NETL, Carnegie Mellon team up to model new hydrogen membranes
The DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have developed a new computational modeling tool to pre-screen candidate hydrogen separation membranes. The research team is investigating a new hydrogen membrane material – a copper palladium alloy – that allows hydrogen to be processed without contamination by other gases such as hydrogen sulfide during purification. By coupling experimental activity with computational modeling, the team has developed a predictive model for hydrogen flux through the Cu/Pd alloys, according to David Sholl, associate professor in chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. He believes their predictive model offers a ‘solid method’ that can now be applied in the screening of other complex alloys for future hydrogen production.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Dr David Sholl, Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 268 4207, Email: sholl+@andrew.cmu.edu, Web: www.cheme.cmu.edu
Or contact: John Winslow, Product Manager – Fuels Program, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 386 6072, Email: john.winslow@netl.doe.gov, www.netl.doe.gov/coal/fuels
Microwave research seeks to boost capacity of new hydrogen storage material
A project at New Mexico State University (NMSU) could advance the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a new means of storing large quantities of hydrogen at room temperature. Shuguang Deng, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is researching the use of microwave synthesis to enhance the storage capacity of these materials. Among the advantages of an MOF are that it is easy to make, cost-effective, has well-defined adsorption sites and a high surface area, explains Deng. By using microwaves to synthesize the MOF, Deng hopes to manipulate the pore structure to enhance the absorption of hydrogen, thereby boosting the hydrogen storage capacity of the material. The NMSU project is aimed particularly at automotive applications, where tank size and weight are critical considerations. Deng says the goal is to achieve a hydrogen tank in which about 9% of the total weight is hydrogen, matching the target standards set by the DOE for fuel cell tanks by 2015.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Higher funding for fuel cells, hydrogen in 2006 DOE budget proposal
President Bush has included $322 million for fuel cell and hydrogen technology programs in the proposed fiscal year 2006 Department of Energy budget. That is an increase of $20.5m over the $301.5m Congress enacted for the current fiscal year.
Fuel cell and hydrogen-related proposals in the 2006 DOE budget include $83.6m for fuel cell technologies through the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, $99.1m for the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s hydrogen program, $65.0m for distributed generation fuel cells via the Office of Fossil Energy, and $74.28m in additional funding in other DOE offices, including Office of Science programs, hydrogen from coal and hydrogen from nuclear power.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Virginia Tech voltage converter boosts SOFC output
Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in the US have developed a highly efficient converter that can boost the low DC voltage produced by SOFC stacks to the higher levels required for conversion to AC for household and commercial applications. Virginia Tech’s device is able to boost voltage and reduce 120 Hz ripple current to 2% without the costly, bulky capacitors or additional converters that are customarily used. The net effect is a reduction in fuel consumption, fuel cell system size and costs, thereby taking a significant step towards SECA’s goal of 40–60% overall fuel cell efficiency at a cost of $400/kWe by 2010.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Professor Jason Lai, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Tel: +1 540 231 4741, Email: laijs@vt.edu, Web: www.ecpe.vt.edu/faculty/lai.html
Feature article in the April 2005 issue:
Progress in the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform By Steve Barrett – Editor
In mid-March the European Commission hosted the Second Annual General Meeting of its European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, to discuss the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and Deployment Strategy (DS) documents that it published at the end of 2004. Here we report on the strategic overview of progress so far and recommendations for future actions, while in the next issue we will look at the key points of the SRA and DS reports.
Read this feature article in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
For more on the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, go to: www.hfpeurope.org
The Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) is investigating the use of steel interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells as a way to reduce costs and thus hasten their commercialization in distributed power generation. VTT has tested the performance of different interconnect steels for SOFC service in the actual operating environment with hydrogen fuel. In these experiments, a Finnish ferritic steel grade performed surprisingly well in comparison with newer high-chromium steels from Japan and Germany. For long-term service, further development may be necessary, but a satisfactory combination of alloy stability and electrical performance was achieved with a currently available alloy.
Read this news item in the March 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Michigan studies microfabrication to lower fuel cell costs
Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing microfabrication methods that could produce fuel cells at a fraction of the current cost using traditional manufacturing processes. The research group has been investigating the use of electronics microfabrication processes to manufacture PEM fuel cells since mid-2002. They have arrived at a working system that uses steps very similar to those used to make microelectronic devices. Instead of parts being manufactured separately and then assembled (which is costly, time-consuming and leads to variability), the fuels cells are made by ‘growing’ layer upon layer. The UM scientists hope that combining microfabrication with less expensive materials will greatly reduce the cost of fuel cells. The team’s next step is to generate prototypes for third-party evaluation.
Read this news item in the March 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Delphi Corporation reports that its DOE Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) solid oxide fuel cell, developed in collaboration with Ohio-based Battelle, has exceeded the power density level required to meet the government’s cost goal for affordable fuel cells. In testing, Delphi’s latest SOFC produced an initial power density of 575 mW/cm2 at 0.7 V nominal in full-size stacks, bettering the DOE’s target of 500 mW/cm2 required to meet its cost criteria of $400/kWe.
Read this news item in the March 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
GM, Sandia partner in $10m hydride storage program
General Motors and Sandia National Labs in Livermore, California have embarked on a four-year, $10m program to design and test an advanced method for storing hydrogen based on metal hydrides. The goal is to develop a pre-prototype solid-state storage tank that would store more hydrogen on board an FCV than other hydrogen storage methods currently available. The partnership will develop and test tanks that store hydrogen in sodium aluminum hydride (sodium alanate). Under suitable conditions, the alanate releases hydrogen to leave a mixture of sodium hydride and aluminum; when subsequently exposed to gaseous hydrogen, the mixture absorbs the gas and reverts to alanate, effectively storing hydrogen at low pressure.
Read this news item in the March 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Chris D. Moen, Manager – Science & Engineering Technologies, Sandia National Labs, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 294 3709, Email: cmoen@sandia.gov, Web: www.sandia.gov
Feature article in the March 2005 issue:
Development of a PEM fuel cell under low humidified conditions
By Shoji Yoshioka, A. Yoshimura, H. Fukumoto, O. Hiroi and H. Yoshiyasu (Advanced Technology R&D Center, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Amagasaki, Japan).
The life performance must be improved in order to commercialize polymer electrolyte (membrane) fuel cells (PEMFCs). A decline of the cell voltage has been found to result from deterioration of the materials and a localization of the reaction in the cell. We investigated the localization phenomenon, measuring the current density in the cell. The distribution of current density was measured by divided and isolated electrodes for a long period of operation. At the beginning of generation of electricity, a high-current region is observed in the lower gas channel which is relatively humid. However, the high-current region gradually moves to the upper dry channel in proportion to the voltage drop, which is noticeable under conditions of low-humidity operation. This reaction seems to be reversible, since the PEMFC can mostly recover the initial performance, once it is restarted. Improving the MEA and gas separators for low humidified conditions on the basis of this internal analysis, we operated a 20-cell PEMFC stack of 0.4 kWe for 5000 h, and the stack showed –1.5 mV/1000 h of average voltage degradation.
Read this feature article in the March 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
For more information, contact: Shoji Yoshioka, Head Researcher – Fuel Cell Technology Project, Advanced Technology R&D Center, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, 8-1-1 Tsukaguchi-Honmachi, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-8661, Japan. Tel: +81 6 6497 7186, Fax: +81 6 6497 7292, Email: yoshioka.shoji@wrc.melco.co.jp, Web: global.mitsubishielectric.com
Recent feature articles in the Fuel Cells Bulletin:
Effect of methanol concentration on passive DMFC performanceBy Jianguo Liu, Tian-Shou Zhao, Rong Chen and Chung Wai Wong – Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong SAR, PR China Fuel Cells Bulletin, February 2005
Performance of anode-supported SOFCs fabricated with electrophoretic deposition techniques By Katsuhiko Yamaji, Haruo Kishimoto, Yueping Xiong, Teruhisa Horita, Natsuko Sakai and Harumi Yokokawa – Fuel Cell Group, Energy Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology, Japan Fuel Cells Bulletin, December 2004
PolyFuel claims membrane breakthrough for automotive fuel cells
California-based fuel cell membrane specialist PolyFuel has unveiled a new family of hydrocarbon-based polymer membranes that it claims offer a new level of performance for hydrogen fuel cells, and which could significantly accelerate the commercial introduction of FCVs. For example, PolyFuel’s hydrocarbon membrane technology operates stably at low relative humidity, eliminating the need for complicated and expensive systems to keep the membrane hydrated. The company also says its new membranes produce 10–15% more power under real-world operating conditions compared to perfluorinated membranes.
Read this news item in the November 2004 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Ceres, BOC to trial using LPG in lower-temperature SOFCs
Global industrial gases giant BOC has entered into an agreement to run development trials of solid oxide fuel cell technology operating on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The innovative SOFC, which operates at intermediate temperatures of 550–600°C rather than the conventional 750–800°C, has been developed by UK-based Ceres Power, a spin-off from Imperial College London. Under the agreement, the two companies will over the next 6–18 months assess how LPG works with Ceres’ wafer-thin fuel cells. The Ceres team has spent more than 12 years developing and proving its revolutionary intermediate-temperature SOFC technology, ahead of the pre-commercial trials now getting under way with BOC.
Read this news item in the November 2004 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Self-assembling ‘designer molecules’ could improve fuel cells
A materials science and engineering research team at Cornell University has developed a new class of synthetic macromolecules, called ‘extended amphiphilic dendrons’, that mimic nature in their ability to spontaneously self-assemble into various nanoscale structures. The precise self-assembly behavior obtained is dictated by the molecular architecture, which can be tailored or ‘engineered’, says research team leader Professor Ulrich Wiesner. This makes it possible to design nanoscale structures that otherwise would be impossible to manufacture. The self-assembled structures include 3D continuous cubic structures, which Wiesner says could be ‘particularly relevant’ for applications such as fuel cells because they exhibit ion transport when doped with lithium salts.
Read this news item in the November 2004 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Professor Ulrich Wiesner, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. Tel: +1 607 255 3487, Email: uli@msc.cornell.edu, Web: www.ccmr.cornell.edu/~uli
Feature article in the November 2004 issue:
Direct methanol fuel cells – ready to go commercial?
By George Apanel (SRI Consulting, Houston, Texas, USA) and Eric Johnson (Atlantic Consulting, Zürich, Switzerland)
DMFCs are about to come of age as transportable power supplies. A motor scooter is already headed towards serial production; next in line will be cell phone power packs, portable generators and perhaps even automobiles. This article reviews the development of direct methanol fuel cells, current players in the market, key technical challenges and the current cost picture.
Read this feature article in the November 2004 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
For more information, contact: George Apanel, SRI Consulting, 16945 Northchase Drive, Suite 1910, Houston, TX 77060, USA. Tel: +1 281 876 6929, Email: gapanel@sriconsulting.com, Web: www.sriconsulting.com
Or contact: Eric Johnson, Atlantic Consulting, Obstgartenstrasse 14, CH-8136 Gattikon, Switzerland. Tel: +41 1 772 1079, Email: ejohnson@ecosite.co.uk
Fly-powered robot using microbial fuel cell
At the University of the West of England in Bristol, a team in the Intelligent Autonomous Systems (IAS) Lab has built a robot that derives its power solely from unrefined food such as dead flies or rotting apples. Ecobot II employs a microbial fuel cell to extract electricity directly from the raw substrate. The 1 kg ‘proof-of-concept’ robot can move at a majestic speed of 30 cm/h and transmit sensor data over 30 m via a radio link. The electricity extracted by the fuel cell is stored until there is sufficient to carry out a given task. IAS director Professor Chris Melhuish says the autonomous robot could be made to sense other things in addition to light and temperature, such as toxins or pollutants. He believes the eco-friendly robot could also be developed to clean food waste from the environment or carry out tasks in hazardous environments.
Read this news item in the November 2004 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Professor Chris Melhuish, Intelligent Autonomous Systems Laboratory, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Tel: +44 117 328 2539, Email: chris.melhuish@uwe.ac.uk, Web: www.ias.uwe.ac.uk
Recent feature articles in the Fuel Cells Bulletin:
Nanostructured and functionally graded cathodes for intermediate-temperature SOFCs By Ying Liu, Charles Compson and Professor Meilin Liu – School of Materials Science & Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Fuel Cells Bulletin, October 2004
Effect of pretreatment methods on performance of passive DMFCs By Beck-Kyun Kho, In-Hwan Oh, Seong-Ahn Hong and Heung Yong Ha – Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST), South Korea Fuel Cells Bulletin, September 2004
New proton-conducting porous silicon membrane for small fuel cells By Tristan Pichonat, Bernard Gauthier-Manuel and Daniel Hauden – Laboratoire de Physique et Métrologie des Oscillateurs, Besançon, France Fuel Cells Bulletin, August 2004
Poised for growth at Fuel Cell Technologies By Dr John H. Stannard – Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Fuel Cells Bulletin, July 2004
NETL, Carnegie Mellon team up to model new hydrogen membranes
The DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have developed a new computational modeling tool to pre-screen candidate hydrogen separation membranes. The research team is investigating a new hydrogen membrane material – a copper palladium alloy – that allows hydrogen to be processed without contamination by other gases such as hydrogen sulfide during purification. By coupling experimental activity with computational modeling, the team has developed a predictive model for hydrogen flux through the Cu/Pd alloys, according to David Sholl, associate professor in chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. He believes their predictive model offers a ‘solid method’ that can now be applied in the screening of other complex alloys for future hydrogen production.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Dr David Sholl, Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 268 4207, Email: sholl+@andrew.cmu.edu, Web: www.cheme.cmu.edu
Or contact: John Winslow, Product Manager – Fuels Program, DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 412 386 6072, Email: john.winslow@netl.doe.gov, www.netl.doe.gov/coal/fuels
Microwave research seeks to boost capacity of new hydrogen storage material
A project at New Mexico State University (NMSU) could advance the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a new means of storing large quantities of hydrogen at room temperature. Shuguang Deng, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is researching the use of microwave synthesis to enhance the storage capacity of these materials. Among the advantages of an MOF are that it is easy to make, cost-effective, has well-defined adsorption sites and a high surface area, explains Deng. By using microwaves to synthesize the MOF, Deng hopes to manipulate the pore structure to enhance the absorption of hydrogen, thereby boosting the hydrogen storage capacity of the material. The NMSU project is aimed particularly at automotive applications, where tank size and weight are critical considerations. Deng says the goal is to achieve a hydrogen tank in which about 9% of the total weight is hydrogen, matching the target standards set by the DOE for fuel cell tanks by 2015.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Higher funding for fuel cells, hydrogen in 2006 DOE budget proposal
President Bush has included $322 million for fuel cell and hydrogen technology programs in the proposed fiscal year 2006 Department of Energy budget. That is an increase of $20.5m over the $301.5m Congress enacted for the current fiscal year.
Fuel cell and hydrogen-related proposals in the 2006 DOE budget include $83.6m for fuel cell technologies through the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, $99.1m for the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s hydrogen program, $65.0m for distributed generation fuel cells via the Office of Fossil Energy, and $74.28m in additional funding in other DOE offices, including Office of Science programs, hydrogen from coal and hydrogen from nuclear power.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Virginia Tech voltage converter boosts SOFC output
Researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in the US have developed a highly efficient converter that can boost the low DC voltage produced by SOFC stacks to the higher levels required for conversion to AC for household and commercial applications. Virginia Tech’s device is able to boost voltage and reduce 120 Hz ripple current to 2% without the costly, bulky capacitors or additional converters that are customarily used. The net effect is a reduction in fuel consumption, fuel cell system size and costs, thereby taking a significant step towards SECA’s goal of 40–60% overall fuel cell efficiency at a cost of $400/kWe by 2010.
Read this news item in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
Contact: Professor Jason Lai, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Tel: +1 540 231 4741, Email: laijs@vt.edu, Web: www.ecpe.vt.edu/faculty/lai.html
Feature article in the April 2005 issue:
Progress in the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform By Steve Barrett – Editor
In mid-March the European Commission hosted the Second Annual General Meeting of its European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, to discuss the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and Deployment Strategy (DS) documents that it published at the end of 2004. Here we report on the strategic overview of progress so far and recommendations for future actions, while in the next issue we will look at the key points of the SRA and DS reports.
Read this feature article in the April 2005 issue of Fuel Cells Bulletin on ScienceDirect
For more on the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, go to: www.hfpeurope.org
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