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Technology Stocks : Ballard Power -world leader zero-emission PEM fuel cells -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gg cox who wrote (5356)	1/9/2001 7:35:14 PM
From: CH4	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5827

BMW 7-series may be fitted with fuel cells ... Business Times - 2 Dec 2000 A JOINT effort between automotive systems maker Delphi and luxury car company BMW to develop a fuel cell system is expected to bear fruit soon. A paper presented by the two parties obtained by BT points to the development of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) -- as opposed to the "wet" proton exchange membrane fuel cell pursued by other manufacturers. This SOFC "is targeted at the application in a premium-class passenger car", which observers suspect is the new BMW 7-series. The Bavarian limousine is due to be released next year and will arrive in Singapore by next November. Neither party would confirm or deny this speculation. The paper describes the functions of the SOFC as primarily that of an auxiliary power unit. Meaning, it will allow high-load electrical operations to continue even when the vehicle's engine is not running. More specifically, it is targeted at the airconditioning system. An SOFC produces electricity via chemical means using petrol as the fuel source. Delphi and BMW claim their version has a conversion efficiency of more than 50 per cent. Unlike the "wet" format, the SOFC does not rely on the availability of pure hydrogen, can be used in a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels, and is not complicated by water management. The paper also states that the SOFC -- because it is targeted at only 2 per cent or so of the automotive market (such as high-end luxury cars) -- does not have to be as cost-competitive as systems that seek to replace the traditional car engine. "It is not a threat to the internal combustion engine," it says. Although fuel cell applications in the automotive field are in its infancy, the technology has been around for over 150 years. Early batteries were fuel cells. Much later, fuel cells were used in submarines and in space craft. If indeed the new 7-series comes fitted with this device, it will be the first wide-scale application of the technology in the automotive industry. business-times.asia1.com.sg ... Singapore Press original link globalte.com ... FUEL CELL STACKS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS