FuelCellsWorks

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin) announce that they plan to provide 60 2010-model¹ residential, solid-oxide fuel-cell (SOFC²) cogeneration systems jointly developed by Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (Osaka Gas), Kyocera Corporation (Kyocera), TMC and Aisin to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO’s) Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Verification Project³.  Five companies are participating in the project: Hokkaido Gas Co. Ltd., Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., Toho Gas, Ltd., Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. and Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.

TMC and Aisin provided equipment for the project’s 2009 test program, which confirmed the exceptional performance of SOFCs as energy-saving devices.  The 2010 models have overcome the technological development issues identified through earlier test programs to achieve even greater energy savings and CO2 reductions.  They feature higher load efficiency of the power-generating unit during low output (referred to as “partial load efficiency”) and greater hot water tank capacity, resulting in more effective use of waste heat.  In addition, durability and ease-of-maintenance have also been improved to enhance product marketability.

By providing the new models to the project, TMC and Aisin hope to accelerate development of residential SOFC cogeneration systems, completing development within the first half of the 2010s.

Outline of 2010-model SOFC cogeneration systems provided to NEDO project

Features

A higher partial load efficiency was achieved through improved heat insulation of the module (made up of cell stacks⁴ and fuel reformers) as well as greater use of waste heat by increasing the capacity of the hot water tank.

• Insulation material surrounding the module has been increased to reduce radiant heat loss, and the temperature distribution within the module has been optimized.  Thus, partial load efficiency has been improved and generating efficiency when generating volume is below the set rating is higher than the 2009 model.
• The depth of the hot water tank has been increased by 10 mm, raising the tank capacity from 70 liters to 90 liters and achieving more effective use of waste heat.  As a result, high generating efficiency can be maintained regardless of the electrical power demand, cutting both running costs and CO2 emissions.

The coating material on the metal current collector material placed between the cells in the cell stack has been modified and the temperature distribution within the module has been optimized, improving durability.

The amount of the desulfurizing agent added to the natural gas as an odorant has been increased, making the desulfurization unit maintenance-free for 10 years.  In addition, temperature management of the desulfurizing agent prevents deterioration from water vapor in the gas.

Energy savings have been increased by switching to a latent-heat-recovery boiler from a boiler that did not recover heat from the condensed water in the exhaust gas (latent heat).

Specifications
Power Generating Unit

Waste Heat Utilization Hot Water Heating Unit (Detached house specifications)

 ¹Unless otherwise noted, years mentioned are from April 1 to March 31.
²Fuel cells using ceramic electrolytes.  Oxygen is ionized and, by passing through an electrolyte, chemically reacts with hydrogen and carbon monoxide, generating electricity.  One of the notable characteristics of this system is that it uses carbon monoxide.
³Begun in 2007; the project’s aim is to install residential SOFC cogeneration systems in regular households to identify future technological development issues based on the data acquired.  Unless otherwise noted, years mentioned are from April 1 to March 31.
⁴Fuel cells (electric power generator) composed of a cathode, electrolyte and an anode.  A single cell has an electromotive force of less than one volt and an output of only a few watts, so cells are connected sequentially in a stack to increase voltage and power output.

IVYLAND, Pa– Power and Energy. Inc (P+E) and S3 Alliance have announced a new partnership to supply Power and Energy’s range of advanced micro-channel hydrogen purifiers throughout Europe. With the widest flow range available in the industry, P+E’s cost-effective purifiers deliver 99.9999999% pure hydrogen to a range of end-users including LED manufacturers, thin film Silicon photovoltaic manufacturers, semiconductor and LCD manufacturers, hydrogen fuel cell applications as well as universities and research institutes.

Under the terms of the agreement, S3 Alliance will exclusively sell and service Power and Energy’s purifiers in Europe. Commenting on the agreement, Power and Energy’s President and COO Noel Leeson said, “The European market is very strategic for our business, and Power and Energy is looking forward to expanding its customer base in this very critical market. S3 Alliance is an established and highly respected supplier to our target markets and will provide excellent sales and service support to our customers throughout Europe.”

Thomas Riedel, S3 Alliance managing director, commented, “Power and Energy’s purifiers are a valuable addition to the products and services that S3 Alliance supplies to its customers throughout Europe. By sourcing products and providing service solutions that offer value for money, coupled with technical advantage, S3 Alliance aims to be a trustworthy partner to our diverse customer base.”

P+E and S3 Alliance will be jointly exhibiting at the EU Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Valencia, Spain, at Booth L3/H4/D9 from Sept. 6-10, 2010 (http://www.photovoltaic-conference.com).

About Power and Energy
Power and Energy (http://www.powerandenergy.com) is headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA. Established in 1993, the company’s mission is to enable the Hydrogen Economy and promote energy efficiency through the application of micro-channel technologies. The company provides an full range of micro-channel hydrogen purifiers to ultra-high purity users across the US, Asia and Europe.

About S3 Alliance
S3 Alliance is a market driven organization with more than 15 years of experience in the semiconductor, solar, life sciences and related market segments. The company’s success is achieved by maintaining strong customer and supplier relationships, and adapting our product range to the market requirement.

S3 Alliance supports the European Marketplace with three regional offices located in Northern Ireland, Germany and Italy.

Clean energy pioneer B9 Coal has today announced a revolutionary proposition for efficient, cheap power generation from coal with carbon capture. The UK-based company is bringing together a consortium of major corporations, including WSP Group, AFC Energy and Linc Energy to develop a unique project that will put the UK at the forefront of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

The 500 megawatt (MW) project is being put forward for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) CCS demonstration competition. Rio Tinto Alcan’s Lynemouth Plant in Northumberland has been announced as a potential site for the plant. The proposal has the support of the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and Renew, the organisation tasked with commercial energy and environmental technology projects across North East England.

‘At a time when the government is expressing a desire to show global leadership on CCS, we are offering a project that has the potential to become a world-leading template’, explained B9 Coal Director Alisa Murphy. ‘Our combination of technologies is truly game-changing and offers CCS without inflated cost or loss of efficiency. The B9 Coal project also has major implications for UK energy security, job creation and technological achievement.’

B9 Coal offers a groundbreaking combination of keystone technologies: AFC Energy’s alkaline fuel cells and Linc Energy’s Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), a process supported by the UK Government’s Environmental Agency. UCG produces syngas which is then passed through a clean-up process resulting in separate streams of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen is used to power highly efficient fuel cells whilst the carbon dioxide is already captured and ready for transport and storage.

The project will offer greatly enhanced efficiency conversion of coal to electricity, whilst enabling upwards of 90% carbon capture. AFC Energy’s alkaline fuel cells convert hydrogen to electricity at 60% efficiency and, when combined with UCG, can provide a projected cost per kWh of as low as 4p. UCG potentially gives access in the UK to an extra 17 billion tonnes of coal without the major environmental impacts of conventional mining. Together the technologies have the potential to transform coal from the dirtiest fossil fuel to the cleanest.

‘This project is an impressive integration of technologies which addresses the energy challenges the UK is currently facing. It gives us the opportunity to maximise our coal resources but in an environmentally sensitive way,’ Ian Balchin, CEO of AFC Energy commented. ‘AFC Energy is delighted to be a part of such a forward looking project that will inevitably bring us closer to a low energy, low carbon economy.’

Within a month, entrepreneurs Chris McWhinney and Dave Erbaugh plan to open Ohio’s first hydrogen-based gas station at Dull’s Family Farm on U.S. 40, just north of Brookville.

The partners think hydrogen power can be a successful business that helps consumers save money and reduce foreign energy dependence. When their station opens, it will culminate a six-year effort of research, testing and building prototypes.

“In the next 40 to 50 years, 90 percent of us will be using hydrogen power,” McWhinney said.

“When it happens, it’s going to happen really fast, like the computer revolution. Look back to 1980-85. Hardly anyone had a computer at home.”

Hydrogen power has competition from compressed natural gas, electricity and other natural fuels.

“The government is not trying to pick winners yet,” said Chris Meyer, director of energy programs for the Dayton Development Coalition.

“They’re funding a lot of these programs and going to let the market do the choosing.”

McWhinney and Erbaugh’s company, Millennium Reign Energy, wants to help make consumers more energy independent by installing small hydrogen fueling appliances in their homes.

Start-up costs are pricey — some estimates are $35,000 — but the two believe consumers will save in the long run. They note there are government incentives and grants available to consumers who use alternative fueling sources. They said their equipment will allow consumers to produce their own hydrogen fuel that would heat and air condition a house, as well as fuel two vehicles.

“These are exciting times, and it’s kind of a gee-whiz moment for these new energy sources,” said Jack Shaner of the Ohio Environmental Council, the state’s leading advocate for fresh air, clean water and sustainable land use.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – NuVant Systems Inc.  launched a new product called EZlab that may make it easier for researchers in university laboratories and companies to compare the performance of electrode components in fuel cells, which generate electricity from fuels like hydrogen, hydrocarbons and alcohols.

The EZlab enables comprehensive analysis of fuel cell electrode components, where chemical reactions occur to produce electricity. In addition to short-term performance studies, longer-term lifetime studies can be conducted to reveal fuel cell failure modes.

EZlab test stations are developed, assembled and manufactured at the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana, which is located in AmeriPlex at the Crossroads.

Eugene Smotkin, founder of NuVant Systems and professor of materials chemistry at Northeastern University in Boston, said the EZlab turnkey system differs from similar products in a number of ways.

“EZlab is modular and can interface with a variety of fuel cells, including hydrogen- or alcohol-fueled cells,” Smotkin said. “All the components are on the front panel, not hidden inside like other test stations, which will maximize ease of use for educational labs.”

NuVant Systems developed the EZlab at the request of a colleague of Smotkin.

“Paul McGinn of the University of Notre Dame requested that NuVant Systems design and produce a fuel cell test station that was optimized for educational purposes,” Smotkin said. “These fuel cell stations are in use by Professor McGinn and Sanjeev Mukerjee, professor of physical chemistry and materials chemistry at Northeastern University. My colleagues at NuVant Systems and I would like to see the EZlab fuel cell test station in teaching labs throughout North America.”
About NuVant Systems Inc.

NuVant Systems (http://www.nuvant.com) develops and integrates catalysts and electrolytes for stationary and portable fuel-cell electrode assemblies. NuVant has pending patents for intermediate temperature fuel cells. NuVant’s patented high-throughput characterization instrument, the Arraystat System, enables precise, accurate, parallel evaluation of electrode assembly components and fabrication methods under fuel-cell conditions. NuVant also provides equipment for fabrication of fuel cell electrodes and a comprehensive list of electronics for evaluation of electrochemical device characterization.

The Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Interagency Working Group (IWG) recently launched a new portal Web site: www.hydrogen.gov. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the site is a resource for participating agencies and group stakeholders. The IWG consists of several federal agencies, including DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program, that exchange information about hydrogen and fuel cell research, development, demonstration projects, and related activities. Representatives from the agencies meet regularly to share research results, technical expertise, and lessons learned about program implementation, technology development, and deployment. They also coordinate interagency programs and activities related to safe, economical, and environmentally sound hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The new site serves as both an information resource on hydrogen and fuel cells and a portal to participating agency activities.

DENVER (AP) — Monday’s the last day to check out a passenger bus powered by a hydrogen engine at the Taste of Colorado in Denver.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program is showing off the 12-passenger bus with a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine.

The bus was built by Ford. It’s one of 12 hydrogen buses the Department of Energy leases to demonstrate market-ready hydrogen-powered vehicles. The bus on display in Denver is usually used for tours at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.

Electronics manufacturer NXP Semiconductors has created a new type of integrated circuit which it claims can be used to maximise the efficiency of solar cells and fuel cells.

The MPT612 utilises a patent-pending algorithm to control the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) functions of solar panels, allowing 30 per cent more energy to be extracted from the devices than traditional PWM controllers.

According to the firm, it means that the new integrated circuit can deliver 98 per cent efficient power extraction, making it useful in applications such as solar battery charge controllers, distributed MPPT and micro-inverters.

Jan Willem Vogel, senior director of industrial applications marketing at NXP Semiconductors, said the device “enables PV integrators to further improve efficiency across a wide range of solar cell and fuel cell applications, as validated through extensive testing over an extended period of time”.

Last week, light-based research organisation SPIE published new research into how colloidal quantum dots could help to underpin development of new photonic integrated circuits for next-generation computing.

Rapid Electronics is a leading UK supplier of energy saving products, electronic components and electrical equipment.

Mix together some sugar, a generous dose of alcohol, a dash of salt and a splash of water. It sounds like a recipe for an interesting night, but this mixture could one day be used to make a crystalline material for storing hydrogen in fuel-cell cars.

A simple tank is impractical for storing the amount of hydrogen needed to give a fuel-cell car a decent range: the tank would either need to be chilled to around -250 °C to hold the hydrogen in liquid form, or be enormous if a compressed gas is used.

So researchers have experimented with storing hydrogen inside molecular “cages”, made from chains of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms linked by metal ions. These so-called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) only bond weakly with the hydrogen atoms they enclose, so the gas can be recovered simply by heating the material slightly.

Until now most MOFs have been made from organic molecules derived from oil such as benzene compounds, which can be toxic or difficult to produce. Now Fraser Stoddart of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and colleagues have found a way to make MOFs using simple, readily available materials.

Stoddart’s molecular cages are cubical, and each side is made of gamma-cyclodextrin, a ring of glucose molecules. Produced by bacteria, this sugary starch is used as an additive in many foods and pharmaceuticals – making Stoddart’s MOFs edible.

Like crackers

“This is something you can make in your kitchen. You can eat it,” Stoddart says. He hasn’t tasted it himself, but others in his lab say the taste is reminiscent of crackers.

The key to creating the cages is the symmetry of the glucose rings, the team found. In the presence of alcohol and water, they aggregate into cubes held together by ions of potassium or a similar metal.

When the alcohol and water are removed, the resulting material is both stable and spacious, boasting more than 1300 square metres of surface area – equivalent to about six-and-a-half tennis courts – per gram. Roomier MOFs have previously been made, but Stoddart says his is the first made from inexpensive, off-the-shelf ingredients.

Biochemical inspiration

Neil Marsh, a biochemist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, says MOFs made of biological chemicals could have uses beyond fuel storage.

Understanding their structure could enable researchers to engineer better biologically inspired materials, such as enzymes used to produce biofuel. “I think some of the intellectual ideas that come out of MOFs are very appealing in the design of biological systems,” he told New Scientist.

To help spread the word about advanced technology vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program is showcasing alternative fuel vehicles at this year’s A Taste of Colorado. 

Featured at the event will be a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine 12-passenger shuttle bus built by the Ford Motor Company. DOE recently funded the leases for 12 hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine shuttle buses, which are being placed at facilities across the country to demonstrate market-ready advanced technology vehicles.   NREL has one of the leased buses, which it currently uses at the campus in Golden for tours of the site. 

Information and educational materials about alternative fuels and advanced vehicles will be available at the booth.

WHAT:           Display of advanced technology vehicles including a 12-passenger  Hydrogen-powered shuttle bus.

WHO:              U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program & NREL

WHEN:           September 3-6, 2010 at A Taste of Colorado

WHERE:         On Broadway, across from the Denver Post Building.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Singapore– In the first Shell Eco-marathon to take place in Asia, University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) took the first place by achieving an impressive 599km per liter of petrol equivalent, in an extreme energy-efficient electric vehicle design that hybridized Horizon’s hydrogen fuel cells with a powerful ultra-capacitor. Horizon’s fuel cells also powered Thailand’s first ever hydrogen participation (King Mongtut Institute of Technology) to 3rd place for the Asia region.

The first Asian Shell Eco-marathon included 81 teams from 10 Asian countries and was heldat the Formula One Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia on July 7-10, 2010. Shell Eco-marathons have been held for more than 25 years, bringing together high schools, universities, and engineering schools from different countries to create and race the most energy-efficient vehicles. With annual events in the Americas, Europe and now Asia, winning teams are rewarded for traveling the furthest distance using the least amount of energy, as fuel or fuel equivalent.

This year’s leading teams are now looking forward further developing and optimizing their power systems for next year’s race while Horizon Fuel Cell continues its development of higher performance, highly efficient fuel cell technologies. The company’s evolving hydrogen fuel cell technologies offers an attractive technological alternative that brings winning results to Eco-marathon competitors: ultra-light fuel cells with limited peripherals, increasing simplicity, reducing weight, and improving overall vehicle efficiency.

Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s leading forklift manufacturers, has qualified 20 of its electric forklift models to operate with various fuel cells. The company now offers 29 qualified combinations of fuel cell packs and trucks. With this accomplishment, Crown has taken a significant step forward for the industry in certifying the performance, efficiency and safety standards of counterbalanced, stockpicker, reach, tow and pallet trucks powered by fuel cells. Many of these forklifts are already in use at customer locations throughout the world.

In 2009, Crown was the first lift truck manufacturer to introduce a fuel cell qualification program. The program approves Crown electric forklifts for use with fuel cell packs and provides certifications to customers. To qualify a fuel cell pack and truck combination, Crown’s engineers first review key performance metrics for a battery-powered truck, such as traction, plugging, and lift and travel speeds. They then replace the battery with a fuel cell power pack and measure the same indicators. Through both modeling and application testing, the research team determines specific design modifications needed to ensure the fuel cell-powered forklift matched the performance, efficiency and safety standards to which the truck was initially designed.

“This accomplishment further demonstrates Crown’s leadership position in the strategic deployment of fuel cell-powered forklifts,” said Eric Jensen, Crown’s manager of new technology, research and development. “We’ve been steadfast in our position that deployment of a fuel cell forklift fleet must be carefully evaluated and tested for appropriate use in a warehouse. This research-based approach means that our customers can confidently know they have the right truck for their chosen fuel cell, allowing them to meet their performance, safety and environmental sustainability goals.”
Crown continues to work closely with a variety of fuel cell manufacturers and customers to qualify trucks as new fuel cell pack models are introduced and fuel cell technology continues to advance. The company is also moving forward with the next phase of its fuel cell research program, which focuses on increasing levels of fuel cell integration with the truck.

“Forklifts are a key early market for fuel cells,” said Lisa Callaghan Jerram, senior market analyst for Fuel Cell Today, a leading analyst firm providing market-based research on the fuel cell industry. “Based on our market research, we have found strong growth in this sector in the past three years.”

Crown conducts its fuel cell testing at a 25,000-square-foot research facility near Dayton, Ohio, that is dedicated solely to this purpose. The company’s fuel cell initiative is a critical component of its commitment to environmental sustainability throughout its business. A copy of the 2010 Crown ecologic Report highlighting the company’s sustainability initiatives and accomplishments can be downloaded here.

About Crown Equipment Corporation
Crown is one of the world’s largest lift truck manufacturers. Crown’s award-winning line of lift trucks maintains a reputation for exceptional product design, engineering and manufacturing. From the smallest hand pallet truck to the highest lifting turret truck, Crown seeks to provide users with safe, efficient and ergonomic lift trucks that lower total cost of ownership and maximize uptime. Headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio, Crown manufactures lift trucks that are sold throughout the world.

Crown Equipment acknowledges the contribution of the State of Ohio, Department of Development and the Third Frontier Commission which provided the funding in support of the qualification of lift trucks for battery replacement fuel cell projects.

Within five years, local researchers could deliver a way to replace conventional batteries with inexpensive, lightweight and environmentally friendly alternatives.

University of Massachusetts Amherst polymer scientist and associate professor Bryan Coughlin is collaborating with scientists from other universities as part of a five-year, $7.5 million study funded by the U.S. Army Research Office to reduce the weight and the environmental impact of battery packs carried by armed forces.

The multi-university research project is expected to culminate with a viable alternative to current battery packs, which can weigh up to 40 pounds, used for powering gadgets soldiers use for communication, night vision, navigation and other tasks. “When soldiers go out on a mission, they carry incredibly heavy and incredibly awkward batteries that have to be charged before they go out,” Coughlin said. “Having a single power source that is lightweight, durable and refillable with something like methanol would be a huge advantage.”

The recycling issue is especially problematic for the armed forces. “The military isn’t fighting wars near recycling facilities,” Coughlin said. “So our military needs a more environmentally friendly battery that can be recharged with renewable energy sources.”

Replacing traditional batteries with fuel cells could be the answer; fuel cells run on renewable energy sources such as methanol or hydrogen, and can be contained in small, lightweight packaging. But today’s fuel cells aren’t widely available or financially practical because they require expensive precious metal catalysts such as palladium and platinum.

Coughlin, who earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology and holds more than 20 U.S. patents, is part of a team working to make fuel cells without using precious metal catalysts. Coughlin’s work on the project is focused on developing novel polymer membranes for use in fuel cells.

The theory behind the research is conceptually similar to that of existing proton exchange membrane fuel cells, but the mode of operation and transport is different, Coughlin said. “The catalysts we are using are more readily available – silver, iron and cobalt – earth abundant materials, which lower costs, and are easier to use than proton exchange membranes,” he said.

The current research will combine computational and theoretical testing. The lead institution for this initiative is the Colorado School of Mines. Other partners include scientists at the University of Chicago who are contributing theory and computational studies and researchers at the University of California-Riverside who will conduct membrane evaluation and testing.

Mobile telecoms coverage in remote rural areas could be set to explode with the launch of field trials of a new hi-tech power plant that utilises the latest in hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

The technology uses ordinary ammonia to extract hydrogen as a fuel source to efficiently power cell phone towers that have no access to main grid electricity. The science could revolutionise the alternative energy solutions market in the telecommunications industry worldwide.

Currently, it is estimated that 130,000 remote area towers are going up each year globally, at a growing rate of more than 6 per cent. This US$9.2-billion market is concentrated in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South America.

According to auditing and business advisory firm Ernst & Young, the telecoms market in Africa alone is forecast to grow faster than any other region.

In its recent study, ‘Africa Connected, A Telecommunications Growth Story’, Ernst & Young said the telecommunications market in Africa was becoming increasingly competitive and that as competition increased, operational efficiency will take on greater importance for telecommunications operators.

The latest hydrogen-from-ammonia fuel technology currently undergoing field tests is holding out the promise of 25 per cent savings and total equipment cost recovery within two years.

Conducted by UK-based Diverse Energy and leading South African industrial gases company African Oxygen Limited (Afrox), the first field trials are taking place in a remote area of Namibia in 2010.

Robert Carlton-Shields, Afrox Business Manager, special products and chemicals says, “Coverage in remote areas is very patchy and not cost effective at present due to the need to power telecom towers using diesel generators, with all the inherent logistical and environmental emission issues on top.

“What we are trialling with Diverse Energy is their PowerCube® proprietary ammonia cracker integrated system, which produces hydrogen for fuel cells. This compact energy source will replace polluting diesel generators, delivering higher efficiency and lower fuel and maintenance costs, while offering a 25 per cent reduction in total cost of ownership over its five-year life, with a two-year return on investment.”

And with the ammonia readily available from Afrox in most sub-Saharan countries, the “source-to-sink” calculations show an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel generators, together with elimination of noise and local pollution.

“Ammonia is a cheap fuel with high power density,” says Afrox chemicals product manager Jaco Coetzee. “So hydrogen from ammonia dissociation would be the preferred option for small plants like PowerCube®. Millions of tons of ammonia are produced and distributed worldwide every year and the procedures for safe handling have long been since developed and proven, making ammonia as a fuel source for use in rural areas perfect for Africa.”

Recognition of the PowerCube® technology is growing rapidly, testament to which was it being named as the winner the prestigious 2009 UK Government Innovation Award for the “Next Big Thing”. This led directly to the current Afrox / Diverse Energy field trials being part-funded by the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board.

The provision of cell phone communications is seen as an important enabler for new business development in rural regions and as capable of providing a boost to poverty reduction measures. By lowering the total cost of ownership of rural off-grid cell phone towers, such expansion programmes can be accelerated, says Carlton-Shields.

Having completed tests with Motorola in the UK, a trial in Africa has been initiated with three telecoms operators in three different climatic zones involving 25 PowerCubes® to prove its capabilities in Africa.

“These telecoms operators have the chance to trial the system at a cost no higher than our forward projected sales price, allowing operators to get substantial first mover advantage and experience the benefits of the PowerCube® without having to fund the full cost of a trial,” says Dr. Alastair Livesey, operations director at Diverse Energy.

“Its adoption will bring many benefits when compared with diesel and solar panel power, which have value on the black market. Potential thieves would have difficulty selling the ammonia tanks, and wouldn’t be able to siphon from the tanks as they could with diesel. Between 15 and 22 per cent of diesel in Africa is lost to theft in this way.”

The PowerCube® has by-products of about one litre an hour of highly purified water, which can be used for medical purposes, and 30 kilograms of fertiliser every three months. Livesey says those quantities are too small for operators to sell, so they can be used to help local rural communities instead.

“This is a low cost, environmentally-friendly solution for power in rural areas without access to electricity,” says Afrox’s Carlton-Shields. “It will significantly expand Afrox’s customer base and lower the cost of ammonia in the emerging markets in Africa, where it is traditionally used in fertiliser and refrigeration.

“This project will revolutionise the telecoms industry in Africa and marks the start of Afrox becoming an alternate fuels company as well as a supplier of specialist gases, chemicals and welding equipment.”

In the quest for efficient, cost-effective and commercially viable fuel cells, researchers at Cornell’s Energy Materials Center have discovered a catalyst — platinum nanoparticles — that could make fuel cells more stable, longer lasting, and more resistant to carbon monoxide poisoning.

The research, led by Héctor D. Abruña, the E.M. Chamot Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and director of the Energy Materials Center at Cornell, and Francis J. DiSalvo, the John Newman Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, appeared online recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Hydrogen fuel cells offer an appealing alternative to gasoline-burning cars: They have the potential to power vehicles for long distances using hydrogen as fuel, they can be rapidly refuled, mitigate carbon dioxide production and emit only water vapor.

But they also require very pure hydrogen to work. That means that conventional fuels must be stripped of their carbon monoxide (CO) — a process that is too expensive and energy intensive to make fuel cells commercially viable.

Fuel cells work by electrochemically decomposing fuel instead of burning it, converting chemical energy directly into electricity. In proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, an anode and cathode are separated by a membrane that blocks electrons but allows protons to pass through. At the anode, a catalyst oxidizes hydrogen, generating electrons and protons. The protons pass through the membrane while the electrons create an electric current. At the cathode, electrons reunite with protons and oxygen from the air to form water.

Abruna

Platinum and platinum/ruthenium alloys are often used as catalysts in PEM fuel cells, but both elements are rare, expensive and easily rendered ineffective by exposure to even low levels of CO.

To create a catalyst that can tolerate more CO, Abruña, DiSalvo and colleagues deposited platinum nanoparticles on a support material they developed of titanium oxide (with added tungsten to increase its electrical conductivity).

Tests show that the new material works with fuel that contains as much as 2 percent CO, losing only 5 percent efficiency compared with a 30 percent drop in efficiency for conventional platinum catalysts. The material is also more stable and less expensive than pure platinum.

With the new catalyst, “you can use much less-clean hydrogen, and that’s more cost-effective because petroleum has a very high content of carbon monoxide,” Abruña said. Otherwise, to reduce the CO content, “you need to scrape off the carbon monoxide, and it’s very expensive to do that.”

The researchers are now preparing to put the catalyst to the test in real fuel cells. “So far, indications are very good,” Abruña said.

In preliminary experiments comparing the new material’s performance with pure platinum, he added, the platinum cell was readily poisoned by CO and conked out early. “But ours was still running like a champ.”

The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Energy Materials Center at Cornell, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the Office of Science at the Department of Energy.