May
23th 2002
Research group to study Plug Power fuel cell
Source:The Hearst Corporation
A consortium set up by the Houston Advanced Research Center will test a fuel cell system to show
how fuel cells work as a source of safe, clean and efficient electric power.
The 5 kilowatt, proton
exchange membrane system was designed and made by Plug
Power Inc., a fuel-cell
system maker based in Latham, N.Y.
HARC will combine the
fuel cell with a separate water heating system to evaluate the system's
combined heat and
power capabilities.
The HARC consortium,
which includes Southern Co.; Texaco Energy Systems Inc., a unit of ChevronTexaco
Technology Ventures; and Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development
Inc.,
was created two years
ago to examine promising fuel cell technologies.
The group is testing
a number of fuel cells to learn how they work, both in large- and small-scale
stationary applications.
The consortium is considering issues such as power quality and reliability
as well as how fuel cells might be applied to incentive programs that promote
emission reductions.
"Projects such as this
can help fuel cells evolve as a technology that can contribute to the overall
reliability and performance
of electricity delivered to residential and commercial customers through
the
electric power grid,"
said Roger Saillant, Plug Power's president and CEO. "We look forward to
working with members
of the consortium to gain a keener understanding of fuel cell applications
and
integration into building
systems as well as market challenges."
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to produce electric power without combustion. The technology offers several environmental and economic benefits, such as near-zero emissions. Other awaited applications of fuel cells include transportation and automotive applications, portable applications and distributed power for remote locations.
HARC, based in The
Woodlands and established in 1982, is a nonprofit organization that conducts
research and provides
service in the areas of energy, life sciences, and the environment. HARC's
Fuel Cell Research
and Applications Center was created in July 1998 in response to a growing
demand for clean power
generation products.
