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The International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce www.hydrogencommerce.com |
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Fuel Cells |
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FUEL CELL BREAKTHROUGH |
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Fuel Cell Advance Could Lower Cost, Boost Efficiency Fuel cells based on the new superlattice electrolyte are being touted as far more efficient and cheaper for use in automobiles. |
"The Spanish researchers could
measure the ionic conductivity of their superlattice material, but they
couldn't explain it," said Maria Varela of Oak Ridge's Materials Science
and Technology Division. "Our direct images show the crystal structure
that accounts for the material's conductivity. We can actually see the
strained, yet ordered, interface structure and how it opens up much wider
pathway for the ions.
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"...a nonprecious metal route to the design of new biohybrid architectures and building blocks for hydrogen-related technologies." |
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BREAKTHROUGH! |
| Nanotubes normally absorb and re-emit light at characteristic wavelengths but, after hydrogenase is added, this photoluminescence disappears, suggesting that the enzyme is feeding electrons into the nanotubes as it catalyses the oxidation hydrogen. The team found that they could control the catalytic reaction by changing the pH balance of the solution or the amount of hydrogen in it. As expected, when they added oxygen, which inactivates hydrogenase, the nanotubes lit up again. In the absence of oxygen, the hydrogenase-nanotube connections continued to work for up to a week. more |
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Background: In May2007, a team from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory led by Michael Heben announced significant progress in reducing the amount of platinum required in electrolysis: |
"We are interested in developing the scientific principles to control
catalysis and electrocatalysis on the nanoscale. We seek to design
interfaces and electrodes using nanoscience to permit; (1) highly
efficient and robust catalyst utilization, (2) fundamental investigations
of the key reaction steps which are relevant to fuel- forming and
fuel-cell reactions, and (3) a route away from precious metal catalysts.
We approach this problem using carbon single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs)..."An increase in the Pt catalyst utilization efficiency (currently less than 30%) would dramatically decrease the amount of catalyst needed in current PEMFCs. To effectively utilize the Pt catalyst in a PEMFC, the catalyst must have simultaneous access to the gas, the electron conducting medium, and the proton conducting medium. Typically, the catalyst layer for a conventional Pt-catalyzed fuel cell is prepared by an ink-process. Here, Pt-supported carbon particles are blended with Nafion in order to allow for the simultaneous access of the Pt catalyst to the electron conducting and proton conducting media. A common issue with this conventional blending process has been that the proton transport material, Nafion, tends to isolate the carbon support particles in the catalyst layer, leading to poor electron transport throughout the cell. The use of SWNT-supported electrocatalysts in PEMFCs has the potential to eliminate this problem and improve the utilization efficiency of the electrocatalyst. Preliminary results show that the current associated with oxygen reduction on the Pt/SWNT electrodes with [6 micrograms of platinum per square centimeter] is only 20% lower than g/cm the current for the Pt/SWNT electrode with [18 micrograms of platinum per square centimeter.] This result suggests that the Pt/ SWNT interaction has a pronounced affect on the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction. " Carbon Nanotube Materials for Substrate Enhanced Control of Catalytic Activity Michael J. Heben , Anne C. Dillon, Chaiwat Engtrakul, Se-Hee Lee NREL Now another team from NREL, again led by Michael Heben, has discovered a "new nanotube physics" that combines nanotubes with peculiar metalloenzymes called hydrogenases. Although discovered in the 1930s as the critical engine of anaerobic metabolism (life in the absence of oxygen), these enzymes were brought to public attention in 2000 by Dr. Tasios Melis of UC Berkeley who discovered a method of stimulating anaerobic hydrogen production from algae. Then on September 10, 2007, Heben and his team announced that they had developed a "biohybrid" technique using single-walled carbon nanotubes to entirely replace the precious metals previously required for catalyzing oxygen/hydrogen reactions, and creating, somewhat surprisingly, robust, biologically-driven nanoscale electron pumps that may possibly be harnessed to produce useable power. -- RDM
Wiring-Up Hydrogenase with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes |
| Abstract: Many envision a future where hydrogen is the centerpiece of a sustainable, carbon-free energy supply. For example, the energy in sunlight may be stored by splitting water into H2 and O2 using inorganic semiconductors and photoelectrochemical approaches or with artificial photosynthetic systems that seek to mimic the light absorption, energy transfer, electron transfer, and redox catalysis that occurs in green plants. Unfortunately, large scale deployment of artificial water-splitting technologies may be impeded by the need for the large amounts of precious metals required to catalyze the multielectron water-splitting reactions. Nature provides a variety of microbes that can activate the dihydrogen bond through the catalytic activity of [NiFe] and [FeFe] hydrogenases, and photobiological approaches to water splitting have been advanced. One may also consider a biohybrid approach; however, it is difficult to interface these sensitive metalloenzymes to other materials and systems. Here we show that surfactant-suspended carbon single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) spontaneously self-assemble with [FeFe] hydrogenases in solution to form catalytically active biohybrids. Photoluminescence excitation and Raman spectroscopy studies show that SWNTs act as molecular wires to make electrical contact to the biocatalytic region of hydrogenase. Hydrogenase mediates electron injection into nanotubes having appropriately positioned lowest occupied molecular orbital levels when the H2 partial pressure is varied. The hydrogenase is strongly attached to the SWNTs, so mass transport effects are eliminated and the absolute potential of the electronic levels of the nanotubes can be unambiguously measured. Our findings reveal new nanotube physics and represent the first example of "wiring-up" an hydrogenase with another nanoscale material. This latter advance offers a nonprecious metal route to the design of new biohybrid architectures and building blocks for hydrogen-related technologies. more |
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Catalyst and Fuel Cell Surface Chemistry Researcher |
| Gerhard Ertl has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Chemistry in response to his work to help understand how fuel cells work, as well as looking into how platinum catalysts in cars function. | |
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Modern Surface Chemistry – Fuel Cells, |
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The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2007 is
awarded for groundbreaking studies in surface chemistry. This science is
important for the chemical industry and can help us to understand such
varied processes as why iron rusts, how fuel cells function and how the
catalysts in our cars work. Chemical reactions on catalytic surfaces play
a vital role in many industrial operations, such as the production of
artificial fertilizers. Surface chemistry can even explain the destruction
of the ozone layer, as vital steps in the reaction actually take place on
the surfaces of small crystals of ice in the stratosphere. The
semiconductor industry is yet another area that depends on knowledge of
surface chemistry. It was thanks to processes developed in the semiconductor industry that the modern science of surface chemistry began to emerge in the 1960s. Gerhard Ertl was one of the first to see the potential of these new techniques. Step by step he has created a methodology for surface chemistry by demonstrating how different experimental procedures can be used to provide a complete picture of a surface reaction. This science requires advanced high-vacuum experimental equipment as the aim is to observe how individual layers of atoms and molecules behave on the extremely pure surface of a metal, for instance. It must therefore be possible to determine exactly which element is admitted to the system. Contamination could jeopardize all the measurements. Acquiring a complete picture of the reaction requires great precision and a combination of many different experimental techniques. Gerhard Ertl has founded an experimental school of thought by showing how reliable results can be attained in this difficult area of research. His insights have provided the scientific basis of modern surface chemistry: his method-ology is used in both academic research and the indust-rial development of chemical processes. The approach developed by Ertl is based not least on his studies of the Haber-Bosch process, in which nitrogen is extracted from the air for inclusion in artificial fertilizers. This reaction, which functions using an iron surface as its catalyst, has enormous economic significance because the availability of nitrogen for growing plants is often restricted. Ertl has also studied the oxidation of carbon monoxide on platinum, a reaction that takes place in the catalyst of cars to clean exhaust emissions. |
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IT'S HERE! IT'S CHEAP! |
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Reuben Lee
CNET / Crave September
27, 2007 |
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BREAKTHROUGH! |
| Since conventional fuel cells (proton-exchange type) use strongly acidic electrolyte membranes, platinum, which possesses excellent corrosion resistance, is the only material that can be used as the electrode catalyst. By reversing this conventional model and utilizing an alkaline anionexchange fuel cell Daihatsu succeeded in eliminating platinum from the electrode catalyst, replacing it with an inexpensive metal (cobalt, nickel, etc.), which could not be used before due to low corrosion resistance. |
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New technology has zero CO2 emissions, conserves resources and significantly reduces cost DAIHATSU MOTOR CO., LTD. (Daihatsu) announced today that
it has, working with Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST), developed a new fundamental fuel cell
technology that completely eliminates the need for platinum, a precious
metal that has been an essential material in the electrode catalyst in
conventional fuel cells for automobiles. The new technology also fixes
hydrazine hydrate inside the fuel tank to ensure its safe use as a fuel,
resulting in no CO2 emissions at all. |
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Platinum-free Electrode Catalyst Daihatsu Motor Company |
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RELEASED |
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Almost all of the revenues reported in the
survey were from North America-based companies. Quantum Fuel Cell Systems
(US$193 million) retained its spot as top revenue earner in the PwC Fuel
Cell List for the second consecutive year, followed by Ballard Power
Systems (US$50 million), and Distributed Energy Systems Corp (US$45
million). Outside of North America, German company Smart Fuel Cell
reported the most revenues (US$8 million), followed by Heliocentris Fuel
Cells, also of Germany (US$2.1 million), and UK-based Proton Power Systems
plc (US$1.9 million). None of the companies in the 2006 survey reported profits. Aggregate losses of the sector increased to US$644 million in 2006 from US$371 million in 2005. "The information PwC reviewed for the survey shows that, beyond the financial numbers, fuel cell companies are working hard to deliver products that meet customer demands for performance and cost," said John Webster, a PwC partner and co-author of the survey. "Certain niche markets have begun to open for fuel cell products and we expect to see product development and cost reduction continue to challenge incumbent products." |
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BREAKTHROUGH |
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Platinum Nanocrystals Boost Catalytic Activity
for Hydrogen Production |
| Depending on conditions, the new nanocrystals can be as much as four times more catalytically active per unit area than existing commercial catalysts. But since the new structures tested are more than 20 times larger than existing platinum catalysts, they require more of the metal – and hence are less active per unit weight. |
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Filter May Reduce Size, Add Power to Methanol Fuel Cells
LARGEST ROLL-OUT YET OF
NATURAL GAS FUEL CELLS
Danish Hydrogen Companies Combine Forces with Giants
The Acid Test: VW's Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell
“There is no better use
for advanced energy technologies than protecting public health and safety. These
fuel cell installations will keep state communications on-line when they are
often needed the most, during power outages and other emergency situations.”
VW Researchers Unveil New High-Temperature Fuel Cell
Japan Claims Development of Micro Honeycomb SOFC
DOE
Awards $100 Million in Fuel Cell R&D
New Mexico State Emergency Management Uses
ITM Power, U of Hertfordshire Aim for H2 Cost Breakthrough |
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Technology Marches with Troops |
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Thursday the Air Force Advanced Power Technology Office here held a demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell developed by Battelle for providing power at remote locations. Halogen light units were powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and by a current generation light cart using diesel fuel. The diesel generator produced toxic emissions and odor, and considerable noise, along with electric power. The hydrogen fuel cell produced electric power with no emissions, no odor and almost no noise at all. This is the latest in a series of demonstrations held by the Air Force APTO in its effort to develop ways to make the Air Force less dependent on fossil fuels, especially from non-U.S. sources. |
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UTC Power Fuel Cells Heading |
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Each fuel cell is capable of providing 12 kW continuously, and up to 16 kW for short periods. Each power plant contains 96 individual cells of the alkaline (KOH) electrolyte technology, which are connected to achieve a 28-volt output. |
| "Our fuel cells have demonstrated outstanding reliability – more than 99 percent availability – since the Shuttle era commenced in 1981," said Jan van Dokkum, company president. "As a company, we are extremely proud of the durability and energy efficiency of our environmentally advanced products, whether applied for use in space or on the ground at buildings or in automobiles and buses." | |
First known demonstration of SOFC for
electricity and H2 cogeneration!
Chattanooga Fuel Cell Demonstration Project
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
May 16 - 19, 2006
Running on Hydrogen Colleen Diskin North Jersey (NJ) May 15, 2006
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| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers who developed the new material say it can "dramatically outperform" the material now used to form fuel-cell membranes. ...The researchers say the new membrane conducts protons nearly three times as well as the currently used material, significantly improving power density. |
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Congresswoman Heather Wilson visits Intelligent Energy, Albuquerque
Intelligent Energy
June 9, 2006
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FUNDAMENTAL
NANOTECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH
MAY LEAD TO |
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| Lux and Rodriguez discovered the best way to make porous 3-D platinum electrodes: soak copper-platinum alloy nanowires in nitric acid, removing their copper. Later, they found, they could create nano fuel cells by merely laying them out lithographically so their anode and cathode electrodes protruded from the same side, with a liquid electrolyte reservoir that bent to chemically connect them. With concept proven, Lux is trying to replace the liquid electrolyte with a solid-state version, enabling future remote sensor chips to potentially integrate all the components but fuel for arrays of on-chip fuel cells. |
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The first 10kW fuel cell system has been
delivered to PSA Peugeot Citroën |
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Perspective on Leaky Membrane Extends DMFC Run Time
Penn State (PA)
February 24, 2006
Fuel Cells Powering Ahead
Peter Garnham
Financial Times (UK)
January 31, 2006
UNITED KINGDOM
BP
NAPIER UNIVERSITY
Napier Scientists to Use Solar Power
to Generate Hydrogen Fuel
Napier University
January 23, 2006
OREGON OREGON STATE
UNIVERSITY
Microbial Fuel Cell Technology Helps Filter Wastewater, Provide Power
Oregon Live/AP
January 22, 2006
SOUTH AFRICA
New Fuel Cell Design Adds Control, Reduces Complexity
Princeton University Engineering School
January 16, 2007
This simple control mechanism, which
varies the flow of hydrogen fuel to control the power generated, was previously
thought impossible and is a potentially major development in fuel cell
technology.
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BREAKTHROUGH! |
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Brookhaven Lab Scientists Stabilize Platinum Electrocatalysts
Brookhaven National Laboratory January 12, 2006 In the Brookhaven experiment, the platinum electrocatalyst remained stable with potential cycling between 0.6 and 1.1 volts in over 30,000 oxidation-reduction cycles, imitating the conditions of stop-and-go driving.
Platinum in Fuel Cells Gets a Helping Hand
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Plug Power, IST Granted $3m for New Fuel Cells
Sunday Times (South Africa)
January 10, 2005
Ion Power Installs Two Plug Power Fuel Cells
The News Journal (DE) January
6, 2005
Priming Fuel Cell Technology for the Market
Fuel Cell Industry Report
January 2006
Katrina Makes Case for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Craig Johnson TV
Technology / Fuelcellworks
December 14, 2005
DEFENSE INDUSTRY DAILY
DESCRIBES THE REFINERY STACK GAS PROPANE
AS AN "ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE" FOR PLUG POWER FUEL CELLS
WILL REGULAR SOON BECOME
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE FOR PREMIUM?
Fuel Cells Powering Up at Robins AFB
Defense Industry Daily
December 9, 2005
PLUG POWER:
The Backup Plan
Tom Mashberg
Technology Review December
6, 2005
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Researchers Find Revolutionary, Cheaper Way |
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The current cost of fuel cell technology is prohibitive to
commercial application, said
Arumugam Manthiram, a mechanical engineering professor who
is heading the experiment along with
Allen Bard, a chemistry and biochemistry professor. Manthiram and his team have experimentally tested the use of a metal alloy of palladium, cobalt and molybdenum to replace the more expensive platinum that is now used in fuel cells for the conversion of chemical energy. This alloy would cost roughly one-fifth as much as platinum. Manthiram said that more long-term tests with industrial partners are needed to verify its durability and stability. |
Robotic Assembly of Fuel Cells Could Hasten Hydrogen Economy
Newswire
November 8, 2005
Focusing on Fuel Cells
Renaaelaer Research Review
Fall 2005
Fuel Cell Rivals
Vie For Plant Contract
John M. Moran Hartford
Courant (CT) October
19, 2005
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RELEASED
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Siemens Power Generation Awarded New DOE Cooperative Agreement
for Coal-based Hybrid Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine System
Siemens October 18, 2005Ballard the World's Biggest Player in Fuel Cells in 2004
Derrick Penner Vancouver Sun October 5, 2005World's Largest Fuel Cell Generation Project Set for Long Island
Donna Fitzpatrick Bethell Newsday October 4, 2005
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The Fuel Cell
is Alive and Kicking |
Korea: LG Claims the Most Advanced Methanol Fuel Cell
Mark LaPedus EE Times September 29, 2005Ballard Power Courts Chinese Investment in Fuel Cells
Bloomberg September 21, 2005
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| A diagram of a fuel cell’s polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) with the proton-conducting group triazole (the circles in the diagram). Protons hop from one group to another to move through the PEM without the need of water. | |
| Georgia Tech August 24, 2005 | |
 Dr. Melin Liu, Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies |
A team lead by Dr. Meilin Liu, a professor in
the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech, has discovered that a
chemical called triazole is significantly more effective than similar chemicals
researchers have explored to increase conductivity and reduce moisture dependence in
polymer membranes. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical
Society. “Triazole will greatly reduce many of the problems that have prevented polymer fuel cells from making their way into things like cars,cell phones and laptops,” said Liu. “It’s going to have a dramatic effect.” |
| ...Heat must be removed from the fuel cells to keep them cool, and a water balance has to be maintained to ensure the required hydration of the PEMs. This increases the complexity of the fuel cell system and significantly reduces its overall efficiency. But by using triazole-containing PEMs, Liu’s team has been able to increase their PEM fuel cell operating temperatures to above 120 degrees Celsius, eliminating the need for a water management system and dramatically simplifying the cooling system. more | |
| NEW YORK FUEL CELL ENERGY August 14, 2005 |
 Midtown New York
Fuel Cell May be Glimpse of the Future Daniel
Hendrick New York Newsday |
| FUEL CELL ENERGY August 4, 2005 | |
Building a New Type |
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| The idea is to feed natural gas, propane and other readily available fuels through a FuelCell Energy fuel cell, which will produce hydrogen, heat and electricity. The hydrogen will be purified and pumped using technology designed by Air Products. | |
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Australia and New Zealand
A Survey of
Recent Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Development
Kerry-Ann Adamson Fuel Cell Today August 2005
| NEW YORK UTC POWER UTC Power August 9, 2005 |
| Fuel Cells Taking Some Heat Off the New York Power Grid New York buildings that have benefited from the reliable and clean energy provided by UTC Power fuel cells include the Central Park police station and 4 Times Square (where the NASDAQ stock market is located), both in New York City; the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Army installation in Albany; two schools in the Syracuse area; a hospital on Staten Island; and nine wastewater treatment facilities scattered throughout New York City's five boroughs. |
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| With the promise of more investment in hydrogen power statewide, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited nearby Chico Thursday and lavished praise on the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and founder Ken Grossman's venture into the land of hydrogen. Schwarzenegger was guest of honor during an unofficial dedication of Sierra Nevada's four hydrogen-powered fuel cell power plant, which is the largest commercial installation in the state. |
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"I'll be back."
"For the first time a
modern Congress has endorsed a national program to pursue hydrogen and fuel cells as a
mainstream strategy to try to get us off our addiction to oil." Robert Rose, Executive Director, U.S. Fuel Cell Council |
Fuel Cells Receive Favorable Support in Energy Bill
Conference
U.S. Fuel Cell Council July 22, 2005
| NUVERA FUEL CELLS Nuvera Fuel Cells August 9, 2005 |
| 2nd
Generation Automotive Fuel Cell Sets New Performance Standard The new stack, which is capable of generating 125 kW of power (168 horsepower) and is currently available for delivery to qualified customers developing fuel cell vehicles, exceeded key product milestones for power density, cold-start capability, system efficiency, durability, and high-volume production cost. |
Hydrogenics Provides Mid-Year Update on Light Mobility Initiatives
Hydrogenics July 29, 2005Micro Propane Fuel Cell Packs Power TRN July 27, 2005
Propane packs twice as much energy for its weight as methane,
which is more often used for fuel cells.
"I
am pleased to report that our fuel cell activities recently achieved an important
technology cost goal—the high-volume cost of automotive fuel cells was reduced from
$275 per kilowatt to $200 per kilowatt. This accomplishment is a major step toward the
program’s goal of reducing the cost of transportation fuel cell power systems to $45
per kilowatt by 2010.” |
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Fujitsu, DoCoMo Fire Up Phone Fuel Cells Forbes July 15, 2005
The high concentration of methanol allows the prototype device to charge up to three FOMA handset batteries with just 18 cc of methanol. Compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries, micro fuel cells with replaceable fuel cartridges offer, in theory, tenfold performance and can store three times as much energy, Fujitsu claims.
Ballard Signs Agreement to Sell
German Subsidiary
to DaimlerChrysler and Ford Ballard
June 23, 2005
Starwood to
Install Fuel Cells at Sheraton San Diego
San Diego Daily Transcript June 15, 2005
Partnerships in
Fuel Cells and Solar Cells
Reflect Heightened Interest in the Technology
Red Herring
June 7, 2005
Revving Up Fuel Cells Forbes June 1, 2005
Argonne
to Study Fuel Cell Catalysts
Argonne National Laboratory
May 26, 2005
PUC Agrees to Pilot with Proton
Energy Systems
on Backup Power in Fuel Cell
New Haven Register/Fuel Cell Works
May 24, 2005
UK Firm Claims
Breakthrough in Fuel Cell Technology
Reuters May 19, 2005
Nanomix Delivers Hydrogen Detection Device Nanomix May 12, 2005
Superwarriors
May be Cell Powered Action Men
Lautaro Vargas
Business Weekly (UK) May 6, 2005
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RELEASED |
Fuel-Cell Firm to Go Public
Hoku Scientific, which makes fuel-cell components called membranes and assemblies, has filed to sell $57.7 million of its common stock
Red Herring May 2, 2005
UTC Power Lauds
U.S. House Support of
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology in New Energy Law
UTC Power April 22, 2005
BREAKTHROUGH |
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| ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY TO BENEFIT HUMANITY BY PENN STATE'S KAPPE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING BRUCE LOGAN | |
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Microbial Fuel Cell: High Yield Hydrogen Source and Wastewater
Cleaner |
"This MFC process is not limited to using only carbohydrate-based biomass for hydrogen production like conventional fermentation processes. We can theoretically use our MFC to o | |