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Ultralife in technology partnership with Mississippi State
NEWS ‘Working with the US Army on this program, we will speed the refinement of our advanced portable power manager product, making it a more universal, invaluable power system for soldiers,’ says Greg Cipriano, vice president for marketing and military development at Protonex. ‘This contract represents valued follow-on support by the ARO, which will enable us to provide critical tools for various military applications. We also expect to apply this technology to other core products for both military and commercial customers.’ Contact: Protonex Technology Corporation, Southborough, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 508 490 9960, www.protonex.com
Ultralife in technology partnership with Mississippi State
I
n the US, Ultralife Batteries in upstate New York has entered into a technology partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU) to develop portable power systems based on fuel cells for use during longendurance military missions. The development of this power system is to be carried out under a $1.6 million program that was awarded by a Department of Defense agency to the university as the prime contractor. MSU has awarded a contract worth $475 000 to Ultralife to participate in this program as a subcontractor. Under this contract Ultralife, a provider of high-energy power systems and communications accessories, will oversee the development, testing, approval and manufacturing of prototypes of a new, compact military power source for use in handheld tactical radios – building on its ongoing development work under the ‘Land Warrior System Stryker Interoperable Program’. In addition, the company will provide engineering support that encompasses defining system requirements and performing design integration and testing tasks. ‘Portable fuel cells offer the promise to power battery chargers for soldiers that can effectively extend mission times and reduce the weight of the load they carry, by allowing them to use smaller batteries that are both lighter and last longer,’ says John Kavazanjian, president/CEO of Ultralife. Under the technology partnership with MSU, Ultralife is also establishing a development and assembly operation at a facility based in West Point, Mississippi. This is expected to create at least 30 jobs to manufacture products 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
coming out of the technology partnership and other Ultralife products. The company is planning to commence operations during the first half of 2008. Contact: Ultralife Batteries Inc, Newark, New York, USA. Tel: +1 315 332 7100, www.ultralifebatteries.com
fueling
California fights to save hydrogen highway
I
n California, the closure of hydrogen fuel stations and concerns that allied technology is not viable in the near future are potentially jeopardizing the state’s planned ‘hydrogen highway’. Reports in the San Jose Mercury News reveal that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s vision of establishing 100 fueling stations by 2010, which would make it much more practical for Californian motorists to use hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, is under threat. However, officials from the California Air Resources Board recently met with energy companies and automakers to shore up wavering support for the governor’s proposed network of fueling stations. According to the reports, the energy companies agreed to provide money and staff time needed to reopen a critical hydrogen station at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento. The station was one of three sites to close recently, as well as another in Richmond that powered some AC Transit buses. Mary Nichols, who chairs CARB, says the increased support goes beyond the one station. Promises were made to find a way to get additional stations built as distrust and concern mounted in the energy and car manufacturing industries because, in addition to the three stations recently closing, plans for an additional three state-funded stations collapsed, including a large-scale station in San Carlos that was to be built by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). PG&E’s decision to turn down $1.5 million in state funds to build the retail hydrogen station is especially noteworthy, reports the newspaper. The site was supposed to serve as a center for hundreds of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars that were going to be leased in northern California – one of the first significant efforts to make the vehicles available to the public. Furthermore, General Motors, which is planning to roll out a line of hydrogen cars during 2008, said the trend is troubling, and might also cripple its plans in northern California. Nichols characterizes the problems as a ‘hiccup’, and says she is not surprised that
it is taking a bit longer to get everything in place. CARB is planning to reissue bids for the projects, and says it will add money to help upgrade two existing stations. There are already funds set aside for the competitive projects from past budgets, and additional funding is being requested for future projects in Governor Schwarzenegger’s recently released proposed budget. For more on the California Hydrogen Highway, go to: hydrogenhighway.ca.gov
P+E hydrogen separator unit for US Navy
I
n the US, Power+Energy (P+E) has delivered its largest hydrogen separation membrane assembly to date to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This unit – rated at 50 kW – is one of the deliverables under a project funded by the Office of Naval Research. The membrane system is designed to extract fuel-cell grade hydrogen from a stream of reformed, logistic diesel fuel (JP-8). It will be installed by the Navy in a demonstration system, which will convert diesel fuel into high-purity hydrogen to feed a large hydrogen fuel cell. Power+Energy says that it has also delivered similar smaller-capacity hydrogen separators to a number of other organizations that are developing fuel cell power systems. The objective is to convert readily available liquid fuels into the high-quality hydrogen stream necessary to reliably operate a fuel cell power system. Last summer the company demonstrated the use of its palladium-alloy membrane technology to deliver hydrogen from a number of fuels, including methanol, ethanol and E85, a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol [FCB, July 2007]. Under two additional contracts, it is commercializing membranes that can tolerate the high concentrations of sulfur commonly found in military fuels, and systems that recycle waste energy and water from the system [FCB, October 2007]. P+E, based near Philadelphia, supplies hydrogen purification systems that are used to manufacture semiconductors, and fulfill various research and laboratory requirements. The company says that it is developing membrane products that will enable the widespread use of energy-efficient fuel cells without the need for investment in costly hydrogen production, distribution and storage systems. Fuel processing technology based on P+E’s membrane reactor
March 2008
Ultralife in technology partnership with Mississippi State
I
n the US, Ultralife Batteries in upstate New York has entered into a technology partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU) to develop portable power systems based on fuel cells for use during longendurance military missions. The development of this power system is to be carried out under a $1.6 million program that was awarded by a Department of Defense agency to the university as the prime contractor. MSU has awarded a contract worth $475 000 to Ultralife to participate in this program as a subcontractor. Under this contract Ultralife, a provider of high-energy power systems and communications accessories, will oversee the development, testing, approval and manufacturing of prototypes of a new, compact military power source for use in handheld tactical radios – building on its ongoing development work under the ‘Land Warrior System Stryker Interoperable Program’. In addition, the company will provide engineering support that encompasses defining system requirements and performing design integration and testing tasks. ‘Portable fuel cells offer the promise to power battery chargers for soldiers that can effectively extend mission times and reduce the weight of the load they carry, by allowing them to use smaller batteries that are both lighter and last longer,’ says John Kavazanjian, president/CEO of Ultralife. Under the technology partnership with MSU, Ultralife is also establishing a development and assembly operation at a facility based in West Point, Mississippi. This is expected to create at least 30 jobs to manufacture products 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
coming out of the technology partnership and other Ultralife products. The company is planning to commence operations during the first half of 2008. Contact: Ultralife Batteries Inc, Newark, New York, USA. Tel: +1 315 332 7100, www.ultralifebatteries.com
fueling
California fights to save hydrogen highway
I
n California, the closure of hydrogen fuel stations and concerns that allied technology is not viable in the near future are potentially jeopardizing the state’s planned ‘hydrogen highway’. Reports in the San Jose Mercury News reveal that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s vision of establishing 100 fueling stations by 2010, which would make it much more practical for Californian motorists to use hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, is under threat. However, officials from the California Air Resources Board recently met with energy companies and automakers to shore up wavering support for the governor’s proposed network of fueling stations. According to the reports, the energy companies agreed to provide money and staff time needed to reopen a critical hydrogen station at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento. The station was one of three sites to close recently, as well as another in Richmond that powered some AC Transit buses. Mary Nichols, who chairs CARB, says the increased support goes beyond the one station. Promises were made to find a way to get additional stations built as distrust and concern mounted in the energy and car manufacturing industries because, in addition to the three stations recently closing, plans for an additional three state-funded stations collapsed, including a large-scale station in San Carlos that was to be built by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). PG&E’s decision to turn down $1.5 million in state funds to build the retail hydrogen station is especially noteworthy, reports the newspaper. The site was supposed to serve as a center for hundreds of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars that were going to be leased in northern California – one of the first significant efforts to make the vehicles available to the public. Furthermore, General Motors, which is planning to roll out a line of hydrogen cars during 2008, said the trend is troubling, and might also cripple its plans in northern California. Nichols characterizes the problems as a ‘hiccup’, and says she is not surprised that
it is taking a bit longer to get everything in place. CARB is planning to reissue bids for the projects, and says it will add money to help upgrade two existing stations. There are already funds set aside for the competitive projects from past budgets, and additional funding is being requested for future projects in Governor Schwarzenegger’s recently released proposed budget. For more on the California Hydrogen Highway, go to: hydrogenhighway.ca.gov
P+E hydrogen separator unit for US Navy
I
n the US, Power+Energy (P+E) has delivered its largest hydrogen separation membrane assembly to date to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This unit – rated at 50 kW – is one of the deliverables under a project funded by the Office of Naval Research. The membrane system is designed to extract fuel-cell grade hydrogen from a stream of reformed, logistic diesel fuel (JP-8). It will be installed by the Navy in a demonstration system, which will convert diesel fuel into high-purity hydrogen to feed a large hydrogen fuel cell. Power+Energy says that it has also delivered similar smaller-capacity hydrogen separators to a number of other organizations that are developing fuel cell power systems. The objective is to convert readily available liquid fuels into the high-quality hydrogen stream necessary to reliably operate a fuel cell power system. Last summer the company demonstrated the use of its palladium-alloy membrane technology to deliver hydrogen from a number of fuels, including methanol, ethanol and E85, a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol [FCB, July 2007]. Under two additional contracts, it is commercializing membranes that can tolerate the high concentrations of sulfur commonly found in military fuels, and systems that recycle waste energy and water from the system [FCB, October 2007]. P+E, based near Philadelphia, supplies hydrogen purification systems that are used to manufacture semiconductors, and fulfill various research and laboratory requirements. The company says that it is developing membrane products that will enable the widespread use of energy-efficient fuel cells without the need for investment in costly hydrogen production, distribution and storage systems. Fuel processing technology based on P+E’s membrane reactor
March 2008