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SolviCore unveils fuel cell range-extender, new kart at Bibendum
NEWS ‘The technology will facilitate the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable fuels for airport ground service equipment, thereby improving environmental conditions at airports and their locales as well as improving energy security and sustainability for airport operations,’ says Dr Patricia Irving, InnovaTek’s CEO and the Principal Investigator on the project. InnovaTek researchers have developed several generations of advanced chemical processing technologies including catalysts, microchannel reactors, heat-exchangers, fuel injectors, and control systems. This experience has been utilized to develop the approach and core technology to convert renewable bio jet fuel to hydrogen for a fuel cell. DOE is interested in demonstrating alternative fuel cell technologies that also feature the potential for radical improvements in fuel cell powered GSE performance, durability, cost, fueling infrastructure, and/or manufacturing efficiencies. If the technology is proven to be feasible in Phase I, InnovaTek and its team will be eligible for Phase II and Phase III grants to develop, demonstrate, and commercialize the product. InnovaTek is a leader in fuel processing technology and advanced catalysts for hydrogen production from petroleum and renewable fuels. The company is developing integrated fuel cell products for EVs, auxiliary power, and distributed energy applications. EnerFuel – a subsidiary of Ener1 – is developing high-temperature PEM fuel cell stack and system technology, which can be hybridized for use in extended-range EVs or to provide stationary backup power and point-of-use energy storage. InnovaTek Inc, Richland, Washington, USA. Tel: +1 509 375 1093, www.innovatek.com EnerFuel Inc, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Tel: +1 561 868 6720, www.ener1.com/?q=enerfuel JBT AeroTech: www.jbtaerotech.com
SolviCore unveils fuel cell range-extender, new kart at Bibendum
developed in collaboration with several student kart racing teams in Belgium. The compact Energy Pack provides greater range – at least 150 km (95 miles) – and a shorter refueling time compared to a pure battery-based system. The fuel cell range-extender has an energy capacity of 15 kWh, and operates alongside a 2.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. The Energy Pack will initially be installed on the F-City H2 car, designed by French automotive producer FAM Automobiles. The F-City is an innovative solution for urban transport combining versatility, excellent range, and ease of parking. Also in Berlin, SolviCore unveiled the latest version of its Regeneracing Kart, developed in collaboration with students from Group T in Leuven, Karel de Grote Hogeschool in Antwerp, and the Katholieke Hogeschool in Geel. The kart will take part in a number of trial races on a special track as part of its final configuration and testing. It has a top speed of 140 km/h (88 mph), and accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 4 s. Regeneracing is the new name of the Zero Emission Racing Team, which was founded in 2008 by students that built the first two Belgian solar cars. They also built a kart powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, with which they won the (now defunct) Formula Zero world championship in 2009. The new kart is the team’s next step towards realizing its ambition: to build a GT Endurance car with a fuel cell range-extender, to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The SolviCore joint venture was founded in 2006 by Solvay and Umicore, and is based at the latter’s main R&D site in Germany. It employs 50 people in research, development, production, and sales of membrane-electrode assemblies for use in PEM fuel cell and water electrolysis applications. SolviCore GmbH, Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany. Tel: +49 6181 595432, www.solvicore.com FAM Automobiles, F-City: www.fam-auto.com/page_f-city.htm (in French) Challenge Bibendum: www.michelinchallengebibendum.com Team Regeneracing: www.formulazero.be
T
he German-based MEA manufacturer SolviCore announced two developments at the recent Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin. Its components are at the heart of Michelin’s new Energy Pack, a fuel cell rangeextender coupled with a lithium-ion battery for use in urban electric vehicles. The company also unveiled the latest version of its Regeneracing Kart,
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
SMALL STATIONARY
CFCL sells BlueGen units to Ausgrid for smart grid project
I
n Australia, Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has signed a contract to sell 25 BlueGen
gas-to-electricity units to Ausgrid (formerly Energy Australia). The solid oxide fuel cell systems will be installed in homes in Newcastle, New South Wales as part of Ausgrid’s ‘Smart Grid, Smart City’ project. The A$100 million (US$106 million) project, funded by the Australian federal government, is the country’s largest smart grid project. The project consortium includes the CSIRO national research organization, IBM Australia, the gas and electricity retailer AGL, GE Energy, TransGrid, Newcastle City Council, and the NSW Government. The 25 BlueGen units – the second largest BlueGen order received by Ceramic Fuel Cells – will be installed in homes over the next few months, generating electricity from natural gas, as well as providing hot water for the homes. The ‘Smart Grid, Smart City’ initiative utilizes a smart grid – a new type of electricity network that uses advanced communication, sensing, and metering to manage electricity supply and demand more efficiently. The initiative is gathering robust information about the costs and benefits of smart grids, and will inform future decisions by government, electricity providers, technology suppliers and consumers across Australia. CFCL is also contributing BlueGen units to a smart grid project in the UK, led by CE Electric UK, along with Durham University [see page 8]. The order from Ausgrid follows the company’s previous purchase of a BlueGen unit for its Smart Home in the Sydney suburb of Newington [FCB, February 2010]. Since the unit was installed last August it has generated 9283 kWh of energy and saved 10.4 tonnes of CO 2 compared to power from the local grid. Ausgrid has run the unit in a variety of modes, including at constant power and modulating power, to match the typical load of a home. The BlueGen at the Smart Home has been generating about twice as much electricity as the family has been using to run their household appliances and charge an electric vehicle. Any excess electricity generated by the BlueGen has been exported to the grid. ‘We’re testing whether adding distributed generation like fuel cells can make the grid more efficient, by flattening out peaks in electricity demand, as well as deliver benefits to households,’ says George Maltabarow, managing director of Ausgrid. CFCL has sold BlueGen units to major utilities and other foundation customers in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Australia, and the US.
June 2011
SolviCore unveils fuel cell range-extender, new kart at Bibendum
developed in collaboration with several student kart racing teams in Belgium. The compact Energy Pack provides greater range – at least 150 km (95 miles) – and a shorter refueling time compared to a pure battery-based system. The fuel cell range-extender has an energy capacity of 15 kWh, and operates alongside a 2.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. The Energy Pack will initially be installed on the F-City H2 car, designed by French automotive producer FAM Automobiles. The F-City is an innovative solution for urban transport combining versatility, excellent range, and ease of parking. Also in Berlin, SolviCore unveiled the latest version of its Regeneracing Kart, developed in collaboration with students from Group T in Leuven, Karel de Grote Hogeschool in Antwerp, and the Katholieke Hogeschool in Geel. The kart will take part in a number of trial races on a special track as part of its final configuration and testing. It has a top speed of 140 km/h (88 mph), and accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 4 s. Regeneracing is the new name of the Zero Emission Racing Team, which was founded in 2008 by students that built the first two Belgian solar cars. They also built a kart powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, with which they won the (now defunct) Formula Zero world championship in 2009. The new kart is the team’s next step towards realizing its ambition: to build a GT Endurance car with a fuel cell range-extender, to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The SolviCore joint venture was founded in 2006 by Solvay and Umicore, and is based at the latter’s main R&D site in Germany. It employs 50 people in research, development, production, and sales of membrane-electrode assemblies for use in PEM fuel cell and water electrolysis applications. SolviCore GmbH, Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany. Tel: +49 6181 595432, www.solvicore.com FAM Automobiles, F-City: www.fam-auto.com/page_f-city.htm (in French) Challenge Bibendum: www.michelinchallengebibendum.com Team Regeneracing: www.formulazero.be
T
he German-based MEA manufacturer SolviCore announced two developments at the recent Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin. Its components are at the heart of Michelin’s new Energy Pack, a fuel cell rangeextender coupled with a lithium-ion battery for use in urban electric vehicles. The company also unveiled the latest version of its Regeneracing Kart,
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
SMALL STATIONARY
CFCL sells BlueGen units to Ausgrid for smart grid project
I
n Australia, Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has signed a contract to sell 25 BlueGen
gas-to-electricity units to Ausgrid (formerly Energy Australia). The solid oxide fuel cell systems will be installed in homes in Newcastle, New South Wales as part of Ausgrid’s ‘Smart Grid, Smart City’ project. The A$100 million (US$106 million) project, funded by the Australian federal government, is the country’s largest smart grid project. The project consortium includes the CSIRO national research organization, IBM Australia, the gas and electricity retailer AGL, GE Energy, TransGrid, Newcastle City Council, and the NSW Government. The 25 BlueGen units – the second largest BlueGen order received by Ceramic Fuel Cells – will be installed in homes over the next few months, generating electricity from natural gas, as well as providing hot water for the homes. The ‘Smart Grid, Smart City’ initiative utilizes a smart grid – a new type of electricity network that uses advanced communication, sensing, and metering to manage electricity supply and demand more efficiently. The initiative is gathering robust information about the costs and benefits of smart grids, and will inform future decisions by government, electricity providers, technology suppliers and consumers across Australia. CFCL is also contributing BlueGen units to a smart grid project in the UK, led by CE Electric UK, along with Durham University [see page 8]. The order from Ausgrid follows the company’s previous purchase of a BlueGen unit for its Smart Home in the Sydney suburb of Newington [FCB, February 2010]. Since the unit was installed last August it has generated 9283 kWh of energy and saved 10.4 tonnes of CO 2 compared to power from the local grid. Ausgrid has run the unit in a variety of modes, including at constant power and modulating power, to match the typical load of a home. The BlueGen at the Smart Home has been generating about twice as much electricity as the family has been using to run their household appliances and charge an electric vehicle. Any excess electricity generated by the BlueGen has been exported to the grid. ‘We’re testing whether adding distributed generation like fuel cells can make the grid more efficient, by flattening out peaks in electricity demand, as well as deliver benefits to households,’ says George Maltabarow, managing director of Ausgrid. CFCL has sold BlueGen units to major utilities and other foundation customers in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Australia, and the US.
June 2011