Hydrogen - Gazette

The news letter of HyWeb and the German Hydrogen Association (DWV)

IVth Quarter 1998 – 2nd Year ã L-B-Systemtechnik GmbH

Graphite Nanofibers: DaimlerChrysler terminates cooperation with Rodriguez and Baker (98-12-18)

Hamburg: World's first public hydrogen filling station to open (98-12-18)

Hydrogen Energy to provide a push to Lorraine (98-12-18)

Hannover's city utility thinking about solid oxide fuel cell (98-12-18)

Fuel cell standardization body being created (98-12-18)

1998 breaks all temperature records (98-12-18)

Status and Prospects of Fuel Cells as Automobile Engines (98-12-14)

North American Bus Industries announces fuel cell bus for May 1999 (98-12-14)

Skoda teams up with Daimler-Benz Ballard to sell fuel cell buses (98-12-14)

Ballard fuel cell buses start operation in Vancouver (98-12-14)

The Renaissance Project for the Next Millennium (98-12-14)

Comprehensive fuel cell strategy study for stationary applications (98-12-08)

US-DoE extends purchase subsidy program to small fuel cells (98-12-04)

Vaillant: "We believe in the fuel cell" (98-12-04)

Stationary natural gas PEM fuel cell system by Energy Partners, NUI and Epyx (98-12-04)

Northwest Power Systems: 5 kW methanol/water reformer fuel cell system (98-12-04)

"Natural gas home": 3 kW PEM fuel cell with natural gas reformer for Leipzig (98-12-04)

Pilot project with 7.5 kW PEM fuel cell in Riesa, Germany (98-12-04)

Hospital with fuel cell and solar collectors in Saxony, Germany (98-12-04)

World's First Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Demonstration Project in Bielefeld (Germany) (98-12-04)

BMW opts for fuel cell (98-11-20)

Water splitting by means of metal oxides observed, mechanism not yet clear (98-11-17)

European Hydrogen Association to be founded (98-11-10)

US Fuel Cell Council formed (98-11-10)

Passenger fuel cell boats (98-10-20)

US-Department of Commerce funds development of residential fuel cell systems (98-10-20)

100 years of liquid hydrogen - Meeting in Wuerzburg (98-10-20)

Competition in the development of very small fuel cells for cellular phones (98-10-20)

Opel's first driveable fuel cell car based on Zafira (98-10-01)

What will the change in the German government bring for hydrogen? (98-10-01)

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Graphite Nanofibers: DaimlerChrysler terminates cooperation with Rodriguez and Baker

DWV, 98-12-18: DaimlerChrysler has in July terminated its cooperation with the Boston chemists Nelly Rodriguez and Terry Baker, reports the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter in its December issue. Spectacular news releases about the hydrogen gas storage capabilities of carbon nanofibers had created a lot of interest. A company spokesman said that samples of satisfactory capacity could not be found. From the fuel cell development center  is was said, however, that the topic is still of interest there, even aside from the work with Rodriguez and Baker.
 

DWV

 

 

 

 

Hamburg: World's first public hydrogen filling station to open

DWV, 98-12-18: Hamburg's First Mayor Ortwin Runde will open the world's first public hydrogen filling station on 12. January. It is part of the Hamburg-Icelandic project W.E.I.T (see Wasserstoff-Spiegel 6/97) which comprises equipping six vans to combustion engines running on hydrogen. Coordinator of the project is Hamburger Wasserstoff-Agentur GmbH. Partners are: Hermes Versand Service, Hamburgische Electricitaets-Werke, Hamburger Gaswerke, Hamburger Sparkasse, Hamburger Hochbahn, Hoyer, AGA Gas, Fahrzeugwerkstaetten Falkenried, Hamburgische Landesbank, Mannesmann Demag, Deutsche Shell and TÜV Nord.
 

DWV

 

 

 

 

 

Hydrogen Energy to provide a push to Lorraine

DWV, 98-12-18: The French region Lorraine which was historically shaped by steel and coal will use hydrogen energy as one motor of its economical development. One of the tools to this end is the Forbach based organization "Alphea" (Association Lorraine pour la Promotion de l'Hydrogène Et de ses Applications). The city of Forbach has published a call for tenders for the introduction of an innovative energy technology in the town. Applicants must make technical and commercial proposals for technologies using hydrogen directly or indirectly. The installed power must be between 30 and 500 kWel, the plant must be provided in turnkey fashion, and emission must be minimal. Other technical details are not specified. More information is available from Alphea.
 

DWV

 

 

 

 

Hannover's city utility thinking about solid oxide fuel cell

DWV, 98-12-18: The city utility of Lower Saxony's capital installs a gas motor heating station (11,7 MWth, 1,3 MWel) in the new Kronsberg quarter. Board member Hans-Jürgen Ebeling declared that it will be complemented by a fuel cell. The intention is towards a tubular SOFC cell by Siemens/Westinghouse. More details will have to be settled later.
 

DWV

 

 

 

 

Fuel cell standardization body being created

DWV, 98-12-18: The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is founding a Technical Committee 105 "Fuel Cell Power Plants". The TC will create uniform standards for the approval of mobile and stationary fuel cell systems in order to facilitate its international marked penetration. The body will cooperate with the Technical Committees 197 (Hydrogen Technologies)  und 22 (Vehicles) of ISO.
 

DWV

 

 

 

 

1998 breaks all temperature records

DWV, 98-12-18: Each individual month of 1998 from January to October set temperature records for the period of accurate measurements. A press release of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) now stated that the year has the hottest on the northern hemisphere for the last 1200 years. (1997 was "only" the hottest since 600 years.) The warming observed in the 20. century is also without parellel. No possible natural mechanism is known. Even what is known as "medieval warm period" from 9. to 14. century can not be compared because it was not that global. Conclusion: "Twentieth Century global warming is a reality and should be taken seriously".
 

DWV

 

 

 

Status and Prospects of Fuel Cells as Automobile Engines

HyWeb, 98-12-14: The Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Panel has completed a study in which they collected and evaluated information on fuel cell technologies that are being researched and developed worldwide for light duty vehicle transportation applications. The Panel has prepared a written report which is available in the Internet under www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/fuelcell/fuelcell.htm. The report describes the principles underlying fuel cell powered motor vehicles, programs of leading organizations in the field, and the findings and conclusions of the Panel regarding the status of fuel cell development, corporate development and capabilities, and the prospects for commercial production of fuel cell vehicles within the next five to ten years.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

North American Bus Industries announces fuel cell bus for May 1999

HyWeb, 98-12-14: According to articles in NGV World 10/98 and H&FCL 10/98 North American Bus Industries (NABI) of Anniston, Alabama, USA, plans to unveil a natural gas fed fuel cell bus in May 1999. The new family of buses will be constructed of advanced composite materials for the integrated chassis and body.

MA

 

 

 

 

Skoda teams up with Daimler-Benz Ballard to sell fuel cell buses

HyWeb, 98-12-14: According to a Bloomberg report of October 20th, Czech Skoda Plzen AS has teamed up with Daimler-Benz Ballard to rpoduce fuel cell buses. Skoda will supply the chassis, body and controlling systems for the new electric buses drawing on its experience in trolley bus production. Ballard will supply the fuel cell.

Skoda, which says it has 60% of the world's trolley bus market, signed a memorandum with British Columbia's Prime Minister Glen Clrak, outlining its business in the Canadian province. The first buses could begin operating in Vancouver in 2000, Skoda said. If successful, Skoda could supply about 50 buses a year to Vancouver.

Skoda announced to send two buses to Beijing next year as part of a project financed by the World Bank. Skoda also offered to supply buses for Czech spa town Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

MA

 

 

 

 

Ballard fuel cell buses start operation in Vancouver

HyWeb, 98-12-14: According to a Canada News Wire report of October 23rd, three Ballard fuel cell buses were to start operation in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada, on Oct. 26th. The test operation with BC Transit will take 2 years helping Daimler-Benz Ballard and Ballard Power Systems gain experience for commercially marketing fuel cell buses expected to be in production by 2002.

Presently, three Ballard fuel cell buses are in operation in Chicago (HyWeb, 97-10-10).

MA

 

 

 

 

 

The Renaissance Project for the Next Millennium

HyWeb, 98-12-14: The Renaissance Project is a vehicular design competition aimed at increasing the awareness of the importance of reducing the harmful effects of the transportation systems in use world-wide. These effects range from the environmental degradation of our water, soil, and air resources to the socioeconomic impacts of commuter societies. In order to promote a worldwide interest in alternative and clean energy, engineering, and related disciplines, the scientists from Germany, Japan, Korea, and the United States have come together to develop "The Renaissance Project for the Next Millennium."

High school students, of any nation, with a serious interest in promoting clean and renewable transportation systems are invited to design a hydrogen-powered, environmentally friendly, ground transportation vehicle for passenger/commuter use in the year 2020.

Each high school student, or student group, will submit an abstract outlining the basic concept behind his/her vehicle's operation. This abstract will emphasize the uniqueness of the proposed vehicle and its ability to reduce the environmental impacts of transportation. The authors of the top one hundred abstracts will be selected to submit a detailed design of the proposed vehicle, complete with scientifically sound mechanical and engineering specifications.

The institutions and/or individuals involved are: Desert Research Institute, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, Energon, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Musashi Institute of Technology, Science University of Tokyo, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the United States Department of Energy.

Further information can be found under: http://www.dri.edu/EEEC/Renaissance/

Alan Lloyd/ MA

 

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive fuel cell strategy study for stationary applications

HyWeb, 98-12-08: For the German Parliament (scientifically co-ordinated by the Office of Technology Assessment TAB) as well as for the Berlin energy utilities Bewag and Gasag, L-B-Systemtechnik GmbH will conduct a study about stationary applications of fuel cells.

Possibilities for stationary applications of fuel cells as well as their consequences and perspectives will be studied, covering the following topics:

The study is part of a thematically larger TAB project "Fuel Cell Technology", which in addition to the area of heat and power also includes the areas of transportation and of micro-applications such as laptop computers.

The main topics studied are technical aspects of fuel cell systems as well as boundary conditions in energy and transportation. This includes:

The results of the study are scheduled to be available by the end of 1999.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

US-DoE extends purchase subsidy program to small fuel cells

HyWeb, 98-12-04: According to the November 1998 edition of the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter (H&FCL), the US Department of Energy extends the government's purchase subsidy to fuel cells as small as 5 kW. Previously, only units larger than 100 kW were eligible. DoE covers up to one third of the project costs (plant, delivery, installation, one year of operation) up to US-$1,000/kW. Not all details have been finalized yet. Applications for the first round will be accepted until January 15th, 1999, and April 1st for the second round.

MA

 

 

 

 

Vaillant: "We believe in the fuel cell"

HyWeb, 98-12-04: "Talking about the future, it is the fuel cell," says Manfred Ahle, managing director of Vaillant, a leading German manufacturer of space heating installations, in a long interview in "Sanitär- und Heizungstechnik" (sanitary and heating technology), edition 9/1998. "We are working hard on bringing the fuel cell, which can be installed in small units for combined heat and power supply in single and multiple family homes, to market maturity. The fuel cell has enormous advantages: We can still use natural gas, our most important fuel, we would use a primary energy source which will last for a long time to produce heat and power in a decentralized fashion with a very high efficiency and with near-zero emissions, and this in existing single and multiple family homes. We can, thus, replace an existing heating unit by a power producing fuel cell. [...] we already experience strong increases in the decentralized combined heat and power generation as well as in district heating. In the long run, the fuel cell can replace the boiler. The crucial point is that this solution is economically and ecologically sound."

"The question is if it will we attractive to produce your own electricity in a fuel cell. [...] In principle, we follow the automotive industry who regard the fuel cell as the mobile future. Large numbers will have a positive impact on the prices, and here especially one will have to solve the problems of ecology and safety very quickly, all the more as requirements are more stringent in mobile than in stationary applications."

"[The fuel cell] is in the stage of research at Vaillant. In research, one deliberately takes the risk that the work does not necessarily lead to a marketable product. But we see the chances, and we want to take them."

Being asked whether Vaillant plans to be in the market with fuel cell systems by 2005, Mr. Ahle answers: "We want to enter the market even earlier with series produced units. However, the numbers will be small at the beginning, as we need extensive field testing. Already now, we observe a very high interest in the gas utility industry to participate in this field tests. [...] the gas utilities see a chance to produce electricity in addition to space heating with the fuel cell."

MA

 

 

 

 

Stationary natural gas PEM fuel cell system by Energy Partners, NUI and Epyx

HyWeb, 98-12-04: Energy Partners of West Palm Beach, Fl, NUI Corporation of Bedminster, NJ, and Epyx of Cambridge, MA, have announced the successful demonstration of a 2 kW PEM fuel cell system operating on natural gas in separate press releases on Nov 16th/17th.

Epyx delivered the multi-fuel processor generating hydrogen from natural gas in a Department of Energy program for stationary fuel cell power systems. According to fuel cell developer Energy Partners, this is a major step in the commertialization of a new product line. NUI, a multi-state energy sales, services and distribution company, and Energy Partners plan to develop and market stationary PEM fuel cell systems fueled by natural gas and propane for residential and commercial applications under the name NuPowerTM. In addition, the companies anticipate operating a methanol-powered fuel cell for automotive and portable power applications in the near future.

"Natural gas has always been the fuel of choice, and now by merging compact gas fuel processing with fuel cell technology, natural gas can be the bridge power source to the hydrogen economy," stated Michael J. Behan, President, NUI Ventures.

"Epyx provides the critical link to making fuel cell technology commercially viable in the near future - possibly by the year 2001," says Jeffrey Bentley, Chief Operating Officer at Epyx.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northwest Power Systems: 5 kW methanol/water reformer fuel cell system

HyWeb, 98-12-04: Founded in 1996, Northwest Power Systems of Bend, Oregon, USA, has developed a steam reformer providing hydrogen to small PEM fuel cell systems from methanol/water mixtures, propane and kerosene. The Internet home page claims that the product hydrogen is purified to a level of 5 ppm carbon monoxide (CO). Typical CO levels required for PEM fuel cells are in the order of below 10 ppm. Fuel processor development is underway to add product models that generate hydrogen from ethanol, gasoline, diesel and methane (natural gas).

Also presented on the Northwest Power Systems home page is a 5 kW fully integrated experimental prototype PEM fuel cell system. Potential applications include battery recharging at remote commercial, industrial and private sites. Fuel is a methanol and water mixture. Output is DC and AC electric power. The PEM fuel cell implemented into the prototype is a De Nora, Milano, Italy, stack. According to the November 1998 edition of the H&FCL, Energy Partners also delivered a 5 kW fuel cell stack to Northwest Power Systems recently.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

"Natural gas home": 3 kW PEM fuel cell with natural gas reformer for Leipzig

HyWeb, 98-12-04: The so-called "Natural gas home" of Verbundnetzgas AG of Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, a regional utility, produces its own electricity in a natural gas fired combined heat and power unit. According to the November 1st edition of "Energie&Management", a German spezialized journal, the motor unit shall be replaced by a PEM fuel cell system providing combined heat and power in December. The unit was deliverred by American Power Corp., Bosten, Massachusetts, USA, as a prototype and modified by Hamburg Gas Consult. The system delivers an electric power of 3 kW and a thermal power of 8 kW.

According to the January 1998 edition of the H&FCL, American Power Corp., marketing and commercialization offshoot of Analytic Power Corp., Boston, plans field testing of its PEM fuel cell systems called Residential Power Generator, of which the German project is one part. The per-system price was planned to be around US-$77,000. The development goal is to produce the systems at down to US-$4,000, producing electricity at 7-8 cents/kWh.

The systems will not be produced by American Power, but by an as to yet unknown company. The system design and development are to a significant portion by Analytic Power, originally developed for the US-DoE and the US military.

Don Prohaska, American Power's president, expects the systems producing combined heat and power to be sold "like a gas furnace", resulting in "de facto deregulation".

MA

 

 

 

 

Pilot project with 7.5 kW PEM fuel cell in Riesa, Germany

HyWeb, 98-12-04: For 1½ years already, a pilot 7.5 kW PEM fuel cell units has been providing clean energy to the "Technologieorientiertes Gründerzentrum (TGZ - technology oriented center for company start-ups)" in Riesa, Saxony, Germany. Partner in this project, that receives funding from the European Union, the Freestate of Saxony and the Landkreis (local authority) Riesa-Großenhain, are Verbund Netz Gas VNG, Rhenag, Gasversorgung Sachsen Ost (three gas utilities), Fraunhofer-Institute for solar energy systems ISE, the Zentrum für Technologie-Strukturentwicklung, Riesa, as well as the local authority Riesa-Großenhain.

Since spring 1998, a natural gas reformer developed by ISE supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell. A prototype of the reformer was displayed on the joint presentation of hydrogen technologies with fuel cell applications on the Hanover Industrial Fair this year by ISE. The fuel cell was delivered by Energy Partners of West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.

The fuel cell system is coupled to a solar rooftop system and a catalytic natural gas burner. A desiccant cooling system for room climatization is driven by the solar system. The idea of the project is to use natural gas in an extremely clean manner and to couple it to renewable energies.

MA

 

 

 

 

Hospital with fuel cell and solar collectors in Saxony, Germany

HyWeb, 98-12-04: As the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, a leading German newspaper, reports on August 26th, a new hospital in the saxonian town of Kamenz, Germany, will be equipped with a 200 kW ONSI fuel cell and solar collectors. The system, funded in the framework of the THERMIE program of the European Union with DM1.5 mio (US-$900,000) and by the Freestate of Saxony with DM660,000 (US-$400,000), is scheduled to be installed by mid-1999, leaving one year for system testing and optimization until the start of regular hospital operation. The operator of the hospital, Malteser Betriebsgesellschaft, adds DM675,000 (US-$400,000) and the regional gas utilities Verbundnetzgas AG and Gasversorgung Sachsen Ost add another DM325,000 (US-$190,000). Project partners are the Institute of Energy Technology of Technical University Dresden, DBI Gas und Umwelttechnik of Freiberg, Saxony, Germany, and Gastec of Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

The fuel cell will be complemented by a gas furnace. In addition, the system will be coupled to solar collectors, an adsorption cooling unit, an ice storage and a small compression cooling unit. This complex system will be controlled by a learning system based on weather forecasts.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

World's First Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Demonstration Project in Bielefeld (Germany)

DWV, 98-12-04: The world's forst molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) demonstration project will be installed next year in the city of Bielefeld (Germany, about 150 km NE of Cologne). The local utility Stadtwerke Bielefeld will buy a plant of Motoren und Turbinen Union (mtu) from Friedrichshafen for the university. Other companies taking part are the fuel suppliers BEB Erdgas und Erdoel GmbH and Mobil Erdgas-Erdoel GmbH.

The molten carbonate fuel cell of the highly integrated "Hot Module" type is under test in the laboratory since 1997, but has so far never been given to a customer. The cell will be integrated in the heating station of the university. It delivers about 280 kW electrical energy at an electrical efficiency of 52 %; more than 60 % are considered as feasible. The waste heat at about 450 °C will be used for process heat for the university and for heating by the utility. The university's institute for Physical Chemistry is integrated in the project.

The molten carbonate cell's high operating temperature of 600 to 650 °C incurs the advantage that it can use natural gas and other fuel gases directly. Alcalic, phosphoric and PEM cells need an extra reformer which makes pure hydrogen from them - a process which consumes energy. This component is not necessary for an MCFC, and the efficiency is thus enhanced. It is further improved by the fact that the high exhaust temperatures make a further energetic use (process heat, turbine) possible.

mtu is a DaimlerChrysler affiliate and does the development work jointly with Ruhrgas (gas distribution company), RWE Energie (electric utility) and the two Danish companies Haldor Topsoe (catalyst and engineering company) und Elkraft (electric utility). Last july the group entered a development and selling cooperation with the US company Energy Research Corporation.  

DWV

 

 

 

 

 

 

BMW opts for fuel cell

HyWeb, 98-11-20: On the occasion of an event of Solar-Wasserstoff Bayern GmbH (SWB), BMW yesterday announced to plan as the worldwide first company the series deployment of fuel cells in the around 2000 fork lifts in the BMW production plants. For passenger cars, hydrogen internal combustion engines are still an important option within the BMW energy strategy for the next milennium.

BMW still sees a number of püroblems associated to the fuel cell that would have to be solved before using fuel cells in cars on public roads. This calls for important development activities. The deployment in fork lifts is seen as a good option for further development and optimization. Fork lifts represent the world's largest electric vehicle market. The results of the SWB fork lift tests were so promising that BMW now plans to successively equip all 2000 fork lifts in operation at BMW plants.

SWB, of which BMW is 10% owner, will halt operation at the end of 1999. The information center and the photovoltaics plant on the ground will continue to be operated by Bayernwerk, Bavarias big electric utility and 70% shareholder of SWB (see H&FCL, Nov. 1998 under http://spice.mhv.net/~hfcletter/letter/november98/feature.html). BMW yesterday called SWB a success. The results achieved at SWB were the basis for a practical start into a solar hydrogen energy world.

In addition to the fuel cell fork lift, BMW especially highlighted the development of car refueling systems for liquid hydrogen (LH2). According to BMW, a refueling system has been developed that permits refueling as quickly, safely and free of losses as today's refueling with gasoline. The worldwide first public robot refueling station for LH2 will be inaugurated at Munich International Airport at the beginning of 1999 (see HyWeb, 97-09-23 and the home page of the H2MUC project under www.hyweb.de/h2muc).

MA

 

 

 

 

 

Water splitting by means of metal oxides observed, mechanism not yet clear

DWV, 98-11-17: Japanese scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology claim to have found an uncommon method to spilt water at ambient temperature (and not at 3000 °C) into its elements: with a common laboratory stirrer under addition of metal oxide powder. In February (HyWeb, 98-03-19)) they had reported about water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen by using cuprous oxide (Cu2O) powder as catalyst under irradiation with visible light (M. Hara et al., Chemical Communications 1998 S. 357f; New Scientist 28.02.98). In further experiments they found that the light matters almost not at all, but the stirring does. the process proceeded as well in complete darkness for hundreds of hours. The gas yield followed the frequency of the stirrer. It was also a function of the shape of the stirring rod: a shape with higher flow resistance yielded more gas. Furthermore it worked just as well with other metal oxides, for example with NiO (most experiments were done with it), Co3O4, and Fe3O4, not so well with RuO2 and IrO2, not at all with CuO and Fe2O3 and known photo-catalysts like TiO2, ZnO, or WO3.

A typical experiment with 200 cm3 of distilled water and 0,1 g NiO yielded 15 Std cm3 H2 after 22 hours and 22 Std cm3 after evacuation of the vessel and further 23 hours. The oxygen yield was exactly half of the amount of hydrogen. The same happened when the powder was not suspended in the water, but dragged over the glass bottom on a foil, or when an oxidized nickel foil was used. Irradiation with visible light (500 W, Lambda > 460 nm) resulted in the threefold yield when Cu2O was used, but had no effect with NiO, Co3O4 and Fe3O4. The magnetic field of the stirrer was not the reason, because the same results were found when a stirrer of another type was used. The efficiency was about 5% and thus clearly higher than in the previous experiments. It might very well be enhanced, because a laboratory stirrer is not optimized for friction experiments. (Ikeda et al., Chemical Communications 1998 S. 2185f)

Neither the Japanese scientists nor others can say what really happens. The group of Tokyo Institute of Technology says it is a mechano-catalytic reaction and also the first observation of the immediate transition from mechanical to chemical energy, without the intermediate step of heat generation. Other experts conjecture according to  New Scientist of 14. November that friction between oxide and glass could create charges which split the water molecules, or that the oxide takes part in the reaction. Still others reject the whole story and refer to the "Cold Fusion" business; however, the authors are acknowledged as absolutely serious, and the results appear to be well founded.

DWV

 

 

 

 

 

European Hydrogen Association to be founded

HyWeb, 98-11-10: Following repeated requests, representatives of most of the national hydrogen associations in Europe, notably France, Germany, Italy and Norway including representatives from Greece, Sweden, Spain and The Netherlands came together in order to discuss the structure, tasks, mission and the seat of a European Hydrogen Association (EHA) to be founded.

It was agreed among the participants that the members of the EHA shall be national hydrogen associations of all European countries. From countries without national associations delegated individuals, and international associations or individuals may become members of the international section of the EHA. Each regular member and the international section shall be respresented with one vote each in the board of the EHA.

It was also concluded that the EHA shall be a completely independent organization but located physically close to the European Commission. Ispra was proposed as the potential seat of the EHA and its secretariate.

Already two working groups have been installed, one for the drafting of the statute of the EHA and the other for the elaboration of a communication strategy.

Very soon a Website for the EHA will be installed, informing the public about the further evolution of the EHA in formation.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

US Fuel Cell Council formed

HyWeb, 98-11-10: On October 15th, leading fuel cell manufacturers, suppliers and customers announced the formation of the US Fuel Cell Council. Founding members are: 3M, the American Methanol Institute, Ballard Generation Systems, Daimler-Benz, DuPont Fluoroproducts, Energy Partners, Energy Research Corp., EPYX Corp., Ford Motor Co., International Fuel Cells/ONSI Corp., M-C Power Corp., Plug Power, W.L. Gore & Associates and Siemens/Westinghouse.

"The fuel cell industry has reached the point where it needs a strong and coherent voice," said Rhett Ross, president of the new association. Membership is open to all companies with a business interest in commercializing fuel cells in the US.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

US-Department of Commerce funds development of residential fuel cell systems

HyWeb, 98-10-20: On October 7th, Washington Water Power Affiliate, Avista Laboratories Inc. of Spokane, Washington, USA, a developer of PEM fuel cell technology for distributed power markets, announced the receipt of a $2 million technology development award from the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP). With Washington Water Power adding $1.22 million over a two year period, Avista Labs plans to work on technology that will increase the energy density of its fuel cell design. In addition, multiple fuel processing approaches using propane, methane and methanol as base fuels to integrate into its fuel cell subsystem will be developed.

Plug Power of Latham, New York, USA, also announced that it will receive funding from the ATP. The two-year, $9.7 million program teams Plug Power and W.L. Gore&Associates to explore technical advancements in the areas of membranes and membrane electrode assemblies as well as the fuel cell stack itself. ATP funding of $4.7 million will be matched by an additional $5 million from Plug Power and Gore.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passenger fuel cell boats

HyWeb, 98-10-20: The passenger boat "MS Weltfrieden" (motor ship World Peace) will be equipped with a PEM fuel cell propulsion system. It will be operated as an Expo 2000 project, transporting visitors to the Leipzig, Germany, Expo project "Plagwitz on its way to the 21st century". The boat will have a 10 kW PEM fuel cell and two metal hydride storage tanks of a capacity of 27 Nm³ hydrogen each. Christian Machens, student at the Leipzig College, develops the propulsion concepts, while all safety components will be developed in collaboration with Germanischer Lloyd and TÜV. The ship will be operated by "Leipziger Schiffahrtsgesellschaft" founded by the owners of the boat, and by the International Centre for Energy and Environmental Technology Leipzig GmbH (ICEU; see HyWeb, 98-02-13). Starting with the next operating season in 1999, the boat is planned to go into public operation.

Another boat, that used to be operated on Lago Maggiore in Italy, has already been converted to fuel cell propulsion in the framework of the Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Pilot Project (EQHHPP). The hybrid-electric propulsion system consists of a PEM fuel cell system of 40 kW fed by gasified liquid hydrogen and a 100 Ah lead acid battery buffer storage system delivering 600 V. The specific hydrogen consumption lies in the order of 3.4 Nm³/h. The hybrid system provides a nominal traction power of 100 kW which operates an asynchronous three phase electric motor with 120 kW power output. The design operating range of the boat is 300 km and its passenger capacity is 90 persons. According to a publication at the World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina this past June, acceptance tests of the fuel cell boat on Lago Maggiore were scheduled to start this summer. A demonstration phase with passengers onboard is now being studied.

MA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100 years of liquid hydrogen - Meeting in Wuerzburg

DWV, 98-10-20: The German Hydrogen Association (DWV) will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the liquefaction of hydrogen in a meeting held together with the German Society for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (DKV) on November 19th and 20th in Wuerzburg. James Dewar's success in London was not only a scientific breakthrough, but provided also a foundation for a great part of research and development in the first half of the 20th century. There is only one gas boiling at still lower temperatures, helium (4 K); however, liquid helium was available only at a few places in the world before the 50's. Whereever low temperatures were needed until then, hydrogen was thus the cryogenic working horse. Chemical Engineering, solid state physics (superconductivity, electronics), quantum, nuclear, and atomic physics would have been impossible without it, as well as elementary particle physics (bubble chambers) - and, last not least, astronautics.

DWV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Competition in the development of very small fuel cells for cellular phones

DWV, 98-10-02: Very small fuel cells which can supply a cellular phone with energy for at least 400 h will be marketed by a subsidiary of the Israeli company Medis El Ltd. The cells will also be developed for portable PCs or pagers. (See press release in KCSA Newsletter; compare the reports in HyWeb of 98-01-27 and in Wasserstoff-Spiegel 4/98 ("Kleiner ist größer") about comparable developments in USA.)

Medis El's speciality is the development of commercial products on the basis of research available in Israel, notably using the frequently remarkable qualification of immigrants from the former Soviet Union or  its successor states, respectively. Two of these are leading the new development: Professor Mikhael Khidekel is an expert for highly conductive polymers, and the engineer Gannady Finkelstein has developed an electrode coating process which uses only small amounts of platinium. Both together hold 30 % of  the Medis El subsidiary. Tightness problems are solved by means of technologies borrowed from aerospace applications. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) holds a major share of Medis El and will develop the cells in its own plant near Tel Aviv. Medis El Chairman Robert Lifton sees good business prospects for his company in the promising market of fuel cells for domestic and mobile applications. The very small cells in particular will penetrate the market even earlier than those for stationary applications or for transportation.

DWV

 

 

 

 

Opel's first driveable fuel cell car based on Zafira

HyWeb, 98-09-23: "During the Paris Motor Show press days Opel is presenting its first driveable fuel-cell car, based on the Zafira [see HyWeb, 98-03-20]. The compact van with 50 kW AC induction motor serves as a research platform for the newly created Global Alternative Propulsion Center (GAPC) in Rüsselsheim.

Compared with modern internal combustion engines the fuel-cell offers significant improvements in efficiency, emissions, noise and carbon dioxide (CO2) output. The basic principle of the fuel-cell used in the Zafira is an electro-chemical process in which hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity, with water as a by-product." This is the original text on the General Motors home page under http://www.gm.com/mo_pr/mo_pr_dt.htm?id=471.

On the (German) Opel home page, the text supplements: It is the goal to develop this future-oriented, environmentally benign technology to market maturity until 2004. The fuel cell is the most promising of all presently known alternative propulsion concepts.

In order to avoid the expensive and complicated storage of hydrogen in spezialized tanks the hydrogen-rich alcohol methanol is stored in a conventional tank on board as fuel. Opel actively persues various sources of hydrogen - among others gasoline, methanol, natural gas and pure hydrogen.

Further details have not been disclosed yet.

MA

 

 

 

What will the change in the German government bring for hydrogen?

DWV, 98-10-01: The outcome of the elections for the federal parliament (Bundestag) on September 27th and the further developments make it highly likely that representants of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (environmentalists) will be in the next federal government. It remains to be seen how this will affect the position of the latter towards hydrogen energy. Joschka Fischer, chief whip during the last election period, took part in a online conference of the parliament on July 1st (see http://www.bundestag.de/arch_trs/fischjo.htm) and made a few statements on energy, among other things. For coalition negotiations he said that all energy saving technologies would be treated with preference. Asked from where the energy will come if nuclear technology is abandoned he said: "In the long term we will import energy from the earth's sun belt, just as we import natural oil and gas today. This will happen by cable or by means of the energy carrier hydrogen."

It will certainly be interesting to watch what will happen. You will find the latest news here, as usual.

DWV