MAZDA approaches TOYOTA for HV key components

Yomiuri-Shimbun reported the following:
MAZDA seems to sound out TOYOTA about supply of key components of the hybrid vehicle (HV) to MAZDA.
For the HV key components, the current status of TOYOTA is that the company’s production capacity insufficiently meets the demand by TOYOTA per se.
TOYOTA launched a new model Prius (hybrid vehicle) on this May.
The number of new Prius HVs having been ordered but not yet delivered to customers is about 200,000. Further, TOYOTA has a plan to increase the number of HVs produced a year to about 1,000,000 in early 2010. TOYOTA is increasing the production capacity of manufacturing the HV’s key components of the HVs in connection with plan.
It is noteworthy how TOYOTA makes a final decision on the approach from MAZDA.
>> To learn more, contact Yomiuri-Shimbun or fcj-1XYXfuelcelljpn.com [XYX >> ＠].

SDK Develops Platinum-Substitute PEFC Catalysts with High Efficiency

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has developed new platinum-substitute catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) project led by Professor Kenichiro Ota of Yokohama National University.
These new catalysts comprise a niobium-oxide-based catalyst and a titanium-oxide-based catalyst, each containing carbon and nitrogen atoms. They exhibit the world’s highest levels of efficiency in terms of open circuit voltage and durability among platinum-substitute catalysts so far announced in the world, as follows: ..... >> Source

World’s first tomographing of interior of lithium battery

A lab team, led by Professor Kawamura, in Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials Tohoku University, succeeded in tomographing the interior of the lithium battery by using the MRI technique, which is widely used in medical fields. This is first in the world.

The success in tomographing the interior of the lithium ion battery enables one to detect the interior destruction and the deterioration of the lithium ion battery. This will contribute to improvement of the safeness of the lithium battery and development of the battery anti-deterioration technology.

While the medical MRI is capable of detecting hydrogen atomic nuclei (protons), it has been difficult for the MRI to detect lithium ions. The lab team succeeded in measuring MRI images of the hydrogen protons. Thus, the lab team clearly showed that the MRI technique could be used for diagnosing deterioration of the lithium battery.

NEDO is carrying out the project of developing the most-advanced electric power storage technology in use for automobiles toward commercialization of next-generation clean energy automobiles, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. The project is called “Li-EAD project”.
The study by Professor Kawamura, et al has been made as part of the Li-EAD project.

>> To learn more, contact source or fcj-1XYXfuelcelljpn.com [XYX >> ＠]

ENEOS CELLTECH’s ENEFARMs, First Shipped

ENEOS made the first shipment of ENEFARMs on July 2, 2009.
A ceremony was held to celebrate the first shipment of ENEFARMs.
The representatives from ANRE and Osaka Gas were among the participants at the ceremony.

ENEOS = Nippon Oil Corporation
ENEFARM = common name representative of residential fuel cell cogenerating systems manufactured in Japan
ANRE = Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

ENEOS participated in the “Large-Scale Demonstration Test Project of Residential Fuel Cells”, which was conducted during the period from 2005 to 2008 by NEF (New Energy Foundation). A total of 1,328 ENEOS’s ENEFARMs were tested in the project.
The company begun to book the sales of ENEOS’s ENEFARMs on this May. Prospective customers having already signed agreements for purchase, including customers who are proceeding with purchase procedure, have reached about 500.
[Copyright by FuelCell japan: http://www.fcpat-japan.com/]
Preapred based on the ENEOS's news release.
Above photo　is courtesy of ENEOS
>> More

Tokyo Gas, develop system for optimizing co-operation of ENEFARM & PV

The system to be developed controls the voltage of the solar power or PV generator without decreasing the amount of power generated by the generator in a situation where excessive power from the PV generators unexpectedly increases.

In Japan, the sales of ENEFARMs started on this May, and general homes which buy and install PV generators are soaring in number.
In this situation, those homes, which want to buy both the ENEFARM and the PV generator are not small in number.

As known, when a large amount of electric power flows into the power system (power grid system), problems will occur for sure in the power system. For example, the power system voltage rapidly increases, and the power system frequency shifts from the original one.
The PV generator has a function to automatically control the amount of generated power and to suppress the amount of electricity flowing into the power system.

Where the function operates on the excessive power generated, as the number of the PV generators increases, the amount of power generated by each PV generator is more suppressed. As a result, the amount of excessive electric power to be bought by the electric power company also decreases. Decrease of the electricity to be bought will discourage the adoption of the renewable energy generators.

To cope with the problem, Tokyo Gas proposes a new control system, which makes better use of the inverter contained in the ENEFARM for voltage control purpose.

>> More

ENEFARM = common name of every type of residential fuel cell
co-generating system manufactured in Japan.

The 5th International Fuel Cell Workshop 2009

The 5th International Fuel Cell Workshop 2009 will be held in Kofu, Yamanashi, August 23 and 24.

The Workshop gathers invited oral presentations by top scientists in the PEFC field from the United States, Europe and Asia, including Japan, and contributed posters. An exhibition, with an FC system, FCEVs (including driving demo), and general materials, is also scheduled. The 5th IFCW is sponsored by NEDO, ISE, and University of Yamanashi.

Registration
Date, Location, and Program
Contact
Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center, University of Yamanashi
Takeda 4, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
IFCW Organizer, Masahiro Watanabe
FAX: +81-55-254-0371 or +81-55-220-8618
TEL: +81-55-220-8619 (Uchida) or +81-55-220-8707 (Miyatake)
E-mail: ifcw@yamanashi.ac.jp

>> More

New catalyst for residential FC co-generating system

A new catalyst for use with ENEFARM (residential fuel cell co-generating system) was developed by Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center, University of Yamanashi. The catalyst developed this time belongs to the Catalyst for Selectively Methanating CO. With use of the catalyst newly developed, the fuel processor will be cost-reduced by about 20%, and the fuel processor will be volume-reduced to 2/3 of the current processor.

The results of using the new catalyst in the ENEFARM’s fuel process for converting city gas into hydrogen are:
1) Removal of the residual carbon monoxide by at least 99.9%, and
2) Reduction of size, weight and the amount of used catalyst and simplified structure, and much reduction of cost.
It is sure that the new catalyst will accelerate spread of ENEFARMs the sales of which started on this May.

The results of the study will be presented in Symposium of “2009 NEDO Development Results Report on Fuel Cell/Hydrogen Technologies” (June 30, 2009), and “104th Catalyst Forum” (September 27, 2009).
>> To learn more, contact source or contact fcj-1XYXfuelcelljpn.com
[XYX→＠].

Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center, University of Yamanashi
Center director: Professor Masahiro Watanabe