| | | GE Claims Fuel Cell Breakthrough, Starts Pilot Production
By Martin LaMonica
Posted 25 Jul 2014 | 19:00 GMT spectrum.ieee.org
General Electric has developed a way to convert natural gas using a combination of fuel cell and an engine, an approach it hopes will finally result in broad adoption of stationary fuel cells.
The industrial giant's research arm on Tuesday disclosed details on its solid-oxide fuel cell research efforts and said it has started a pilot line at a factory in upstate New York to manufacture the generators. As first reported here last year, GE has achieved relatively high efficiency by coupling two generators and hopes to bring down costs by using cheaper materials.
Instead of using expensive platinum or other rare metals as catalysts, GE's fuel cell uses stainless steel, the company says. It generates electricity by flowing fuel through stacks of ceramic plates where a chemical reaction between the fuel and oxygen from incoming air occurs between a positive and negative electrode at high temperatures.
The core technical innovation lies in the ceramic plates, GE materials scientist Kristen Brosnan said in a statement. The anode and zirconium-oxide electrolyte layers are deposited using a thermal spray technology now used to protect parts inside GE jet engines. The cathode is a printable ceramic material GE developed. "Our materials are easy to apply, can handle large temperature swings and last a long time," says Brosnan.
GE engineers have also taken advantage of another generator in its product portfolio—its Jenbacher gas engine—to squeeze more electricity from the available fuel. The natural gas-to-electricity conversion produces exhaust gases, which contain a mixture of hydrogen and carbon. This synthetic gas, or syngas, is fed into the engine to produce additional power. Combined, GE estimates it can turn 65 percent of the usable energy from natural gas into electricity. Bloom Energy, which also makes a solid-oxide fuel cell, says its fuel cells are about 60 percent efficient. Using the waste heat from this process, GE thinks it can get to 95 percent energy efficiency...
General Electric is building a fuel cell pilot development and manufacturing plant in upstate New York Robin K. Cooper Managing Editor- Albany Business Review Jul 22, 2014, 7:30pm EDT Updated: Jul 23, 2014, 7:49am EDT
bizjournals.com
General Electric has created a new fuel cell startup business and is building a fuel cell pilot development and manufacturing plant in Malta, New York, the company announced Tuesday.
The company said it has developed a new technology "that could soon start producing electricity around the world."
The new Malta plant in Saratoga County already is being equipped with robotic thermal spray equipment, fuel cell test stations, screen printers and towering bulk gas storage tanks...
The New Power Generation: This Fuel Cell Startup Could Spark a Revolution
July 22, 2014 gereports.com
There’s more than one way to get energy out of natural gas... |
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