HyWeb - Gazette
The news letter of HyWeb and the German Hydrogen Association (DWV)
4th Quarter 1999 – 3rd Year ã L-B-Systemtechnik GmbH
German government improves situation of renewable energies (99-12-21)
Work on fuel cell cars in Korea (99-12-21)
Ford leaves Global Climate Coalition (99-12-21)
Volkswagen: The fuel cell comes in the long term (99-12-21)
Westminster City Council buys Zevco fuel cell vehicle (99-12-21)
Stuart Energy presents new hydrogen fueling appliances (99-12-21)
Miniature fuel cell competes for German Future Award (99-12-21)
Molten carbonate fuel cell for Los Angeles (99-12-21)
Slug collecting robot runs on slug-biogas-fuelcell-electricity (99-12-21)
Hydrogen production from tofu waste water (99-12-21)
wHydrogen: Oil catastrophe off the French coast (99-12-21)
Hamburg Christmas present:clean air featuring NEBUS Christmas Shuttle (99-12-14)
The topical quotation (99-12-06)
GE MicroGen prepares distribution of residential fuel cell systems (99-12-06)
Proton announces demonstration of 2000 psi high pressure PEM electrolysis (99-12-06)
Austrian fuel cell information activities in the Internet (99-12-06)
The topical quotation (99-11-23)
Methanex-Statoil alliance for the introduction of methanol as a vehicle fuel (99-11-23)
DaimlerChrysler demands decisions for alternative transportation (99-11-23)
Storage of hydrogen in graphite nanofibers at room temperature (99-11-23)
Information brochure "Fuel Cells – Green Power" online (99-11-23)
The topical quotation (99-11-03)
General Motors and Toyota enhance cooperation in the field of alternative vehicles (99-11-03)
Neoplan starts first fare-paying operation of a fuel cell bus in Europe (99-11-03)
DaimlerChrysler investigates fuel cell infrastructure with Japanese partner (99-11-03)
Successful endurance test with molten carbonate cell (99-11-03)
Catalytic splitting of water using light (99-11-03)
The topical quotation (99-10-06)
Honda and Volkswagen join California Fuel Cell Partnership (99-10-06)
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the Hannover Fair 2000 (99-10-06)
General Motors knows how to cure the fuel cell's cold start problems (99-10-06)
Hydrogen and fuel cells as topic for school (99-10-06)
Effect of the fuel cell technology on the suppliers of the car industry (99-10-06)
International Automobile Exhibition IAA Frankfurt (99-10-04)
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German government improves situation of renewable energies
HyWeb, 99-12-21: In late November, the German government announced that funding for non-nuclear energies will be increased by 20 million EURO in 2000 compared to 1999. Funding for solar energy increases from 45 million EURO in 1999 to 50 million EURO in 2000, geothermal energies rise to 2.25 million EURO (1999: 1.5 million) and fuel cells rise to almost 8.5 million EURO (1999: 6.5 million).
At the same time, funding for nuclear energies goes down from 35 million EURO in 1998, to 28 million in 1999 and 25 million in 2000. "Germany would have been in danger of loosing a good strting position in the future key technologies photovoltaics and fuel cells", says Hans-Josef Fell, the responsible for research of the Green party in the German parliament.
Research on renewable energies moves from the responsibility of the federal research ministry to that of the federal economics ministry.
On December 16, the German parliament discussed a new electricity feed law regulating the minimum prices to be paid by electricity grid operators for renewable electricity fed to the grid. The existing law dating back to 1991, which is the "mother" of the wind energy boom in Germany, fixed this feed price to the average electricity prices in Germany. With the liberalization of the electricity market, prices went down sharply, thus reducing feed prices and therefore endangering the commercial viability of many renewable projects (existing and planned). The new law fixes absolute feed prices of different level for different technologies. For solar electricity from photovoltaics, the new feed price is 99 Pfennig per kWh (0.51 EURO/kWh).
MA
Work on fuel cell cars in Korea
DWV, 99-12-20: Ballard Power Systems has received orders for fuel stacks for cars for almost 4 Million $ from its strategic partners dbb fuel cell engines and Ford. Less impressive in terms of money, but of strategical interest is an order over 400.000 $ from Hyundai Motor Company. The cells will be used in a program for evaluation and development of fuel cell technology as part of a cooperative program with the Korean government
(Ballard Power Systems, press release, December 13)
DWV
Ford leaves Global Climate Coalition
DWV, 99-12-20: Ford has left the Global Climate Coalition, as it became known on 6. December. The GCC is a lobby group sponsored by a number of important US companies which tries to deny or to pooh-pooh the global warming by anthropogenic CO2 and the dangers associated with it and to block measures against it. Ford is the first major US car manufacturer to quit the anti-climate-protection front. Shell, BP and Dow Chemical had left before. (General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are still in.) A Ford spokesman said that GCC membership had "become something of an impediment to pursuing our environmental initiatives in a credible way".
GCC said the step of Ford were disappointing, since their objectives would be essentially identical. It is seen as "driven by a campaign of misinformation by fringe environmental groups ... who disregard the serious nature of this debate with scare tactics, half-truths and outright distortions". Wall Street Journal observed: "In major corners of corporate America, it's suddenly becoming cool to fight global warming."
(Associated Press, December 6; Calstart, December 7)
DWV
Volkswagen: The fuel cell comes in the long term
DWV, 99-12-20: Volkswagen thinks the in the long term the fuel cell will be the dominant driving technology. Its development potential is "very promising", according to Friedrich Quissek, head of the Research, Environment, and Traffic department during the presentation of the Environment Report 1999/2000. For the next ten years, however, the main energy saving potential would be the Diesel technology. The main problems of the fuel cell, the storage of hydrogen and the high productions costs, are not yet satisfactorily solved.
(Frankfurter Rundschau, 8. December 1999)
DWV
Westminster City Council buys Zevco fuel cell vehicle
HyWeb, 99-12-21: Westminster City Council, London, United Kingdom, has purchased a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, according to a press release of December 2. The zero emission vehicle will be used as a parks maintenance van in Westminster's 123 parks, gardens and open spaces.
Westminster has purchased the vehicle for £33,000 (52,500 EURO). The vehicle can operate one day without recharging, has a top speed of 100 km/h, does 0-50 km/h in 15 seconds and carries a maximum of three people. It is a battery electric vehicle with a 5 kW alkaline fuel cell by Zevco, recharging the traction battery during operation of the vehicle.
Westminster's zero emission vehicle is supported by Zevco, Air Products plc and Shell Hydrogen, and part-funded by the Energy Savings Trust Powershift Programme.
This is the latest step in Westminster's innovative environmental policies, which include its groundbreaking Green Pennant scheme, ongoing roadside emissions-testing, pioneering fleet strategy, investment in Local Air Quality Management and the potential creation of a Low Emission Zone.
"Westminster Council, along with all local authorities nationwide, has to meet national air quality targets for 2005. This will require significant reductions in air pollution in city centres. We are considering a number of innovative measures, but what could be better than a zero emissions vehicle?", says Councillor Melvyn Caplan, Leader of Westminster City Council.
MA
Stuart Energy presents new hydrogen fueling appliances
HyWeb, 99-12-21: On November 4, Stuart Energy ("the hydrogen fuel company") successfully demonstrated its Personal Fuel Appliance at Ford Motor Company's Environmental Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Capable of being located near the driveway or a parking lot, the Personal Fuel Appliance is sized to supply hydrogen fuel for one to five cars. The system is based on an electrolyzer producing hydrogen from electricity and water.
On December 3, Stuart Energy unveiled its hydrogen Community Fueler, a compact, modular hydrogen generator, which is designed to provide high pressure (5000-6000 psi or 34.5-41.4 MPa), high purity hydrogen fuel for the fuel needs of 35 cars. The Community Fueler can be located anywhere, e.g. at the grocery store or a restaurant drivethrough, according to the company press release.
On November 15, Stuart Energy announced the signing of a multi-year contract to provide a hydrogen Bus Fueler to SunLine Transit Authority in Thousand Palms, California, USA. The Bus Fueler will supply a Ballard/dbb fuel cell bus; both will incorporate the latest technology. The Bus Fueler represents a 65% reduction in footprint and capital cost compared to the Fueler located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and supplying the Ballard busses of BC Transit (see HyWeb, 98-12-14). Electricity for the project will be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar, and from off-peak power.
MA
Miniature fuel cell competes for German Future Award
DWV, 99-12-21: Mrs. Angelika Heinzel (Photo) of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (FhG-ISE) in Freiburg and her former co-worker Roland Nolte (now with Opel) were nominated for the German Future Award which was presented by the German president on 7. December in Berlin. Mrs. Heinzel is head of the department "Chemical Energy Conversion and Storage" of ISE since 1996. She is also the first woman nominated for the award which was created in 1997 by Roman Herzog, then German president. Ultimately, the award went to a group working in biotechnology.
Main reason for her nomination was the development of a fuel cell in strip membrane design. This permits a very flat shape, so that the whole assembly could fit in the battery compartment of a portable computer. A notebook so converted with a 25 W fuel cell and a metal hydride storage for 400 Wh (photo) was shown on the Hanover fair in 1998 and elsewhere. It could keep the computer running for ten hours, about three times the time even a good accumulator would make it. At the same time the design permits to make the cell frames easily from a economical polymer. Material and design permit serial production. This means that the strip cell could replace the batteries in many portable electronical devices before long - a multi billion market potential.
Not to be neglected is the ecological balance of the fuel cell. The storage can be loaded with hydrogen many thousand times. "Even when the fuel cell is out of service one day, its components can be recycled very well", unlike batteries. "Purely technically, the strip fuel cell could be in the market in one or two years", believes Heinzel.
The German Future Award, which is associated with a sum of 250.000 Euro, honors a person or a group for outstanding technical, engineerical or scientific innovations. Criteria are the applicability and unrestricted marked potential, and the creation of jobs by doing this. Back in 1997 when the award was presented for the first time a representant of the fuel cell technology was among the nominated persons, namely a member of Daimler-Benz who had an important part in the development of fuel cell cars.
DWV
Molten carbonate fuel cell for Los Angeles
DWV, 99-12-21: The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the U.S., buys a molten carbonate fuel cell from FuelCell Energy Inc. It will be installed in fall 2000 and costs 2,45 M$, of which about 0,95 M$ will be external funding. The zero emission operation is of particular importance for smog-plagued Los Angeles. The manufacturer can test the cell as component of a large supply grid.
(Fuel Cell Energy, press release, December 8).
DWV
Slug collecting robot runs on slug-biogas-fuelcell-electricity
HyWeb, 99-12-21: A team at the University of the West of England at Bristol currently develops a slug collecting robot that shall be energetically autonomous. The slugs collected by SlugBot are put into a stationary fermenter producing biogas, which in turn shall be fed to a fuel cell producing electricity from it. This will then charge the battery of SlugBot for the next collection trip.
More information and some photos and video scenes can be found under http://www.uwe.ac.uk/facults/eng/ias/iankelly/tta.htm.
MA
Hydrogen production from tofu waste water
HyWeb, 99-12-21: Hydrogen production from the wastewater of a tofu factory was examined by a Japanese group; the results are presented in the article by Heguang Zhu et al., Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 24 (1999), 305-310. Hydrogen was produced by using the anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter Sphaeroides immobilized in agar gels. The maximum rate of hydrogen production observed from the wastewater was 2.1 l/h/m² gel which was even slightly higher than that from a glucose medium (as control). The hydrogen production lastet up to 50 h. The hydrogen yield was 1.9 ml/ml wastewater or 0.24 ml/mg carbohydrates contained in the wastewater. This yield corresponds to 53% or 65% of that from the glucose medium, according to the different expressions of the yield. The total organic carbon removal ratio in 85 h reached 41%, which was comparable to that from the glucose medium.
Inspired by SlugBot (see above), the author of this article proposes a new system: On a public fair in Munich in November, a small kitchen appliance was presented producing tofu from soy beans, water and electricity. Coupling this device with a unit producing hydrogen from the tofu wastewater as described above, and coupled to a fuel cell would make the tofu machine energy autonomous just as SlugBot.
MA
wHydrogen: Oil catastrophe off the French coast
wHydrogen (why hydrogen) is a new series in the HyWeb-Gazette. In unregular intervals, various aspects will be discussed based on topical news.
HyWeb, 99-12-20: On Sunday, December 12, the oil tanker ship "Erika" ran aground off the coast of Brittany, France. During stormy weather and high waves, the crew was saved from the ship. The tanker was loaded with 30,000 tonnes of heavy oil, which is still spilling out of the sunk wreck. All attempts of the French authorities (with help from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany) to skim or boom the floating oil went wrong.
The 10,000 to 13,000 tonnes of oil spilled are expected to come ashore the French Atlantic coast next week without any hope to avoid the desaster.
The 25 year old tanker "Erika" of the Italian Reedereishipping company "Tevere Shipping" was in operation for TotalFina. It sailed under maltese flag and had an indian crew. According to the taz, a rather small but important German newspaper, a double-hull tanker ship with a well-trained crew paid according to European standards would be 25% more expensive in operation.
Supplement, 00-01-18: During the week after Christmas, the oil hit the French coast along more than 500 km. Several 10,000 sea birds have been killed.
A report of French expert has come to the conclusion that the desaster was not caused by the crew of the ship. Instead, defects and corrosion at the ship are to be blamed. It is unclear as to yet who is responsible for the desaster.
The statistics
Between 1983 and 1993, 3 million tonnes of crude oil spilled into the oceans in 40 severe oil tanker accidensts.
Scientists of the National Research Council, USA, estimate that every year, about 3 million t of oil are spilled into the sea by illegally cleaning tanks on the open sea, by refinery waste washed into rivers, and by sloppy work in oil ports.
Accidents of oil tanker ships with spills of oil have devastating effects on shore lines and their respective flora and fauna.
Some of the largest accidents were the Amoco Cádiz in 1978, which stranded off the British and French coasts, and the Exxon Valdez, which stranded off the Alaskan coast in 1989.
Amoco Cádiz
On March 17, 1978, the supertanker Amoco Cádiz filled with 223,000 tons of crude oil lost its entire cargo in the Atlantic Ocean, off Portsall, Brittany, covering more than 130 beaches in oil up to a depth of 30 cm. The Amoco Cadiz was a tanker belonging to the US-owned Amoco Oil Corporation.
The oil slick from this immense oil spill, almost eight times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valzdez spill off the coast of Alaska, caused a great environmental disaster. Over 30,000 seabirds died, along with 230,000 tons of crabs, lobsters and other fish. Moreover, the area’s prized oyster and seaweed beds, which provided income for many local inhabitants, were completely destroyed.
The accident occurred during a storm, when the ship lost its steering ability and ran aground on rocks. While a tug attempted to tow the tanker out of trouble, it broke up.
Although the ship was registered as Liberian, a federal judge in Chicago ultimately found Standard Oil of Indiana guilty of several counts of negligence and failure to train the ship’s crew. In 1988, $85.2 million in damages were awarded to the ninety Breton communities, representing over 400,000 people, who had fought the case. However, the claimants had been seeking damages of $750 million [see http://206.0.212.14/amocad.htm for some pictures or http://www.bowdoin.edu/dept/es/slide/amoco/index.html for a slide show; see also http://www.mairie-brest.fr/amoco-symposium/index.html].
Exxon Valdez
At four minutes past midnight, on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez, loaded with 1,264,155 barrels of North Slope crude oil, ran aground on Bligh Reef in the northeastern portion of Prince William Sound. About one-fifth of the total cargo, 11.2 million gallons, spilled into the sea.
The oil came ashore along an approximate 750 km (470 miles) trajectory that ran from Prince William Sound to the southern Kodiak Archipelago and Alaska Peninsula. The distribution of the oil along the shoreline was discontinuous in coverage and variable in depth both on the surface and within the beach substrate. NOAA scientists estimated that 35% of the spilled oil evaporated, 40% was deposited on beaches within Prince William Sound, and 25% entered the Gulf of Alaska where it either became beached or was lost at sea. Field surveys conducted in the summer of 1989 identified 452 miles of shoreline within Prince William Sound which had been oiled, over 200 miles of which were classified as heavily oiled. In the Kenai Peninsula-Kodiak region, more than 1,000 miles of shoreline were found to be oiled.
The response effort involved lightering of unspilled cargo, vessel salvage, booming of sensitive areas, beach surveys and assessments, over flights to track the floating oil, skimming of floating oil, cleanup of oiled beaches, wildlife rescue, waste management, logistics support and public relations. Major cleanup operations were conducted during the spring and summer of 1989-1992. Thousands of workers were involved in cleanup and logistics support operations that included hundreds of vessels, aircraft and a substantial land-based infrastructure. In 1989, cleanup efforts involved more than 11,000 people and 1,400 marine vessels. This multi-year cleanup cost more than two billion dollars. [http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/].
MA
Hamburg Christmas present:clean air featuring NEBUS Christmas Shuttle
HyWeb, 99-12-14:
From December 7 to 22 NEBUS is operated as Christmas Shuttle in the inner city of Hamburg, Germany. Every 30 minutes, the zero emission bus circulates around the inner city including the Binnenalster lake between 3 and 7 o'clock pm. Hamburger Hochbahn AG, the operator of public transport in Hamburg, has produced a CD with Christmas songs featuring NEBUS in Christmas stars decoration.
click for large map; photos: HVV
MA
"The population of the developing countries is still lacking the vital basics to a very large extent: food, accomodation, clean water and a basic health care. Four fifth of the world's population strive for the consumption patterns, the lifestyle and the technologies, which only a one-fifth-minority enjoy. Economic development and a higher quality of life will lead to an inevitable increase of energy consumption. [...]
Looking at it rationally, business-as-usual in energy consumption is expected to lead to an increase of the average global temperature of one to 3.5 degrees Celsius until 2100 with the consequence of a rising sea level, drowning islands and coastal cities, as well as extreme weathers destabilizing agriculture and the human habitat."
Robert Priddle, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Paris, France, in the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung of November 27/28, 1999
Translation: LBST
GE MicroGen prepares distribution of residential fuel cell systems
HyWeb, 99-12-06: On December 1, GE MicroGen, Inc. (GEMG) announced that it has signed NJR Energy Holdings Corp. (NJR) of Wall, New Jersey, USA, and Flint Energies (Flint) of Warner Robins, Georgia, USA, as the first two distributors for GEMG's line of residential- and small commercial-sized fuel cell systems (HyWeb, 99-07-23).
The GEMG fuel cells convert commonly available fuels, such as natural gas or LPG, to electricity through an electrochemical process rather than combustion. Customer benefits will include enhanced reliability and power quality, low operating costs, reduced emissions, and freedom from power lines, according to the press release.
The initial GEMG product, the GE HomeGen 7000, will provide 100% of a residential customer's electricity needs, and will be commercially available beginning in 2001. Additional product sizes and combined heat and power systems will be available beginning in 2002. Detailed information on the GE HomeGen 7000 can be found under www.gefuelcell.com .
GE MicroGen is a subsidiary of GE Power Systems. In February 1999, GE MicroGen and Plug Power formed a joint venture to distribute, install and service Plug Power-manufactured stationary fuel cell systems worldwide.
NJR Energy Holdings Corp. provides retail and wholesale energy services, including gas supplies, pipeline capacity, energy management and gas appliance service, to customers in New Jersey and in states from the Gulf Coast to New England.
Flint Energies, incorporated in 1937, is a customer-owned utility that provides dependable power to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural members in parts of 16 central Georgia counties.
MA
Fuel cell demonstration and evaluation project launched at Houston Advanced Research Center
HyWeb, 99-12-06: Dana Corporation, Texaco, Southern Company and Salt River Project have launched a three-year, US-$ 7 mio stationary fuel cell demonstration and evaluation project at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Texas, USA.
The objective is to demonstrate the value of stationary, near-zero emission proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell units in both small and large-scale applications. The project will look at issues including power quality and reliability, technology transfer and training as well as the development of long-term performance and emissions data. Another point is to see how fuel cells can be applied to new incentive programs, such as tradable pollution credits and greenhouse gas reductions.
HARC plans to operate fuel cells from multiple U.S. and foreign-based manufacturers, first looking at a large 250 kW fuel cell system – the size that could provide power for a small neighborhood.
The advent of power industry deregulation, combined with concern for the environment, are driving the development of fuel cells for small local power generation capable of economically supplying efficient and reliable power at or near customer sites, according to the press release of November 29. Uses include hospitals, cars, buses, commercial buildings, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Created in 1982, the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) is a nonprofit, university-linked research institution with major research interests in energy, the environment, and policy studies.
Dana Corporation is one of the world's largest independent suppliers to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket.
Salt River Project (SRP) is the third-largest public power utility in the USA serving more than 700,000 customers in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Southern Company, based in Atlanta, is an international energy company with regional utilities and operations around the world. It is the largest producer of electricity in the United States and one of the world's leading independent power producers.
Texaco Energy Systems Inc. (TESI) was created to explore opportunities to broaden Texaco's energy portfolio. It is exploring business opportunities in fuel cells, hydrocarbons-to-liquids, and alternative fuels.
MA
Proton announces demonstration of 2000 psi high pressure PEM electrolysis
HyWeb, 99-12-06: On December 1, Proton Energy Systems of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, USA, announced the successful demonstration of a PEM electrolyzer producing hydrogen from water and electricity at a pressure exceeding 2000 psi (13.8 MPa) without mechanical compression. The high pressure hydrogen generation technology is based on an advanced PEM electrolyzer design. Proton claims that it is less expensive than existing high pressure electrolyzers. Compressed gaseous hydrogen storage cylinders for vehicles have typical operating pressures of 20 MPa (Europe) or 34.5 MPA (North America).
MA
Austrian fuel cell information activities in the Internet
HyWeb, 99-12-06: The Austrian Energy Agency (EVA) together with Austria Ferngas GmbH (AFG) has elaborated the information brochure "Fuel cell systems – energy technology of the future?" (in German language) in the framework of the "Fuel cell information initiative" of the AUstrian ministry for science and transport. The brochure is online available in pdf-format under http://www.eva.wsr.ac.at/publ/dl.htm .
Financed by the Austrian ministry for economic affairs, the "Austrian network of energy, innovation and information" (Technical University Graz and Austrian Association for Electric Engineering) operates the Fuel Cell Information System (Brennstoffzellen-Informations-Systems BIS) under http://an.e2i.at/bis/ (mainly in German, parts in English).
MA
"On the basis of this work I come to the conclusion that, given the predominant political, economic and cultural concepts, a collapse – a non-controllable decrease of the global population and of the industrial activity – cannot be avoided any more. In other words: I am convinced that it is too late for a long-term sustainable development."
Dennis L. Meadows, Head of the Insitute for politics and social sciences research at the University of New Hampshire, in an Interview of the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung of November 13/14, 1999
Re-translation into English: LBST
Daihatsu, Honda, Matzda, Mitsubishi and Toyota present fuel cell vehicles at Tokyo Motor Show
HyWeb, 99-11-23: Five Japanese car manufacturers presented fuel cell vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show end of October until beginning of November 1999.
RW/MA
Methanex-Statoil alliance for the introduction of methanol as a vehicle fuel
HyWeb, 99-11-23: On November 12, Methanex of Canada and Statoil of Norway, the world's and Europe's largest producers of methanol respectively, have signed a five-year collaboration deal for introducing methanol as a vehicle fuel. The partners aim to develop a European pilot program which shall demonstrate that the chemical can be used as a fuel for fuel cell vehicles.
Plans call for the program to be ready in 2002, and embrace all aspects of transporting, distributing and marketing methanol fuel.
In June, both partners signed a cooperation deal with Northwest Power Systems, USA, to test methanol-based fuel cells as a power source for homes and industry (HyWeb, 99-07-23).
MA
DaimlerChrysler demands decisions for alternative transportation
DWV, 99-11-23: An innovation day was held by DaimlerChrysler on 10. and 11. November. Ferdinand Panik, head of the project house fuel cell, said during this occasion that the issue of the infrastructure for fuel cell cars must be decided soon to guarantee the lead for Germany and USA in the international competition. "The fuel cell activities of today are no longer driven by technology or protection of the environment, but they are meanwhile a real factor on competition", as he put it on a press symposium. "We see the fuel cell as an economical chance to secure high tech jobs and company success." The important question now would be where the political decisions will be made which free the path for the fuel cell in the car towards serial maturity. For Panik the fuel cell is "a benchmark for the repeatedly stated innovative approach by economy and government: these are a decisive factor for the establishment of new technologies for the benefit of environment, economy, and jobs." The development of the fuel cell technology would create new fields of business and thus new jobs everywhere. Success in international competition would critically depend on an early start of this transformation. Additionally, the limited supply of oil on the one hand and the increasing demand on the other would make alternative fuels relevant by 2020 at the latest. Which fuel exactly would be used in the mass market would have to be investigated now emphatically in Germany and Europe, because this decision would have its effects on the construction of the aggregates.
Research board member Voehringer during the same event expressed himself confident about the progress of the Iceland project (see DWV press release No. 6/99 or HyWeb, 99-02-18). The program proceeds well, mainly due to the affirmative approach of the Icelandic government. The worldwide potential for this technology would be great elsewhere as well. He mentioned major cities carrying great environmental burdens, for example Sao Paulo, which would be a suitable test site due to the great hydropower potential of Brazil. Similar ideas could be developed for a number of major cities.
DWV
Storage of hydrogen in graphite nanofibers at room temperature
DWV, 99-11-23: A chinese-american team has reported first results about hydrogen storage in graphite nanostructures an room temperature. The structures used were "single-walled nanotubes" (SWNT), a simple type, but with an uncommonly large diameter of about 1.85 nm. Under a pressure of 100 bar a storage factor of 4.2 % per weight was observed. About 3/4 of the amount were released simply by pressure reduction, the rest after heating the fibers to 150 °C. The results were reproducible after several loading and unloading cycles. They depended considerably from the history of the sample.
Source: C. Liu et al., Science 286 (1999) 1127-9
DWV
Information brochure "Fuel Cells – Green Power" online
HyWeb, 99-11-23: A new information brochure "Fuel Cells – Green Power" has been elaborated by Marcia Zalbowitz of Los Alamos National Labs, USA. The very good brochure is available online in pdf-format under http://education.lanl.gov/resources/fuelcells/.
MA
"I think I'm on pretty solid ground in saying the long-term vision is hydrogen. But there's a lot of work between here and there."
John Williams, General Motors Corporation, leader of the company's internal team on global climate issues, Interview in the New York Times, October 31, 1999
General Motors and Toyota enhance cooperation in the field of alternative vehicles
DWV, 99-11-03: General Motors and Toyota will "merge their skills and progress" on hydrogen-powered vehicles, according to a Reuters release of October 21st on occasion of the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show. "We have agreed to integrate our (hydrogen technology research) systems and move ahead with a cooperative project to identify future vehicle applications," Toyota President Fujio Cho said in a joint statement. The statement said they would combine "the best of both companies' concepts and technologies," while Cho said each would display a hybrid four-wheel-drive concept vehicle at the Tokyo Motor Show. GM Chief Operating Officer Richard Wagoner said: "The goal of our collaboration is the development of technically feasible and commercially viable products."
DWV
Neoplan starts first fare-paying operation of a fuel cell bus in Europe
HyWeb, 99-11-03: On October 14, a Neoplan fuel cell hybrid bus started into operation in the German spa resort Oberstdorf in the Alpes in the framework of the traffic concept "car-free Oberstdorf", which was started in 1992 by the Bavarian Environment Ministry and the town of Oberstdorf. Car traffic in Oberstdorf has meanwhile been halfed reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 t per year. This way the well-known spa resort was able to keep its designation as "health resort".
Bavarian Environment Minister Schnappauf with Alphorn blower Toni Haßler and the new fuel cell hybrid bus by Neoplan (left); a De Nora fuel cell stack (right).
The mid-size bus with a 47 passenger capacity (12+1 sitting, 35 standing) will be in operation for two years. Bavarian Environment Minister Schnappauf (Conservatives) praised: "For the first time, there is a zero emission vehicle in regular operation."
The fuel cell system containing 3 De Nora, Italy, stacks à 70 cells, which was integrated to a fuel cell system by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), has a power of 55 kW gross or 40 kW net. The hydrogen delivered by Linde is stored in 4 light-weight cylinders of 147 l geometric volume (588 l in total) at 200 bar pressure. The hybrid propulsion system includes a nickel metal hydride battery, which enables brake energy recovery in addition to supplementing the propulsion capacity.
The project partners are:
- Gottlob Auwärter GmbH & Co KG - Neoplan, Stuttgart: project leader, bus manufacturer
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Stuttgart: concept and design of the fuel cell system
- De Nora, Mailand/Italien: fuel cell stacks
- Industrietechnik Höbing und Reil (IHR), Marl: system integration
- Selectron, Nürnberg: system control
- Lenze, Hameln: propulsion and power electronics
- Schmidhauser AG, Schweiz: power electronics and vehicle control system
- Linde AG: hydrogen
- Regionalverkehr Allgäu und Marktgemeinde Oberstdorf: operator
- Omnibus-Center Wehr, Grönebach: local project monitoring, technical vehicle maintenance
MA
DaimlerChrysler investigates fuel cell infrastructure with Japanese partner
DWV, 99-11-03: DaimlerChrysler Japan and Japan's greatest energy supplier Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Co. will jointly study the possibilities of an infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles. Nippon Mitsubishi operates already 29 "Eco-Stations" for electricity, natural gas, methanol, and LPG. Details of the program will be settled later.
DWV
Successful endurance test with molten carbonate cell
DWV, 99-11-03: FuelCell Energy, Inc. (formerly Energy Research Corp.) in Connecticut has now generated 1 million kWh in a test run of the prototype of its molten carbonate cell which it develops together with MTU. The test duration is now 5700 h, of which 4300 were with a power output of at least 200 kW. The maximum output was 263 kW. The efficiency exceeded 75 %, and the availability of the device was 95 %.
DWV
Catalytic splitting of water using light
DWV, 99-11-03: A group working at the Japanese Miyazaki university reports about comparatively efficient splitting of water by means of UV light using a novel layered perovskite tantalate (RbLnTa2O7 with Ln = La, Pr, Nd or Sm) as catalyst. The best results were obtained with Ln = Nd. When 0,2 g of the powderized substance were dissolved in 200 cm3 of distilled water, which was then radiated with a high-pressure Hg lamp of 400 W, about 85 cm3 H2 were obtained during 25 h. No other gases were found. The mechanism is not yet clear. It may have to do with the partial occupation of the 4f levels in Ln.
(M. Machida et al., Chem. Comm. 1999, p. 1939f)
DWV
"[...] And as long as gasoline is so cheap in our country as it is today, consumption will only play a minor role in the decision of the consumer.
[...] We would quite support the introduction of a mineral oil tax. But the first step would have to be taken by the politicians. And as presidential election are due next year, there will probably not be so much activity in the short term. Therefore, it is to early to discuss the level of the gasoline prices of the next few years. Perhaps there will be another oil price shock - and then the situation will be completely changed over night."
William Clay Ford jr., Chairman of the board of Ford Motor Company, Interview in the German magazine Wirtschaftswoche No. 38, 99-09-16
Translation from the German version: LBST
Honda and Volkswagen join California Fuel Cell Partnership
HyWeb, 99-10-06: Volkswagen and Honda yesterday announced that they join the California Fuel Cell Partnership and will demonstrate fuel cell vehicles in Californai over the next four years together with the other partners. For more information about the partnership see HyWeb, 99-05-04 or the project home page under www.drivingthefuture.org .
Honda fuel cell vehicle with direct hydrogen storage onboard; the vehicle also has a methanol "twin".
MA
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the Hannover Fair 2000
HyWeb, 99-10-06: On the Hannover Fair, Germany, on March 20 to 25, 2000 there will be two joint hydrogen and fuel cell stands:
1.) Sixth joint stand for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies at Hall 18 (Research and Technology-Hall) for technology orientated companies and institutions
2.) First joint stand for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Systems and Products at Hall 7 (Energy Hall) for commercial or near commercial suppliers.
Substcription and further information for companies and institutions interested in exhibiting their products and services:
Arno A. Evers
FAIR-PR
Achheimstrasse 3
D-82319 Starnberg
Germany
Tel.: +49 8158 9989 23
Fax: +49 8151 9989 243
Email: arno@fair-pr.de
http://www.FAIR-PR.deHISTORY:
Together with L-B-Systemtechnik from Ottobrunn in Germany and other international partners, we are organising the Joint stands for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the biggest industrial fair of the world - HANNOVER FAIR - for the last five years from 1995 to 1999. In 2000 there will be more than 7,500 exhibitors and over 320,000 visitors attending from all over the world.
MA
General Motors knows how to cure the fuel cell's cold start problems
DWV, 99-10-06: General Motors has made important progress in the improvement of the cold start performance of fuel cell aggregates, according to Byron McCormick, Co-direktor of the Global Alternative Propulsion Center, on 29. September. He said that the device can be started at a temperature of -20 °C and delivers power immediately. McCormick judges this to be an important step to the commercial success of the vehicles. "Fuel cells must meet customer expectations if they are to be commercially successful, and a simple expectation to customers living in Detroit, Frankfurt or Tokyo is that their vehicle start on a cold January morning." The next step is to do the same at -40 °C.
McCormick's idea of the further development: "The road to an affordable and reliable consumer fuel cell vehicle has three stages," he said. "First, we need fuel cell systems that will work in vehicles in the near-term, and that means processor-based fuel cell systems running on a readily-available fuel that is familiar to the customer, like gasoline. Second, as the technology and innovations continue, we'll need safe and reliable on-board vehicle hydrogen storage systems. Finally, we'll need a distribution system that delivers hydrogen to locations convenient for the customer. And through the entire evolution of these systems, they must meet customer expectations for performance and cost. ... Ultimately, this is a marathon, not a sprint."
DWV
Hydrogen and fuel cells as topic for school
DWV, 99-10-06: Pupils of the Moerike School in Heilbronn (Germany) were awarded the 1st price in the "School contest Protection of the Environment" for having built a car running on hydrogen. The car is a model of about 60 cm length (photo). It has two PEM fuel cells and a metal hydride storage. With a total of 200 mW from the fuel cells and a weight of 1,4 kg it runs at about 10 cm/s. The content of the storage could keep it running for about 40 hours and for a distance of almost 15 km. The model has been presented repeatedly on events for the training of teachers and also in the Daimler-Chrysler Project house "Fuel Cell" at Nabern, Germany.
The awards in the 3rd contest "Schools shape the future" of the German news magazine FOCUS were presented in Munich on 22. September 1999. Four teams of students were honoured for their outstanding contributions on the topic "Full speed ahead - the energy of tomorrow". "The submitted work shows an enormous engagement of the youth for the topic of the future energies" said the president of the jury. 2.200 pupils from all over Germany had taken part. A physics course of the Heinrich Hertz School at Hamburg received the 2nd price for their study about hydrogen as renewable energy carrier of the future. They won a visit to Europe's oldest tidal power station at St. Malo (France).
DWV
Effect of the fuel cell technology on the suppliers of the car industry
DWV, 99-10-06: The interior of a fuel cell car differs considerably from that of a car with a combustion engine. The general trend is away from mechanical parts such as crankshafts, cylinders and pistons and towards process and electrotechnical components such as electric motors and units for gas conditioning. The supply industry will feel the difference. A study of the Fraunhofer Institute for System Technology and Innovation Research (ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany) says that depending on the development of the market their production may increase or decrease drastically. "It will be a slow process, but the winner will be the one riding on the crest of the wave", as Juergen Wengel of ISI put it. The study discriminates three cases:
- If the mass production is led by Germany, and in particular by the south-western state Baden-Wuerttemberg, there would be an increased added value of 150 Million Euro/year until 2010 and 2000 new jobs for the car supply industry in this region only.
- If the fuel cell technology is rather introduced from other countries, there would be a loss of production of more than 150 Million Euro and a loss of more than 1000 jobs.
- If the fuel cell has no great breakthrough and is used only in special fleets (city buses) there will be no great effect on production and jobs.
DWV
International Automobile Exhibition IAA Frankfurt
HyWeb, 99-10-04: On the International Automobile Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, from September 16 to 26, several car manufacturers presented hydrogen and/or fuel cell vehicles.
In the framework of its clean energy project for the Expo 2000, BMW presented an LNG vehicle (LNG - liquefied natural gas) as well as its new 7 series BMW with V12 hydrogen motor, LH2 storage tank (LH2 - liquid hydrogen) and fuel cell as battery replacement (APU - auxiliary power unit).
In conjunction with the BMW cars, Shell showed an LH2 filling station with filling robot on the outside area.
DaimlerChrysler presented the mock-up of Necar 5 with fuel cell and methanol reformer. DaimlerChrysler also considers using a fuel cell as APU in its S class cars.
Ford presented its P2000 fuel cell car with compressed hydrogen storage as a 1:1 model without carosserie
as well as the mock-up of the FC5, a fuel cell car with methanol reformer.
MA, Fotos: RW
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