Hydrogen - Gazette
The news letter of HyWeb and the German Hydrogen Association (DWV)
3rd Quarter 1999 – 3rd Year ã L-B-Systemtechnik GmbH
France: A technology network Fuel Cell (99-09-20)
Vaillant, Plug Power and GE Fuel Cell Systems join forces for the European market (99-09-20)
Manhattan Scientifics acquires German fuel cell technology (99-08-27)
Linde buys AGA and Messer-Griesheim (99-08-27)
The end of platinium in PEM Cells? Cobalt catalyst developed (99-08-27)
DaimlerChrysler's hydrogen bus now running in Oslo (99-08-27)
Shell's solar cell factory at Gelsenkirchen to start operation in November (99-08-27)
The topical quotation (99-07-30)
Compilation of German hydrogen and fuel cell projects (99-07-30)
European Integrated Hydrogen Project workshop proceedings online (99-07-30)
Successful operation of MCFC plant in Milan, Italy (99-07-30)
Air Liquide and Air Products buy industrial gases company BOC (99-07-23)
International Hydrogen Conference "Hypothesis III" in St. Petersburg (99-07-23)
The topical quotation (99-07-14)
New solid oxide fuel cell projects (99-07-14)
Shell and Siemens join in developing CO2-free SOFC power plant (99-07-14)
Field testing of small SOFC "Hexis" (99-07-14)
Storage capability of graphite nanostructures exceeds liquid hydrogen (99-07-14)
HyGen Industries starts into solar hydrogen production (99-07-14)
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France: A technology network Fuel Cell
HyWeb, 99-09-20: On June 25, 1999, the steering committee of the new French Fuel Cell network has been installed by the French Minister for Education, Research and Technology, Claude Allègre. The network deals with the development and production technologies of fuel cells for three areas of utilisation: propulsion systems for vehicles, combined heat and power production and portable applications. The committee decides upon the general directions, co-ordinates the activities of the public research laboratories and the private companies in the areas of research and development, demonstration and technology transfer to industry.
The fuel cell, a clean technology emitting only water and being very energy efficient, is already reality. On the other hand, the costs still being considerably high are the major obstacle of the general introduction of this technology. It is therefore necessary to develop new technologies to change this situation.
A call for proposals has been issued by the committee concerning stationary, mobile and portable applications. The objective is to initiate research activities between public laboratories and French companies, especially SMEs, in order to prepare the market introduction of this technology and in order to support industrial development in this domain.
The call for proposals was closed on September 4, 1999. The first projects are anticipated to be selected in October.
Contact persons:
ADEME: Daniel Clément, phone +33/1 47 65 21 74
CEA: Roland Vidil, phone +33/4 76 88 38 80Press contacts:
CEA: Céline Gaiffier, phone +33/1 40 56 20 96
ADEME: Marie-Ange Folacci, phone +33/1 47 65 24 30Further details can be found on the Internet home pages of ADEME (www.ademe.fr/recherche) and the French Ministry for Education, Research and Technology (www.education.gouv.fr/technologie/reseaux) in French language.
AFH (translation: MA)
HyWeb, 99-09-20: The Hydro-gen PSA Peugeot-Citroen project and the Renault Fever project (HyWeb, 97-10-31) have allowed the companies to acquire considerable expertise in fuel cell technology and the storage of hydrogen on board a vehicle. Now PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Renault are pooling their resources and are proposing a joint research programme into the development of a fuel cell powered car. The programme has received the seal of approval from the Fuel Cell technological network set up by the French Ministry of Education, Research and Technology.
Following on the Hydro-gen and Fever research programmes, PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Renault are now to pool their resources and expertise with their proposition for a four-year joint research programme. The programme will allow the acquisition of expertise and determine what conditions of feasibility and competitiveness will lead to the production and marketing of a fuel cell powered vehicle by 2010 at the latest.
In order to attain the targets set, PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Renault have associated themselves with:
- CEA, Air Liquide and De Nora for the development of the fuel cell system
- Air Liquide, Elf and Total Fina for the fuel supply and reforming process
- Air Liquide and Valeo for the fluid circuits and energy transfer.
The programme will consist of three successive phases, provided each of the milestones is attained:
A first stage of economic, environmental and technological viability, lasting a year, which will serve to evaluate the various different chanels available for the fuel cell, the reformer and the fuel.
A second stage, lasting two years, to study the process and validate the technologies selected.
A third stage consisting of making the prototypes that would represent a limited production run.
The budget for the feasibility study is nearly FRF 34 million, with 30% funding from the French Ministry of Education, Research and Technology.
MA
Vaillant, Plug Power and GE Fuel Cell Systems join forces for the European market
HyWeb, 99-09-20: Joh. Vaillant GmbH u. Co. of Remscheid, Germany, one of Europe’s largest heating and appliance manufacturers and distributors (HyWeb, 98-12-04), has signed a development agreement with Plug Power and completed a memorandum of understanding with GE Fuel Cell Systems and Plug Power to bring gas-operated fuel cell heating appliances to the European market.
Upon completion of the definitive documents, Vaillant will begin purchasing fuel cells and gas-processing components provided by Plug Power. Vaillant will then - in the first stage of the cooperation - incorporate these components into fuel cell heating appliances for sale to its own customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands and GE Fuel Cell System’s customers throughout Europe.
The first pilot plants with the Vaillant "Hare" trademark are scheduled for testing by the end of 2001. General sales are scheduled to begin in 2003. Vaillant anticipates annual sales of the appliances to reach 100,000 by 2010.
MA
Manhattan Scientifics acquires German fuel cell technology
HyWeb, 99-08-27: On August 10, Manhattan Scientifics announced that it has acquired the intellectual property, exclusive worldwide commercial development rights, and pending patents to the mid-power-range fuel cell technology of NovArs Gesellschaft für neue Technologie GmbH, a private company based in Passau, Germany.
The company will fund a research and development contract for NovArs, scheduled to begin September 5, 1999 by agreement with its principal owner, physicist Dr. Arthur Koschany. This includes the construction of a next-stage working prototype of the technology, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2000.
MA
HyWeb, 99-08-27: On August 16, Ford Motor Company announced the opening of the first filling station in North America that can refuel vehicles with either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. It underlines Ford's committment to clean hydrogen vehicles.
The station which is located on Ford's North American Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn, Michigan, USA, will help Ford researchers analyze the benefits of liquid versus gaseous hydrogen refueling, different types of nozzles for refueling and different pressures for optimal refueling with hydrogen.
The station has two liquid hydrogen and two gaseous hydrogen pumps. The liquid tank holds 1,650 gallons of hydrogen. The gaseous hydrogen is stored at both 750 psi (pounds per square inch) and 5,500 psi. The lower pressure supports laboratory bench tests while the higher pressure supports vehicle refueling, which can be done at either 3,600 or 5,000 psi.
Foto: Ford Motor Company
Refueling the P2000 HFC with compressed gaseous hydrogen.
Also on August 16, Ford and Mobil announced significant progress in developing a smaller, lighter, less expensive on-board gasoline fuel processor for fuel cell vehicles. New catalysts have been developed that allow the reformation process to begin at much lower temperature.
MA
Linde buys AGA and Messer-Griesheim
HyWeb, 99-08-27: According to a report of the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung of August 17, Linde of Wiesbaden, Germany, has published an offer to buy the Swedish AGA group. According to Linde, large shareholders of AGA have agreed to sell their shares giving Linde some 60% of AGA. The offer has been published to raise this share even further. The merger would result in the second largest industrial gases group in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.
In parallel, Linde is in negotiations to buy Messer-Griesheim of Frankfurt, Germany. A Linde spokesperson announced that the treaties are expected to be signed in short. The new group would then have a global market share of 16 to 17%.
MA
The end of platinium in PEM Cells? Cobalt catalyst developed
DWV, 99-08-27: Platinium, though expensive, is indispensable as catalyst for the membranes of PEM fuel cells? Maybe no longer. ZeTek Power Ltd. (New York), mother company of Zevco, has developed a new catalyst on Cobalt base which can reduce the costs for the cells considerably by replacing the platinium. This is the first time that a non-noble metal is used for this purpose. American and French researchers participated in the development, which was funded by ZeTek Power and the European Commission. Nicholas Abson, ZeTek and Zevco CEO, called the development a critical breakthrough on the way to clean energy for everybody which is not only affordable but even saves money. The demand for the expensive noble metal platinium is now seen as one of the most important bottlenecks on the way to the mass production of PEM cells. Cobalt is not exactly cheap either, but Abson expects that metal costs may be reduced by one half as soon as greater amounts are used. (Business Wire, 13. July 1999; Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, August 1999)
DWV
DaimlerChrysler's hydrogen bus now running in Oslo
DWV, 99-08-27: DaimlerChrysler's Nebus is now performing a test run of two weeks on one of the most important bus lines in Oslo. The presentation of the vehicle stirred a great media interest (Photo: Norwegian Hydrogen Forum). The Oslo transportation company has already voiced its interest to use the vehicles as soon as they are commercially available.
DWV
Shell's solar cell factory at Gelsenkirchen to start operation in November
DWV, 99-08-27: Shell's solar cell factory at Gelsenkirchen will be opened officially on 16. November. Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Northrhine-Westphalia's prime minister Wolfgang Clement will be present. The solar cell factory is part of the renewable energies business of the Royal Dutch/Shell group.
DWV
"Now this is the verdict of science: 'Those who change the chemical structure of the earth's atmosphere in the sense of an actual doubling of the pre-industrial carbon dioxide effect will be sentenced to a global warming of up to 3.5 degrees C, but not less than 1.5 degrees C.' [...]
Those who, in a particularly serious case of continued emissions of greenhouse gases from industry, traffic, households, agriculture etc., quadruple the actual carbon dioxide effect must be prepared to a sentence of up to ten degrees C of global warming.'
As a matter of fact, civilization is actually on its direct way to capital crime [...]"
Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, Potsdam, Germany, Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 26/27, 1999
Translation: LBST
Compilation of German hydrogen and fuel cell projects
HyWeb, 99-07-30: L-B-Systemtechnik has produced a compilation of about 200 German hydrogen and fuel cell projects of the last ten years. The cojmpilation is available online in HyWeb under www.HyWeb.de/germanh2 . All descriptions are in English language.
Currently, LBST is collecting descriptions of European projects in this area. A project description form can be found in the compilation of German projects. All European organisations active in hydrogen or fuel cell projects are asked to be so kind as to make information on their projects available to LBST.
MA
European Integrated Hydrogen Project workshop proceedings online
HyWeb, 99-07-30: EIHP – European Integrated Hydrogen Project is a joint industrial project aiming at a harmonization of rules, regulations and licensing and approval procedures for hydrogen vehicles in Europe (HyWeb, 98-08-31).
In March 1999, at the occasion of the project mid-term assessment, an open workshop was held in order to communicate the methodology adopted in EIHP as well as the preliminary results. External experts and interested parties were invited for presentations and discussions.
The proceedings containing the presentations by the EIHP partners, by invited experts and by several attendees as well as summaries of the discussion results are now online available in HyWeb under www.HyWeb.de/eihp . The 20 contributions focus on experiences and ongoing activities in the field of alternative gaseous fuels with a special emphasis on licensing, standardization, safety aspects and operator concerns.
This compilation and its publication in the Internet has been finacially supported by the European Commission.
MA
Successful operation of MCFC plant in Milan, Italy
HyWeb, 99-07-30: Ansaldo Ricerche (Italy), together with its Spanish partner PEP recently reported the successful demonstration of a 100 kW MCFC (molten carbonate fuel cell) cogeneration plant in Milan, Italy, at the premises of ENEL, a large Italian electric utility. PEP – Programa Español de Pilas de Combustible A.I.E. – is an economic interest grouping in the MCFC field of Spanish utilities IBERDROLA, ENDESA and BWE, representing and managing all Spanish activities in this field.
The 100 kW plant in Milan (left) and the 100 kW stack (right). Fotos: Ansaldo Ricerche
The project, partially funded by the European Commission, is part of the wider program MOLCARE of Ansaldo Ricerche and PEP.
After testing of the 100 kW stack last year in Madrid, Spain, it was transferred to Milan, where it was integrated into the so-called „compact unit (CU)", including a Sensible Heat Reformer closely integrated with the stack. This plant concept was successfully designed, manufactured, installed and experimentally operated delivering 100 kW to the ENEL grid and producing hot water for the buildings of ENEL Ricerca. The plant was operated on coal gas (containing up to 62% of CO), and with landfill gas.
The second phase of the MOLCARE program (1999 to 2004) includes the further development of stack and balance-of-plant as well as the manufacture and demonstration of the first „Series 500" unit of an electric power output of 500 kW.
MA
Northwest Power Systems, Methanex and Statoil join forces for stationary methanol fuel cell systems
HyWeb, 99-07-23: According to press releases by the three companies of June 28, Northwest Power Systems (see HyWeb, 99-06-07), a manufacturer of stationary fuel cell power units, Methanex, the world's leader in methanol production and sales, and Statoil, an energy company and leading methanol producer in Europe, have joined forces to advance the commercialisation prospects for methanol fuel cell systems in the home.
The companies have decided to co-operate on two pilot projects. The main focus of the agreement is to demonstrate the viability of methanol powered fuel cell systems to safely deliver electricity and heat to homes. To this end, several residences in Bend, Oregon will be disconnected from the electricity grid during 1999 and these homes will be fitted with fuel cell systems including methanol reformers. The second project involves the use of Northwest Power Systems' methanol reformer technology to supply pure hydrogen to a local metals fabricator in Albany, Oregon.
The reformer and fuel cell systems are designed and built by Northwest Power Systems to produce electricity and heat from methanol. The fuel cell systems are targeted at residential applications, emergency power supplies, and recreational/portable applications.
In a joint statement, Alan Guggenheim (President and CEO of Northwest Power Systems), Pierre Choquette (President and CEO of Methanex), and Finn Kulas (Senior Vice President of Statoil) commented: ``While many of the recent developments involving methanol and fuel cells have been focused on fuel cell vehicles, there are also exciting opportunities for stationary heat and power generation. [...]" (HyWeb, 99-06-22).
On July 14, Northwest Power Systems announced the successful testing of a fuel reformer converting diesel into high purity hydrogen, that was fed to a PEM fuel cell system without further purification.
On July 19, Northwest Power Systems announced the purchase of a 3 kilowatt fuel cell system from DCH Technology that will be integrated with Northwest Power Systems' patented fuel processor.
The purchase is the most recent in a series made by Northwest Power Systems from a growing list of fuel cell manufacturers, including De Nora, S.p.A., Milan, Italy, with which NPS has a long-term fuel cell supply agreement.
MA
Flint Energies partners with GE Fuel Cell Systems to market stationary fuel cells in Georgia
HyWeb, 99-07-23: On June 23, Flint Energies, a customer-owned electric cooperatives in Georgia, USA, announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding naming Flint Energies as GE Fuel Cell Systems' exclusive distributor for residential and small commercial-sized fuel cell systems in central and southern Georgia.
GE Fuel Cell Systems and Flint Energies expect to begin selling residential-sized systems in 2001 and small business-sized units by 2002. Retail prices for the residential systems will be approximately $8,500 per unit in 2001, and are expected to fall to below $4,000 by 2003. Fuel cells running on hydrogen from natural gas or propane are designed to provide 100% of the electricity requirements of a home or small business at the point of consumption.
Fuel cells are ideal for three distinct markets: one, as an environmentally sound or "green power" source, two, for homes or businesses susceptible to grid-related power outages - such as those caused by severe weather, and, three, for new homes located so far away from current electric lines that line extensions becomes uneconomical.
GE Fuel Cell Systems was formed in February 1999, as a joint venture between GE Power Systems and Plug Power, to market, sell, install and service Plug Power-designed and -manufactured fuel cells, up to 35 kilowatts, for residential and small business power applications (HyWeb, 99-02-17).
MA
Air Liquide and Air Products buy industrial gases company BOC
HyWeb, 99-07-23: According to a report in the German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" of Juli 13, the management of british BOC Group plc. accepted an offer by Air Liquide S.A. and Air Products and Chemicals Inc. The takeover has to be approved by various administrations. The three companies expect the takeover to be completed within six months.
BOC operations will be split among the two companies as follows: Air Liquide takes over the activities in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan and Thailand. Air Products takes over the operations in Australia, New Zealand, Singapur and Malaysia. The rest of the international operations will be managed jointly by the two companies on an equal basis.
With this takeover, world market leader in industrial gases Air Liquide would raise its market share from 17% to 24%. Air Products would raise its share from 8% to 15% taking the second position jointly with Praxair.
MA
International Hydrogen Conference "Hypothesis III" in St. Petersburg
DWV, 99-07-23: From 5. to 8. July the international conference "Hypothesis III" was held in St. Petersburg. (Hypothesis = "HYdrogen POwer, THeoretical and Engineering Solutions, International Symposium") 125 names were on the list of participants, about 40 of them from abroad. A few observations:
- Plasma physics was in the foreground with a number of papers. It appears that here are new possibilities for clean and efficient production and use of hydrogen.
- By the way, "cold fusion" is by no means seen as a mere artifact in Russia, but it is investigated in a number of places.
- Much more effort is made for "hot" fusion and, of course, nuclear fission. It was announced that safety problems will be solved by installing the power plants underground. Research institutes in this field however, like the well-known Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, look for other fields of activity as well.
- For the traffic sector the transition to hydrogen fuel in aviation is still the objective. How fast this will happen depends on the economical conditions, which means that it is totally unknown.
- The fuel cell in road traffic is seen as the future in Eastern Europe as well.
- Various papers were presented on thermal use and safety of hydrogen. They dealt with combustion and detonations as well as with embrittlement.
- International projects: There were papers about the W.E.I.T. project (Hamburg), the laboratory at Stralsund College and about the work in Norway as well as about French studies about the evaluation of various production paths.
- Graphite nanostructures are under investigation in Russia as well.
- The role of the fuel cell in St. Petersburg was not as dominant as on many other meetings. The program was more equilibrated.
A part of the papers is stored on a CD-ROM of which the organizers still had a few available. Please contact Prof. Denissov at denissov@apmath.spbu.ru.
The "Hypothesis IV" Conference will be held in Stralsund, Germany, in 2001; for information on the conference see www.hypothesis.de .
DWV
"Here the result of the collaboration of the heads of Ford, Daimler-Chrysler, Shell, Texaco and Arco."
"What is the use of technical developments if they only exist in studies and prototypes? Actually, there is none. Ford Motor Company takes innovation in the environmental sector very seriously. Most of the alternative vehicles world-wide are made by us. But one should never lay back being successful. Therefore, the P2000 will be the first fuel cell vehicle to be mass produced within almost five years. This is good for you, for us and for the environment."
"Zero Emission in series
already in 2004.
The fuel cell,
rather than producing
any emissions, only
produces a few drops of
water."Full-page advertisement in Süddeutsche Zeitung of June 21, 1999.
Translation by LBST
New solid oxide fuel cell projects
DWV, 99-07-14: Two major German utilities will start large demonstration projects with power stations using a Siemens/Westinghouse solid oxide fuel cell.
RWE Energie and Siemens/Westinghouse will install a cell with 300 kWel and combine it with a gas turbine to use the high temperature of the vent gas. The first plant will be ready in 2000 in North Rhine-Westphalia at RWE Energie, the second until 2002. The electric efficiency is about 60 %, and together with the use of the heat 80 to 90 % are achieved. For RWE Energie this is the decisive step towards this efficient and clean technology, according to CEO Manfred Remmel. "We want to offer this pioneering technology of the next millenium to our customers as soon as possible." Estimated costs will be 10 MEuro. RWE Energie expects that in 2010 about 20 to 40 % of electricity made from natural gas in Germany will be produced decentrally, for example in a fuel cell in the home.
In a comparable development EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg projects a fuel cell hybrid power station with a so far unparalleled output of 1 MW. The cell will be combined with micro gasturbines. Partners of EnBW are Electricité de France, Gaz de France, TIWAG (Tiroler Wasserkraftwerke) and Siemens/Westinghouse. Costs will be reduced significantly by using less expensive materials and optimized connecting of the components.
DWV
Shell and Siemens join in developing CO2-free SOFC power plant
HyWeb, 99-07-14: Shell Hydrogen and Siemens/Westinghouse plan to join forces in the development of a power plant concept using natural gas without emitting carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, as reported by IWR.
The power plant shall combine the high temperature fuel cell of the SOFC type with the CO2 sequestration technology presently being developed by Shell. The CO2 produced in the SOFC shall be pumped into exhausted petroleum or natural gas fields for long-term storage.
MA
Field testing of small SOFC „Hexis"
HyWeb, 99-07-14: After the first phase of test of the hexis technology developed by the Swiss Sulzer Company in Winterthur, Switzerland, and Dortmund, Germany, the second series of field tests has been started (HyWeb, 99-04-02). Hexis systems have been installed in Basel (Amt für Energie und Technische Anlagen, Switzerland), Oldenburg (EWE AG, Germany), Duisburg (Thyssengas, Germany) and Tokyo (Tokyo Gas, Japan) for three year test runs. According to Sulzer, the costs of the fiels tests are born mainly by the energy utilities.
Parallel to the field tests, prototype development is persued. The first commercial unit is scheduled to be available by 2001.
The standard Hexis unit will run on natural gas; other fuels will also be usable. The electric power will be in the range of 1 kW, with electric efficiencies of about 30% at full load or 40% at part load. The overall efficiency will be in the order of 90%.
MA
Storage capability of graphite nanostructures exceeds liquid hydrogen
DWV, 99-07-14: A team of the physics department of the National University of Singapore has made experiments with graphite nanostructures (Carbon nanotubes (CNT), multiwalled) and found hydrogen loading factors between 14 and 20 % mass-related. The measurements were made under ambient pressure and temperatures between 200 and 400 °C. The results exceed those found in hydrides or with cryoadsorption and also those known from other graphite nanostructures (except those reported by Rodriguez and Baker, which are still not reproduced elsewhere), and they have been found at temperatures which are not cryogenic. The calculated storage densities of 112 or 160 kg H2/m3 exceed even liquid hydrogen (71 kg/m3).
The distinctive feature of the structures investigated in Singapore is the inclusion of potassium and lithium atoms in the carbon lattice. The authors see the high storage capability as a result of their calalytic effect. Another reason is the particular shape of the structure which resembles a stack of ice-cream cones. Hydrogen can be completely retrieved by heating.
Source: P. Chen, X. Wu, J. Lin, K. L. Tan: "High H2 Uptake by Alkali-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Under Ambient Pressure and Moderate Temperatures ", Science 285 (1999) 91-3.
DWV
HyGen Industries starts into solar hydrogen production
HyWeb, 99-07-14: HyGen Industries, LLC, a company founded Venice, California, USA, in 1996 is raising US-$50 million+ for the world’s first fully environmentally sustainable Pilot Multi-MegaWatt commercial renewable hydrogen generating facility and distribution network, as the company puts it on its Internet home page. This facility using photovoltaics, wind power and potentially tidal-wave, and the company’s related products are destined to fulfill the mission of commercializing hydrogen as the ultimate zero emission fuel. HyGen is built on the experience gained in the Clean Air Now Project at Xerox, El Segundo, California, USA, by HyGen’s Management Team, during which hydrogen has been generated from photovoltaics and used as a fuel in a vehicle fleet.
Fotos: HyGen IndustriesMA
