- Email: [email protected]
SFC adds mid-range EFOY 900 to portfolio
NEWS not affect the cell performance under external humidification conditions, and the introduction of silica particles into the active layer of electrode considerably improves cell performance without external humidification, say the developers. Contact: GasHub Technology Pte Ltd, Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park, Singapore. Tel: +65 6483 2777, www.fuelcell.sg
Sandia aids European hydrogen permitting consortium
T
he US Department of Energy’s domestic ‘FreedomCAR and Fuels’ presidential initiative is now a global effort, and researchers at Sandia National Labs are playing a key role in this worldwide undertaking. Late last year Sandia joined the European HYPER (HYdrogen PERmitting) consortium. Working towards the international goal of making hydrogen one of the dominant energy carriers, this group is driven by optimism that the ‘hydrogen economy’ will become a reality, and by a feeling that developing alternative energy sources is now a necessity. ‘We are all working towards a similar goal – making hydrogen a dominant energy carrier sooner rather than later,’ says Jay Keller, Hydrogen Program Manager at Sandia. ‘We are better off all playing together than alone, so this international research effort is essential.’ Sandia is addressing the science and technology that goes into understanding unintended releases of hydrogen. This work will ultimately aid in developing codes and standards that will suggest how to design and operate a hydrogen fueling station in the safest possible manner. ‘Everyone needs to consider barriers as a mitigation strategy,’ says Bill Houf, a principal investigator for Sandia’s work with HYPER. ‘The question we are trying to answer is: does a barrier mitigate the effects of an unintended release, or does it create conditions that exacerbate the release?’ An unintended release of hydrogen at around 170 bar (2500 psi) could result in a jet flame 3.7 m (12 ft) long. A barrier would block that flame but could cause unintended detrimental effects, such as a significant and possibly damaging overpressure. According to Houf, overpressure could induce a more dangerous situation than a jet flame, and if it gets high enough it could break glass, damage walls, or burst eardrums. 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Sandia is involved in two projects for HYPER – one on modeling, and the other on barrier interaction experiments. Along with the US lab, the University of Ulster and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK, the University of Pisa in Italy, the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK) research center in Germany and Russia’s Kurchatov Institute are collaborating on the two projects. Each partner is bringing its own strengths to the project. For example, Keller points out that FZK’s modeling capability will be used to complement Sandia’s efforts in understanding the overpressure issue. HSE has larger test facilities that will allow consequence and behavior work on a massive scale – what Keller calls the ‘big bang’. The Kurchatov Institute has enclosed facilities capable of testing explosive mixtures, something that Sandia does not have access to in the US. ‘Europe has been pretty aggressive at pushing hydrogen into its infrastructure,’ concludes Keller. ‘This partnership helps us leverage international activities in science. The energy problem is too important to work in isolation.’ Contact: Jay Keller, Hydrogen Program Manager, Sandia National Laboratories – California, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 294 3316, Email: [email protected], www.ca.sandia.gov/hydrogen For more on the HYPER project, go to: www.hyperproject.eu
SFC adds mid-range EFOY 900 to portfolio
G
erman-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell used the recent Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, one of Europe’s most important caravanning fairs, as an opportunity to introduce the latest member of its EFOY family of fuel cell power supplies – the EFOY 900. With an energy capacity of 900 Wh per day, this fuel cell falls between the company’s EFOY 600 and EFOY 1200 systems, and is designed to provide off-grid power to small and medium-sized motor homes (or recreational vehicles, RVs). Like all EFOY models it operates on EFOY M5 or M10 fuel cartridges, which are available at more than 600 sales points across Europe. A single EFOY M10 cartridge contains 10 liters of methanol, sufficient to supply a motor home with independent power for up to four weeks. ‘With the EFOY 900 as basic power supply, owners of medium-sized motor homes can now enjoy full independence of the grid,’ says Dr
Peter Podesser, the firm’s CEO. ‘It is an ideal supplement also for owners of vehicles with solar cells who want full batteries also during bad weather.’ SFC says that it has already sold more than 6000 fuel cells to industry customers and consumers worldwide, 4000 of which provide motor homes across Europe with reliable, silent and environmentally friendly power. The EFOY 900 complements the successful EFOY fuel cell portfolio, consisting of the EFOY 600, EFOY 1200 and EFOY 1600 systems. The company recently announced that purchasers of new motor homes from the major European manufacturers Dethleffs and Niesmann+Bischoff can now specify EFOY fuel cell auxiliary power units for their vehicles [FCB, September 2007]. Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, Brunnthal-Nord, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com or www.efoy.com
DOE, Gottesfeld boost support for MTI Micro
U
S-based MTI MicroFuel Cells reports that it is continuing to receive support from the Department of Energy for the commercialization of its Mobion® technology. It also says that Dr Shimshon Gottesfeld will remain with the firm as its senior technical advisor for another 12 months. The developer of micro fuel cell technology for handheld electronic devices, which is based in Albany, New York, reports that DOE’s Office of Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies has released an additional $0.5 million to continue MTI Micro’s funding for a cost-shared program. This is expected to result in up to US$1.8m in financial resources from DOE in 2007 and 2008. These Mobion commercialization efforts include the development of mass manufacturing techniques, and the optimization of the Mobion technology platform. In other news, MTI Micro has announced that Dr Shimshon Gottesfeld – its senior technical advisor – will continue to serve the company until the end of October 2008. Last summer the company announced a transition plan for Dr Gottesfeld’s retirement [FCB, July 2006]. His ongoing role includes advising the company on its Mobion direct methanol fuel cell core technology and related intellectual property, and representing the firm at technical and business development meetings and industry conferences.
October 2007
Sandia aids European hydrogen permitting consortium
T
he US Department of Energy’s domestic ‘FreedomCAR and Fuels’ presidential initiative is now a global effort, and researchers at Sandia National Labs are playing a key role in this worldwide undertaking. Late last year Sandia joined the European HYPER (HYdrogen PERmitting) consortium. Working towards the international goal of making hydrogen one of the dominant energy carriers, this group is driven by optimism that the ‘hydrogen economy’ will become a reality, and by a feeling that developing alternative energy sources is now a necessity. ‘We are all working towards a similar goal – making hydrogen a dominant energy carrier sooner rather than later,’ says Jay Keller, Hydrogen Program Manager at Sandia. ‘We are better off all playing together than alone, so this international research effort is essential.’ Sandia is addressing the science and technology that goes into understanding unintended releases of hydrogen. This work will ultimately aid in developing codes and standards that will suggest how to design and operate a hydrogen fueling station in the safest possible manner. ‘Everyone needs to consider barriers as a mitigation strategy,’ says Bill Houf, a principal investigator for Sandia’s work with HYPER. ‘The question we are trying to answer is: does a barrier mitigate the effects of an unintended release, or does it create conditions that exacerbate the release?’ An unintended release of hydrogen at around 170 bar (2500 psi) could result in a jet flame 3.7 m (12 ft) long. A barrier would block that flame but could cause unintended detrimental effects, such as a significant and possibly damaging overpressure. According to Houf, overpressure could induce a more dangerous situation than a jet flame, and if it gets high enough it could break glass, damage walls, or burst eardrums. 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Sandia is involved in two projects for HYPER – one on modeling, and the other on barrier interaction experiments. Along with the US lab, the University of Ulster and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK, the University of Pisa in Italy, the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK) research center in Germany and Russia’s Kurchatov Institute are collaborating on the two projects. Each partner is bringing its own strengths to the project. For example, Keller points out that FZK’s modeling capability will be used to complement Sandia’s efforts in understanding the overpressure issue. HSE has larger test facilities that will allow consequence and behavior work on a massive scale – what Keller calls the ‘big bang’. The Kurchatov Institute has enclosed facilities capable of testing explosive mixtures, something that Sandia does not have access to in the US. ‘Europe has been pretty aggressive at pushing hydrogen into its infrastructure,’ concludes Keller. ‘This partnership helps us leverage international activities in science. The energy problem is too important to work in isolation.’ Contact: Jay Keller, Hydrogen Program Manager, Sandia National Laboratories – California, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 294 3316, Email: [email protected], www.ca.sandia.gov/hydrogen For more on the HYPER project, go to: www.hyperproject.eu
SFC adds mid-range EFOY 900 to portfolio
G
erman-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell used the recent Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, one of Europe’s most important caravanning fairs, as an opportunity to introduce the latest member of its EFOY family of fuel cell power supplies – the EFOY 900. With an energy capacity of 900 Wh per day, this fuel cell falls between the company’s EFOY 600 and EFOY 1200 systems, and is designed to provide off-grid power to small and medium-sized motor homes (or recreational vehicles, RVs). Like all EFOY models it operates on EFOY M5 or M10 fuel cartridges, which are available at more than 600 sales points across Europe. A single EFOY M10 cartridge contains 10 liters of methanol, sufficient to supply a motor home with independent power for up to four weeks. ‘With the EFOY 900 as basic power supply, owners of medium-sized motor homes can now enjoy full independence of the grid,’ says Dr
Peter Podesser, the firm’s CEO. ‘It is an ideal supplement also for owners of vehicles with solar cells who want full batteries also during bad weather.’ SFC says that it has already sold more than 6000 fuel cells to industry customers and consumers worldwide, 4000 of which provide motor homes across Europe with reliable, silent and environmentally friendly power. The EFOY 900 complements the successful EFOY fuel cell portfolio, consisting of the EFOY 600, EFOY 1200 and EFOY 1600 systems. The company recently announced that purchasers of new motor homes from the major European manufacturers Dethleffs and Niesmann+Bischoff can now specify EFOY fuel cell auxiliary power units for their vehicles [FCB, September 2007]. Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, Brunnthal-Nord, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com or www.efoy.com
DOE, Gottesfeld boost support for MTI Micro
U
S-based MTI MicroFuel Cells reports that it is continuing to receive support from the Department of Energy for the commercialization of its Mobion® technology. It also says that Dr Shimshon Gottesfeld will remain with the firm as its senior technical advisor for another 12 months. The developer of micro fuel cell technology for handheld electronic devices, which is based in Albany, New York, reports that DOE’s Office of Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies has released an additional $0.5 million to continue MTI Micro’s funding for a cost-shared program. This is expected to result in up to US$1.8m in financial resources from DOE in 2007 and 2008. These Mobion commercialization efforts include the development of mass manufacturing techniques, and the optimization of the Mobion technology platform. In other news, MTI Micro has announced that Dr Shimshon Gottesfeld – its senior technical advisor – will continue to serve the company until the end of October 2008. Last summer the company announced a transition plan for Dr Gottesfeld’s retirement [FCB, July 2006]. His ongoing role includes advising the company on its Mobion direct methanol fuel cell core technology and related intellectual property, and representing the firm at technical and business development meetings and industry conferences.
October 2007