Future of Electric Cars? Running Fuel Cells on Biodiesel A smart diesel reformer and a tolerantfuel cell are the core components of a new type of electric power supply unit.Environmentally friendly and flexible, the unit could be a serious contender inthe market for generators in electric vehicles and other applications.
The power supply unit can run onbiodiesel as well as regular diesel.
This combination of two advancedtechnologies is now undergoing testing, thanks to funding under the ResearchCouncil's RENERGI programme. In trials, a 200-W solid-acid fuel cell ran on bothpure hydrogen and on hydrogen produced from diesel by the unit's reformer --with only an insignificant difference in performance.
Low CO2emissions
The reformer convertshydrocarbons into hydrogen, CO2 and heat. Due to the unit's highefficiency, CO2 emissions are substantially lower than inconventional combustion engines, and no other demonstrable exhaust isdischarged -- meaning that diesel particulates, black carbon soot, nitrousoxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) are elimi¬nated. An added plus is that thereformer emits no smoke or odour.
The silent electric generator isbeing developed and produced by the Norwegian company Nordic Power Systems(NPS). The Californiafirm SAFCell Inc. is developing and will deliver the new type of fuel cell.Also on the team is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). DagØvrebø, Technical Director of NPS, has many years' experience with fuel cellsand has been working closely with Caltech on this new technologyGermanconversion technology.
It all began in Germany. In 2006 the NPS founderscame across an interesting conversion technology developed at RWTH Aachen University in the late1990s. NPS acquired the licensing rights, envisioning a clear market potentialfor an electric power supply unit based on a fuel cell that is not dependent onhydrogen filling stations, and that can run on regular, easily available fuelwithout surrendering the environmental benefits of fuel cells.
In 2009 NPS secured usage rightsto the new USsolid-acid technology for use with various fuel types such as diesel andbiofuels.
Tor-Geir Engebretsen, ManagingDirector and co-founder of NPS, is very pleased with this summer's tests."Now we have demonstrated that the solid-acid technology works. The nextstep is to test a larger unit of 1 200 W."
Armed Forces first user
Engebretsen points out that sincethe technology is scalable, it is well suited for future generators in electricvehicles. But NPS is taking the development in stages. The company's firstmarket is power supply for the defence industry; NPS has a technologydevelopment agreement with the Royal Norwegian Armed Forces. In addition, NPShas a product development agreement with Marshall Land Systems, of the UK,with the aim of supplying silent-running generators for the British ArmedForces.
If all goes according to plan,the unit being developed with Marshallwill be ready for market launch by mid-2011, while the solid-acid fuel cellwill be phased in somewhat later. An assembly plant in Høyanger, Norway,is scheduled to open in early 2012 with Industrial Development Corporation ofNorway (SIVA) as contractor.
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发表于 2010-11-7 09:18
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发表于 2010-11-7 09:25
