2.1.2012 Mercedes-Benz Hamburg Dealership to be powered by Fuel Cell
(view article)
2.1.2012 Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Centre Installs Second UTC Fuel Cell
(view article)
2.1.2012 Hydrogen-vehicle fueling station the 4th station order of 2011
(view article)
2.1.2012 Four of a Kind: Businesses use Midlands Technical College to expand
(view article)
2.1.2012 UKH2Mobility to prepare for hydrogen fuel roll-out
(view article)
2.1.2012 Metal Organic Frameworks or MOFs to Store Hydrogen Cheaply
(view article)
2.2.2012 BOC Launches Hymera DC Portable Fuel Cell System
(view article)
2.2.2012 Midlands Technical College Formally Joins USC-Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative
(view article)
2.2.2012 Shell upbeat on fuel cell cars
(view article)
2.2.2012 Questions for Peter Hoffmann: A Hydrogen Advocate Whose Time May Have Come
(view article)
2.2.2012 Car manufacturers expect to see new interest in hydrogen fuel cells
(view article)
2.3.2012 Ceramic Fuel Cells applauds UK feed-in tariff move, could enjoy increased unit sales
(view article)
2.3.2012 Fuel cells to play greater role in South Africa platinum industry
(view article)
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
Mercedes-Benz Hamburg Dealership to be powered by Fuel Cell
Daimler AG is actively involved in the decarbonisation of its cars through the development and commercialisation of automotive fuel cells and battery technologies, now it is looking to decarbonise its dealerships.
The Wandsbek centre of Mercedes-Benz’s Hamburg subsidiary will become the world’s first car dealership to be powered by a fuel cell when N2telligence installs a Fuji Electric system in July. The installation of the fuel cell is part of a larger renovation and refurbishment of the Wandsbek centre, which headquarters the Hamburg subsidiary. The system will be fed with natural gas and will generate 100 kW of electricity and 120 kW of heat.
Around €1 million of investment has been committed to the conversion of the site’s power supply to fuel cells, a cost that should be amortised within six or seven years. The Hamburg subsidiary has acted as a handover site for several B-Class FCEV in use in the city.
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Centre Installs Second UTC Fuel Cell
Hartford, Connecticut’s Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Centre has received its second UTC PureCell 400 phosphoric acid fuel cell system, which will provide power to the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital campus. The 400 kW system will provide nearly half of the building’s electrical needs as well as providing thermal energy; the installation prevents the release of more than 383 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of planting more than 88 acres of trees, the hospital claims.
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
Hydrogen-vehicle fueling station the 4th station order of 2011
The HyStat30 electrolyzer will be part of the fourth hydrogen fueling station contract awarded to Hydrogenics in 2011.
The developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products has announced a contract with Ballast Nedam IPM, awarded at the end of December 2011, to supply a HySTAT30 electrolyzer for integration into a Netherlands’ based hydrogen fueling station. The owner of the fueling station will be Waterstofnet, a non-profit organization financed by the Flemish and Dutch governments. It is likely the electrolyzer will be powered in part by offshore wind-generated electricity.
Hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles have been embraced as a significant part of Europe’s transportation solution towards the achievement of 2050 carbon-emission targets. Multiple regional initiatives are underway throughout Europe to this end.
With over 35 hydrogen fueling installations world-wide, Hydrogenics’ HySTAT electrolyzers continue demonstrate a role in the energy mix for transportation, with scalable capabilities to produce hydrogen on demand. This is the fourth hydrogen fueling station contract awarded to Hydrogenics in 2011.
“Our success in supplying electrolyzer-based hydrogen fueling stations is directly linked to our considerable experience in industrial hydrogen markets,” says Daryl Wilson, Hydrogenics President and Chief Executive Officer. Over the past 10 years, Hydrogenics has added over 200 industrial installations worldwide to its 1,800 install-base.
HySTAT 30 electrolyzers are capable of producing up to 65 kilograms per day of pure hydrogen. The unit will arrive mid-2012 and produce hydrogen by year’s end.
HYDROGENICS Corp.
www.hydrogenics.com
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
Four of a Kind: Businesses use Midlands Technical College to expand
Ron Seftick, CEO of Trulite Technology, says Midlands Technical College’s “whole package” offering was the reason behind the company’s decision to move its manufacturing operations to Columbia.
Thanks to a combination of vision and luck, the Enterprise Campus at Midlands Technical College and its Business Accelerator are rocking and rolling. Three independent businesses, each having made the decision to relocate to the Business Accelerator off Farrow Road, have created a synergistic relationship that has propelled South Carolina to the center of the alternative fuels arena.
Tom Ledbetter joined Midlands Technical College in 2003 as director of corporate services and was recently named associate vice president/executive director of the Enterprise Campus. One of his duties is to entice businesses to locate their offices on this campus, not only to serve as business models for students and to attract similar businesses to the state, but also to create onsite-learning centers where students can develop the skills they need to embark on their careers. In return, the businesses have access to a talent pool to which they can teach skills and eventually provide jobs. Tom explains, “The intent is to partner with established companies that are trying to develop products that have growth potential that yields jobs with futures.”
Ledbetter, director of corporate services and vice president/executive director of the Enterprise Campus, is tasked with enticing businesses to the accelerator to serve as business models for students, attract similar businesses to the state and create onsite-learning centers where students can develop skills they need to embark on careers.
Sam Logan, Jr., Glen Mosser, Jr., and Ron Seftick all made decisions, for various reasons, to locate their businesses to this campus. Not realizing how important each business would be to the other, they created a symbiotic professional quadrangle in conjunction with MTC and its students. These businesses are becoming each other’s best customers and have provided the college’s students with training in some of the most progressive job and economic areas of the future.
Glen Mosser, Jr., graduated from Eau Claire High School in 1963 then earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina. He worked with IBM at Cape Kennedy as a test engineer on the Saturn V launch vehicle for the Apollo program. “I participated in the early manned missions, including Apollo 11, the first moon landing,” he says. In 1975, Glen moved back Columbia to work with his father and brother in the family business, Space Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. In 1984, they started Space Metal Fabricators, an engineering firm, machine shop, metal fabricator and robotics integrator. Tom approached Glen in 2009 and proposed that if he leased space on the technology campus, it would give the college the opportunity to showcase this type of business in South Carolina, plus it would provide engineering students with an applicable training environment for a particular skill set. “We love that many of our techs are trained through Midlands’ Machine Tool Technology program,” says Glen.
Glen Mosser, Jr., of Space Metal Fabricators, is happy to have a presence at the Enterprise Campus because he is able to provide engineering students with an applicable training environment.
Sam Logan, Jr., is a 1970 graduate of Sewanee and a 1978 graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterrey, Calif. He served as a Marine Captain and Naval Aviator. In 1993, he founded LOGANEnergy Corporation with an eye toward becoming the world leader in fuel cell energy solutions. Today, Sam is CEO of the company and of LOGANEnergy Limited, UK, and his business is the leading provider of fuel cell solutions to the Department of Defense. He and his wife of 47 years, Lizbeth, live in Atlanta, but the company chose to expand its presence in the Midlands through the formation of a South Carolina LLC, “because South Carolina has a strong focus on fuel cell technology, and also because of location, technical support, financial incentives and creative networking. The Enterprise Campus provides us with space, a safe working environment in a very collegiate atmosphere, and colleagues with a shared objective in areas of specialized expertise ... in our case to create cleaner, more effective systems that provide enhanced security for business continuity.”
Ron Seftick, originally from Pittsburgh, Penn., earned a degree in economics from Washington & Jefferson. He and his wife, Linda, moved to New York City in 1974, when Ron was offered a job with General Electric, and then to Chicago in 1987, when he was named vice president of Zenith Controls. Ron’s jobs took him all around the world, and he took on several large roles with several companies before he was recruited as CEO of Trulite Technology. MTC’s “whole package” offering was the reason behind Trulite’s decision to move its manufacturing operations to Columbia, while maintaining an advanced engineering group in Northern California. “MTC’s vision – including the Business Accelerator and its state of the art facilities, an available model shop that would be the envy of a Fortune company as well as a fuel cell technician program which creates and provides a ready workforce – was a motivating factor in our decision to locate in South Carolina. The vision of this campus is to train and offer students a job to walk in to after a two-year program. Or, if students want a four year degree, they can finish up at the University of South Carolina and come back here to work,” Ron explains. “The entreprenuership, vision and support of everyone in South Carolina has been a real eye opener for me and has been a key reason we are so focused on the ultimate success of the company. The support at Midlands has been extraordinary and Tom Ledbetter is a true visionary.”
Sam Logan, Jr., CEO of LOGANEnergy Corporation, expanded his company’s presence to South Carolina because of the state’s strong focus on fuel cell technology.
So how do these businesses interrelate? Tom says, “MTC is providing the space, Space Metals is providing the production, and Trulite and LOGANEnergy are providing the need.” LOGANEnergy integrates its power electronics and energy storage packages with fuel cell power systems to provide enhanced energy security to its customers’ critical power applications. Trulite develops and designs an actual fuel cell product which is passed on to a business like LOGANEnergy, which specializes in designing and developing fuel cell projects. Space Metals is an engineering, robotics, and metal manufacturing company that helps Trulite and LoganEnergy with design and production and any other engineering help they need.
One of Space Metal’s many tasks is to design and manufacture the tooling needed to assemble and test the cartridges for Trulite’s hydrogen fuel cells. Trulite’s research and production of hydrogen fuel cells is one of the most promising and technologically and economically advanced alternative fuel choices for the world. “Hydrogen fuel cells have all the properties of a battery but all the benefits of a generator in that they can be refueled,” says Ron. “And they are extremely safe, can be used indoors or outdoors, and water vapor is the only emission. These portable hydrogen fuel cell generators are voltage and frequency agnostic and can be scaled globally.”
Trulite’s vision and products lend confidence that there truly is a viable alternative fuel source being produced in Columbia that the rest of the world is noticing.
“The race is on to create new technologies that won’t pollute, and South Carolina has the ability to be the incubator for driving this,” says Ron. “South Carolina was the only state with the vision from beginning to end, plus the whole concept of campus, technical training and engineers. Columbia is a hub for a fuel cell infrastructure highway with BMW in the upstate and Boeing in Charleston. It is also a right to work state, containing several military bases. South Carolina is just all inclusive.”
According to a report recently released from Pike Research, “The global fuel cell industry revenue climbed sharply during the period 2008 and 2010, increasing from around $260 million in 2008 to nearly $670 million two years later – an increase of more than 250 percent with strong growth anticipated over the next six years.” MTC has created a business collaboration that, in addition to its nuclear program, which was just awarded a $3.9 million grant, is a progressive and successful venture that has heads turning. This unique pyramid arrangement, with Space Metal Fabricators, LoganEnergy and Trulite forming the three sides, MTC’s nuclear program forming the base and MTC’s Enterprise Campus forming the core, is an interesting creation, and time will reveal its impact on our city, state, nation and our world.
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
UKH2Mobility to prepare for hydrogen fuel roll-out
A new project will assess the viability of plans to commercially roll-out hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in the UK.
Heralded as "ground breaking", UKH2Mobility will evaluate the potential of hydrogen to act as the primary fuel for Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles, before developing a plan for the commercial implementation of the fuel in 2014/2015.
The programme is set to analyse the UK’s preparedness for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles on a commercial scale, as one solution to decarbonise road transport.
UKH2Mobility will also review the investments required to commercialise the technology, including implemented refuelling infrastructure and encouraging uptake of the new vehicles.
Ideas to help the UK to become a worldwide leader in Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle manufacturing will also be considered, to facilitate the country’s wider economic regeneration.
Minister for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk commented at the launch of UKH2Mobility: "The UK is proving itself to be a key early market for ultra-low emission vehicles with growing numbers of electric and plug-in hybrids appearing on our roads.
"The government is supporting this market by investing £400 million to support the development, demonstration and deployment of these vehicles."
UKH2Mobility brings together the government and industrial participants from the utility, gas, infrastructure and global car manufacturing sectors to boost the recognition of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as viable options for a low carbon future.
"They are highly efficient, can be fuelled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions," Mr Prisk said.
Thus far, some 13 industry participants have got involved in the scheme, including Johnson Matthey PLC and Nissan Motoring Manufacturing (UK) Limited, and have signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
Results of the evaluation are expected at the end of 2012, to allow for plans to get underway for the commercial roll-out of the vehicles as soon as possible.
However, until then companies across the country will be trialling hydrogen fuel, with Marks and Spencer launching its first experiment with hydrogen-powered vehicles for transporting and loading goods to its distribution centres.
Teaming up with energy, storage and clean fuel company ITM Power, a six-week pilot project was announced at the superstore’s Prologis Park Distribution Centre, which is already equipped with infrastructure to support a battery powered fleet.
The materials handling market has been recognised as a key early adopter of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, to show industry the value of Ultra-Low Carbon technology.
In a report into the adoption of low carbon vehicles in the UK, the Automotive Council found that while manufacturers will implement technologies that correspond with their brand values and market sectors, hydrogen fuel could have a "significant" impact on average fleet emissions.
However, this will be dependent on the availability of battery, motor and power electronics technology with "high power density, high energy density, and low cost". Infrastructure provision will also be key in encouraging fleets to switch to hydrogen fuel.
According to Dr Ben Lane of Next Green Car, there is already "a lot of work-ongoing in the UK" to build the infrastructure for hydrogen cars. Specifically, a number of projects are taking place to transform the M4 into the UK’s “hydrogen highway”.
"Most of the infrastructure that has been developed has been done so along that corridor," he explained.
The results of UKH2Mobility will have a major effect on UK transport businesses and green fleet management.
February 1, 2012
(view original article)
Metal Organic Frameworks or MOFs to Store Hydrogen Cheaply
One of the problems with rolling out hydrogen cars and a fueling infrastructure in the short term is coming up with cheap, lightweight and low pressure hydrogen fuel storage tanks. The hydrogen fuel tanks that are available now are either heavy and expensive such as metal hydride tanks or they are under high pressure from 5,000 psi to 10,000 psi.
Some people perceive the high pressure tanks as being dangerous (which is debatable since we have yet to see one explode). A larger issue is that it takes a lot of energy to compress hydrogen to 10,000 psi which drives up the price of this fuel.
Well, the Berkeley Lab, also known as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plus General Motors are trying to come up with a new kind of hydrogen fuel tank based on Metal Organic Frameworks or MOFs to deal with this issue. I’ve talked about MOFs several times in the past.
Hydrogen fuel tanks using MOFs, in theory anyway, will be cheap to build plus store and release hydrogen under low pressures. The basic idea is to build a framework of carbon with “exposed metal cations” on different parts of the surface of the structure.
Another trick is to get this exposed metal to bind to as many hydrogen molecules as possible and then releasing them upon demand. The project is being funded by the U. S. Department of Energy to the tune of $2.1 million. With any luck, this tune will turn into a sweet melody a few years from now enabling one more peg to fall in the resistance to hydrogen cars in the marketplace.
February 2, 2012
(view original article)
BOC Launches Hymera DC Portable Fuel Cell System
BOC has launched the latest iteration of its Hymera fuel cell system, the Hymera DC, which can provide 150 W of off-grid DC power.
The unit has undergone testing during 2011, with UK construction firm Morgan Sindall using it to power a remote noise monitor on the London Crossrail project at its Pudding Mill Lane site. The Hymera DC unit operates silently and was able to provide off-grid power where conventional generators would not have been suitable. Coupled to BOC’s 54ZH portable hydrogen cylinder, the Hymera DC can provide 2-3 kWh of energy. One of these cylinders can power a 3 W average load for up to a month.
Casey Fleming, Morgan Sindall’s environmental manager said “The Hymera hydrogen fuel cell’s innovative qualities helped us solve a difficult project conundrum. The cell has now successfully powered a remote noise monitor for eight weeks, the location of which was proving difficult to supply with conventional power. We needed it to operate silently, which was impossible with traditional power generators.”
The Hymera DC has also been tested in Ireland for remote and discreet CCTV applications since May 2011, increasing the runtime versus batteries from a few days to three weeks. Tom Ryan, Business Development Manager at Advanced Monitoring said “Using the BOC Hymera DC, our CCTV solutions can operate for around three weeks without interruption. Because it is silent and doesn’t require changing, no one is alerted to the presence of a camera.”
Stewart Dow, Packaged Energy Manager at BOC commented “The type of capability the Hymera DC offers is increasingly crucial in the portable power market. Businesses sometimes believe that cutting costs and carbon emissions are two conflicting goals, but with the family of Hymera products, this needn’t to be the case. With its high performance and low cost, the Hymera DC is now opening up a whole new range of exciting applications and opportunities.”
February 2, 2012
(view original article)
Midlands Technical College Formally Joins USC-Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative
College Brings Expertise in Workforce Training to Grow Midlands’ Fuel Cell Economy
COLUMBIA, SC - February 2, 2012 - Midlands Technical College (MTC) announced that it will join the USC-City of Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative, a collaboration of SCRA, EngenuitySC, the University of South Carolina and the City of Columbia, to position Columbia, S.C., as a leader for fuel cell innovation and technology. Dr. Sonny White, MTC President, will join the Collaborative’s executive committee, and Tom Ledbetter, executive director for MTC’s Enterprise Campus, will join the Collaborative’s management team to advise operations. MTC has actively participated with the Fuel Cell Collaborative’s efforts in building Columbia’s fuel cell economy since its inception in 2006. In August 2008, MTC hosted the Hydrogen Road Tour, a public event that featured ten hydrogen vehicles as part of a cross-country trek of clean, efficient hydrogen vehicles. And in 2009, MTC worked with the Collaborative as a partner of the National Hydrogen Association’s Hydrogen Conference and Expo held in Columbia, S.C., and showcased some of its fuel cell programs.
Currently, MTC houses two fuel cell solutions firms within its state-of-the-art business accelerator located at the MTC Enterprise Campus in northeast Columbia. LOGANEnergy, a leading fuel cell solutions firm, opened its newest mobile power systems facility in June 2011, LOGANEnergy Carolina. Trulite, Inc., relocated to Columbia, S.C. in 2009 and is currently the only fuel cell company to offer both fuel cell and fuel source in one fully integrated system.
Trulite recently made national industry news when its Trulite Hydrocell was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to power the tree at its annual holiday party. MTC also uses Trulite products to power its irrigation system on campus.
“Midlands Technical College is proud to officially become a partner of the USC-Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative after years of supporting its mission and furthering the fuel cell economy in the Midlands,” said Dr. Sonny White, President of MTC. “We look forward to bringing the industry and workforce training expertise we have gained from having two fuel cell firms at our facilities to the Collaborative and further enhancing Columbia’s reputation as a global leader of
fuel cell solutions.”
In addition to the businesses growing at MTC’s Business Accelerator, the college also has two full-scale labs devoted to the design and fabrication of fuel cell technology and has also pioneered two new training programs, including: the Principles of Alternate Energy Certificate program, addressing the fundamentals of fuel cells and other alternative energy sources; and the Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate Degree. Successful graduates of both programs will be qualified to enter the workforce as medium-level operators, laboratory technicians or senior manufacturing technicians.
“The addition of MTC to the USC-City of Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative strengthens our group and furthers our reputation as the leading force behind Columbia’s fuel cell economy,” said Bill Mahoney, CEO of SCRA, one of the Collaborative’s original charter members. “MTC’s training expertise will help the Collaborative represent all facets of the fuel cell industry - from research to development to deployment in the field.”
MTC joins the Collaborative as it prepares to launch the next iteration of its Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge, an award-winning business-plan competition designed to support the commercialization of innovative fuel cell technologies. The 2010 winner, Weylchem Sustainable Materials, is working on a pilot project producing ammonia borane, a multi-purpose compound that can be used to efficiently power fuel cell devices among other commercial uses, at its facility in Elgin, S.C. The Collaborative will release final contest details for the 2012 Challenge by the end of March.
About Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving the primary region of Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The college enrolls approximately 18,000 credit students annually, and provides continuing education to 30,000 individuals and hundreds of area businesses each year. MTC is the largest provider of transfer students to the University of South Carolina. www.midlandstech.edu
About the USC-City of Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative
The USC–City of Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative was formed by the University of South Carolina, the City of Columbia, EngenuitySC and SCRA, to position Columbia, S.C., as a leader in hydrogen fuel cell innovation and technology. Its mission is to attract private sector partners, top fuel cell scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators to the Columbia region to help grow an innovation pipeline from discovery to development to deployment of fuel cell technology. For more information, visit www.fuelcellcollaborative.com.
February 2, 2012
(view original article)
Shell upbeat on fuel cell cars
Fuel cell cars and other electric vehicles will make up 40 per cent of the world's auto market by 2050, according to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell
The prediction from Peter Voser, chief executive of the world's second-biggest oil producer, is a much more upbeat forecast for fuel cell vehicles than other oil firms, Reuters reports.
BP believes electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will make up only four per cent of the global fleet of 1.6 billion commercial and passenger vehicles in 2030, the news provider notes.
Exxon Mobil, the world's largest oil firm, says electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and vehicles that run on natural gas would make up only five per cent of the total global fleet by 2040.
According to BP, the efficiency of combustion engines will double by 2030, with a third of vehicles on the road being hybrids, Reuters reports.
However, the pessimistic predictions coming from at least two of the main oil firms is hardly a surprise, according to Jos Dings, director of Brussels-based sustainable transport campaign group, Transport and Environment.
"A big take-up of electric cars is not something they would like to see," he told the news agency. "The future for petrol and diesel doesn't look good,"
It also seems the predictions from Exxon and BP are out-of-touch with national governments, which are promoting fuel cell and other green technologies.
Reuters says China is targeting five million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020, while Australia believes electric vehicles will make up a fifth of new car sales by 2020 and 45 per cent ten years later.
Barack Obama is aiming for one million electric vehicles on US roads by 2015, though this is only 0.5 per cent of the nation's car fleet.
The UK's Committee on Climate Change predicts electric vehicles will reach 60 percent of new cars and vans by 2030.
Meanwhile, the UK government has launched a new scheme backed by the auto industry and Johnson Matthey that will drive forward the development of fuel cell cars.
UK H2 Mobility, which is being supported by Toyota, General Motors, Daimler and Hyundai, will produce a plan of action to make fuel cell vehicles commercially available on a large scale by 2015.
February 2, 2012
(view original article)
Questions for Peter Hoffmann: A Hydrogen Advocate Whose Time May Have Come
Peter Hoffmann started what is now the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter in 1986 and is the author of two books on this potential energy carrier for automobiles. “Tomorrow’s Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet”was published in 2001, but a revised and expanded edition is scheduled to be available from M.I.T. Press in March.
Advocating for hydrogen cars has been, at times, a lonely profession, because fuel-cell vehicles have long been just around the next bend. But several major automakers have committed in recent months to hydrogen car production by 2015. The cars and the hydrogen are likely to be expensive in the early years, but Mr. Hoffmann, a native of Germany, and other advocates expect those costs to decrease as production ramps up and technology matures.
Fuel-cell cars are regarded as zero emission because they don’t emit anything but water vapor from their tailpipes.They use the same basic drivetrains as electric vehicles, but in lieu of batteries they substitute a fuel-cell chemical factory that produces electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen.
Q. The California Air Resources Board just approved new regulations designed to put 500,000 zero-emission cars on the road by 2025. More than 160,000 of those vehicles would be hydrogen fuel-cell cars in one scenario. The regulations also require oil companies to build hydrogen refueling stations. Is this a big leap forward?
A. I certainly hope so — it’s definitely a step along the way. The Japanese and Europeans (and especially the Germans) are setting up similar schemes supporting collaborations between carmakers and fuel providers to set up hydrogen stations. In those cases, there’s a lot of government money involved.
Q. California would seem to be the epicenter of fuel-cell deployment in the United States, but even in Los Angeles today there are only a few public stations. Will there be a network in place by the time automakers roll out the first commercial fuel-cell cars in 2015?
A. The California Fuel Cell Partnership is working hard to get more stations going. And the new CARB rules will also help.
Q. The Clean Fuels Outlet provision of CARB’s rules will require oil companies to install hydrogen pumps at gas stations. The Western States Petroleum Association trade group has announced strong opposition and will possibly sue over it.
A. The oil companies are being more cooperative with hydrogen fueling in Europe, so their actions may depend on how the political winds are blowing. If the oil companies are not in the forefront, there are other companies in the wings that are very active and want to provide hydrogen infrastructure. These include major industrial gas companies like Linde, Air Products and Air Liquide. Mercedes, for instance, is working with Linde to build 20 stations in Germany.
Q. What’s been your experience behind the wheel of fuel-cell cars?
A. I’ve driven quite a few, from G.M., Mercedes, Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Ford. I remember early Ford cars in the 1990s that lacked noise insulation and sounded like they had angry bees under their hoods. The cars have evolved considerably since then and are as fun to drive as anything else on the road. Automakers say they’re committed to fuel-cell production by 2015, and now they need to ensure that at least the beginnings of a hydrogen station network is built.
Q. Will the cost of hydrogen come down?
A. It will be competitive with gasoline eventually. At Stuttgart Airport in Germany, a station was selling it recently for $12 a kilogram. Since a kilo of hydrogen is the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas, and a fuel cell is twice as efficient as an internal-combustion engine, you could translate that into approximately $6 a gallon. That’s roughly what gasoline costs in Europe. Of course, hydrogen is probably subsidized at that price, but it indicates the potential for price reductions. The price will come down as more fuel providers get into the field, as production methods such as electrolysis and other forms evolve, and as storage and compression technology is made more efficient.
Q. Will consumers accept fuel-cell cars?
A. The people who have driven them are happy, but of course they tend to be hydrogen supporters.They say the cars are smooth and convenient to use, accelerate well and refuel very quickly, which is a big selling point. The one issue that disappoints people about battery electrics is range, and that’s not an issue for fuel-cell cars, which often travel 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen.
Q. What about the safety issue? The Hindenburg disaster still looms large for many.
A. From what I understand, these cars are as safe as they can be — as safe as gasoline cars. Even if hydrogen tanks leak, the gas just evaporates into the air, and there are extensive safety and warning devices built into the cars. In an accident, the hydrogen supply is cut off and valves automatically vent it in case of a pressure build-up. The concern will always be there, let’s face it, because hydrogen is very flammable. But the automakers tell me it won’t be an issue. I remember seeing a BMW film in the 1980s in which they dropped hydrogen tanks off a gantry, cooked them over a fire and tried to pierce them with a device. Nothing happened.
Q. Any projections of how many fuel-cell cars might be on American roads by 2025?
A. It’s hard to say, and I’m not a futurist or a prophet. I’ll cite the CARB estimate of 500,000 zero-emission cars by 2025, with maybe a third being fuel-cell vehicles.
February 2, 2012
(view original article)
Car manufacturers expect to see new interest in hydrogen fuel cells
A man prepares to refuel a 2012 Hyundai Tucson fuel-cell vehicle. (Hyundai Motor America photo)
SAN ANTONIO -- Plug-in electric cars and hybrids may be getting most of the attention now, but carmakers say they still are investing in future car developments that could use another technology that has been on the automotive back burner for years.
“Hydrogen fuel cells are being talked about for the near future,” Hyundai Motor Co.’s North American leader John Krafcik said during the North American International Auto Show.
And many plastics companies are also continuing research that will ensure composites will be at the center of that fuel-cell technology.
Bac2 Ltd. of Romsey, England, has developed a phenolic production system that would better allow molders to use thermosets in high-volume production of bipolar plates and other key components of fuel-cell stacks, said Graham Murray, chief technology officer and founder of Bac2, during the Society of Plastics Engineers Thermoset TopCon conference Jan. 24 in San Antonio.
Fuel-cell systems generate power from hydrogen passing through polymer membranes sandwiched between two plates that could be made of metal, thermoset plastics or thermoplastics, although metal is the current leading material.
The auto industry is interested in fuel cells because the systems drastically reduce pollution — the only emissions are water vapors — and they could allow hydrogen filling tanks to be placed at existing gasoline and diesel fueling stations, reducing the infrastructure questions brought up by all-electric cars and charging stations.
Fuel cells received a lot of attention 10 years ago, with declarations that fuel-cell-powered cars would make it into consumer hands soon. General Motors Co. introduced a series of concepts, including the five-passenger Sequel sedan.
News announcements on the technology had been mostly quiet beyond occasional notices about continued investments and test fleets typically centered in California. The past two years, though, have seen buzz beginning to build again.
Newly passed rules by the influential California Air Resource Board requiring that 15.4 percent of all vehicles sold in California in 2025 be zero-emission vehicles also are influencing interest. The only ways to meet those standards are through electric cars, fuel cells or plug-in hybrids.
In addition to plastics in the fuel-cell stack, plastics would be used in various components in the electric motor powered by fuel cells and in hydrogen storage tanks.
Last year, Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota Motor Co. and Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co. Ltd. both touted the opening of the first North American hydrogen fueling station, by gasoline supplier Shell, which tapped into an industrial hydrogen pipeline in Torrance, Calif. Honda began leasing its Clarity fuel-cell vehicle to consumers in a test program in 2010.
At the Detroit auto show in January, Krafcik said Hyundai has a fuel-cell test fleet of its Tucson small sport utility vehicle. The firm has announced it will make a “limited supply” of fuel-cell Tucsons for the market in 2012 and begin mass production in 2015.
That comes back to the need for a supply base to begin large-scale production of fuel-cell components, Murray noted.
To compete for a role in fuel-cell stacks, flame-retardant plastics must meet technical and manufacturing goals. Catalysts typically used in phenolic resins for sheet molding compounds and bulk molding compounds must be molded within three to four hours. Bac2 developed a stable catalyst with a storage life of up to 12 months, allowing for the steadier production process required for high-volume molding.
“We need a more stable phenolic base,” Murray said.
He predicted that more developments from the auto industry and plastics manufacturers will bring more demand for thermosets in a rising fuel-cell infrastructure.
February 3, 2012
(view original article)
Ceramic Fuel Cells applauds UK feed-in tariff move, could enjoy increased unit sales
Ceramic Fuel Cells (ASX:CFU) has welcomed the UK Government’s intention to increase the feed-in tariff for micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) units to drive its uptake.
Beside the increase in the tariff, UK Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said he planned to remove the 30,000 cap on micro-CHP units and instead provide support to reach a 1 million unit installed base by 2020.
The current micro-CHP tariff is £0.10 for every kilowatt hour of electricity produced and an additional £0.03 for every kilowatt hour exported to the grid.
Micro-CHP proponents are pushing for an increase in the tariff to £0.15.
The support of the UK Government bodes well for Ceramic’s BlueGen fuel cell micro-CHP product, which converts natural gas into electricity and hot water for homes and other buildings.
BlueGen is currently the first and only product of its kind to receive certification under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme and is thus eligible for the feed-in tariff.
This could point the way for greater adoption of its product.
BlueGen promises electrical efficiency of up to 60% - the highest in the world. This efficiency increases to 85% when heat from the unit is used to produce hot water.
February 3, 2012
(view original article)
Fuel cells to play greater role in South Africa platinum industry
Fuel cells are to play an ever-greater role in South Africa's platinum mining industry as firms look to alternative forms of energy.
Marco Biffi, who is the principal engineer for ventilation and occupational environment at Anglo American subsidiary Anglo Operations, believes these will prove increasingly important in meeting small to medium power requirements.
"They are ideal for the provision of standby power, and can easily be used underground as backup power for communication systems, without the problems associated with conventional emergency power sources," he told Mining Weekly.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) plans to test a fuel cell-powered mine locomotive at its Dishaba operation in March or April of this year.
Mr Biffi also said larger alternative energy projects that reduce platinum miners' reliance on traditional electricity providers will be needed in future.
Unreliable supplies and higher costs mean platinum mining companies should look to on-demand mine cooling strategies to ensure production projects are not delayed, he told the publication.
"Projects that have not requested an electricity supply allocation from power utility Eskom will struggle with energy supply in the next two years," he explained.
Solar power is one option platinum miners may consider to reduce reliance on the state utility provider.
