Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : FUEL CELLS 1999's Hottest Sector -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen O who wrote (107)	6/8/1999 4:43:00 PM
From: Sid Turtlman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 171

ERC is broadcasting its quarterly earnings conference call over the internet this Thursday afternoon: biz.yahoo.com For those unfamiliar with the company, ERC is the leader in carbonate fuel cells, which are a different type than the PEM fc's that Ballard, Plug Power, and most other companies have been working on. Carbonate fc's have little or no potential to be used in cars, because they are not as compact as PEM, but have some characteristics that make them superior, IMO, for stationary power. They are much more efficient than PEM (converting natural gas to electricity at efficiencies of 50% and above, compared to 40% or less for PEM), which means that they are also cleaner than PEM in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Because they operate at a higher temperature, ERC's fc's can take in natural gas directly as a fuel and not need to run it through an external reformer to create the hydrogen first. Reformers are expensive in capital cost and energy consumption. Not needing one should help ERC offer the lowest cost, most efficient stationary power fuel cell in the market, once production is fully ramped up. No one can say for sure that any of the fuel cell companies will ever make any money, but I think ERC's chances are as good or better than any of the others, yet its market cap is quite modest.

To: Stephen O who wrote (107)	7/17/1999 10:01:00 AM
From: Scoobah	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 171

Hydrogen takes a giant leap, Northwest Power Systems Develops Diesel Fuel Processor biz.yahoo.com Northwest Power Systems Develops Diesel Fuel Processor BEND, Ore., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Power Systems (NPS), under contract to Sandia National Laboratories, a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy, announced today that it successfully tested a new fuel processor that converts diesel into high-purity hydrogen. Without need for further purification, the hydrogen was fed to a proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cell that produced electricity. NPS developed the diesel fuel processor for use in fuel cell systems that can generate electricity for use in homes, schools and businesses in remotely located villages of Alaska. The technology breakthrough enhances NPS's prospects for rapid commercialization of fuel cells for both stationary and portable applications, worldwide. Northwest Power previously demonstrated a kerosene fuel processor for Arctic applications. Both the diesel and kerosene fuel processors will be automated and tested this fall with fuel cells that NPS purchases from independent manufacturers. ''Our longer-term objective is to complete all field testing of a series of fully-integrated fuel cell systems for residential applications in rural Alaska in the year 2000,'' said Guggenheim. ''Diesel is a bonus for us and Sandia because of the widespread distribution of this fuel in Alaska and elsewhere.'' The successful diesel fuel processor demonstration culminated a week-long effort in which the Company produced hydrogen from kerosene, bio-diesel, petroleum diesel and a proprietary nonflammable liquid feedstock in a single fuel processor. The fuel processor is a proprietary design that incorporates hydrogen purification as part of the fuel processor. The product hydrogen from all four of the test fuels was greater than 99.8% pure with less than one part per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide and less than one ppm of carbon dioxide. These contaminants can poison a PEM fuel cell irreversibly. No further purification of the product hydrogen is necessary with Northwest Power's fuel processor before passing it into any conventional PEM fuel cell stack. NPS already has developed a fuel processor that converts methanol to hydrogen. The Company is developing ethanol, propane and, most recently, natural gas, models that provide needed hydrogen for PEM fuel cell systems. PEM fuel cells run quietly with no combustion cycle and no moving parts. Founded in 1996, Northwest Power Systems is a subsidiary of IDACORP Technologies, Inc., Boise, Idaho. SOURCE: Northwest Power Systems