Fuel Cells 2000's Fuel Cell Technology Update - November 2002

Fuel Cells 2000's Fuel Cell Technology Update - November 2002

For more information on the following stories, click on the provided link,
contact Jennifer Gangi at [email protected] or call (202) 785-4222,
ext. 17.  To subscribe or unsubscribe to this listserve, see the end of this
message. 

If you are attending the Fuel Cell Seminar in Palm Springs, be sure to stop
by Fuel Cells 2000's booth - #711.

TRANSPORTATION

Honda Fuel Cell Car to Hit Roads by End of 2002.
Honda will begin leasing its FCX fuel cell vehicle to government agencies
and other interested parties by the end of 2002. The FCX, which features a
157-liter compressed hydrogen fuel tank, is able to travel 335 kilometers
(about 220 miles) without needing to be refueled and can reach speeds as
high as 150 kilometers per hour (about 93 miles per hour).  The City of Los
Angeles has agreed to lease five of the vehicles.
http://www.jama.org/pressReleases/detail.cfm?id=53
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021007/lam066_1.html

DaimlerChrysler to Deploy Fleets of Cars and Buses in 2003.
In 2003 DaimlerChrysler will deploy 30 fuel cell Citaro city buses for
testing by customers in Europe. Sixty Mercedes-Benz A-Class "F-Cell" model
fuel cell cars will also be deployed in 2003, for operation and testing in
Europe, Japan, Singapore and the USA.
http://europe.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/10/09/fuelcell/index.html  

Nuvera Supplies Fuel Cell Stacks to Fiat Research Center.
Nuvera Fuel Cells has entered into a supply agreement with the Fiat Group
under which it will deliver nine proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks
to Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF), the automaker's research organization in
Italy.  The agreement follows the demonstration of its Fiat 600 Seicento
Elettra H2 fuel cell vehicle, which uses Nuvera's stacks to generate
electricity from hydrogen.
<http://www.nuvera.com/press/nv_fiat.pdf>

EFC Receives Funding From FTA for Bus Program.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has agreed to fund approximately
half of the $2-million third phase of Electric Fuel Corporation's Zinc-Air
Electric Transit Bus program.  The third phase of the project will include
an evaluation of the performance of zinc-air battery propulsion systems for
electric buses, the installation of new advanced ultracapacitors and the
implementation of an advanced control system for auxiliaries.
<http://www.electric-fuel.com/pr/2002/pr23102002.shtml>

H Power Ships Fuel Cells for Railway Study.
H Power Corp. has shipped PEM fuel cell systems, in conjunction with its
marketing partner - Mitsui & Co., Ltd., to a Japanese study focused on
providing alternatives to on-board railway diesel engines.  H Power Corp.
provided four 7kW PEM fuel cell systems for the initial phase of the study
for integration into prototype railway power applications.  The Japanese
government funded project is being conducted by the Railway Technology
Research Institute, the research & development division of the Japanese
National Railways Group, and Suzuki Shokan Co., Ltd., a leading supplier of
industrial machinery and gases.
<http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=82>

STATIONARY POWER

First Fuel Cell Installed Under New Jersey Clean Energy Program. 
Merck and Company, Inc. has installed a UTC Fuel Cells' PC25 fuel cell at
its research facility in Rahway, NJ.  The fuel cell was installed under the
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities' (BPU) statewide initiative to promote
the use of clean and renewable energy technologies.  Merck received a
$710,000 rebate for the 200-kilowatt fuel cell under the New Jersey Clean
Energy Program, which rewards businesses in the state that install new
energy-generating equipment utilizing alternative technologies, and will
also receive a $200,000 rebate from the Department of Defense under an
alternative technology program sponsored by the federal government.
<http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/103002.shtml>

SUNY-ESF Awarded Fuel Cell Grant. 
New York governor George Pataki announced that the State University of New
York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) is slated to
receive a $1-million grant from the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the installation of a fuel cell-based
combined heat and power (CHP) system that will provide on-site power
generation. The waste heat from the fuel cell will be used for domestic hot
water and space heating or cooling on the SUNY-ESF campus.

Avista Signs Deal For Distribution in Italy.
Avista Labs recently has reached an agreement with SGS Future for the
distribution of Avista's fuel cells in Italy.  Under the agreement, SGS
Future will purchase Avista Labs fuel cell products and resell them to
customers in Italy.  SGS said it has committed to purchase 13, one-kilowatt
(kW) Independence 1000 fuel cell systems in 2002, as well as more than 200
kW of Independence products of various sizes in 2003. 
<http://www.avistalabs.com/news_over.asp#793>

Plug Power Adds Standby Feature to GenSys(tm)5C.
Plug Power Inc. has added standby capability to GenSys(tm)5C, a 5-kilowatt
combined heat and power fuel cell system. The standby feature allows the
fuel cell to provide power to critical loads upon grid interruption.
GenSys(tm)5C is designed to operate in parallel with the electric grid,
providing base load power to customer facilities. During a grid outage, the
system will automatically transfer to standby mode providing uninterrupted
power to critical loads. Upon restoration of grid service, the system will
resume its normal grid parallel mode of operation. 
<http://www.plugpower.com/news/NM_Detail2.cfm?ID=2357>

PORTABLE/BACKUP POWER

DOT Approves Use of PolyFuel Fuel Cells on Planes.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved the use of Polyfuel's
new fuel cell on airplanes because it features only low concentrations of
methanol fuel.  The fuel cell is estimated to provide two to three times
more undisturbed power support for notebook computers than standard laptop
batteries.  They are expected to be introduced into the market in 2004.
<http://www.polyfuel.com/>

Intel Forms Working Group.
Intel has formed the Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group with
executives from Dell, Fujitsu, Matsushita, NEC and Toshiba, among others, to
work on developing batteries, fuel cells and related technologies to extend
the life of batteries for mobile computers.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/pcworld/20021016/tc_pcworld/1
05980 

IdaTech Receives Contract from Army CECOM. 
The U.S. Army Communications - Electronics Command (CECOM) has contracted
with IdaTech to develop two 2-kW fuel cell systems to power an array of
communications and other electronic equipment on a High Mobility
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). One of the mobile APUs will be
integrated with the HMMWV-based Command, Control & Communications
On-The-Move Combat Vehicle for field-testing.
http://www.idatech.com/media/news.html?article=42 

Acumentrics Ships SOFC UPS to ChevronTexaco.
Acumentrics Corporation has delivered a fully integrated, rapid-start solid
oxide fuel cell (SOFC) uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to ChevronTexaco
Technology Ventures.  The 2 kW BB-SOFC 2000 is intended to serve primarily
as an outdoor, 90-volts-of-alternating-current (AC) broadband backup, but is
also configurable to output direct current (DC) or 120 volts of AC for
telecom and computer backup applications.
<http://www.acumentrics.com/rapid10-2-02.html>

Avista Fuel Cell Receives CSA Certification.
Avista Labs recently has received CSA International certification of its
Independence 500 fuel cell system.  The Independence 500 is its first fuel
cell under one-kilowatt (kW) to receive CSA certification.  The Independence
500 is designed for battery-charging applications, allowing users to
increase backup run time while decreasing dependence on large battery packs.

<http://www.avistalabs.com/news_over.asp#788>

Metallic Power to Begin Shipping Zinc-Air Fuel Cells.
Metallic Power will begin shipping its first products, based on its
proprietary zinc fuel cell technology, this month.  The fuel cells provide
backup power for equipment requiring 1-5 kilowatts of power.  The basic
configuration consists of zinc fuel cells, a zinc "fuel tank" and a zinc
regenerator that automatically recycles the fuel once utility power is
restored. The regeneration process is conceptually similar to the recharging
cycle of a battery. The entire system is housed in a single, complete
package. 
<http://www.metallicpower.com/news/pr_100702.htm>

FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE

Stuart Energy Unveils Fueling Station.
Stuart Energy Systems Corporation unveiled its latest "intelligent" hydrogen
fueling station in California.  The station will be located in the community
of Richmond at the Richmond Operating Division of AC Transit, an associate
member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP).  This station
extends the driving range of the CaFCP fuel cell vehicles beyond their home
base in Sacramento and will be the first time the CaFCP will use water
electrolysis to generate hydrogen fuel on-site for its vehicles.
http://www.stuartenergy.com/news/press_releases/press_oct30.html

Plug Power and Honda Join to Develop Home Fueling System.
Plug Power Inc. and Honda R&D Co., Ltd. of Japan, have announced a joint
agreement to develop and test an initial prototype home refueling system for
fuel cell automobiles at Plug Power's facilities in Latham, N.Y. and Honda
facilities in Japan. Plug Power will integrate one of its GenSys(tm)5C
stationary fuel cell systems with additional components necessary for the
home refueling concept, which will be supplied by Plug Power and Honda R&D.
<http://www.plugpower.com/news/>

VHS and BP Plan Hydrogen Fueling Station.
Vandenborre Hydrogen Systems (VHS) has signed an agreement with British
Petroleum (BP) to supply IMET® water electrolyzer systems for a hydrogen
fueling station to be built in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the Clean Urban
Transportation for Europe (CUTE) project.
<http://www.hydrogensystems.com/database/4_detail.asp?c=detail&recid=44>

Researchers Develop Hydrogen Trap.
Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Chicago, and
Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory have shown they
can trap hydrogen gas inside water-ice structures forming hydrogen hydrate.
The researchers subjected a mixture of hydrogen and water to a pressure
equivalent to about 2,000 times the atmospheric pressure at sea level at
room temperature. When the mixture was cooled to -11 degrees Fahrenheit, the
two regions reacted and formed one solid compound.
http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=22625 

FUEL CELL COMPONENTS

FCSS Introduces Gas Leak Detection System. 
Fuel Cell Safety Systems (FCSS) has introduced a new line of combustible gas
leak detection systems specifically designed for fuel cells. FCSS
collaborated with several leading fuel cell manufacturers during the past
three years to develop a reliable, low-cost method of leak detection to
monitor fuel cells for elevated levels of such combustible gases as
hydrogen, methane and propane.
<http://www.fuelcellss.com/>

H2ECOnomy Unveils Fuel Cell Test Station. 
H2ECOnomy unveiled its TS-200 series fuel cell test stations, which feature
an LB-200 series electronic loadbank and are designed to fully test
hydrogen-powered proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells in the one-watt
to one-kilowatt range.
<http://www.h2economy.com/news.shtml>

Palcan Receives Funding for MEA Development, Selected for Fuel Cell and
Solar Project.  Palcan Fuel Cells, Ltd. has been selected to receive
$100,000 in financial assistance from Canada's Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) Efficiency and Alternative Energy Program to improve the
consistency of the manufacturing process for the membrane electrode assembly
(MEA) component of the company's proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell
technology.  Palcan also was selected to supply the fuel cell power module
and overall control system for a joint development project with Goodings
Environmental Inc. to be funded by the federal Western Diversification
Program through Fuel Cells Canada.  The purpose of this project is to design
and demonstrate a grid independent regenerative power system, incorporating
a photovoltaic collection array, electrolyzer, hydrogen storage, Palcan's
PalPac(tm) fuel cell power system and power and control electronics.
<http://www.palcan.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=43728>
<http://www.palcan.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=43935>

FST Unveils Hydrogen Energy Appliance.
FST, Inc. announced the immediate availability and licensing opportunity for
OEM partners of the Decom300-A2(tm), its solid state hydrogen storage and
delivery product.  The unit is designed to fuel cars, a broad range of
industrial generators, remote and back-up power systems for ISP's, homes,
paramedics and other energy consumers.
<http://www.fuelselltechnologies.com/html/our_news.html>

Hydrogenics Secures Two New Contracts.
Hydrogenics Corporation has received a first-time order from European Fuel
Cell (EFC) for its multiple, fully featured FCATS H-Series systems and
reformer test systems.  Hydrogenics said the test systems will support EFC's
development work in natural gas-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) home
energy systems at the company's research and development facility in
Hamburg, Germany.  Hydrogenics also received an order for multiple test
systems from a fuel cell materials developer.  The combined value of the two
orders is approximately $1.5 million.
<http://www.hydrogenics.com/home.htm>

UQM Technologies Receives Additional Product Orders.
UQM Technologies, Inc. has been awarded several contracts totaling $1.5
million from fuel cell customers in North America and Europe for the
development and supply of various key fuel cell components for air and
hydrogen management including advanced electric motors and associated
electronic controls as well as complete compressor subsystems.
<http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021010/lath027_1.html>

SMP Expands Hydrogen Technology Development.
Superior MicroPowders (SMP) has signed a long-term development agreement
with ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures for the development of hydrogen
generation technologies.  The agreement will enable the development of
multiple programs leading to the manufacture of advanced catalyst materials
and fuel reformers.  Under the agreement, SMP will develop and produce
catalyst systems for use in hydrogen generation applications.  
 http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021022/220069_1.html

Plug Power and Albany NanoTech Join for Catalyst Nanostructures.
Plug Power Inc. and Albany NanoTech (ANT) announced a joint research and
development partnership aimed at integrating nanotechnology and proton
exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technologies for enhanced catalyst
performance of fuel cell electrodes.  The projected five year, $5 million
program will seek to develop and build the next generation fuel cell
catalyst nanostructures to atomically engineer and customize the baseline
performance of PEM fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies. 
 http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021010/nyth072_1.html  

REPORTS/MARKET STUDIES

Free Course Manual on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engines. 
The Federal Transit Administration has funded the development of a course
manual with technical information on the use of hydrogen as a transportation
fuel. The 10-part manual - produced by College of the Desert and SunLine
Transit Agency - is available for free, online.
http://www.ott.doe.gov/otu/field_ops/hydrogen_class.html

DG Report.
Allied Business Intelligence (ABI) has released "Distributed Generation:
Global Market Analysis, Technology Assessment and Outlook", a market study
analyzing emerging distributed generation (DG) technologies from fuel cells
to microturbines, to wind turbines. The study forecasts regional and
technological growth for DG technologies from a global perspective.
<http://www.alliedworld.com/servlets/ResearchDetails?productid=DGN02>

FreedomCAR Partnership Plan Posted Online.
A new "FreedomCAR Partnership Plan" is available for viewing online. The
plan provides goals, objectives, and milestones for the program, including
specific technical goals for fuel cell performance, electricity storage,
vehicle weight reduction and hydrogen storage.
http://www.cartech.doe.gov/pdfs/FreedomCar-partnership-plan.pdf

DOT R&D Plan Updated, Details Fuel Cell Research. 
The Department of Transportation has made available online the 4th Edition
of its Research, Development, and Technology Plan. The plan includes
information on current DOT fuel cell projects such as the Fuel Cell Bus
program and fuel cells for marine applications.
http://www.rspa.dot.gov/research_plan.html 

Fuel Cells - From Fundamentals to Systems.
Wiley Interscience is offering a free trial access to the first issues of
"Fuel Cells - From Fundamentals to Systems" - a journal covering all aspects
of fuel cells, ranging from their molecular basis to application in systems,
such as power plants, road vehicles and portable power sources.
<http://www.interscience.wiley.com/trial/fuelcells>
  
MISCELLANEOUS

EC Launches High Level Group on Hydrogen.
The European Commission (EC) recently launched a new high level that
includes top level representatives from major European Union (EU) automotive
and energy companies, public utilities, research institutes, transportation
companies and policy makers.  EC said the group will examine the potential
benefits of using hydrogen and fuel cells in mobile, stationary and portable
applications to help pave the way for more focused EU action.  Commission
officials said the group is expected to release a foresight report next year
that will include a hydrogen and fuel cell research agenda, as well as
information on deployment and commercialization efforts.
<http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/
02/1450|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display>=

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS

SCAQMD Natural Gas Fuel Cell Demo RFP.
South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an RFP for Demonstration
of Natural Gas, Stationary Fuel Cells in the South Coast Air Basin. Total
AQMD funding for this RFP is $1,000,000. Deadline for proposals is November
22, 2002.
http://www.aqmd.gov/hb/02107a.html 

NASA/Glenn Fuel Cell Propulsion Program.
NASA/Glenn Research Center seeks information for potential sources for an
R&D program associated with fuel cell systems that would be used as a
primary source of power for aircraft propulsion. No solicitation exists. The
FedBizOpps posting is for information and planning purposes. Responses are
due by November 4, 2002.
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/sol.cgi?acqid=103487 

DOD SBIR/STTR.
A variety of fuel cell topics are included in the Department of Defense
SBIR/STTR that was issued October 1. DOD will begin accepting proposals on
December 2, 2002. Until then, interested companies may talk directly with
the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics, which include
"Methanol Fuel Cell/Battery Hybrid for the Individual Soldier," "Safe
Packaging of Ammonia for Compact Hydrogen Sources," "High Efficiency Fuel
Cell Reformer for Logistics Fuels," and "Small Scale Fuel Cells for Ground
Personnel."
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/solicitations/sbir031/index.htm

CONFERENCES/CALL FOR PAPERS

Fuel Cell Seminar.
The 2002 Fuel Cell Seminar will be held November 18-21, 2002, at the Palm
Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California.  For more
information, go to <http://www.gofuelcell.com>.

Biomass Fed Fuel Cells.
A short course on Biomass Fed Fuel Cells will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, on
November 13, 2002, Columbus, Ohio, on December 2, 2002, and Cincinnati,
Ohio, on December 3, 2002.  For more information on the short course, please
contact Carole Gilligan at <mailto:[email protected]>.

The Clean Energy Policy Forum.
The Clean Energy Policy Forum will take place on Wednesday, December 4, 2002
at the Austin Downtown OMNI Hotel in Austin, Texas.   For details, go to
<http://www.goodcompanyassociates.com/subj/forum.php>.

Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Forum. 
The Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Forum, "Commercializing Fuel Cell Vehicles in
China: 21st Century Fuel Cell Vehicle And Components Technology" will be
held December 4-5, 2002, in Shanghai, China.  For more information, please
email <mailto:[email protected]>.

Advances in Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems.
Advances in Materials for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems will be
February 23-26, 2003 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove,
California.  
<http://www.chem.umr.edu/~poly/poly_link/meetings/membrane.203.html> 

First International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and
Technology.  The First International Conference on Fuel Cell Science,
Engineering and Technology will be held at the Rochester Institute of
Technology, Rochester, April 21-23, 2003.
<http://www.rit.edu/~taleme/fuelcell>

Newmaterials for Electrochemical Systems.
Newmaterials for Electrochemical Systems will be held July 6-11, 2003, in
Montreal, Canada.  For more information, visit
<http://www.newmaterials.polymtl.ca>.

Grove Fuel Cell Symposium.
The Eighth Grove Fuel Cell Symposium takes place September 24-26, 2003, in
London, England.  For conference details, please visit
<http://www.grovefuelcell.com>.

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