Fuel Cell

For several years now the Department of Energy (DOE) has been urging the fuel cell community to solve a major problem in the design of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs): heat. Sossina Haile, an associate professor of materials science and chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, is an expert in fuel cells, and she has been whittling away at the heat problem for years. Now she and her colleagues have not only solved the problem, they've smashed it. They've brought the temperature down to about 600 degrees Celsius (1100 degrees Fahrenheit), while achieving more power output...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced that it has entered into an agreement to combine its Canadian solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operations into Versa Power Systems (Versa). In exchange, FuelCell Energy will receive stock in Versa, increasing its ownership position in Versa from 16 percent to 42 percent. Consolidating SOFC technology development into a single entity provides a greater opportunity to commercialize SOFC products under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 10-year, $139 million Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) Program. The closing is expected to take place on November 1, 2004.

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced that it has received two contracts to demonstrate energy density advantages and to quantify potential logistical advantages of its direct methanol micro fuel cells (DMFCs) and fuel refill systems for the United States Armed Forces.

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced that it has been awarded the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for its Mobion(TM) micro fuel cell technology. The Award will be presented to MTI Micro at Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Best Practices Awards Banquet on October 20, 2004 in Rancho Mirage, California.

A survey of 18 fuel-cell developers around the world found none of them was profitable last year, although their combined revenues rose 20 per cent to $243 million US, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) said.

Arotech Corporation (ARTX) announced today that its Battery and Power Systems Division has received a new research and development contract from the US Army Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM). The 3-phase program will focus on developing a new, fourth generation Electric Fuel Zinc Air cell for use in military batteries. The new portable Zinc Air battery pack will be 12 or 24 Volt and have a total capacity of approximately 400Wh. Battery Energy Density will be above 300Wh/kg. The second and third phases of the program are optional.

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced that it received a gold Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Innovative Prize for increasing sales of its 'ultra-clean' Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants. The innovative feature of the Company's DFC products is the ability to electrochemically produce electricity from readily available fuels such as natural gas, wastewater treatment gas and coal gases.

Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest carmaker, said it agreed to develop fuel-cell vehicles in China, as part of global efforts to invest in low-polluting cars. Volkswagen signed an agreement with Tongji University and German engineering company IAV to produce a model fuel-cell vehicle, the German carmaker said in an e-mailed statement. Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen will provide the body and Tongji will contribute fuel cells and high-power batteries, it said.

The U.S. Senate agreed Sunday to vote as early as Monday on a corporate tax bill that would include the "Green Building" program, something that Adams Harkness analyst John Quealy said will be a "positive catalyst for the fuel cell industry." The bill calls for the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to fund the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly buildings. "What we find especially noteworthy is language in the current Chairman's Mark of the Conference Committee report that requires using at least 25 megawatts of fuel cell energy generation, in aggregate, in order to qualify for such tax-exempt...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) and its partner in Japan, Marubeni Corp., announced today that they have finalized their agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KWHIY) to become a packager of Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants in Japan. As part of this agreement, Kawasaki will purchase a DFC300A power plant from Marubeni, to be installed at the Kawasaki Akashi Works near Osaka, Japan, where it will undergo evaluation and testing for the development of a Kawasaki-branded carbonate fuel cell power plant.

Millennium Cell Inc (MCEL) announced that it has been awarded a subcontract to develop hydrogen storage systems for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The prime contractor is Pennsylvania-based Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), which operates the DoD's Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center (FCTec) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Millennium Cell's contract is part of first-year activities under the DoD contract to develop Common Core Power Production (C2P2) technology for the Air Force's Advanced Alternate Power Technology Transformation Office (A2PT2O). The C2P2 Program is based on utilizing fuel cell systems as interchangeable power sources for military equipment. Millennium Cell...

PolyFuel plans to announce that it has achieved a breakthrough in fuel-cell membranes by using an alternative material: a hydrocarbon that it says costs only about half as much per square meter as the conventional material. Compared with the fluorine compounds that are the most commonly used for membranes in fuel cells now under testing, PolyFuel says that hydrocarbon membranes allow production of more electricity per square centimeter of membrane. That could mean that a fuel cell could produce the same power as a fluorine-membrane version, but would be smaller and lighter, according to the company. ...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced that its European strategic partner, MTU CFC Solutions, GmbH (a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler), placed a new order for the Company's Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) components for 3 new sub-megawatt carbonate fuel cell power plants. Delivery is expected in late calendar year 2004 and early calendar year 2005. Announcements of individual power plant sites utilizing these DFC stacks will be forthcoming, with each customer's request and authorization. MTU's branded carbonate fuel cell power plant, the HotModule®, is based on FuelCell Energy's Direct FuelCell technology and utilize fuel cells manufactured by FuelCell Energy's Connecticut manufacturing facility....

A FUEL CELL that runs on sugar rather than methanol is in development by Matsushita, according to a report in today's Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Practical applications could be as a source of power for heart pacemakers, using blood sugar to create electricity.

The device, manufactured by Fujitsu Laboratories, generates power by combining methanol and hydrogen. DoCoMo claims that development of the cell could be completed by the end of 2005. "The micro fuel cell is aimed at meeting user demands for more convenient handsets with greater power capacity, as well as reduced environmental impact," DoCoMo said in a statement.

BTU International, Inc. (BTUI) announced the receipt of an order, valued at approximately $2 million, for an integrated manufacturing line for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) manufacturing. The order is from one of the largest European-based, global leaders in fuel cell technology. This order for a turnkey production line for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells features multiple Convection Heat Treat drying systems and BTU's unique Elevator Hearth System for high temperature sintering. The order also includes multiple screen-printing systems, a laser marking and bar code reading system as well as the automated handling equipment to fully automate the...