NEWS

10Fuel Cells Bulletin May 2013

‘The cooperation with Oorja provides scientists at Berkeley Lab with a direct window to the needs of the marketplace, and helps us to ensure the relevance of the Lab research,’ says Dr John Kerr, a staff scientist at Berkeley Lab. ‘Liquid fuel cell technology is a challenging area that needs the application of fundamental science that Berkeley Lab can supply.’

Oorja is a leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of direct methanol fuel cells, which are being used by several customers across the US as onboard battery chargers for materials handling equipment [FCB, December 2011, p2]. Its OorjaPac™ family of fuel cell products operate on widely available and low-cost liquid alcohol fuel, with the additional benefit of minimal infrastructure requirement [see the Oorja feature in FCB, March 2012]. The company is also working with the HySA Catalysis Centre of Competence in South Africa, in a strategic partnership to commercialise DMFCs for materials handling in the South African market [see page 11].

Oorja Protonics, Fremont, California, USA. Tel: +1 510 659 1899, www.oorjafuelcells.com

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Environmental Energy Technologies Division: http://eetd.lbl.gov

Dana launches series production of metallic bipolar plates

Ohio-based Dana Holding Corporation reports that it

has commenced serial production of metallic bipolar plates, a critical component for enhancing the performance of PEM fuel cell engines. The company exhibited its advanced fuel cell technologies at the recent Hannover Messe in Germany.

Bipolar plates are a major functional component in a fuel cell stack, responsible for distributing the fuel, air, and coolant liquid to each of the catalyst-coated membrane cells. By utilising a range of advanced processes specifically developed for metallic bipolar plates, Dana is able to streamline production to cost-effectively manufacture a high volume of plates at its German facility in Neu-Ulm.

Dana’s ultrathin metallic bipolar plates incorporate the company’s patented integrated sealing technology, which it says provides best-in-class power density and superior reliability and durability. To manufacture these new metallic bipolar plates, Dana has established a fully integrated production process that combines precision high-speed stamping, laser welding, and in-line conductive coating technologies.

‘Dana has combined its deep knowledge of sealing technology with its manufacturing expertise to bring this comprehensive fuel cell innovation to market,’ says Dwayne Matthews, president of Dana’s Power Technologies Group. ‘We are able to offer our customers a completely integrated solution, including the plate, sealing, and coating, enabling us to deliver a cost-competitive product that achieves the highest levels of efficiency.’

In addition to its advanced metallic bipolar plates, Dana’s lineup of fuel cell products includes moulded graphite composite bipolar plates, heat-exchangers, hydrogen reformers, and thermal management systems. Dana is a leading global supplier of driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains.

Dana Holding Corporation: www.dana.com

Dana Light Vehicle, Fuel Cell Products: http://tinyurl.com/dana-fuelcells

AFC Energy partners with Foster Wheeler, extends electrode life

In the UK, AFC Energy is working with Foster Wheeler, the global

engineering and construction contractor and power generation equipment supplier, to develop and roll out commercial alkaline fuel cell systems for industrial applications. AFC has also further extended the longevity of its electrodes to more than nine months of continuous operation.

Foster Wheeler will work closely with AFC Energy in the engineering and benchmarking of the latter’s fuel cell systems, and scaling up their deployment at commercial sites – including at Industrial Chemicals Ltd (ICL), where a 1 MW AFC hydrogen fuel cell plant is to be installed [FCB, March 2013, p3]. The partners plan to develop their relationship to a stage where Foster Wheeler would be the selected contractor to design and install full-scale fuel cell systems based on AFC technology in a wide range of industrial and utility-scale applications.

During an initial 12-month period, Foster Wheeler will focus on the review of critical design and fabrication milestones for AFC’s base-level, multi-cartridge 250 kW generation system, which will form the building block of the ICL plant. Foster Wheeler will also chair independent safety and reliability reviews, including HAZOP and model reviews to evaluate engineering designs.

‘As we prepare to deploy our systems in commercial settings, it is essential that we have

objective experts on hand to put our plans through their paces and ensure that we are delivering a robust product,’ says AFC’s chief executive, Ian Williamson.

Meanwhile, AFC Energy reports that it has further extended the longevity of its electrodes to more than nine months of continuous operation. This is within touching distance of its goal of 12 months electrode life. Fuel cell longevity, power output, and the development of low-cost materials and volume manufacturing are some of the key goals being pursued by AFC Energy to establish its fuel cell systems as a commercial source of electricity for large-scale industrial applications [see the AFC Energy feature in FCB, November 2011].

AFC Energy has identified that, depending on the incentives available in key markets, the first industrial applications require a minimum electrode life of three months to be economically viable, particularly in the Far East and in countries such as South Korea. This minimum threshold was first achieved last May [FCB, June 2012, p7]. In Germany, where AFC is already carrying out long-term trials with chemicals giant AkzoNobel [FCB, January 2012, p4], a fuel cell operating life of six months is required at the targeted power output for it to be commercially viable.

In other news, AFC Energy has appointed hydrogen industry veteran Robert S. Kelly as its international business development manager. Kelly was previously business development manager for the hydrogen energy business of Air Products and Chemicals in Asia and South America. He has managed projects including the construction and commissioning of the hydrogen fuelling infrastructure used during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

AFC Energy, Cranleigh, Surrey, UK. Tel: +44 1483 276726, www.afcenergy.com

Foster Wheeler: www.fwc.com

Industrial Chemicals Ltd: www.icgl.co.uk

Ballard enhances air-cooled PEM stack for commercial markets

Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems has launched its next-

generation FCgen™-1020ACS product, a widely deployed PEM fuel cell stack. The enhancements are designed to increase durability and lifetime for the growing telecom backup power and materials handling commercial markets.

The air-cooled FCgen-1020ACS stack was originally designed for integration into a complete

NEWS

May 2013 Fuel Cells Bulletin11

system to provide short-duration telecom backup power capability in the event of electrical grid failure. Ballard also recognised the product’s ability to service other market segments, including extended-duration telecom backup power and materials handling equipment. With growing market traction, Ballard undertook a product development programme to increase stack durability. Key among the various improvements implemented in this next-generation product are modifications to increase robustness of the membrane-electrode assembly frame.

The next-generation FCgen-1020ACS has already been integrated into Ballard’s ElectraGen™ direct hydrogen- and methanol-fuelled systems for telecom backup power applications [see page 4]. In addition, Plug Power uses this stack in its line of GenDrive® fuel cell products for electric lift trucks [see page 3].

Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com

Oorja adds orders for materials handling rollout in South Africa

US-based Oorja Protonics has secured additional purchase

orders for its OorjaPac™ Model III fuel cell from its South African strategic partner, the HySA Catalysis Centre of Competence in Cape Town. Oorja recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HySA Catalysis, to collaborate in a strategic partnership for the commercialisation of direct methanol fuel cells in the South African market [FCB, March 2013, p10].

Oorja has already started shipping DMFC units to HySA Catalysis for deployment and demonstration on materials handling equipment (MHE) at various customer sites with HySA Catalysis partners in Limpopo and Western Cape provinces. The key objective of these deployments is to demonstrate the several benefits offered by OorjaPac fuel cells for MHE applications in the South African market, as part of the partners’ initial joint marketing phase.

Oorja is commercialising its DMFC technology for onboard battery charging of materials handling equipment, which is already in use with a number of customers in the US [FCB, December 2011, p2]. Its OorjaPac product family operates on cheap, widely available liquid alcohol fuel, which minimises the required infrastructure [see the Oorja feature in FCB, March 2012]. The company has also just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, for technology

cooperation focused on membrane-electrode assembly development for improved DMFC and liquid-fed fuel cell systems [see page 9].

HySA Catalysis is one of three competence centres established to fulfill the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Flagship Programme initiatives of the South African Department of Science & Technology. It is jointly hosted by the University of Cape Town and Mintek in Johannesburg, and takes the lead role in HySA’s Portable Power Programme with the goal of delivering commercially viable prototypes in the 50 W to 5 kW power range.

Oorja Protonics, Fremont, California, USA. Tel: +1 510 659 1899, www.oorjafuelcells.com

HySA Catalysis Centre of Competence: www.hysacatalysis.uct.ac.za

More fuel cell firms will reach profitability at last in 2013

A new white paper from Colorado-based market analyst Navigant

Research says that an increasing number of fuel cell companies will reach the profitability threshold in 2013, while annual installed capacity in the stationary fuel cell sector will surpass 200 MW.

The white paper, The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industries: 10 Trends to Watch in 2013 and Beyond, focuses on capacity and revenue generation, business model evolution, and the maturation of the key companies within the sector. The key trends for 2013 are:

fuel cell sector will top 200 MW.-

tions will increase in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

nudge towards overall profitability.

Russia, South Africa, and Asia-Pacific will rise.-

vice company partnerships with utilities will increase.

exceed US$2 billion.

fuel cell industry will increase.

with islanding-capable (i.e. off-grid) systems.-

cles will remain low.

remain slow.

White paper: http://tinyurl.com/10trends2013

Navigant Research: www.navigantresearch.com

I N B R I E F

Fuel cell backup power during disastersStorms and other natural disasters that cause power grid outages in the US cost an average of $150 billion per annum in economic losses. Companies in industries from telecoms to banking, and critical facilities such as hospitals, are therefore turning to fuel cells to provide reliable backup power, according to a new study by Fuel Cells 2000 (www.fuelcells.org).

The report (http://tinyurl.com/FCs-in-storms) profiles industries that are beginning to adopt fuel cell systems for backup power, and examines how fuel cells performed in recent catastrophic weather events, including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Winter Storm Alfred.

The report takes an in-depth look at four industries that are shifting towards fuel cell backup power – telecoms, data centres, grocery and retail, and hospitals – and highlights where fuel cells have successfully operated when the grid has gone down. It also lists other sectors and services, including first-responders such as police and fire stations, where fuel cells can and have provided crucial power in times of need.

Fuel cells to power berthed ships in portA recent study (http://tinyurl.com/FCs-on-barges) by researchers at Sandia National Labs in the US found that hydrogen fuel cells may be both technically feasible and commercially attractive as a strategy for providing power to ships at berth, replacing onboard diesel generators. Auxiliary power for stationary ships in port, usually provided by onboard diesel engines, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. For a busy port like Los Angeles, those average daily emissions could exceed that of nearly 200 000 vehicles.

The fuel cell strategy is simple: a hydrogen-fuelled PEM fuel cell mounted on a floating barge. Supplying a container ship with average power and runtimes (1.4 MW over 48 h) would require four 40 ft containers – two for the fuel cell, two for hydrogen storage – which could readily fit on a typical flat-top barge. For ships requiring less power, a single container housing both the fuel cell and hydrogen could suffice. Auxiliary power through a hydrogen fuel cell may soon be piloted on the intra-island transport barge system in Hawaii.

This alternative to auxiliary diesel engines is a practice called ‘cold-ironing’, in which a berthed vessel connects to an onshore power source, while its main engine is shut down. Grid-based cold-ironing is complex and costly to implement, but electricity supplied by hydrogen fuel cells on barges could meet this need.