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Testing protocol for composite bipolar plates
NEWS type of fuel cell could also be developed later for transport, defense and marine applications. Using its patented Integrated Planar – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology (IP-SOFC), RRFCS is confident it can develop integrated fuel cell systems that create cost-competitive, long-lasting and low-maintenance power systems that run with minimal noise and negligible air emissions. Contact: Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Ltd, Derby, UK. Tel: +44 1332 260343, www.rolls-royce.com/energy/ tech/fuelcells.htm
Testing protocol for composite bipolar plates The US Fuel Cell Council has released details of its new ‘testing protocol’ for composite bipolar plates – the first of several protocols it has under development, and one of the first open technical collaborations in the industry. The ‘Testing protocol for through-plane electrical conductivity of composite bipolar plates’ is used to measure the electrical performance of separator plates, for material evaluation. The testing methodology was developed by USFCC’s stack materials & components working group, in response to concerns that data sheets for composite bipolar plate materials provide electrical conductivity data measured using one of many different methodologies. The methodology of the USFCC protocol includes pressure conditions, specimen characteristics and preparation, electrical parameters and statistical analysis. ‘This test protocol and similar guidelines have an important role to play in reducing costs and accelerating commercialization,’ says Robert Rose, USFCC executive director. ‘In the short term, they will make ‘comparison shopping’ easier. Ultimately, they will lead to commodity pricing for basic fuel cell components.’ Contact: US Fuel Cell Council, Washington, DC, USA. Tel: +1 202 293 5500, www.usfcc.com
Manitoba, Iceland to lead H2 development The Canadian province of Manitoba – a leader in transportation and hydrogen production – has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iceland, to pursue the potential for joint initiatives on hydrogen development. The two governments will also investigate the benefits of exchanging people and information, and joint research and training initiatives, which could lead to an important mutual bridge between North American and European markets.
November 2003
The agreement will promote greater partnerships in the sector between the two jurisdictions, and enable Manitoba to build on its recent initiatives, including a preliminary report on hydrogen development and a unique hybrid fuel cell bus demonstration project [FCB, June]. Iceland is establishing itself as an international leader in adopting hydrogen, including partnerships with companies such as Shell, Norsk Hydro and DaimlerChrysler.
High-temperature fuel cell membranes The US Department of Energy has awarded a $250 000 contract under its Inventions & Innovations program to Connecticut-based Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), to expand the company’s high-temperature fuel cell membrane R&D activity. OPM’s fuel cell membrane research, which began in 1999, has principally been undertaken at the University of Connecticut under the direction of Professor Robert Weiss. This new contract award will allow OPM to expand its internal activity to include MEAs and testing at its facility. The company intends to collaborate with a limited number of device manufacturers for evaluation of its novel MEA by mid-2004. Contact: Oxford Performance Materials Inc, Enfield, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 698 9300, www.oxfordpm.com
NIST ATP fuel cell awards The US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) has announced several new awards to fuel cell developers as part of its latest Advanced Technology Program (ATP), to assist the development of advanced new technologies that will hopefully lead to commercial applications. Massachusetts-based Integrated Fuel Cell Technologies will receive $1.9m towards a $3.8m, two-year project to pursue established semiconductor fabrication methods for highvolume manufacture of PEM fuel cells on silicon wafers, leading to a family of low-cost, scalable fuel cell systems ranging from 1 We to over 10 kWe. Sarnoff Corporation in New Jersey will be subcontracted for process integration; Case Western Reserve University in Ohio will develop a sealing method; and Northeastern University in Boston will formulate reaction layer material. Neah Power Systems in Washington is developing a miniature DMFC for portable electronic devices, using novel porous silicon
In Japan Japanese power networks to use just alternative sources Mitsubishi Research Institute and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation are joining forces with Aomori Prefecture and the city of Hachinohe to build a regional electric network to deliver electricity generated only by alternative sources such as wind power, fuel cells and biomass, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The network will provide power to school and city government buildings in Hachinohe by April 2005, with plans to later supply power to residential homes. A group of 29 firms and organizations – including the Japan Research Institute, Matsushita Electric Industrial and Sanyo Electric – have launched a ¥3 billion (US$27m) project to link 100–200 fuel cells to provide power. The group will monitor both the power output of fuel cells installed at each site and each user’s power usage, mutually supplying power among users. In addition, Fuji Electric, Nissin Electric, Nomura Research Institute and two other partners are teaming up with Kyoto Prefecture and the town of Yasaka to build by early 2005 an electric network using wind and solar power as well as biomass and fuel cells. This project will use methane from kitchen refuse and farm animal waste as fuel for biomass and fuel cell power generation. Marubeni to import propane-powered PEM fuel cells from Plug Power Tokyo-based Marubeni Corporation is broadening its presence in the fuel cell market by selling stationary 5 kWe PEM fuel cell systems – manufactured in the US by Plug Power – powered by propane gas. In September 2002, Marubeni established a partnership with Plug Power, and became an agent for sales and after-sales service of its fuel cells. In July, Plug Power began to ship samples of its first propane-powered fuel cell system, the GenSys™ P, in which the fuel cell is integrated with a reformer that extracts hydrogen from propane. Marubeni will soon import the first GenSys P to Japan and lease it to the New Energy Foundation, which will test-operate the system to evaluate its energy efficiency and environmental characteristics. Marubeni expects to begin commercial sales of the propane-powered fuel cells in 2005. Marubeni already sells mid-sized, natural gas fueled molten carbonate fuel cells manufactured by US-based FuelCell Energy, but the propane-powered PEM systems meet the needs of rural users that are not connected to gas mains. The propanepowered fuel cell systems also dovetail with the propane gas business of subsidiary Marubeni Energy Corporation, according to the Nikkei Business Daily.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5
Testing protocol for composite bipolar plates The US Fuel Cell Council has released details of its new ‘testing protocol’ for composite bipolar plates – the first of several protocols it has under development, and one of the first open technical collaborations in the industry. The ‘Testing protocol for through-plane electrical conductivity of composite bipolar plates’ is used to measure the electrical performance of separator plates, for material evaluation. The testing methodology was developed by USFCC’s stack materials & components working group, in response to concerns that data sheets for composite bipolar plate materials provide electrical conductivity data measured using one of many different methodologies. The methodology of the USFCC protocol includes pressure conditions, specimen characteristics and preparation, electrical parameters and statistical analysis. ‘This test protocol and similar guidelines have an important role to play in reducing costs and accelerating commercialization,’ says Robert Rose, USFCC executive director. ‘In the short term, they will make ‘comparison shopping’ easier. Ultimately, they will lead to commodity pricing for basic fuel cell components.’ Contact: US Fuel Cell Council, Washington, DC, USA. Tel: +1 202 293 5500, www.usfcc.com
Manitoba, Iceland to lead H2 development The Canadian province of Manitoba – a leader in transportation and hydrogen production – has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iceland, to pursue the potential for joint initiatives on hydrogen development. The two governments will also investigate the benefits of exchanging people and information, and joint research and training initiatives, which could lead to an important mutual bridge between North American and European markets.
November 2003
The agreement will promote greater partnerships in the sector between the two jurisdictions, and enable Manitoba to build on its recent initiatives, including a preliminary report on hydrogen development and a unique hybrid fuel cell bus demonstration project [FCB, June]. Iceland is establishing itself as an international leader in adopting hydrogen, including partnerships with companies such as Shell, Norsk Hydro and DaimlerChrysler.
High-temperature fuel cell membranes The US Department of Energy has awarded a $250 000 contract under its Inventions & Innovations program to Connecticut-based Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), to expand the company’s high-temperature fuel cell membrane R&D activity. OPM’s fuel cell membrane research, which began in 1999, has principally been undertaken at the University of Connecticut under the direction of Professor Robert Weiss. This new contract award will allow OPM to expand its internal activity to include MEAs and testing at its facility. The company intends to collaborate with a limited number of device manufacturers for evaluation of its novel MEA by mid-2004. Contact: Oxford Performance Materials Inc, Enfield, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 698 9300, www.oxfordpm.com
NIST ATP fuel cell awards The US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) has announced several new awards to fuel cell developers as part of its latest Advanced Technology Program (ATP), to assist the development of advanced new technologies that will hopefully lead to commercial applications. Massachusetts-based Integrated Fuel Cell Technologies will receive $1.9m towards a $3.8m, two-year project to pursue established semiconductor fabrication methods for highvolume manufacture of PEM fuel cells on silicon wafers, leading to a family of low-cost, scalable fuel cell systems ranging from 1 We to over 10 kWe. Sarnoff Corporation in New Jersey will be subcontracted for process integration; Case Western Reserve University in Ohio will develop a sealing method; and Northeastern University in Boston will formulate reaction layer material. Neah Power Systems in Washington is developing a miniature DMFC for portable electronic devices, using novel porous silicon
In Japan Japanese power networks to use just alternative sources Mitsubishi Research Institute and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation are joining forces with Aomori Prefecture and the city of Hachinohe to build a regional electric network to deliver electricity generated only by alternative sources such as wind power, fuel cells and biomass, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The network will provide power to school and city government buildings in Hachinohe by April 2005, with plans to later supply power to residential homes. A group of 29 firms and organizations – including the Japan Research Institute, Matsushita Electric Industrial and Sanyo Electric – have launched a ¥3 billion (US$27m) project to link 100–200 fuel cells to provide power. The group will monitor both the power output of fuel cells installed at each site and each user’s power usage, mutually supplying power among users. In addition, Fuji Electric, Nissin Electric, Nomura Research Institute and two other partners are teaming up with Kyoto Prefecture and the town of Yasaka to build by early 2005 an electric network using wind and solar power as well as biomass and fuel cells. This project will use methane from kitchen refuse and farm animal waste as fuel for biomass and fuel cell power generation. Marubeni to import propane-powered PEM fuel cells from Plug Power Tokyo-based Marubeni Corporation is broadening its presence in the fuel cell market by selling stationary 5 kWe PEM fuel cell systems – manufactured in the US by Plug Power – powered by propane gas. In September 2002, Marubeni established a partnership with Plug Power, and became an agent for sales and after-sales service of its fuel cells. In July, Plug Power began to ship samples of its first propane-powered fuel cell system, the GenSys™ P, in which the fuel cell is integrated with a reformer that extracts hydrogen from propane. Marubeni will soon import the first GenSys P to Japan and lease it to the New Energy Foundation, which will test-operate the system to evaluate its energy efficiency and environmental characteristics. Marubeni expects to begin commercial sales of the propane-powered fuel cells in 2005. Marubeni already sells mid-sized, natural gas fueled molten carbonate fuel cells manufactured by US-based FuelCell Energy, but the propane-powered PEM systems meet the needs of rural users that are not connected to gas mains. The propanepowered fuel cell systems also dovetail with the propane gas business of subsidiary Marubeni Energy Corporation, according to the Nikkei Business Daily.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5