NEWS

4Fuel Cells Bulletin February 2004

near-series product which is due tocome on the market at the end of 2004or beginning of 2005.

The DVFG, headquartered in Berlin, countsamong its members liquefied gas suppliers andcompanies interested in liquefied gas supply. Itdevelops and implements safety standards,maintains contacts with ministries and otherassociations, and informs the public about liq-uefied gas as an energy carrier with a widerange of applications. Liquefied gas has one ofthe lowest pollution rates of all energy carriers,requiring no pipelines or cables.

In Germany, a close-meshed distribution net-work assures the supply of 400 000 single- anddouble-family homes with liquefied gas for heat-ing and hot water. With its knowledge of themarket and systems technology experience, theDVFG wants to support the development of aSulzer Hexis fuel cell system for liquefied gas.

Sulzer Hexis is developing, manufacturingand distributing 1 kWe solid oxide fuel cell sys-tems to cover all the heat requirements and basicelectricity needs of a typical central Europeansingle-family home. SOFCs feature relativelysimple fuel processing, which offers a certaindegree of flexibility in the fuel choice. Apartfrom its main focus on natural gas, Sulzer Hexisis testing other fuels for use in its fuel cell sys-tem, now including liquefied gas with theDVFG.

Contact: Sulzer Hexis Ltd, Winterthur, Switzerland.Tel: +41 52 262 6311, www.hexis.com

Or contact: Deutscher Verband Flüssiggas eV (DVFG),EnergieForum Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49 30 2936710, www.dvfg.de

FCE dedicates Yalepower plant

In Connecticut, FuelCell Energy’s high-efficiency Direct FuelCell® power

plant installed at Yale University’sEnvironmental Science Center (ESC) inNew Haven has been dedicated. Thecombined heat and power unit is thefirst siting for FCE in its home state.

The 250 kWe DFC300A fuel cell will pro-vide approximately 25% of the building’s elec-tricity needs, with the heat being used primarilyto maintain tight temperature and humiditycontrols at the ESC. The fuel cell power plantwas purchased by the Connecticut CleanEnergy Fund in 2002 for use in the state [FCB,June 2003].

FCE chairman/CEO Jerry Leitman says thelocation at Yale is further demonstration of uni-versities as an ideal application for the

company’s DFC products. Other institutions ofhigher education at which FCE has installed, orplans to install, power plants include theUniversity of Bielefeld in Germany, GrandValley State University in Michigan, and OceanCounty College in New Jersey.

Contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut,USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com orwww.fuelcellenergy.com

For more information on the ConnecticutClean Energy Fund, go to: www.ctcleanenergy.com

Astris launches alkalinegenerator, begins stackpilot production

Ontario-based alkaline fuel celldeveloper Astris Energi has

unveiled its latest AFC generator, the2.4 kWe model E8. The demonstrationunit, which is powered by Astris’ newPowerstack™ MC250 fuel cell, is a self-contained and portable unit, with anelectrical efficiency greater than 50%.The company has also subsequentlycompleted in-house testing of its pro-totype Powerstack MC250 fuel cellpower module, clearing it for pilot pro-duction, as well as securing funding tonow begin phasing-in pilot productionin its facility at Vlašim, Czech Republic.

The model E8 generator provides 48 Vdcpower at 50 A, and will handle overloads up to60 A. It is fueled by compressed hydrogen at6–200 bar (100–3000 psi); at full power, fuelconsumption is 1600 litres/h. The E8 alsoserves as a platform to verify the performanceof Astris’ MC250 Powerstack in a real applica-tion. The company says that, during pre-launchtrials of the generator, the MC250 fuel cellsperformed at up to 60% above the originaldesign specification.

The company’s major technology break-through has been the use of inexpensive materi-als for cell construction, and eliminating theexpensive platinum used in PEM and otheralkaline fuel cells. Astris says its direct materialcosts for its cell per kWe now stand at less thanUS$230; it expects to be able to produce theMC250 at $1000 per kWe based on 2 MWepilot production annually.

Astris has budgeted $2.9m for the startupand operation of its Czech pilot plant overthree years, and plans to secure the balancerequired in first half of 2004. The companycurrently has commitments for approximately$500 000 towards the pilot plant. The Czech

Republic funded half of the $500 000 develop-ment cost of the first prototype.

Contact: Astris Energi Inc, Mississauga, Ontario,Canada. Tel: +1 905 608 2000, www.astrisfuelcell.com

UQM to provide auxil-iary system motors,controllers for FCVs

Colorado-based UQM Technologieshas received an order for perma-

nent magnet motors to drive certainauxiliary systems on a fuel cell pow-ered Caterpillar-Elphinstone R1300mine loader. The articulated front-endloader is under development by a con-sortium including Caterpillar, NaturalResources Canada and the USDepartment of Energy, and led byVehicle Projects LLC in Denver. UQMhas also recently delivered an electroniccontroller to manage the operation of acompression unit for use in an automo-tive OEM’s fuel cell powered car.

The propulsion motor order from Caterpillarincludes a high-torque 42 kW UQM® motorto power the cooling fan and a 75 kW motor todrive the hydraulic pump. The mine loader iscurrently nearing the end of the second phaseof a planned four-phase development program.The vehicle is expected to be placed in demon-stration at a mine in Nevada in early 2005, toevaluate the operation and productivity of thesystem.

The electronic controller will manage theoperation of an automotive compression unitdeveloped by Barber Nichols, which simultane-ously compresses hydrogen and air and injectsthe gases into the fuel cell. The lightweight,compact and watertight controller features digi-tal signal processing, sensorless control and con-troller area network communication. The unitis also EMI (electromagnetic interference) com-pliant.

UQM – which develops and manufacturespower-dense, high-efficiency electric motors,generators and power electronic controllers –has also recently delivered a compressor drivemotor to automotive Tier I supplier EatonCorporation. The lightweight, compact motoris for use as part of the air handling system in afuel cell.

Contact: UQM Technologies Inc, Frederick, Colorado,USA. Tel: +1 303 278 2002, www.uqm.com

For more on the mine loader project, go to:www.fuelcellpropulsion.org/mine_loader.htm