FuelCellsWorks

Heliocentris collaborates with industrial partners in testing compact and clean energy storage solution with longer range

Berlin –Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, a leading specialist in clean energy storage solutions, is starting the industrial field test of the “Nexa 1200” fuel cell system. The Heliocentris system is being integrated into various solutions in the field of emergency power and autonomous power supply solutions. Given the much higher energy density of hydrogen in comparison with batteries a significantly longer range is achieved while maintaining a compact design. Numerous industrial partners, including a globally active chemical group, will take part in the test phase. By means of these field tests, Heliocentris wishes to further optimise the “Nexa 1200” to meet the concrete market requirements, thereby preparing it for a wider market entry.

“We are happy to be able to test our new system in different applications under real conditions with our numerous industrial partners, thus taking a major step towards a targeted market launch”, says Henrik Colell, CEO of Heliocentris.

Currently batteries are widely used in the field of emergency power and autonomous power supply solutions. Diesel generators are also used for longer hold-up times. The market potential is large. The market of stationary lead-acid batteries alone was estimated to be over US$ 3 billion in 2008 (Frost & Sullivan).

Due to the increasing share of renewable energies, grids are becoming more and more unstable thus increasing the interest in energy storage solutions. In many areas a tightening of the legal requirements in terms of increasing hold up times is expected. This leads to an increasing focus on energy storage solutions with higher energy density and range. Due to the lower energy density of batteries, this opens up a major opportunity for hydrogen-based solutions as longer range can only be achieved by diesel generators for an affordable cost.

“The customers’ desire to be able to realise a longer electrical power supply without having to rely on extensive battery banks or diesel generators confirms our approach”, explains Henrik Colell.

During the field test, Heliocentris’ “Nexa 1200” will be integrated into different solutions, ranging from indoor to outdoor stationary applications. The output range from a couple of hundred watts up to 10 kW is achieved through the system’s cascading capability. Solutions for emergency power supplies, extended range and autonomous power supply solutions will be tested extensively under real conditions by the selected test partners during the test phase.

Russian researchers revealed that Rhodobacter sphaeroides bacteria can be a source of molecular hydrogen, an ecologically friendly fuel. Scientists studied various strains of the mentioned microorganism and demonstrated that hydrogen emission rate depended on pigmentation of cells. Less pigmented strains can be a promising source of molecular hydrogen.

A search for new alternative energy sources is listed among burning problems of modern life. Hydrogen as a possible alternative fuel is quite promising – hydrogen engines emit only water vapours instead of exhaust gases, in other words, they are harmless for any environment. Moreover, hydrogen is a renewable energy resource – there are several techniques for this gas’s production. Among most popular techniques of hydrogen production we should mention steam methane reforming, in other words, heating mixture of water vapours with methane for hydrogen production.

These days commercial hydrogen production results in carbon dioxide emissions, which enhances greenhouse effect in Earth’s atmosphere. There are some techniques, which allow hydrogen production without harming our environment – using various bacteria for this purpose is one of such techniques. Purple bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides can become popular hydrogen producers, since they have a variety of metabolic pathways, when energy can be obtained either from sunlight, or from various organic substances. When these organisms use organic matter (glucose, lactate, organic acids) for life, they produce molecular hydrogen.

Scientists from the Institute of Fundamental Problem of Biology have paid close attention to the ability of purple bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides to emit hydrogen as a metabolite. Hydrogen emission rate appeared to depend on two factors: number of bacteria in a bioreactor, and intensity of a light beam, required for performing photosynthesis. Bacteria tend to increase hydrogen emission, when light intensity grows, but they stop at some threshold and react only by protective pigment production. Pigment allows these organisms to become less sensitive to light, and hydrogen production rate stops growing.

Russian scientists suggested a means for eliminating this effect. They have worked with a genetically modified strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, which had a damaged peripheral light-harvesting antenna complex. Another way of preventing bacteria from synthesizing protective pigments was growing microorganisms on a nutrient medium, which lacked nitrogen – this also troubles pigment synthesis. Experiments demonstrated that bacteria with low pigment concentration produced hydrogen much faster, than their wild-type relatives.

Hydrogen-producing bacteria are a promising technology. Various types of “bacterial batteries” exist these days – living cells produce electricity, for instance, while “eating” sugar syrup. These systems are not powerful enough – their energy feeds as little as an IPod, but sometimes researchers would build an engine, based upon genetically modified bacteria, which emit molecular hydrogen. In this case petrol stations will sell sugar instead of gasoline.

THE Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Temasek Polytechnic jointly launched a new maritime fuel cell research initiative, yesterday.

This initiative – which will be able to tap on up to $6 million of funding – was kicked off by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by MPA chief executive Lam Yi Young and Temasek Polytechnic’s principal and chief executive officer, Boo Kheng Hua.

The MOU will encourage projects that will result in breakthroughs in the use of fuel cell and other technologies that can be applied in the maritime field.

Out of the $6 million that the initiative will have at its disposal, $4 million in research grants will come from MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund or MINT Fund, while another $1 million will come from Temasek Polytechnic, over a three-year period.

The remaining $1 million will be jointly secured from the industry.

‘As most would be aware, preserving the environment is a key challenge facing the international maritime community. The challenges are varied and complex,’ said Mr Lam at the launch yesterday.

‘They range from prevention of oil spills from ships, invasive alien marine species to air emissions which contribute towards climate change. The international maritime community has been hard at work responding to these environmental challenges such as exploring the use of alternative clean fuels and technologies to improve fuel efficiency and savings.’

One of the research and test-bedding projects identified in the MOU involves the use of fuel cells onboard ships to provide auxiliary power, replacing the diesel generator – a move which will reduce emissions.

Another research project will develop an automated way of continuously supplying clean power to underwater systems and devices.

•    French sailing professional and transatlantic regatta winner in Division Class 40 relies on reliable, lightweight and silent on-board power supply with EFOY fuel cell
•    Thomas Ruyant, “Destination Dunkerque”: “EFOY provided crucial performance benefits during the regatta”

Brunnthal/Munich–Thomas Ruyant and his yacht “Destination Dunkerque”, equipped with an EFOY 2200 fuel cell to supply on board power, has won the Route du Rhum 2010 in Division Class 40. This legendary single-handed transatlantic sailing regatta is held every four years, and runs 3,540 nautical miles (approx. 6,500 kilometres) from the French port of Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The professional French sailor completed it in 17 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes and 17 seconds. In his 40-foot (12-metre) boat, the light EFOY fuel cell provided reliable and weather-independent power on board around the clock during the whole regatta across the rough Atlantic. This was a crucial competitive advantage for Thomas Ruyant: “I am totally won over by the EFOY fuel cell,” said Thomas Ruyant, “Destination Dunkerque”. “The EFOY is not only an environmentally-friendly but first and foremost a lightweight and reliable energy supply solution on board. It functions even under the most challenging and harsh conditions, as well as when the boat is heeled over. The fuel cell provided continuous power availability for electronics, the autopilot, navigational instruments and other electrical equipment on board. These advantages and the major weight reduction provided an essential performance advance for me during the regatta.”

“We are very pleased for Thomas Ruyant in this splendid win,” said Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG. “Our EFOY fuel cells have continually proven themselves in the hardest sailing competitions. This new success again shows that EFOY is the reliable, lightweight and silent power supply solution of choice for the naval and sailing sector.”

With over 19,000 fuel cells sold, the EFOY has been standing for green on-board power in the leisure market for years. As a reliable partner for sailors, the EFOY supplies electrical power around the clock, independent of the weather or season. The fuel cells are lightweight, silent and emission-free. There is no need to run a diesel engine or spend time searching for electricity on land. Power generation on board is completely automatic. EFOY fuel cells are available in five performance classes, with a charging capacity of up to 2.2 kWh per day. The methanol fuel is available across Europe in over 1,500 sales outlets in practical five- and ten-litre EFOY fuel cartridges, letting boat owners take an enormous amount of energy on board at a low weight. A 10-litre EFOY fuel cartridge contains 11.1 kilowatt hours of power – enough energy to independently operate on-board consumers for several weeks.

Visitors to the Salon Nautique in Paris, France, can see the EFOY fuel cell in live operation from December 3-12, 2010 at the booths of Euro Accessoires (hall 2.1, booth B 51), Accastillage Diffusion (hall 2.1, booth D 69) and U-Ship (hall 2.1, booth C 71).

More information is available at www.efoy.com and www.sfc.com.

Christopher Reitz, the top European car designer who headed the design team at Fiat – where he was responsible for the Fiat 500 – and then Alfa Romeo,  has joined Riversimple, the UK based company which is developing a hydrogen fuel cell car.

It is one of the most high-profile moves away from the traditional automotive industry to sustainable transport and Reitz, who left Alfa Romeo this spring, said: “This really is a step into something different, to design cars that really are the future. Increasingly I have felt that it does not make much sense to move tons of steel around, using a lot of fuel and resources.  There has to be a better way and I think Riversimple has found it, not only with its hydrogen fuel cell car but with the whole concept of the company which has as its goal complete sustainability.”

Riversimple is in the process of second-round financing. The major investor is currently the family of Ernst Piech of the Porsche family dynasty.

Reitz’s first job will be to design the cars that will be seen on the streets of Leicester, and one other as yet un-named UK region, when pilots get underway in the summer of 2012. In a ground-breaking deal with Leicester City Council, Riversimple announced this summer that 30 cars would be test driven around Leicester for a year, with drivers providing feeback on their experience.

Reitz, aged 42, said: “It has to look good as well as be functional. We don’t want to shock because if you shock you are very quickly old and out of fashion. We need to be robust, innovative and safe and getting the right mixture will help produce a successful product. It is very exciting.’

Hugo Spowers, the Riversimple founder, said: “I am delighted that someone of Chris’ calibre and standing in the automotive world has decided to join Riversimple and help us to produce sustainable cars that will be the envy of others. Chris has been responsible for some of the most beautiful and practical designs in the auto industry in recent years. His experience and flair will be of great help to us as we move towards seeing Riversimple cars on the streets and roads of the UK.”

Riversimple plan to produce their cars in small factories near markets, to lease the cars rather than sell them, so that “planned obsolescence” is no longer in the manufacturer’s interest, to open-source the technology and to have the customers, the suppliers and the environment represented in their company structure as well as shareholders.

Riversimple’s prototype two-seater, which can do the equivalent of 300 mpg, is a centre-piece in the Science Museum in London’s new gallery “atmosphere…Exploring climate science” which opens to the public this Saturday (Dec 4).

Proton Power Systems plc (AIM: PPS), the designer, developer and producer of fuel cells and fuel cell electric hybrid systems, is pleased to announce a deeper strategic focus on commercialisation, business development and stakeholder communications through new responsibilities in the management team.  Dr Christian Meyne, currently Chief Operating Officer, becomes Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect, while Thomas Melczer will now focus on Business Development and Investor Relations, remaining a Board Director of the Group.

Dr Christian Meyne is well positioned to take the helm of Proton Power. Since joining the Company in April 2009, he has been responsible for Proton Motor’s production processes as well as for the technical production lines necessary for both current and future production levels. John Wall, Chairman of Proton Power, comments on Christian’s promotion: “As Proton Power enters larger scale commercial agreements and production is increased, Christian’s experience on the ground will be invaluable in developing the Company’s strategy to meet customer demands.”

Thomas Melczer has significant experience in the energy sector which has been invaluable to Proton since he joined as CEO in July 2008. His deep knowledge of fuel cells, and experience in running large technology companies will be vital as the Company seeks to focus on strengthening business development and commercial partners.

John Wall continues: “The Company is focused on commercial opportunities to drive the business forward, and, to this end, we are delighted with the refocusing within the Board.

“Thomas’ new role, which will be based in both Germany and, increasingly, London, will help Proton Power increase its visibility within the investor community and keep our shareholder base appraised of progress as we enter this important phase of growth.

“I have great confidence in both Christian and Thomas and congratulate them on their new roles. I look forward to continuing to work with them both in what will be an exciting time for Proton Power.”

The new 1,400-horsepower Hornblower Hybrid will run on a combination of energy generated by clean Tier 2 diesel engines, hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and wind turbines. Power will come from a proton exchange membrane fuel cell that turns hydrogen into electricity. In addition, solar panels and wind turbines will help power the vessel. Efficient Tier 2 diesel engines kick in to cover additional energy needs.

The New York Hornblower Hybrid follows the 2008 launch of the San Francisco Hornblower Hybrid, the United States’ first hybrid ferry. San Francisco-based Hornblower Cruises & Events created both vessels and operates Statue Cruises, the concessioner authorized by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior to serve the public at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

“By combining hydrogen, solar and wind power, Hornblower will minimize its environmental impact as we transport guests to popular national landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our goal is to reduce emissions to the greatest extent possible, with a goal in the future to eliminate them entirely during a cruising day,” says Terry MacRae, CEO of Statue Cruises and Hornblower Cruises & Events. “We expect this pioneering project to inspire continued industry innovations. The technology on the Hornblower Hybrid is now scalable for other hybrid ferries, hybrid yachts and even hybrid tugs. Some may say we are at the turning point in modernizing marine technology and Hornblower plans to be leading the way.”

“This is a genuinely breakthrough project, not only for us but for the U.S. marine industry. This boat will produce minimal carbon emissions and sip, rather than guzzle, diesel fuel. Along the way it will help make New York harbor a cleaner, safer and more pleasant place. As a local shipyard, we’re extremely pleased to have this project,” says Gavin Higgins, Derecktor Vice President for Business Development.

Upon completion, the 600-passenger vessel will feature an outdoor sundeck and two spacious interior decks – including one with glass walls that showcase the region’s landmarks and cityscapes. Eco-friendly materials will be incorporated throughout, from recycled glass countertops, to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified carpet and aluminum wall coverings that eliminate the need for wallpaper. Flat-panel LED video screens and LED lighting will minimize energy use, while long-life, low VOC paints will cover the boat’s exterior. Hornblower has been testing these paints, including some without the copper that impacts water quality and wildlife, as part of an EPA-funded project taking place in its San Diego port.

To follow this project over the next few months please visit the Hybrid Blog at www.respectourplanet.com

To learn more about Statue Cruises’ ferry service, charters and special events, visit www.statuecruises.com. For information on Hornblower Cruises & Events, visit www.hornblower.com.

Hornblower Cruises & Events has been the leading charter yacht and public dining cruise company in the United States for 30 years. The company operates over 50 vessels, including the 3 largest dining yachts on the West Coast and the first Hybrid ferry in the United States. The company operates two ferry service concessions for the National Park Service – Alcatraz Cruises provides transportation to Alcatraz Island and Statue Cruises provides transportation to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. In 2005 Hornblower founded Respect Our Planet, a nationwide environmental organization dedicated to educating Hornblower guests and employees on how to protect and preserve the environment. For more information visit: www.hornblower.com/pressroom.

Tokyo  - Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Holding company of Tanaka Precious Metals, President & CEO: Hideya Okamoto) today announced that Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. (President & CEO: Hideya Okamoto), which boasts the world’s leading share in fuel cell catalysts, had assembled data (index) on shipment volume of fuel cell catalysts arranged by application from FY2004 until the first half of FY2010 (April 2004 – September 2010).

– Average monthly volume at record level after first half of FY2010, with total shipment volume forecast to reach record level in FY2010.

– Products for automotive use are currently driving the market since reaching a record level in FY2006 when research and development became active.

– Products for home use increased rapidly from FY2009 due to the start of full-scale sales and active promotion of ENE-FARM.

Review of Total Shipment Volume

Based on the total shipment volume in FY2004, annual shipment volume reached the record level of 169% due to overall shipment volume being driven by products for automotive use in FY2006 when there was active development of automotive fuel cells. The shipment volume later declined due to demand for automotive products subsiding and the effects of the financial crisis triggered by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. However, shipment volume rebounded to 162% in FY2009 thanks to the start of full-scale implementation of fuel cells for home use, and this rising trend continues at present. Looking at the monthly average shipment volume over the year, a record level has been reached as of the end of the first half of FY2010, and record annual shipment volume is expected to be reached in FY2010 if shipments continue at the current rate.

Fuel Cell Catalysts for Automotive Use

When research and development of fuel cells for automotive use became active in FY2006 in response to heightened expectations concerning fuel cells, shipment volume rose significantly to the record level of 186%. Research and development demand later subsided and the shipment volume was 133% in FY2009, but shipment volume for the first half of FY2010 has reached 77%, and it is believed that we have now entered the stage of preparing for full-scale implementation, while keeping conducting field tests at the same time.

Fuel Cell Catalysts for Home Use

During the five years from 2004 to 2008, field tests on fuel cells for home use were conducted as a national project, and shipment volume increased rapidly in FY2009 due to the start of full-scale sales of ENE-FARM, reaching the record level of 234%. Shipment volume of 117% has already been recorded in the first half of FY2010, and further increases in shipment volume are expected to occur with the full-scale spread of such products in the future.

Fuel cells, which are clean, environmentally friendly and boast excellent energy efficiency, face issues such as cost, durability and performance, but support for technology research and development, field tests and establishment of infrastructure is being provided on a national level to actively promote the practical implementation and popularization of fuel cells for use in the next generation of energy technology. Because of this, a further increase in demand for the precious metal catalysts essential for use in the fuel reformers and electrode catalysts used in fuel cells is expected.

Tanaka Precious Metals will quickly identify demand in the fuel cell market and respond to customers’ needs, while working on the enhancement of research and recycling to reduce the amount of scarce precious metals used in order to lower costs and effectively utilize resources, and developing new technologies and new products aimed at spreading the use of fuel cells in the future.

For details of this release, please see: http://pdf.japancorp.net/english/clientreports/4294/TanakaMetals_1130.pdf

Jingguang G. Chen, Claire D. LeClaire Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, is co-author of a paper demonstrating a new way to save platinum commonly used as a catalyst in hydrogen production.

Chen’s paper, entitled “Low-Cost Hydrogen Evolution Catalysts Based on Monolayer Platinum on Tungsten Monocarbide (WC) Substrates,” appears as the cover feature in a December issue of Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the leading high impact journal in the world on applied chemistry.

Co-authors of the paper include Robert W. Birkmire, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC); Kevin D. Dobson, IEC research associate; students Daniel V. Esposito, Sean T. Hunt and Alan L. Stottlemyer; and Brian E. McCandless, IEC associate scientist.

Chen explains that when powered by renewable energy sources such as wind- or solar-based technologies, the generation of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water produces a high-energy-density mobile energy carrier without any associated carbon dioxide emissions. At low temperatures, this water-splitting process can take place in a variety of electrochemical devices, however, the catalyst used to initiate the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) can have a profound influence on cost, lifetime and efficiency of the device.

Platinum is a very active and commonly used HER catalyst, says Chen, but its high price and limited world-wide supply prohibit its use to mass produce hydrogen by water electrolysis. One approach to overcoming the challenges associated with platinum HER catalysts is to increase the surface bulk atomic ratio of platinum, allowing a lower metal loading to be used without compromising electrolysis efficiency.

Experiments conducted by the research team explored the lower limits of platinum loading for HER by using nearly all platinum atoms in the form of an atomic layer, or monolayer (ML), on low-cost tungsten monocarbide (WC) substrates. The research was led by Esposito, a fifth-year graduate student.

WC is known for its “platinum-like” catalytic properties. It also exhibits good stability in a wide-range of acidic environments and shows great promise as a support material for platinum particles.

Using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches, their results confirm that surface electronic and chemical properties of ML platinum on bulk WC substrate are strikingly similar to those of bulk platinum. This similarity demonstrates the possibility that all but the topmost layer of platinum can be replaced by WC, thereby decreasing platinum loading and associated platinum costs without compromising its very high HER activity.

Further work is needed to develop high-surface-area ML Pt-WC systems structures for high-current-density applications and to investigate the long-term stability of this type of HER catalyst. Other electrochemical and photoelectrochemical applications may also exist, says Chen.

Chen and his research group at UD have been investigating the use of tungsten carbide as an alternative to more expensive platinum-based catalysts for more than a decade, with demonstrated results of the utility of these materials for fuel cell applications. In 2008, his research focused on directly converting biomass to useful chemical compounds using tungsten carbide as a catalyst was also featured as an Angewandte Chemie cover story.

Chen received his bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. After a year in Germany as a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow, he began his career in industry in 1989 at the Exxon Research and Engineering Co. in Annandale, N.J. He joined the UD faculty in 1998 and served as director of the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology from 2000 through 2007. He served as the interim director of the UD Energy Institute from 2008 to 2010.

Widely published and cited with more than 200 articles in refereed journals and more than 5,000 research citations, Chen holds 19 U.S. patents and has served on the editorial boards of several surface science and catalysis journals. He also serves on the board of directors of the North American Catalysis Society and formerly was the catalysis secretary-general of the American Chemical Society. He has served as co-director of the Energy Frontier Research Center on Biomass Conversion since 2009.

Article by Karen B. Roberts