From:
Jennifer Gangi <jennifer@fuelcells.org>
Subject:
Fuel Cells 2000's Fuel Cell Technology Update - February 2003
Date:
Wed, 5 Feb 2003 15:14:30 -0500
Fuel
Cells 2000's Fuel Cell Technology Update - February 2003
For
more information on the following stories, click on the provided
link,
contact Jennifer Gangi at jennifer@fuelcells.org
or
call
(202)
785-4222, ext. 17.
Have
you ordered your Fuel Cell Directory yet? The
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of
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LEGISLATION
President
Bush Calls for Freedom Fuel Initiative.
In President
Bush's State of the Union Address, he called for a "Freedom
Fuel"
initiative and proposed an overall $1.7 billion for fuel
cell vehicle and
hydrogen fuel research and development over the next five years.
The
proposal includes $720 million in new spending, in addition to $1
Billion already
budgeted for hydrogen and FreedomCAR programs.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-14.html
Senator
Dorgan Proposes "Apollo-Like" Fuel Cell Effort.
U.S. Senator
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) proposed a $6.5 billion, 10-year
public-private
initiative - "in the spirit of the Apollo moon-landing
project" -
to help the nation's transportation sector move beyond its
reliance on
petroleum and foreign sources of oil.
http://dorgan.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=189966
TRANSPORTATION
APPLICATIONS
Metro
and Georgetown University Enter Agreement to Test Fuel Cell Bus.
The Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has
entered into an
agreement with Georgetown University to test a fuel cell-powered
bus for one
year. Under the
agreement, Metro will operate a fuel cell bus
in revenue
service provided by Georgetown. Additionally, Metro will
modify the bus
to insure compatibility with Metro transit buses.
Georgetown will
provide the
methanol to fuel the bus, which will operate on various
Metrobus routes
throughout the Washington, DC, area.
http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/200301/pr_fuelcell.cfm
GM
Unveils Military Truck With Fuel Cell APU.
General
Motors and the U.S. Army unveiled a diesel hybrid military
Pickup truck
equipped with a 5-kW PEM regenerative fuel cell auxiliary power
Unit (APU)
designed and built by Hydrogenics. When the vehicle is driven,
the PEM
electrolyzer uses electricity provided by the diesel engine to
separate water
into hydrogen and oxygen, with the hydrogen stored for future
use. The water
by-product of the fuel cell's use for producing electricity is
stored and used
to repeat the cycle.
http://www.media.gm.com/news/releases/030109_mili.html
Chinese
Scientists Unveil FCV in Shanghai.
A
team of scientists from China's Tongju University and Shanghai
Automotive
Industry Corporation introduced the country's first hydrogen-powered
Fuel
cell vehicle (FCV) in Shanghai. The
new Chao Yue I FCV is based on
The Santana 2000
sedan produced by Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive
Company, Ltd., a
joint venture between Volkswagen and Shanghai Automotive Industry
Corporation.
The Chao Yue I, which is able to achieve a top speed of 110
kilometers per
hour (about 68 miles per hour), features an accumulator that
is able to store
surplus electricity generated by the vehicle's fuel cell system.
Toyota
Unveils FINE-S Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept.
Toyota unveiled
its FINE-S fuel cell vehicle concept at the 2003 North
American
International Auto Show.
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=2375431&access=EH&J
ServSessionIdroot=eyhdazy6a1.JS2
Toyota
and Hino to Supply Fuel Cell Buses to Tokyo.
The
Tokyo metropolitan government has picked Toyota Motor Corp. and
Its subsidiary
Hino Motors Ltd. to participate in its experiment to use
Public buses
powered by fuel cells on city routes. Toyota
and Hino will
Supply fuel cell
buses to the metropolitan government to operate on regular
Routes
this summer to gather data on acceleration, fuel efficiency and other
aspects of the
buses' performance.
Fuel
Cell Locomotive To Take Bite Out of Big Apple.
The
New York City Transit Authority has agreed to allow ABBA
Corporation to
manage the removal of a diesel engine and retrofit of a 50-ton
Locomotive with
a 250-kW fuel cell. Partners in the project are ABBA Corporation,
Vehicle
Projects, Nuvera Fuel Cells, and Motors & Controls International.
The project is
expected to be completed by 2005.
http://www.fuelcellscanada.ca/Industry%20news/fclocomotive2.html
Daihatsu
Receives Approval to Road Test FCV
Daihatsu
Motor Company has received authorization from Japan's
Ministry of
Transport to test its new mini MOVE fuel cell vehicle (FCV) on public
roads.
The new MOVE
FCV-K-2, which was jointly developed with Toyota Motor
Corporation, has
a top speed of 105 kilometers per hour (about 65
miles per hour)
and can travel approximately 120 kilometers
(about 75 miles)
on a single tank
of hydrogen.
STATIONARY
POWER
Proton
Energy Systems Awarded Solar/PEM Fuel Cell Power System
Project at China
Lake. Proton Energy Systems, Inc.
has been awarded a $375,000 contract to
Develop a 1-kW
regenerative solar/fuel cell system to demonstrate use of a
grid-independent
power plant that generates electricity in a closed-loop
system from
renewable, non-polluting resources. The
contract, with
Jacobs
Sverdrup
Technology, Inc., a subcontractor to the U.S. Navy, will
support
testing at the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, California.
The
demonstration system will integrate Proton's UNIGEN® Regenerative
Fuel Cell
System, which includes several subsystems, including a hydrogen
generator,
hydrogen storage tanks, a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell, and a
Navy-supplied
solar photovoltaic array.
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=prtn&script=410&layou
t=6&item_id=374133
Plug
Power Completes DOD Fuel Cell Demonstration Program.
Plug
Power has announced the completion of its fuel cell demonstration
program at the
Watervliet Arsenal (NY), which was funded by the U.S.
Department of
Defense. The company's ten grid-parallel 5-kW fuel cell
systems operated
for more than 80,000 hours and generated
approximately
210,000 kWh of electricity throughout the year demonstration. The
systems operated
at or above 94 percent average availability during the year,
exceeding the
contract requirement of 90 percent.
http://www.energyinfosource.com/dg/news.cfm?id=17849
IdaTech
Delivers Propane Fuel Cell System to PERC.
IdaTech
has delivered a fully integrated propane-powered fuel cell
system to the
Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) as part of a project
funded by the
Council's grant program.The propane fuel cell system
is built on the
IdaTech's FCS 1200 platform and incorporates a propane
fuel processor
capable of reforming propane into greater than 99.9 percent
pure hydrogen.
The system also includes a Ballard Power Systems, Inc.
Nexa power
module.
<
http://www.idatech.com/media/news.html?article=45
>
GDF
to Test Sulzer Hexis Fuel Cell.
Sulzer
Hexis, Ltd. has signed a cooperation agreement with Paris,
France-based
natural gas utility Gaz de France (GDF) to test a
pre-series fuel
cell system manufactured by Sulzer Hexis.Under the agreement,
GDF will install
and test a HXS 1000 Premiere system in a test house at
Its research and
development facility outside Paris. The pre-series HXS
1000 FC system,
which features a solid oxide fuel cell that generates one
kilowatt (kW) of
electrical and 2.5 kW of thermal power, is able to provide
the basic power
needs and the entire heat requirements of a typical
single-family
home in central Europe.
PORTABLE/BACKUP
POWER
EBARA
BALLARD Unveils 1 kW Stationary Fuel Cell Generator.
Ballard Power
Systems' and EBARA Corporation's jointly owned company
EBARA BALLARD
unveiled the first generation of its pre-commercial 1-kW
Stationary
combined heat and power PEM fuel cell generator for the Japanese
Residential
market, building upon the second generation engineering prototype
fuel cell
generator unveiled in January 2002. The system is manufactured by
EBARA BALLARD
and consists of a Ballard fuel cell, EBARA Corporation's newly
developed pumps
and blowers, a reformer based on technology licensed
from Tokyo Gas,
and a hot water storage tank. The
unit has a total
efficiency of
92% (LHV) with AC electrical efficiency of 34% and will be
launched in late
2004.
<
http://www2.cdn-news.com/scripts/ccn-release.pl?/current/0130001N.html
>
Acumentrics
Delivers SOFCs to ChevronTexaco.
Acumentrics
Corporation has delivered five fully integrated, rapid-start
solid oxide fuel
cell (SOFC) systems to ChevronTexaco Technology
Ventures.
ChevronTexaco will use the BB-SOFC 2000 systems, which can be fueled
With natural
gas, propane or ethanol, for outdoor 90-volt alternating-current
(vAC) broadband
backup. The units are also configurable to output
direct current
(DC) or 120 vAC for telecom and computer backup applications.
<
http://www.acumentrics.com/
>
Intermec,
MTI to Develop Micro Fuel Cell Systems.
Intermec
Technologies Corporation has signed a strategic commercial
partnership with
MTI MicroFuel Cells, Inc. to develop micro fuel cell
systems for
Intermec's handheld mobile computers and peripherals.
Under the joint
development and supply agreement, the two companies will work to
integrate MTI's
proprietary direct methanol micro FC power system into
future Intermec
mobile computing equipment. Intermec plans to
initially offer
MTI's system with a product targeted for launch next year.
<
http://www.mechtech.com/news/article.cfm?A_ID=4724
>
Fuel
Cell Generator Earns UL Listing.
The
ColemanPowermate AirGen(tm) fuel cell generator has been
determined to
comply with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 1778 "Standard for
Uninterruptible
Power Supply Equipment" and UL's Outline of
Investigation
for Portable Fuel Cell Power Plants, subject 2262.
http://www.ul.com/media/newsrel/nr010903.html
FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE
Stuart
Energy Systems to Supply Hydrogen Fueling Station for CUTE
Project.
Fortum, a
leading Nordic energy company, has selected Stuart Energy
Systems
Corporation to supply an intelligent hydrogen fueling station to the
city of
Stockholm, Sweden under the Clean Urban Transportation Europe (CUTE)
project.
The Stuart Energy hydrogen fueling station will produce,
store and
dispense pure, clean hydrogen fuel on-site, using just water and
electricity.
The station will be delivered and installed in late
2003 and will
generate approximately 120 kg of clean hydrogen fuel per day.
Each bus in the
project will require about 40 kg of hydrogen per day. The CUTE
project involves
nine cities in eight European countries, evaluating 27
hydrogen-powered
buses under a variety of conditions. Four of the nine
hydrogen
stations in CUTE will supply hydrogen produced through water
electrolysis.
http://www.stuartenergy.com/news/press_releases/press_jan29.html
Quantum
Ships Second Hydrogen Fueling Unit.
Quantum
Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has shipped a second
hydrogen-refueling
unit to a major automotive original equipment
manufacturer
(OEM) customer to support its pre-production prototype
fuel cell
vehicles.
<
http://www.qtww.com/press_releases/pr_jan_07_2003.shtml
>
FUEL
CELL COMPONENTS
SMP
Signs Subcontract Agreement with DuPont Fuel Cells.
Superior
MicroPowders, LLC (SMP) has signed a subcontract agreement
with DuPont Fuel
Cells allowing the two parties to collaborate under SMP's
recently awarded
$5.12M program from the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) for fuel
cell materials development. SMP's DOE program focuses on the
development of
new low-platinum content electrocatalyst compositions
and membrane
electrode assembly (MEA) cathode structures for PEM fuel cell
applications.
www.smp1.com
AMI
Receives SOFC Test Stand Contracts.
Advanced
Measurements (AMI) has received an order for a micro solid
oxide fuel cell
(SOFC) test stand from Alberta Research Council, Inc. (ARC)
to aid in ARC's
research and development of SOFC technology. AMI also was
awarded a
contract to build and deliver an SOFC test stand in Spring 2003 for
Germany-based
Webasto Thermosysteme GmbH.
<
http://www.advmeas.com/
>
ZSW
Selects Hydrogenics Fuel Cell Test System.
The
Ulm, Germany-based Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research
(ZSW) has
selected a Hydrogenics test system to help support the center's
expanding fuel
cell testing activities. The initial order is for the
delivery of a
100-kW FCATS Series HX fuel cell advanced test station
with added
custom features.
<
http://www.hydrogenics.com/ir/NewsReleaseDetail-1.asp?RELEASEID=99299
>
GrafTech
Receives FC Product Order from Ballard.
GrafTech
International, Ltd. (GTI) Has received a $500,000 order from
Ballard Power
Systems, Inc. for its fuel cell products under an existing supply
agreement.
The Grafcell
advanced flexible graphite products will be delivered
During the next
six months and will be featured in Ballard's fuel cells for
DaimlerChrysler's
Citaro buses and Mercedes Benz A Class fuel cell
Vehicles (FCVs),
as well as Honda's FCX and Ford's Focus FCVs.
REPORTS/MARKET
STUDIES
NAS
Publishes Review of DOE's Vision 21 R&D Program.
The
National Academy of Sciences has published "Review of DOE's
Vision 21
Research and Development Program - Phase 1." The report, by the
National
Research Council (NRC), contains an entire section on the Fuel Cell
Portion of the
program. NRC recommends that "other fuel cell projects be
added to Vision
21's proposed program of demonstration plant design,
fabrication, and
operation, to address the scale-up of high-temperature fuel cell
generator
systems to 200-500 MW."
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10596.html?onpi_listserv011703
EIA
Releases Annual Energy Outlook.
DOE's
Energy Information Administration has released its Annual Energy
Outlook 2003
report. In the report, EIA projects that U.S. dependence
on oil imports
will grow over the next 22 years to between 65 and 70
percent. The
report also sees a similar growth trend in residential energy
consumption,
which is expected to increase 26 percent by 2025. EIA projects that
renewable energy
use will grow at an average rate of 2.2 percent per
year through
2025, "primarily due to state mandates for renewable
electricity
generation."
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/0383(2003).pdf
REQUESTS
FOR PROPOSALS
Fuel
Cell R&D Solicitation.
"Research
and Development for Fuel Cells for Stationary and
Automotive
Applications" has been issued by DOE, which plans to allocate
Approximately $7
million in FY2003 for the selected projects. It is estimated that
up to 20
projects may be selected for cost-shared cooperative agreements.
Subject to the
availability of funds, total estimated Government funding for
The solicitation
is approximately $70 million for the maximum five-year
period.
Topic areas
include "Back-up/Peak-Shaving Fuel Cell
System,"
"PEM Stack
Durability,"
and "Platinum Recycling Technology
Development."
Deadline for
proposals is
March 27, 2003.
http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOE/PAM/HQ/DE-SC02-03CH11137/Attachments.html
2003
Climate Change Fuel Cell Buy-Down Program.
The
Department of Defense through the National Energy Technology
Laboratory has
issued a financial assistance solicitation to provide a buy-down, with
grants, to
support the cost of fuel cell demonstration projects proposing to
demonstrate fuel
cell powered plants. The buy-down
will not exceed
the lower of
$1,000/kW or one third of the total project costs.
<
http://doe-iips.pr.doe.gov/iips/busopor.nsf/8df825feb86675de852564650046fae
a/398a9d69eee9e3cb85256caa006ce1c9?OpenDocument
>
CERL
Residential Fuel Cell Demonstration Solicitation.
The
Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) of the
Engineer
Research and Development Center (ERDC) will issue a BAA on a PEM fuel
Cell
demonstration of U.S.-produced residential PEM fuel cells in military
facilities.
http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA38/CERL-BAA-FY03/listing.html
DOD
STTR to Fund Fuel Cell Proposals.
Sub-topics
for the DOD 2003 Small Business Technology Transfer
Solicitation
include "Membraneless Microchannel Fuel Cells," "High
Efficiency Fuel
Cell Systems for Shipboard Applications," and "Plasma-Based
Oxygen Generator
for Undersea Vehicle Fuel Cells." Awards of up to $100,000 will be
made for Phase I
projects under this solicitation. Subsequent Phase II awards -
limited to
$500,000 - will be made to firms on the basis of results
of their Phase I
effort and the merit and potential of their Phase II proposal.
Deadline for
proposals is April 16, 2003.
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sttr03/index.htm
http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=519113&s=11186307
>
Fossil
Fuel Solicitation to Fund Fuel Cell Projects.
The
National Energy Technologies Laboratory Master Solicitation
"Development
of Technologies and Capabilities for Developing Coal, Oil and Gas
Energy
Resources" has been issued, featuring three areas of interest
that include
fuel cell topics. The "Vision 21 Technologies," "Coal
Fuels and
Hydrogen," and "Fuel Cells" areas of interest include subtopics
such
as "SOFC
Scale-up for Hybrid and Fuel Cell Systems - Conceptual Studies" and
"Direct
Utilization of Carbon in Fuel Cells." An estimated $23.85 million will be
awarded under
this solicitation, subject to the availability of funds.
http://doe-iips.pr.doe.gov/iips/busopor.nsf/0ba000b968a07c9885256c3f0067b90d
/4a24d2e0aefb005485256c1c00637faf?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,DE-PS26-02NT41613
-00_MASTER_SOLICITATION
<
http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=519128&s=11186307
>
Research
on the Science of Catalysis.
The
Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the DOE Office of Science
Invites
applications for high-risk, long-term, multi-investigator,
multidisciplinary
research on the science of catalysis. Approximately $4 million is
expected to be
available in FY2003 to fund up to six new awards. Required
letters of
intent are due February 5, 2003. Applications will be due March 26,
2003.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov
/2002/02-31649.htm
MISCELLANEOUS
Hoku
Scientific Joins U.S. Fuel Cell Council.
Hoku
Scientific has joined the U.S. Fuel Cell Council (USFCC), a
Leading industry
organization working to promote the commercialization of
fuel cell
technology in the U.S.The company is currently developing a new
membrane
technology for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, as well as
a new alternate
membrane design for use in direct methanol fuel cells.
<
http://hokuscientific.com
>
SECA
Launches New Website.
The
Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) program has
launched its new
website, featuring news releases, official solicitations, workshop
presentations
and proceedings, as well as a listing of upcoming
events.
http://www.seca.doe.gov/
CONFERENCES
14th
Annual U.S. Hydrogen Conference.
National
Hydrogen Association's 14th Annual U.S. Hydrogen Conference:
Energy Security
Through Hydrogen, will be held March 4-6, 2003, at the
Capital Hilton
Hotel in Washington, DC. For
details, go to
<
http://www.hydrogenconference.org/
>.
Fuel
Cell Investment Summit.
The
Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, the U.S. Fuel Cell Council and
Fuel Cells 2000
present the first annual Fuel Cell Investment Summit.
This
Conference will
be held on March 17-18, 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in
Uncasville,
Connecticut. For registration
information, please visit
www.fuelcellis.com
.
Fuel
Cells for Stationary Applications.
"Fuel
Cells for Stationary Applications: Driving Forward Strategies and
Regulatory
Processes" will be held March 18-19, 2003, in Central
London, England.
For more information, go to www.energy-directory.com
.
3rd
Annual Fuel Cell Investor.
The
3rd Annual Fuel Cell Investor conference will be held March
26-27, 2003 at
the Hilton Philadelphia/Cherry Hill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
For
details, go to
<
http://www.srinstitute.com/part_iter_site_page.cfm?iteration_id=501
>.
Fuel
Cells 2003.
"Fuel
Cells and the Hydrogen Infrastructure" takes place
March
30 - April 1, 2003, at the Holiday Inn Select in Stamford, Connecticut.
Go to
<
http://www.bccresearch.com/fuel_cells2003/
>
for
conference information.
18th
Annual Global Power Markets.
The
18th Annual Global Power Markets Conference - "Power at the
Crossroads"-
will be March 30 - April 1, 2003, at the Fairmont Hotel in New
Orleans,
Louisiana. For conference details,
go to
www.globalpowermarkets.platts.com
.
First
International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and
Technology.
First International Conference on Fuel Cell Science,
Engineering and
Technology will be held April 212-23, 2003, in Rochester, New
York.
For details, check out
www.asme.org/fuelcell
.
5th
International Symposium on New Materials.
The
5th International Symposium on New Materials for Electrochemical
Systems will be
July 6-11, 2003, in Montreal, CANADA. For information, go to
www.newmaterials.polymtl.ca
.
Grove
Fuel Cell Symposium VIII.
Join
international delegates to discuss developments in fuel cell
technology and
commercialization at the Eighth Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, in
London, England
on September 24-26, 2003. New for 2003 is a large exhibition
area featuring
over 100 exhibitors, vendor presentations and live
demonstrations.
Find out more at www.grovefuelcell.com
or contact sm.wilkinson@elsevier.com
EVS
20.
The
20th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition will
Be held November
15-19, 2003, in Long Beach, California. For details,
go
to
www.evs20.org
.
Thanks
to Fuel Cells 2000 for their update.
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