performance and efficiency, yet its volume has

been reduced by 40%. It also now includes an

electrical inverter, to convert DC to usable AC

power, and operates at an AC gross electrical

efficiency of 34% (lower heating value, LHV).

The heat recovery efficiency has increased to 47%

(LHV), for a total efficiency of 81% (LHV).

‘We are pleased with the rapid progress towards

commercialisation that Ebara Ballard is making,’

said Masakatsu Ohya, the company’s president.

‘We consider ourselves on crack to meet the

objective of beginning to sell residential fuel cell

power generation units commercially in 2004.’

In addition, BGS, Tokyo Gas, Ebara Ballard

and Ebara Corporation have signed a three-year

collaboration agreement to commercialize resid-

ential 1 kWe PEM fuel cell cogeneration units

comprising a Ballard@ fuel cell and a fuel

processing system manufactured by Ebara

Ballard, based on Tokyo Gas’ fuel processing

technology. BGS and Ebara Ballard - who are

also working with Osaka Gas to develop

residential cogeneration units for the Japanese

market - have signed an agreement to license

Tokyo Gas’s unique, patented fuel processing

technology worldwide for PEM fuel cell systems.

For more information, contact: Ebara Corporation,

Fuel Cell Cogeneration System Development Dept.,

l-6-27 Kohnan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8480, Japan.

Tel: +81 3 5468 6333, Fax: +81 3 5461 6087,

www.ebara.co.jp

Or contact: Ballard Generation Systems, Unit C,

4242 Phillips Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5A 2X2, Canada.

Tel: +l 604 421 7475, Fax: +l 604 444 2400,

www,baIlard.comlbgs.asp

Or contact: PEWHydrogen Project Group, Technology

Development Dept., Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, l-1 6-25

Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0023, Japan. Tel: +81 3

5484 4651, Fax: t81 3 3452 3532, www.tokyo-

gas.co.jp/technolrdlpefc_h_e.htmI

Yuasa builds DMFC system prototypes

Osaka-based Yuasa Corporation has

developed two prototype electric power

systems based on direct methanol fuel cells

(DMFCs).

The battery manufacturer has prototyped

systems with maximum power outputs of 100

and 300 We, with weights and dimensions (L x

W x H) of about 25 and 60 kg and 30 x 50 x 40

cm and 50 x 50 x 60 cm, respectively. Both can

supply electric power at 100 Vat for 24 h on

I litre of 3% methanol in water.

Yuasa aims to commercialize products based

on the technology by the end of 2003.

Meanwhile it will continue with verification

experiments, while working to make the systems

smaller and lighter.

For more information, contact: Yuasa Corporation,

2-3-21 Kosobe-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-l 115, Japan.

Tel: t81 726 866181, Fax: +81 726 866345,

www.yuasa-jpn.co.jp

Fuel cell powered telecoms demonstrated

The first fuel cell-powered telecommuni-

cations site in the US has been inaugurated at

Verizon’s engineering facility in Woburn,

Massachusetts. The demonstration project is

aimed at significantly advancing the adoption

of alternative energy technologies.

The natural gas-fueled system was developed

by Cambridge, MA-based Nuvera Fuel Cells,

with support from the Massachusetts Technology

Collaborative. Also participating are SatCon

Technology, a developer of power and energy

management products also based in Cambridge,

and KeySpan Energy Delivery New England, the

northeastern US’s largest natural gas distributor.

The first-of-its-kind field demonstration

represents the second phase of a joint effort

between Nuvera and Verizon to develop, test and

evaluate fuel cell systems in the 5 kWe range -

the power requirement of many distributed

telecom electronics sites, including those

supporting local and wireless phone service.

During the 500 h demonstration, the system

will provide primary power to the Verizon

facility, which houses engineering, installation

and maintenance personnel, and also provides

local phone service to nearly 200 local

customers. The electric grid and batteries will be

used to provide backup power.

For more information, contact: Verizon

Communications Inc, 1095 Avenue of the Americas,

36th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA. Tel: tl 212 395

2121, Fax: tl 212 921 2971, www.verizon.com

Or contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells Inc, 35 Acorn Park,

Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.Tel: tl 617 498 5398,

Fax: tl 617 498 6655. www.nuvera.com

FCE orders SatCon digital fuel cell controllers

SatCon Power Systems, a unit within

Massachusetts-based SatCon Technology

Corporation, has received orders for its

StarSineTM power conditioning system (PCS)

from FuelCell Energy in Connecticut, to

provide the electrical balance-of-plant for

several of FuelCell Energy’s Direct (DFC@)

fuel cells.

The StarSine PCS systems ordered by FCE are

designed for its sub-MW and MW-class power

plants, but no other details of the order were

disclosed.

‘We will manufacture our StarSine PCS

products based on our MegaVerterTM power

blocks and advanced digital controls that were

specifically designed for alternative energy

applications,’ said David Eisenhaure, president/

CEO of SatCon. ‘We believe that these power

conditioning systems are an enabling solution

that allows our customers, like FuelCell Energy,

to provide both grid-independent and grid-

parallel solutions to the growing need for

cleaner, more reliable electrical power.’

The StarSine PCS has been specifically

designed to provide high-performance power

conversion for alternative energy generators

including fuel cells, solar photovoltaic arrays,

microturbines, wind turbines, flywheels and

flow batteries.

For more information, contact: SatCon Power

Systems, 161 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.

Tel: +l 617 661 0540, Fax: +l 617 661 3373,

www.satcon.com

New electrode for lower- temperature SOFC

In Japan, Kansai Electric Power Co,

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation and the

Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC) have

developed a new electrode for intermediate-

temperature solid oxide fuel cells, which is

claimed to offer 50% higher power

generation performance and improved

durability

The new SOFC is claimed to have a lower

operating temperature of about 600-8OO”C,

rather than conventional SOFCs which operate

at up to 1000°C. This should lead to longer

material lifetimes and perhaps the use of cheaper

materials.

The partners apparently intend to develop an

SOFC with an output of several dozen kilowatts

in the near future. Over the next two or three

years they plan to jointly develop a pilot unit

capable of generating several kilowatts of

electricity, as a small power source for residential

apphcations.

An SOFC using the new electrode has

apparently been shown to generate 1.8 W/cm2 -

about 50% more than standard fuel cells - at

@I Fuel Cells Bulletin No. 41