Fuel Cell Technology Update - May 2002
TRANSPORTATION
Manhattan Scientifics and Aprilia Unveil New Scooter. Manhattan Scientifics, Inc. and Aprilia have unveiled a new fuel cell powered scooter at the International Paris Fair. The MOJITO FC scooter is powered by Manhattan Scientifics' new 3000-watt fuel cell, capable of covering 120 miles with a single fueling at a top speed of at least 35 miles an hour. <http://www.hawkassociates.com/mhtx/mhtxpr48.htm>
AC Transit to Purchase Four Fuel Cell Buses. The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit) board of directors voted unanimously to purchase four new compressed hydrogen fuel cell buses for use by the California public transportation system. AC Transit will operate three of the buses, with the fourth to be used by SunLine Transit of Southern California. A contract for the purchase of the buses, each of which cost an estimated $3.1 million, should be signed this month. <http://www.actransit.org/onthehorizon/fuelcell.wu>
Honda Starts Crash Testing of FCVs. Honda has started front and rear collision tests on its FCX-V5 prototype, a speed of 55km/h. The results were encouraging: they confirmed high passenger protection safety during front tests and there was no hydrogen leakage from the high-pressure tank. Honda has said that even more stringent crash tests will follow. The FCX-V5, which is due to be tested on public roads beginning in May, will be subjected to side collision and front offset collision tests. <http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/IndustryInformation/IndustryInformationExternal/NewsDisplayArticle/0,1471,1224,00.html>
Nissan Adding Scores of New Jobs. Nissan Motor Company plans to add 4,000 new workers to its workforce, including about 2,500 jobs at its new U.S. plant. Among the new hires will be about 1,000 people who will focus on fuel cell vehicles and other new technologies. <http://www.nandotimes.com/business/v-text/story/378700p-3026012c.html?printer>
STATIONARY POWER
Avista Labs Installs Fuel Cell For US Army Corps of Engineers, Signs Joint Agreement with Aperion. Avista Labs, has installed a three-kilowatt fuel cell at the Washington Air National Guard facility at Geiger Field in Spokane, Washington. The fuel cell was installed under the Department of Defense (DOD) Fuel Cell Demonstration Program which is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). The SR-72 PEM fuel cell runs on industrial grade bottled hydrogen, provides electrical power to a generator service bay. Avista Labs also signed a joint agreement with Aperion Energy to develop and market small-scale backup power solutions using modular cartridge technology proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Under the agreement, Aperion will purchase and integrate 30 "Independence 1000" fuel cells from Avista Labs this year, with the number of systems marketed by both companies expected to increase "substantially" during 2003 and 2004. <http://www.avistalabs.com/news_over.asp#742>
H Power Installs Four Units at Electric Co-ops, Amends Operating Agreement with ECO. H Power Corp. has installed next-generation residential cogeneration units (RCU) at four U.S. rural electric cooperatives, as part of its beta test program. Working closely with its marketing partner Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc. (ECO), H Power installed the 4.5-kilowatt proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system RCU's at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative in Bowling Green, Virginia; Delta-Montrose Electric Association in Montrose, Colorado; Enerstar Power Corporation in Paris, Illinois; and Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative in Kearney, Missouri. H Power and ECO have signed and restated an $81 million operating agreement, allowing ECO to market H Power's portable products and outlining a delivery schedule for residential units. <http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=64> <http://www.powerpulse.net/cgi-bin/displaystory_new.pl?id=5654>
Starwood Hotels, PPL Sign Deal on FC Systems. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with PPL Corporation to install and operate two 250-kilowatt natural gas fuel cell (FC) systems at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, NJ, and the Sheraton Edison Hotel Raritan Center in Edison, NJ. PPL has signed an additional agreement with FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE), under which PPL will install, operate and maintain FCE fuel cells at the two hotels. The New Jersey Clean Energy Program will provide approximately $1.7 million in funding to PPL as part of its incentive program to encourage the use of clean and efficient energy technology. <http://www1.pplweb.com/newsapp/news_releases.articleview?p_artid=2041>
First Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Hybrid In Operation. The world's first fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid power plant is now operating at the National Fuel Cell Research Center in Irvine, California. The system features a Siemens Westinghouse solid oxide fuel cell combined with an Ingersol Rand microturbine to produce approximately 190 kilowatts of electricity. Early test data show electrical efficiencies of approximately 53%, believed to be a world record for the operation of any fuel cell system on natural gas. Improvements in the technology could ultimately raise efficiencies to 60% for smaller systems and 70% or higher for larger systems. <http://www.fossil.energy.gov/techline/tl_fuelcellhybrid_startup_print.html>
Sulzer Sells Fuel Cells to Three Utilities. Sulzer AG's Sulzer Hexis unit has closed distribution contracts for the installation of 114 fuel cell systems in Germany and that three German power companies have ordered systems. <http://www.sulzer.com>
PORTABLE POWER
JPL Develops Portable Fuel Cell Technology. A team of researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have designed a compact, flat fuel cell for portable applications. The power source uses the new lightweight monopolar flat pack technology and is roughly the size of two paperback books standing tall, back-to-back. It operates efficiently at ambient temperature without a fan, unlike conventional designs. <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2002/release_2002_94.html>
Fraunhofer Integrates Fuel Cell Into a Laptop. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has presented a fuel cell system fully integrated into a laptop computer. The entire system - featuring a mini fuel cell, hydrogen tanks, and electronics - is located where the batteries used to be. <http://www.ise.fhg.de/english/press/pi_2002/pdf/0402_ise-pi_bz-system_in_laptop_e.pdf>
Manhattan Scientifics' Fuel Cell Acheives 6x Performance of Batteries. Manhattan Scientifics has boosted the energy of its MicroFuelCell(tm) by a factor of six to nine times beyond the capabilities of current lithium ion batteries, with an estimated specific energy of 940watt*hr/kg. The energy boosts were achieved using a sodium borohydride NaBH4 ampoule as a hydrogen producing fuel source. <http://www.hawkassociates.com/mhtx/mhtxpr47.htm>
FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE
DaimlerChrysler Opens First Methanol Fueling Station, Launches Research Initiative with Choren. The first methanol fueling station for fuel cell vehicles was opened at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, California. It will supply the test vehicles operating on methanol in the area with liquid fuel. DaimlerChrysler also launched an eleven million euro (US 10 million) research project for the production of methanol and diesel fuel from biomass with Choren Industries GmbH. DaimlerChrysler will test these advanced fuels to establish their suitability for use. <http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2002/04/22/daily30.html>
Stuart to Supply Hydrogen to Ford. Stuart Energy Systems' new Community Fueler Portable(tm) (CFP-450) will supply clean hydrogen for testing of Ford's new Focus FCV and other Ford hydrogen-powered vehicles at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds. The CFP-450 is a one-of-a kind hydrogen infrastructure solution that is portable and integrates hydrogen generation equipment, storage, and dual pressure (3600 & 5000 psig) fuel dispensing. It produces 1kg/hour of hydrogen, fills as fast as a gasoline pump and can fuel up to 50 cars per week. <http://www.stuartenergy.com/NEWS/HTML_Press_Releases/SESFuelFordFocus.asp>
Ztek Introduces New Hydrogen Reformer. Ztek has introduced a new reformer that has successfully extracted hydrogen from regular unleaded gasoline as well as natural gas. The reformer can extract 85 percent of potential energy from the fuel and doesn't require any precious metals for its components, greatly reducing costs. <http://www.powerpulse.net/cgi-bin/displaystory_new.pl?id=5583>
Quantum, Hyundai Sign MOU. Quantum Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Motor Company to jointly develop fuel systems for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and alternative fuel vehicles. Both Hyundai and Quantum will develop and commercialize advanced hydrogen and alternative fuel systems for Hyundai's vehicles. In addition, Quantum will provide its advanced fuel storage and fuel delivery technologies. <http://www.qtww.com/press_releases/pr_apr_02_2002.shtml>
Argonne Develops New Membrane. Argonne's Energy Technology Division has developed a ceramic membrane that can extract hydrogen from methane. The membranes could eliminate the need for costly refineries and are small and efficient, making it feasible to have them at gas stations. <http://www.earthvision.net/ColdFusion/News_Page1.cfm?NewsID=20485>
UOP, Sud-Chemie Form Fuel Processor Company. UOP and Sud-Chemie, Inc. have formed a new company, HyRadix, Inc., that will supply fuel processors for stationary fuel cells. The HyRadix hydrogen generation system is designed to convert natural gas into hydrogen for use in residential and small commercial proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. HyRadix is also adapting the technology to produce up to 500 normal cubic meters per hour of high purity hydrogen for manufacturing and fueling station applications. <http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020409/cgtu037_1.html>
Hydrogen Partnership is Launched in London. In London, big business, the motor industry and top research experts have joined together to form the Hydrogen Partnership, a partnership committed to making London a world leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technology.
FUEL CELL COMPONENTS
Greenlight to Partner with TOYO in Japan, Adds SOFC and MCFC Testing Stations. Greenlight Power Technologies, Inc. has signed an agreement with TOYO Corporation to market, sell and service Greenlight's fuel cell test equipment in Japan. Greenlight has also added test stations for solid oxide (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) to its product line. The expansion of Greenlight's product line resulted in immediate SOFC and MCFC test station orders of over $2.5 million from three new US based customers. <http://www.greenlightpower.com/pdf/040802_greenlight_signs_japanese_distribution_partnership.pdf> <http://www.greenlightpower.com/pdf/042502_greenlight_adds_solid_oxide_molten_carbonate.pdf>
Ballard Announces Commercial Availability of Gas Diffusion Layer. Ballard Power Systems' Material Products Division has developed AvCarb(tm) P50T carbon fiber paper with superior gas diffusion properties. The gas diffusion layer allows for the even diffusion of hydrogen and air against the membrane at the heart of a PEM fuel cell, and also has good electrical conductivity. <http://www.ballard.com/viewpressrelease.asp?sPrID=268> <http://biz.yahoo.com/ccn/020411/47c87d5caec859016d5dcdfbla14a532_1.html>
Dynetek Europe Receives Cylinder Approval. Dynetek Industries Ltd.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Dynetek Europe GmbH has received the first approvals for the manufacture and sale of two types of cylinders for on-board storage of compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen. The manufacturing plant has received TUV German approval that provides certification for the manufacture and sale of cylinders for bus, truck and car applications in the European market. <http://micro.newswire.ca/releases/April2002/23/c7422.html/47875-0>
DuPont to Offer Membrane Electrode Assemblies DuPont Fuel Cells will be expanding its product line beyond Nafion membranes to include such fuel cell components as membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). Currently, MEAs are available only through confidential development agreements with the company. Nafion membranes and MEAs are used to manufacture the fuel cell stack. DuPont estimates that more than 50 percent of a fuel cell stack can be made using its products.
REPORTS/MARKET STUDIES
New Biomass Study Available. The Northeast Regional Biomass Program, in conjunction with XENERGY, Inc., has completed a comprehensive study examining the feasibility of utilizing bio-based fuels with stationary fuel cell technologies. The study can be downloaded at no charge from the Northeast Regional Biomass Program web site at: <http://www.nrbp.org/>.
MISCELLANEOUS
H Power and Synergy Sign MOU. H Power Corp. and Synergy Technologies Corp. have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly pursue development of fuel cell systems utilizing H Power's fuel cell technology and Synergy's patented SynGen cold plasma process for reforming heavy fossil fuels to produce hydrogen. The anticipated joint development activities will allow both companies to expand the presence of their products and technologies in the marketplace. <http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=62>
Michigan Governor Unveils NextEnergy Center. Michigan Governor John Engler unveiled NextEnergy - a comprehensive economic development plan to make Michigan a world leader in the research, development, commercialization and manufacture of alternative energy technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. The plan proposes the creation of a 700-acre, tax-free NextEnergyZone in York Township, building a NextEnergy Center there, and attracting alternative energy companies from around the world to the zone. <http://www.nextenergy.org/>
New Promotional and Informational Portal Launched. FuelCell-Info Publishing, Inc. has launched a promotional and informational portal site for fuel cell professionals worldwide. Fuelcell-info.com provides a unique promotional opportunity for companies and organizations in the industry, combining a branded industry directory, Internet destination, community services, lead generation and brand promotion, into a vertical industry portal. <http://www.fuelcell-info.com>
Green Dream Jobs Offers Renewable Energy Job Listings. Green Dream Jobs is a sustainable business job service that has been connecting people with business skills to environmentally conscious employers for 5 years on the Web. If you mention Fuel Cells 2000's Technology Update when you post your job, you'll get a 20% discount! To view their renewable energy jobs, go to www.sustainablebusiness.com/jobs <http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/jobs>
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
Master Solicitation for Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy. The Department of Energy has issued a master solicitation, Competitive Financial Assistance for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Proposals for the solicitation should be submitted under appropriate program areas, which include several hydrogen and fuel cell topics. Funding of approximately $1.2 million will be available for renewable energy programs and an additional $3 million will be available for energy efficiency programs for awards. Applications for the various program areas are due May 15, 2002. <http://e-center.doe.gov/iips/busopor.nsf/Solicitation+By+Number/16FEED83E99E8C0B85256B8E0053C95B?OpenDocument>
ATP Announces FY2002 General Competition. NIST's Advanced Technology Program has announced it's now accepting proposals for funding under its FY2002 General Competition, which is open to all technologies and all applications. A total of $60.7 million is available for the first year funding of new awards. In FY2001, 5 new fuel cell R&D projects received funding amounting to $18.8 million. <http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/update/upd20020415.htm>
Biomass Solicitation Includes Hydrogen Production Topic of Interest. The Department of Energy's solicitation for Biomass Research and Development includes an interest in applications for production of hydrogen. Total funding available for this solicitation is expected to be $20 million. <http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOI/MMS/PO/86382/SynopsisP.html>
RFP for Hydrogen Generation from Electrolysis. DOE's Office of Power Technologies is soliciting applications for the development and demonstration of an integrated renewable hydrogen generation system that will electrolyze water to produce hydrogen. Approximately $3 million in funding is expected to be available under this solicitation. <http://e-center.doe.gov/iips/busopor.nsf/e6458ce53c05cf038525645200788ab8/bd72510b8b19f55785256b9700623ea6?OpenDocument>
CONFERENCES/CALL FOR PAPERS
Fuel Cells Modeling Seminar. CFDRC is sponsoring a Fuel Cells Modeling Seminar on May 14, 2002, at the Philadelphia Marriott in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, go to <http://www.cfdrc.com>.
E-Vision. "E-Vision: Shaping Our Future by Reducing Energy Intensity in the U.S. Economy" will be May 14-16, 2002, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, go to <http://www.e-vision2002.com>
The Business of Fuel Cells for Automotive Applications. The Business of Fuel Cells for Automotive Applications will be June 3-4, 2002, at The Hyatt Regency Dearborn Hotel, in Dearborn, Michigan. <http://www.eyeforfuelcells.com/events/detroit2002/>
Future Car Congress. The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research are sponsoring the 2002 Future Car Congress, June 3-5, 2002, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, visit <http://www.futurecarcongress.org/>.
Solar 2002. The National Solar Energy Conference will be June 15-20, 2002, in Reno/Sparks, Nevada. For information, go to <http://www.ases.org>
The Business Case for Cogeneration. "The Business Case for Cogeneration: Regulatory Initiatives, Long-Term Financial Savings and Emerging Technologies of CHP & Distributed Generation" will be June 27-28, 2002, at the Omni Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. For details, please visit <http://www.cbinet.com>.
FUEL CELL 2002. Fuel Cell 2002 is holding 2 parallel conferences, THE FUEL CELL WORLD and the 5th EUROPEAN SOFC FORUM, on July 1-5, 2002, at the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern in Lucerne, Switzerland. For more information, go to <http://www.efcf.com/conferences/index.shtml>.
IBEC 2002. The International Body Engineering Conference and Exhibition will be July 9-11, 2002, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. For registration information, please visit <http://www.sae.org/pfsys>.
HyFuSys1. "HyFuSys 1: Commercial Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Systems For Stationary, Automotive And Portable Applications" will be September 9-11, 2002, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, go to <http://www.live-fair.com/lauderdale/index.html>.
EVAA 2002. The EVAA Electric Transportation Industry Conference and Exposition will be December 10-13, 2002, at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Convention Center in Hollywood Beach, Florida. For more information, go to <http://www.eticonference.com>.
India International Clean Energy Expo 2003. The Third International Exhibition & Conference on Renewable and Sustainable Energy will be held February 20-23, 2003, in Bangalore, India. For more information, visit <http://www.unisun.net>
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