Fuel Cells Today articles from September 2006

Fuel Cells Today archives from September 2006

Micro-pump advances fuel cell technology.
September 7, 2006... The micro-pump company IQ Micro has created a micro-pump capable of directing the flow of liquids within micro chips, a development useful in fuel cell technology. "With a proven ability to micro-fabricate thousands of our 'invisible...

IdaTech unveils fuel cell product.
September 7, 2006... Network Equipment Building Systems has approved a power proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell product that can generate power for up to ten years with minimal maintenance. IdaTech's PEM Electragen fuel cell system aims to function as a...

Iceland moves towards Hydrogen Economy.
September 7, 2006... According to Thorsteinn Sigfusson, Co-chair of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy, Iceland's small size, insular status, relatively wealthy society, and progressive government help push it towards sustaining a hydrogen...

Ballard introduces new fuel cell.
September 8, 2006... Ballard Power Systems will begin commercial roll-out of its newest air-cooled fuel cell. The decision comes after successful trails of the Mark 1020 ACS fuel cell, designed primarily as a backup power supply. The company said they've...

SEEDA grant awarded to increase fuel cell production.
September 8, 2006... The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has awarded a research and development grant to Ceres Power Holdings PLC to fund one third of its scale-up processes for manufacturing fuel cells. Ceres said it will use the grant to apply...

Shuttle launch postponed due to faulty fuel cell.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 8, 2006... NASA hopes to launch Space Shuttle Atlantis Friday, after problems with one of the shuttle's three fuel cells caused cancellation of Thursday's launch. The fuel cells provide electricity to the shuttle and water for the crew. The cells...

Weekly update.(Conference Calendar)(Calendar)
September 8, 2006... NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE FLEET ADMINISTRATORS' (NCSFA) ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW, September 11-15, 2006, Hyatt Regency Waterfront Hotel, Savannah, GA CLEANTECH VENTURE FORUM XI, September 20-22, 2006, Marriott Marquis, New York,...

Ceramic development advances fuel cells.
September 11, 2006... As an answer to the problem of fuel cells' expense, researchers have developed a new type of ceramic film called Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC). Michael Stetler, a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies...

New material may solve hydrogen storage problem.
September 11, 2006... Fuel cells hydrogen storage problem may have a solution in a new material developed by British scientists. University of Nottingham researchers have developed a coordination framework material capable of capturing hydrogen molecules at a...

Deal aims to expand fuel cells in Asia.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 11, 2006... Power Air Corporation (PAC) and H-Group Plus will join forces to bring zinc-powered fuel cells to the Asian market. Power Air, a California-based fuel cell developer, says H-Group, an environmental solutions provider, will develop,...

Angstrom raises $18 million for fuel cell development.
September 12, 2006... Through a private equity financing deal, Angstrom Power has secured $18 million to advance its work on high energy density micro-structured fuel cells. Angstrom, a five-year old company aiming to develop commercial micro fuel cells and...

Eaton Corp to work with Altergy.
September 12, 2006... Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. signed two agreements with Altergy, a fuel cell manufacturer, to create a global collaboration geared towards bringing fuel cell power solutions to telecommunications and other premium power and...

Nissan invests in hydrogen fuel cell pack.(International Report)
September 12, 2006... Nissan Motor Corp., of Tokyo Japan has purchased a Hydricity Pack from General Hydrogen Corporation, a manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell power packs used as battery replacement technology for electric forklifts and other industrial vehicles....

NTT DoCoMo invests in fuel cell developer Aquafairy.
September 13, 2006... Japan's largest cell phone company, NTT DoCoMo, will purchase a percentage of venture company Aquafairy. The Osaka-based Aquafairy has made promising advances in fuel technology. Through the partial purchase for an undisclosed amount,...

Ammonia borane investigated for hydrogen storage and release.
September 13, 2006... Pacific Northwest National Laboratories says ammonia borane holds promise as a chemical compound to store and release hydrogen in fuel-cell vehicles. The laboratory presented its findings this month at the national meeting of the American...

Fuel cell technology featured at mining conference.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 13, 2006... Fuel cell use in mining will take center stage as the first international symposium on the topic hits Montreal April 29, 2007. The symposium will be a part of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum's (CIM) annual...

Editor's notes.
September 14, 2006... EIN is interested in your company's activities. Send press releases, article tips and conference announcements to EIN Editorial Staff, fax 781-489-7308, e-mail kevin.fitzgeral@bccresearch.com.

Arizona State improves fuel cell power.(Industry Report)
September 14, 2006... Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a technique that could better fuel cells for laptops, communication devices, and cell phones. By adding a chemical found in antifreeze to sodium borohydride, a liquid used to store...

Project aims to find better PEM fuel cell material.(Industry Report)
September 14, 2006... The US Department of Energy is funding development of a methodology to produce low-cost, thermally stable membranes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, the type of fuel cell that the automotive industry is focused on. The department...

Canada opens Fuel Cell research center.(Internatioanl Report)
September 14, 2006... Canada's National Research Council (NRC) recently opened the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation. The $20 million facility is part of the University of British Columbia's campus. The facility will provide research facilities for industry and...

NexTech and Plug Power to explore oxide fuel cells.(Industry Report)
September 15, 2006... Fuel cell specialist firms NexTech Materials and Plug Power have announced plans to collaborate on development of a new solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power system. The US military will be the primary beneficiary of the system, but the system...

Georgia Tech researchers test fuel cell aircraft.(Industry Report)
September 15, 2006... Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have successfully conducted test flights of a hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft said to be the largest to fly on a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell using compressed hydrogen. The...

FuelCell Energy makes World Energy Engineering conference green.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 15, 2006... FuelCell Energy kicked off the World Energy Engineering Congress global energy conference this month in Washington by donating 2,600-plus megawatt hours of renewable energy certificates, making the gathering greener. The emission credits...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 15, 2006... 2ND ANNUAL FUEL CELLS DURABILITY & PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE, October 5-6, 2006, Washington, DC [c] 2006 EIN Publishing, Inc. 40 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 Sales/Mktg: 866-285-7215- Editorial: 781-489-7302 - Fax: 781-489-7308...

Air Products to aid in South Korean and Greek navy fuel cell subs.(International Report)
September 18, 2006... Air Products, provider of atmospheric gases, process and speciality gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates, will supply fueling equipment to ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for the South Korean and Greek navies. Through a...

Siemens and EnBW team up for fuel cell power plant.(International Report)
September 18, 2006... Siemens Power Generation and EnBW Energie Baden-Wurttemberg are joining forces to build a fuel cell hybrid power plant. Plans call for the construction of a demonstration plant to convert up to 70% of fuel energy into electricity. This will...

Bacterium could be key to hydrogen production for fuel cells.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 18, 2006... American biologists are looking at bacteria as a simple, inexpensive source for the hydrogen needed to power fuel cells. According to US Department of Energy Biologist Daniel van der Lelie, the bacterium Thermantoga Neapolitana is capable...

Jadoo fuel cell products to aid in disaster relief.(International Report)
September 19, 2006... The emergency preparedness market will get a boost from new portable fuel cell products from fuel cell systems supplier Jadoo Power Systems. Jadoo's XRT 100-watt fuel cell system is designed for emergency response teams that require a...

GM shoots for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2011.(Industry Report)
September 19, 2006... General Motors Corp. said late last week hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles could hit showrooms by 2011. The effort is a "moon shot" GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said, but necessary for the automaker to win back its reputation as an...

Coachella Valley purchases hydrogen and fuel cell buses.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 19, 2006... Coachella Valley, southern California , has purchased a low-emission hydrogen hybrid bus and a zero-emission fuel cell bus. The buses are part of an effort to replace an old fleet to better meet the demands of the growing Coachella Valley. ...

Australian researchers advance ceramic fuel cell stack technology.(International Report)
September 20, 2006... Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Australia have developed long-lasting fuel cell stacks they said will make commercial applications a reality. The new technology produces power from hydrogen,...

Ener1 moves forward on fuel cell commercialization.(Industry Report)
September 20, 2006... Alternative energy company Ener1said it's made significant strides toward commercializing technologies to produce fuel cell components. The company previously developed fuel cell humidifiers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. ...

Department of Transport grant aids Atlanta fuel cell projects.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 20, 2006... The U.S. Department of Transportation has granted $1.6 million to the Southern Fuel Cell Coalition of Atlanta, a nonprofit consortium formed to supplement individual southern states' initiatives to grow and develop hydrogen and fuel cell...

Japan's largest fuel cell in Sharp manufacturing facility.(International Report)
September 21, 2006... Electronics manufacturer Sharp has started operating its Kameyama Plant No 2 in Japan. The company said it's the world's most environmentally-conscious manufacturing facility and cuts CO2 emissions by 40%. Clean power sources provide a...

Fuel cells in place of batteries seen as years away.(Industry Report)
September 21, 2006... Sony, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Hitachi, Toshiba and MTI Micro Fuel Cells are among those developing fuel cells for use in place of lithium-ion batteries. But alternative power sources for portable devices like laptops, music players and...

Georgia Tech project aims to quicken fuel cell membrane development.(Industry Report)
September 21, 2006... Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are embarking on a project to find suitable polymers for fuel cell membranes. The project will use a novel screening approach to evaluate hundreds of potential polymers. Durability is a...

NanoGetters to expand production to sensors for methanol fuel cells.(Industry Report)
September 22, 2006... Manufacturer NanoGetters is expanding to accommodate high-volume production of sensors for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) products. NanoGetters is a wholly owned subsidiary of Integrated Sensing Systems (ISSYS) dedicated to...

US Navy to benefit from new fuel cell program.(Industry Report)
September 22, 2006... Hydrogen battery developer Millennium Cell has signed a six-month program with the US Navy to develop high-density hydrogen storage for use with portable fuel cells. Millennium hopes to use the program to develop its Hydrogen on Demand...

Researchers develop better, cheaper hydrogen storage system.(International Report)
September 22, 2006... Researchers at Queensland University, Australia said they've developed a new magnesium-based hydrogen storage system that is significantly better than current technologies, allowing for hydrogen storage at greater densities and lower costs. ...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 22, 2006... 2ND ANNUAL FUEL CELLS DURABILITY & PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE, October 5-6, 2006, Washington, DC (EIN STAFF: 9/21)

EU backs fuel cell production facility.(International Report)
September 25, 2006... Topsoe Fuel Cell and Wartsila Corporation have been selected for a $5.5 million grant from the EU LIFE environment program to develop solid oxide fuel cells. The grant represents a partial contribution to the $17 million project entitled...

US Army to test GM fuel cell vehicle.(Industry Report)
September 25, 2006... The US Army received a fuel cell vehicle from General Motors this week. The prototype sports utility vehicle is part of an extensive testing program of the fuel cell technology. As well as being used in military settings, feedback from the...

MTI MicroFuel introduces new fuel cell product.(Industry Report)
September 25, 2006... MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. has developed a prototype for the consumer market that exceeds the energy density of average lithium ion batteries with its Mobion-1 product platform, the company claims. The prototype of a charger accessory, the...

AC transit to use fuel cell buses.(Industry Report)
September 26, 2006... American bus company AC Transit has established a multi-million dollar program to test fuel cell models for potential large-scale commercialization of the technology. The company will use fuel cell and electric hybrid systems in three of...

GM to develop domestic hydrogen refueling unit.(Industry Report)
September 26, 2006... General Motors (GM) has announced plans to develop a domestic hydrogen refueling unit. Currently in the prototype stage, the refueling unit will be ready for the market by 2011, the same year the company aims to sell fuel cell cars. ...

World Bank and Digital Ultracap to establish European energy centers.(International Report)
September 26, 2006... Digital Ultracap and the World Bank will develop a series of energy centers across Europe as part of an initiative to test a hybrid system for storing and balancing generated power with fuel cells. Germany, Poland, Portugal, and Bulgaria are...

Polyfuel sees increase in demand for fuel cell membranes.(Industry Report)
September 27, 2006... Fuel cell membrane developer PolyFuel has doubled shipments of its engineered membranes in the last six months. Polyfuel specializes in hydrocarbon-based fuel cell membranes for portable power applications. Increased emphasis on longer...

Scientists develop fuel cell powered generator.(Industry Report)
September 27, 2006... Chemists at Arizona State University have created a tiny hydrogen-gas generator they hope to develop into a compact fuel cell package for laptops, digital cameras, and portable music players. The generator uses a special solution containing...

Connecticut high school to feature fuel cells.(Editorials, Reviews & Asides)
September 27, 2006... A Connecticut high school will include two fuel cells in its new building design, in an effort to save millions of dollars and use alternative energy. The Hartford area school will use the fuel cells to heat its pool and supplement the...

Japanese catalyst to extend fuel cell life, reduce size.(International Report)
September 28, 2006... A research project backed by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has produced a high-performance desulfurization catalyst that can potentially extend the life of fuel cells and decrease their size. The project, led by Taiyo...

Ceramic Fuel Cells advances fuel cell technology.(International Report)
September 28, 2006... Ceramic Fuel Cells (CFCL), an Australia-based manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cells and provider of enabling technology for micro-combined heat and power (m-CHP) units, recently announced development of its next generation of fuel cells. The...

Protonex to introduce new reformer-based fuel cell products.(Industry Report)
September 28, 2006... Protonex Technology Corporation announced this week that it has accelerated a plan to introduce a line of reformer-based fuel cell products. Protonex is a provider of advanced fuel-cell power systems for sub-kilowatt portable, remote and mobile...

NanoDynamics receives $2 million grant.(Industry Report)
September 29, 2006... The US government has awarded $2 million to New York-based NanoDynamics to work on its portable solid oxide fuel cell. Unveiled as part of the Defense Appropriations conference report for 2007, the funding will allow NanoDynamics to...

Department of Energy grants to benefit fuel cell development.(Industry Report)
September 29, 2006... The US Department of Energy recently announced it will provide funding opportunities to businesses aiming to develop hydrogen storage and delivery solutions for fuel cells. Grants of up to $100,000 will go to small- and medium-sized...

Toyota less optimistic about hydrogen vehicles.(Industry Report)
September 29, 2006... Toyota Motor Corp. said hurdles to making low-pollution hydrogen-powered cars that would appeal to the average U.S. buyer are significant. "There is still a lot of development required before these vehicles are ready for prime time,"...

Weekly update.(Conferences)(Calendar)
September 29, 2006... 2ND ANNUAL FUEL CELLS DURABILITY & PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE, October 5-6, 2006, Washington, DC (EIN STAFF: 9/28)