs of installing pipelines to transport hydrogen fuel. The researchers have also found a way to reduce those costs through the use of high-strength steel, although this will require changes to the applicable codes to allow the use of thinner pipelines [pages 14–15].
Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
12977 Digitally Produced by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited
Hydrogen fuel cell Sandia partnership to system shows future of develop fuel cell ferry, BMW eDrive technology largest fueling station
B
MW demonstrated its latest fuel cell electric vehicle at the recent BMW Group Innovation Days 2015 event, held at its Miramas test track in southern France. The demonstration vehicle, based on a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, was used in driving demonstrations for the first time, to highlight the results of the automaker’s R&D activities in hydrogen fuel cell drive systems. BMW has been investigating the use of hydrogen as an energy source for more than 30 years. In 2006 the BMW Hydrogen 7 was unveiled as the first luxury sedan powered by a hydrogen internal combustion engine, and in 2010 the company unveiled a hybrid electric 1 Series car featuring a UTC Power PEM fuel cell system as an auxiliary power unit [FCB, April 2010, p3]. BMW has also been working on hydrogen fuel cell drive systems for more than 15 years. The fuel cell, housing and ancillary systems in the new Gran Turismo demonstrator car are the initial results from the collaboration between BMW and Toyota on FCEV technology [FCB, February 2013, p2]. The collaboration – with about 100 people involved in the fuel cell project across the two companies – aims to have an initial group of approved components ready by 2020. The partners are also supporting hydrogen infrastructure development in the key markets, through jointly created technological standards to make FCEVs easier to use and increase their market reach. The vehicle’s hydrogen storage is in a tunnel tank between the front and rear axles. This comprises industry-standard 700 bar compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2) vessel technology, as well as innovative cryogenic pressure vessel technology (CCH2), patented by BMW, for storing gaseous hydrogen at low temperature and 350 bar pressure. This gives an operating range of over 500 km (300 miles). The cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks can be refueled at the new Total multi-energy service station opposite the BMW Group Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich, which features a hydrogen pump using cryocompressed fueling technology developed by Linde [see page 7].
BMW Hydrogen 7: http://tinyurl.com/bmw-hydrogen7
2
Fuel Cells Bulletin
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
I
n California, Sandia National Laboratories and San Francisco’s Red and White Fleet are partners in the SF-BREEZE (San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric vessel with Zero Emissions) project, which aims to design, build and operate a highspeed, fuel cell powered passenger ferry. The project also includes a hydrogen refueling station, thought to be the world’s largest, which will serve fuel cell cars, buses, and fleet vehicles in addition to the ferry and other maritime vessels. Sandia is leading the study in partnership with Red and White Fleet, the American Bureau of Shipping, US Coast Guard, and naval architect Elliott Bay Design Group. Other contributors include the California Air Resources Board and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) is funding a feasibility study to examine the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the project. ‘Rather than a tour boat that would primarily be a demonstration project, Red and White Fleet believes a high-speed passenger ferry makes economic sense,’ says Sandia project lead, mechanical engineer Joe Pratt. ‘Fuel cells and hydrogen are heavier than existing diesel engines and fuel, so the question becomes, can you build a boat powered by hydrogen fuel cells that is both large and fast enough? The feasibility study will provide that answer.’ A preliminary conceptual study shows the answer is probably yes, but it will require a boat specially designed to accommodate hydrogen storage and the fuel cell technology. A traditional passenger ferry can’t easily be retrofitted with a hydrogen fuel cell, so it was essential to include a naval architect in the feasibility study. The ferry design will include collaboration with the American Bureau of Shipping and the Coast Guard to ensure the final design conforms to safety and reliability rules and regulations. The project is also looking at the requisite hydrogen refueling station, since the high-speed passenger ferry would use about 1000 kg of hydrogen per day – rather more than the 5 kg of hydrogen per week used by an average fuel cell electric vehicle. To support the ferry and
August 2015
NEWS / EDITORIAL other potential users, the station would have a capacity of 1500 kg/day, about twice the size of the current largest hydrogen station. It would also be the first hydrogen station to simultaneously serve land and marine uses. Sandia is also leading the Maritime Fuel Cell project, a six-month pilot just getting under way at the Port of Honolulu in Hawaii that is using a hydrogen fuel cell to power refrigerated containers on land and on transport barges [FCB, March 2014, p7]. Contact: Dr Joe Pratt, Sandia National Labs, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 294 2133, Email: [email protected] Sandia, Maritime Hydrogen: http://maritime.sandia.gov Maritime Administration: www.marad.dot.gov Red and White Fleet: www.redandwhite.com
100°C, hydrogen is released within minutes. Each gramme of Cella material safely stores approximately 1 litre of hydrogen gas. ‘Combining IAI’s legacy of excellence in aerospace manufacturing with Cella’s technological expertise in hydrogen storage could result in a UAV of unmatched performance,’ says Professor Stephen Bennington, managing director of Cella Energy. ‘We will be looking to expand our US capabilities at the Kennedy Space Center to deliver this programme’ [FCB, October 2011, p9]. IAI, Israel’s largest aerospace and defence company, is a global leader in UAS development and production. In 2010 it successfully integrated the Aeropak fuel cell from Singapore-based Horizon Energy Systems as a next-generation power system for the Bird Eye 650 UAS [FCB, September 2010, p4].
Cella Energy, Israel Aerospace Industries work on fuel cell UAV
Cella Energy, Harwell, Didcot, UK. Tel: +44 1235 437740, www.cellaenergy.com
I
MATIMOP, Israeli Industry Center for R&D: www.matimop.org.il
srael Aerospace Industries (IAI) and UK-based Cella Energy have been awarded US–Israeli industrial funding to develop and evaluate a fuel cell power system for IAI’s BirdEye Mini UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), based on Cella’s proprietary solid hydrogen fuel system. The industrial research and development funding is from Space Florida, the state’s aerospace and spaceport development authority, and MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Center for R&D. The grant was approved under the Florida–Israel Innovation Partnership Program for a collaborative project in the field of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), which will offer near-term potential for commercialisation and economic benefit for both Florida and Israel. The potential benefit of the project is to double or even triple the UAV flight duration at the same battery weight, solving one of the biggest limitations of battery-operated UAVs [see the feature on military UAVs in FCB, December 2007]. The project will be launched shortly, subject to export regulations and collaboration agreement. Cella’s proprietary hydrogen technology provides a lightweight, high-performance alternative to lithium-polymer batteries, the power source typically used in small UAVs [FCB, August 2012, p3]. The company has developed a plastic-like hydrogen storage material that can be pressed and shaped into any form [see the feature on plastics in fuel cells in FCB, May 2011, p15]. When heated above
August 2015
Cella Energy US Inc, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. Tel: +1 321 261 3671. Israel Aerospace Industries: www.iai.co.il
SMALL STATIONARY
EPS launches energy storage demo site with NTU in Singapore
A
new demonstration site has been launched in Singapore to illustrate the Electro Power Systems energy storage system. This move seals the partnership between EPS – now headquartered in France – and Nanyang Technological University, following the initial agreement signed in February with the Energy Research Institute @NTU. Electro Power Systems and the NTU Energy Research Institute will pursue their partnership on the new demo site, sharing technological knowhow. A series of meetings are being organised in partnership with the institute to present the technology and EPS solutions to companies in Singapore, and to the wider Asia-Pacific region. These companies are mainly working in data centres, hospitals, and the mining industry, and are interested in backup power, business continuity, and energy storage solutions. ‘Today Singapore is the technological experimentation platform for energy transition for the entire Asia-Pacific area,’ says Carlalberto Guglielminotti, CEO of Electro Power Systems.
EDITORIAL
P
ower purchase agreements (PPAs) are increasingly being used by fuel cell manufacturers to generate steady revenues from their installed systems. PPAs are widely used in the power sector, but they have evolved in the case of distributed generation as they facilitate the financing of DG assets such as fuel cells. In this issue alone, we report on three fuel cell industry deals that revolve around PPAs. Bloom Energy and Constellation are collaborating on 40 MW of SOFC project developments in the US, under which customers will purchase the power generated by Bloom Energy Servers under 15-year PPAs [page 1]. In Germany, the electricity produced by the AFC Energy KORE alkaline fuel cell system in Stade will be sold to the local utility Stadtwerke Stade GmbH [page 5], and FuelCell Energy Solutions and E.ON will offer decentralised CHP solutions with MW and multi-MW Direct FuelCell® molten carbonate power plants to existing and new customers, via a PPA financing or leasing structure [page 6]. FuelCell Energy in the US is a key adopter of the PPA approach, not surprisingly since its DFC® power plants are large and expensive pieces of kit. For example, FCE is executing a 20-year PPA with the City of Riverside in California to install a 1.4 MW power plant at the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant [FCB, June 2015, p7], and is installing a 1.4 MW power plant at the Pepperidge Farm bakery in Bloomfield, Connecticut [FCB, May 2015, p6]. FCE’s 1.4 MW power plant project at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut works on a similar basis, although in this case the project has been transferred to NRG Energy [FCB, March 2015, p5]. Last summer Hydrogenics created a joint venture with Kolon Water & Energy in South Korea, which represented the Canadian company’s first participation in PPAs with local businesses in Korea [FCB, July 2014, p7]. We have two news features in this issue. The first reports on US Department of Energy funding for 16 research projects on SOFC technology, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Program [pages 12–13]. The other reports on work at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that has put firm numbers on the high costs of installing pipelines to transport hydrogen fuel. The researchers have also found a way to reduce those costs through the use of high-strength steel, although this will require changes to the applicable codes to allow the use of thinner pipelines [pages 14–15].
Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3