A micro SOFC has been recently developed. It is a micro-tubular SOFC. The operating temperature of the micro SOFC is 450 Celsius degree or lower. The developers = AIST and Prof. Nigel Sammes, Colorado School of Mines.
The micro-tubular SOFC is featured in that:
1) The fuel is directly reformed at the fuel electrode (nickel) at 450 Celsius degree or lower.
2) Hydrocarbon is used for the fuel (multifuel utilizing technology).
The fact that the micro SOFC is capable of generating electric power was reliably confirmed.
In the micro-tubular SOFC, a catalysis layer having a reforming capability was formed on the inner wall of the nickel fuel electrode (see Fig. 1). The catalysis layer was a ceria catalysis layer.
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2009年8月28日金曜日
2009年8月26日水曜日
ACAL Energy Starts Operation of 1kW Liquid Cathode Fuel Cell System
Cheshire, UK – 25th August 2009 -- ACAL Energy, a leading developer of affordable and reliable fuel cell technology, announced today the successful start-up of its kilowatt-scale fuel cell system using its patented liquid cathode technology, FlowCath®. The hydrogen-fuelled ‘short-stack’ unit has already achieved a continuous power output of over 600W, and will deliver over 1.5kW with the full stack, expected later this summer. Fuel cell systems utilizing FlowCath® ultimately will be a clean and economically sensible alternative to diesel and gasoline generators in stationary and transportation applications requiring between 1kW and 200kW of electrical power.
ACAL Energy’s FlowCath® technology replaces up to 90% of the current level of platinum catalyst in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with a low cost, durable liquid chemical. ACAL Energy has developed a family of proprietary chemical compounds that can deliver the same level of fuel cell performance as platinum, and which are expected to exceed this level in the future. The technology also significantly reduces the balance of plant costs by eliminating the need for hydration, pressurization, complex cooling and other expensive mechanical sub-systems commonly found in conventional PEM fuel cells.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan]
Speaking on the five year anniversary of the Company’s formation, Dr S B Cha, Chief Executive Officer of ACAL Energy said: “This unit represents a 20-fold scale-up from our last demonstration unit. It is a tremendous achievement by our very talented team of engineers and scientists and a key step towards commercialization of the technology. Our business strategy is to offer FlowCath® to fuel cell system manufacturers in the form of a stack and supporting mechanical elements in addition to our proprietary chemical solution. We will soon make data from the 1kW unit available to key OEM partners to enable them to start designing systems incorporating FlowCath®.”
For further information, please contact Amanda Lyne at ACAL Energy:
Tel: +44 (0)1928 511581
E-mail : alyne@acalenergy.co.uk
*********************************
About ACAL Energy Limited:http://www.acalenergy.co.uk/
ACAL Energy is a developer of a new fuel cell technology that will enable low cost and highly reliable fuel cell systems for a wide variety of applications. The company was founded in August 2004 by FlowCath® inventor Dr Andrew Creeth and is headquartered in Runcorn, UK.
FlowCath® is a registered trademark of ACAL Energy Ltd.
2009年8月15日土曜日
New power converter of high-voltage/large-capacity; switching frequency = 2kHz
A new power converter of high voltage and large capacity has been developed.
The major improvements of the power converter are:
1) The switching frequency of the power converter is considerably increased (4 times).
2) As the result of the increase of the switching frequency, a power converter facility using the power converters is significantly reduced ((about 1/5).
This type of the power converter will find its application in near-future electric power fields, including smart grid, mega-solar, wind power generation, and high speed railways.
The technologies and products in those fields are developed and market-deployed currently and in near future in the world. In this respect, the power converter technology developed this time is significant.
Co-developed by AIST, TOSHIBA, TMEIC, Tokyo Metolopolitan University, and Ibaraki National College of Technology
1) The switching frequency of the power converter is considerably increased. The switching frequency achieved this time is 4 times that of the conventional power converter. The power elements used are SiC diode and Si-IEGT. Specifically, large area SiC-PiN diodes of 4 mm square and Si-IEGTs were combined into a high speed switching module. Si-IEGT was supplied from TOSHIBA. The large area SiC-PiN diode is of 6 kV class and has excellent features of low loss and high speed operation. The SiC-PiN diode was developed on the basis of the SiC-element area-increasing technology, developed and accumulated by AIST. A cooling device for cooling the switch modules and a high-speed gate drive circuit were also developed (Figure 3). The switching frequency of the switching module formed was 2kHz. This figure is four times of the conventional device.
The conventional power converter is based on Si diode and Si-IEGT. The switching characteristic of the Si diode inherently limits the switching frequency of the Si-IEGT to 500 Hz.
A prototype of a power converter was constructed which used high speed switching modules and was based on the single-phase three-level power conversion, and the power capacity of which was ± 5 kV – 300 kVA (Fig. 5)
The performances of the prototype were demonstrated. The figure representative of its switching frequency was confirmed.
2) A power converter facility using the power converters newly developed is significantly reduced. The considerable increase of the switching frequency of the power converter allows a designer to employ the 3-level power conversion system for the power conversion (Fig. 4). Where this power conversion system is used, there is no need of using the insulating transformer. Further, the considerable increase of the switching frequency improves the wave shape of the output power of the power converter. The improved wave shape remarkably reduces the capacity of the filter for filtering out the distorted wave components. The size of the power converter facility was about 1/5 of the conventional one.
In the conventional high-voltage/large-power power converter, the serial multiplexing system has been used for power conversion. This power conversion system essentially needs the insulating transformer. The transformer occupies about the half of the entire space of the power converter facility. The filter occupies about 1/4 of the entire space.
When the output powers of the 3-level power converter and the switching element are compared with each other, the former is substantially double of the latter in terms of switching frequency.
Written based on AIST’s news release, issued on August 4, 2009
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
Note: For figures used, refer to Aist's news release written in Japanese.
If any, ask AIST or feel free to contact us at infonenryo@gmail.com
Keywords: power converter, high voltage, high capacity, switching frequency, power converter facility, SiC-PiN diode, Si-IEGT, 3-level power converter
The major improvements of the power converter are:
1) The switching frequency of the power converter is considerably increased (4 times).
2) As the result of the increase of the switching frequency, a power converter facility using the power converters is significantly reduced ((about 1/5).
This type of the power converter will find its application in near-future electric power fields, including smart grid, mega-solar, wind power generation, and high speed railways.
The technologies and products in those fields are developed and market-deployed currently and in near future in the world. In this respect, the power converter technology developed this time is significant.
Co-developed by AIST, TOSHIBA, TMEIC, Tokyo Metolopolitan University, and Ibaraki National College of Technology
1) The switching frequency of the power converter is considerably increased. The switching frequency achieved this time is 4 times that of the conventional power converter. The power elements used are SiC diode and Si-IEGT. Specifically, large area SiC-PiN diodes of 4 mm square and Si-IEGTs were combined into a high speed switching module. Si-IEGT was supplied from TOSHIBA. The large area SiC-PiN diode is of 6 kV class and has excellent features of low loss and high speed operation. The SiC-PiN diode was developed on the basis of the SiC-element area-increasing technology, developed and accumulated by AIST. A cooling device for cooling the switch modules and a high-speed gate drive circuit were also developed (Figure 3). The switching frequency of the switching module formed was 2kHz. This figure is four times of the conventional device.
The conventional power converter is based on Si diode and Si-IEGT. The switching characteristic of the Si diode inherently limits the switching frequency of the Si-IEGT to 500 Hz.
A prototype of a power converter was constructed which used high speed switching modules and was based on the single-phase three-level power conversion, and the power capacity of which was ± 5 kV – 300 kVA (Fig. 5)
The performances of the prototype were demonstrated. The figure representative of its switching frequency was confirmed.
2) A power converter facility using the power converters newly developed is significantly reduced. The considerable increase of the switching frequency of the power converter allows a designer to employ the 3-level power conversion system for the power conversion (Fig. 4). Where this power conversion system is used, there is no need of using the insulating transformer. Further, the considerable increase of the switching frequency improves the wave shape of the output power of the power converter. The improved wave shape remarkably reduces the capacity of the filter for filtering out the distorted wave components. The size of the power converter facility was about 1/5 of the conventional one.
In the conventional high-voltage/large-power power converter, the serial multiplexing system has been used for power conversion. This power conversion system essentially needs the insulating transformer. The transformer occupies about the half of the entire space of the power converter facility. The filter occupies about 1/4 of the entire space.
When the output powers of the 3-level power converter and the switching element are compared with each other, the former is substantially double of the latter in terms of switching frequency.
Written based on AIST’s news release, issued on August 4, 2009
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
Note: For figures used, refer to Aist's news release written in Japanese.
If any, ask AIST or feel free to contact us at infonenryo@gmail.com
Keywords: power converter, high voltage, high capacity, switching frequency, power converter facility, SiC-PiN diode, Si-IEGT, 3-level power converter
2009年8月6日木曜日
Energy sector set up “Research Association for Hydrogen Infrastructure Building”
Recently, in Japan, there were two large moves toward the next generation vehicles.
1) Energy sector set up “Research Association for Hydrogen Infrastructure Building” (FCV: fuel cell vehicle)
2) Four big companies set up “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council” (EV: electric vehicle)
1) Energy sector set up “Research Association for Hydrogen Infrastructure Building”
Strong social demand impelled the Japanese energy sector to set up the research association for developing basic technologies for deploying the hydrogen infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Japanese automakers will also participate in the research association.
Objective of the research association is to develop technologies of hydrogen extraction and transport, maintenance, and management of hydrogen utilization, and others for the purpose of deploying the hydrogen infrastructure for full-fledge spread of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Large cost taken for building the hydrogen infrastructure urges those companies in the industrial sector to take an action to establish the research association.
About 700 oku-yen will be spent till 2015. * 1 oku-yen = 100,000,000 yen
Several tens of hydrogen stations will be built in the areas of big cities in Japan.
A large scale demonstration test will start within this year by using those stations. Target price of hydrogen supplied to FCV is comparable with the current oil price.
(Prepared based on some Japanese medias)
2) Four big companies set up “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council”
Mitsubishi, Subaru, NISSAN, and TEPCO are plan to establish “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council (tentative)” within this year.
Those companies will invite other companies to join the council.
[Other companies: e.g., battery charger manufacturers, and battery charger service providers]
Currently, those auto-manufacturers have respectively developed the rapid chargers in cooperation with TEPCO, and currently employ those developed chargers of which specifications are different from one another.
To achieve a full-fledge spread of EVs, it is essential to unify those different specifications.
(Source: http://car.nikkei.co.jp/release/article.aspx?id=227531)
* Mitsubishi and Subaru: launched EVs on this July
* NISSAN: will launch EVs next year, price of the EV is about 2/3 of the current EV sold by other companies.
1) Energy sector set up “Research Association for Hydrogen Infrastructure Building” (FCV: fuel cell vehicle)
2) Four big companies set up “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council” (EV: electric vehicle)
1) Energy sector set up “Research Association for Hydrogen Infrastructure Building”
Strong social demand impelled the Japanese energy sector to set up the research association for developing basic technologies for deploying the hydrogen infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Japanese automakers will also participate in the research association.
Objective of the research association is to develop technologies of hydrogen extraction and transport, maintenance, and management of hydrogen utilization, and others for the purpose of deploying the hydrogen infrastructure for full-fledge spread of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Large cost taken for building the hydrogen infrastructure urges those companies in the industrial sector to take an action to establish the research association.
About 700 oku-yen will be spent till 2015. * 1 oku-yen = 100,000,000 yen
Several tens of hydrogen stations will be built in the areas of big cities in Japan.
A large scale demonstration test will start within this year by using those stations. Target price of hydrogen supplied to FCV is comparable with the current oil price.
(Prepared based on some Japanese medias)
2) Four big companies set up “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council”
Mitsubishi, Subaru, NISSAN, and TEPCO are plan to establish “Rapid Charger Infrastructure Promotion Council (tentative)” within this year.
Those companies will invite other companies to join the council.
[Other companies: e.g., battery charger manufacturers, and battery charger service providers]
Currently, those auto-manufacturers have respectively developed the rapid chargers in cooperation with TEPCO, and currently employ those developed chargers of which specifications are different from one another.
To achieve a full-fledge spread of EVs, it is essential to unify those different specifications.
(Source: http://car.nikkei.co.jp/release/article.aspx?id=227531)
* Mitsubishi and Subaru: launched EVs on this July
* NISSAN: will launch EVs next year, price of the EV is about 2/3 of the current EV sold by other companies.
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