Hydrogen News

Brussels

Representatives of 59 companies and other interested parties met on 29. June in Brussels to discuss the further steps in the creation of a Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) for hydrogen and fuel cells. They focused on the way how industry can participate in the initiative proposes by the European Commission in September 2005. A working group of the Technology Platform had previously submitted proposals. During the past months they elaborated a possible structure described in the document „Aspects of a possible JTI – An industry view“ (download from www.hfpeurope.org). The most important decision was that the industry representatives will create an association during the next months. It will probably have the legal form of an international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL). This association will be the main contact for the Commission in the process of creating the JTI and is to provide a single voice for industry.

(Press release of the Technology Platform of 4. July 2006)

Baltic Coast

Kap Arkona, the northernmost point of the German island of Ruegen in the Baltic Sea, is a traffic restricted zone. Tourist cars have to stop about 1 km ahead of the cape. You may either walk the rest or take a small train running on the road. This train runs on LPG, because the impact on the environment is important in this setting.

But such a train needs also lights, heating in the winter and a lot of periphery. This was supplied by a battery the charging of which proved to be very unpractical. One of the trains has now been equipped with a fuel cell in the framework of a program supported by the state government. Operation started in the summer, and after some weeks all involved parties are very satisfied. While the charging of the battery took hours the change of a gas cylinder is done in a few minutes. The output of the fuel cell is sufficient for its purpose. No adverse reactions of the passengers were reported. It works so well that extensions are planned. The warm water from the fuel cell could heat the wagons in winter. In the longer term one of the trains could be equipped with a motor burning hydrogen instead of LPG, thus not producing carbon dioxide. And finally green hydrogen could be used, which so far comes from industrial sources. But there are many wind power installations around. An electrolyser could generate hydrogen there.

Berlin Buses

A fifth of the buses in Berlin's public transport will be running on hydrogen in the foreseeable future. Facing rising fuel prices and increasing environmental standards the Berlin transport utility (BVG) plans the greatest purchase of hydrogen buses ever. An invitation to tender over 250 buses is in preparation for 2007; quotations are demanded for buses running both on conventional fuel and on hydrogen. And this is not only for the environment, it is simply cheaper. „We will walk the path to hydrogen technology“, said board member Thomas Necker. With diesel prices rising as it did in recent years the bus purchase would be profitable. Four years ago BVG could calculate 0.68 € per liter diesel, while it is 0.98 € today in spite of a discount for large consumers. A further rise to 1.20 € is expected for the end of the decade. Hydrogen gas made from the refinery waste produce Butane would then be competitive. Delivery of the buses is expected to begin in 2009.

The price for one such bus is now 360 k€. The difference to the price of a diesel bus, now 80 k€, is paid by the European Union. BVG expects these additional costs to shrink to 15 to 20 k€ during the next three years.

(Berliner Zeitung, 18. July 2006)

Norway

Norway's first hydrogen filling station was opened on 22. August in the harbour city of Stavanger. It is one of five planned for the hydrogen highway which will lead over 580 km from there to Oslo in 2009. During the opening ceremony Norway's environment minister Helen Bjoernoey pointed out that road transport contributes a lot to greenhouse gas emissions.

Daimler

DaimlerChrysler has reported about first experiences with a new research vehicle called F 600 HY Genius. The car is a further development of the F-Cell and is now based on the B class. The drive with 85 kW is more powerful, while the fuel cell stacks are smaller by 40 % yet more efficient. The main progress is the greater range due to a tank storing hydrogen under 700 bar. It fits now 4 kg of hydrogen and makes the car drive up to 400 km, in contrast to 160 km with the old F-Cell. Another improvement is cold start capability: due to a completely reshaped membrane technology the new car starts even at -25 °C. But there is still a lot of way ahead to the aim of -40 °C. DaimlerChrysler wants to bring the fuel cell drive to market maturity not later than 2015 and demands more political support. In practical terms this means subsidies and tax advantages for hydrogen car customers and support for hydrogen filling stations. While there are eleven public hydrogen filling stations in Japan there is just about half a dozen in Germany.

(DER SPIEGEL Online, 21. July 2006)

High up

Scientists of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg and of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have operated a system comprising a kerosene reformer and an high temperature fuel cell (SOFC) for the first time in Europe in the framework of the EU supported project „Power Optimized Aircraft“ (POA). They did so together with Liebherr Aerospace, the project coordinator. The autothermal kerosene reformer generates a gas rich in hydrogen. desulphurized kerosene Jet A-1 was used as fuel. Onboard power for planes is usually generated by an auxiliary turbine (APU). Substituting it by a fuel cell would lessen the load on the environment both in flight and on the ground. Efficiency would rise as well. A higher total efficiency is an objective of the project partners for future application.

(ISE press release of 30. June 2006)

Quite high up

The NASA Space Shuttle is flying again, and so is the fuel cell. All manned US space missions during the last four decades were equipped with fuel cells made by UTC Fuel Cells. The cells on board of the space shuttle accumulated more than 91000 operating hours. There are three of them on board of each shuttle. Each of the alkaline cells generates according to company statement up to 12 kW and has an efficiency of 70 %, two to three times more than a conventional combustion engine. They are installed below the payload bay, just behind the cockpit, and are supplied by hydrogen and oxygen from cryogenic tanks.

(UTC press release of 30. June 2006)

Fuel Cells

Practical work

18 participants of a course called „H2 Professional“ which had extended over several months received their graduations in July in Stuttgart on occasion of the final event of a project called „Education concepts for the operation of mobile and stationary fuel cell devices“. They had done their course from October 2005 to late March 2006 in various phases, part of them present and part at home. It was organized by Elektro-Ausbildungszentrum Aalen. Secretary of State Richard Drautz stated for the ministry of economy of Baden-Wuerttemberg that the objective of the project had been to develop educational concepts early enough to qualify experts for the operation of plants so that they are available at the time of market introduction. More than 20 modules for craftsmen of various degrees from the car, sanitary, climatization, and electro field were developed. The contents can also be applied to other units for operators and suppliers. The modules were made and tested together with manufacturers and operators to guarantee the contents to be up to date. The next course will start in October.

Hot Module in France

The first HotModule in France of MTU from Ottobrunn will start operation in the heating period at hand. The molten carbonate fuel cell device will be added to an existing natural gas heating which supplies heat to 283 apartments of the French housing company OPAC (Office Public d'Aménagement et de Construction). On top the cell makes 200 kW electricity. The heat is used in the apartments, the power is fed into the grid of EDF (Électricité de France) and is paid for by the supplier. OPAC expects the energy costs to drop by 15 % by the use of the fuel cell. The electrochemical converters produce almost on noise, unlike power units with motors and turbines, which makes them even more attractive for housing purposes. Additionally the fuel cell running on natural gas produces less carbon dioxide and almost no harmful emissions in comparison to gas motors. The HotModule will be delivered in summer 2006.

In jail

A molten carbonate fuel cell by FuelCell Energy with an output of 1 MW started operation on 10. August in the prison of the Californian city of Santa Rita. It generates power and hot water from natural gas. The device will cover half of the energy demand of the prison and will save about 260 k$ energy costs to the tax payer. Particularly in summer, when the energy supply in California is critical anyway, the community of Santa Rita will use 80 % less energy for public buildings. More than half of the project costs of 6.1 M$ will be covered by these energy savings.

(Press release of Chevron Corporation of 10. August 2006)

Chlorine

A fuel cell energy module has been integrated into a chlorine production plant near Brescia (Italy). It is the first commercial large technical fuel cell plant in the chlorine business. It serves for using the hydrogen which is generated as waste product. The plant has a nominal output of 120 kW and is running on the waste hydrogen only.

(Nuvera press release of 5. July 2006)

Patrone

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation has submitted a preliminary patent application for micro fuel cells. It concerns a cartridge which supplies small electronical devices like PDA, MP3 players, and external chargers. But the company says the cartridge can be used as well for other applications demanding supply with liquid fuel, like catalytical heaters. Such a cartridge is not greater than an AA battery, but delivers 17 times as much energy with methanol as fuel.

(Press release of IWR of 10. August 2006)

Energy and Climate

VES

Ford Research Center Aachen and Volkswagen AG are new members of the initiative „Transport Energy Strategy“ (TES). TES is a cooperation of politics and economy hosted by the federal ministry for transport to explore the technological potential of hydrogen energy with the objective to test it for everyday suitability and system capability. Prior to the new entries the members were Aral/BP, BMW, Berlin transport utility (BVG), DaimlerChrysler, GM/Opel, Hydro, Linde, Total, and Vattenfall Europe. Ford had been represented with vehicles in the Berlin fleet even before the formal joining of TES. A Touran HyMotion from Volkswagen will now follow. All cars will remain in test operation until 2007. After this the experiences will be evaluated and presented to the public.

No chance

The Korean car maker Hyundai thinks that hybrid cars have no chance against fuel cell cars. Thus the company will quit hybrid technology and concentrate on the cell. By the middle of this century fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) will command a 90 % share of the world's new vehicle market, according to principal research engineer B. K. Ahn. „Hybrids still use gasoline, so we don't see a future for them for reasons of exhaust emissions, global warming, and depletion of crude oil supplies,“ he said. The efficiency for the whole chain from well to wheel is just 16 % for gasoline cars, 20 % for diesel and 26 % for hybrides. But Hyundai had achieved 36 % efficiency in the eight years it had been involved in FCV research and development, and the goal was to achieve 42 %. The biggest single hurdle is cost. Strategical thinking is necessary. „It was only 27 years after Daimler introduced the first- ever car, that Ford began mass-producing affordable vehicles. We forecast the same thing can happen with FCVs. That's why we say that by 2025 FCVs will have a 58 % market share with 50 million sales, and by the 2040s this will go to a 90 % share with 80 million vehicle sales“.

(Manawatu Standard, 4. July 2006)

Politics

Problem recognized

He has always known it, and he also said it, but apparently nobody got it. US president George W. Bush said to journalists in Washington that he always called global warming a serious problem. He reacted to the publication of a study of the National Academy of Sciences just before. By demand of the environment committee of the US congress the climate researchers had compiled the current state of climate research. The result is not really surprising. The late 20. century was the warmest period of the last millennium, probably of the last two millennia. But not temperatures alone are an indicator for the anthropogenic climate change. The unusually high concentrations of methane and CO₂ in the atmosphere are other signs. According to Bush it is now the time to overcome the discussion on whether the warming is caused by man or natural processes. Now possible counter measures must be discussed. In this context the president mentioned technologies for clear coal, hydrogen cars, and modern nuclear power plants.

Further Reading

International Journal of Nuclear Hydrogen Production and Applications

Inderscience, ISSN 1743-4939

This new quarterly journal is mainly concerned with the production of hydrogen by means of nuclear power, as the name says. But the program comprises hydrogen technology as a whole. The editing committee includes some well-known persons from the fields of hydrogen and of energy generally.