C O N T E N T SNNEEWWSSConsortium to develop fuel cell locomotive 2

Japanese collaboration on residentialfuel cell cogeneration 2

FCE gets 3 MWe production go-ahead fromMarubeni 3

Hydrogen corridor proposed for Ontario 3

Fuel cell boat passes pre-launch harbor tests 4

Ballard launches stationary fuel cellgenerator for telecoms and UPS markets 4

Gh2ost misses out on mileage record 4

Teledyne wins Nasa contract option 4

Palcan receives Voller order for stacks 5

LIPA installs three more Plug Powercogeneration fuel cells 5

US/Canadian blackout highlights interestin fuel cells 6

Eletropaulo invests in fuel cell research 6

Toronto fuel cell demonstration goes live 6

IdaTech installs propane fuel cell systemfor off-grid field tests 7

Funding boost for Surrey fuel cell materialsresearch 7

GTI fuel cell test reaches endurance milestone 7

Canada commits C$130m for fuel cells underClimate Change Plan 8

FCE in industrial-scale coal syngas power plant 8

Astris, AEC plan hydrogen joint venture 9

Italy to join international partnership for thehydrogen economy 9

WPI metal membrane research could fuelfuture H2 economy 9

STMicroelectronics micro fuel cells for cellphones 10

Modine receives order from Ballard 10

Dana, HyRadix to develop hydrogen fuelprocessors 10

FFEEAATTUURREEThe DoD residential PEM fuel cell

demonstration program 11

RREEGGUULLAARRSSIn Brief 3, 5, 7, 9

Research Trends 16

Patents 18

Events Calendar 20

In Germany, Munich-based SFC Smart FuelCell has linked up with Hymer, a leadingbuilder of recreational vehicles, to launchwhat it claims is the world’s first fuel cellsystem available to end-users, at an RV tradeshow in Düsseldorf. The SFC A25 – high-lighted in the article in last month’s FCB – willbe available from SFC’s website from October.

Working in collaboration with Hymer, SFChas optimized its system for use in RVs, wherethe SFC A25 fuel cell provides electricity to theboard grid to power a refrigerator, TV, lights orother devices. The fuel cell provides 50 Ah perday, which covers the typical electricity demandof RVs, and also sailing yachts. The SFC A25runs for 70–80 h at full power on a single, 2.5

liter methanol fuel cartridge. Saving weight onan RV is important in order to keep the vehicle’sweight within permissible limits.

The compact, lightweight, silent and high-capacity SFC system is an extremely attractivepower supply in the leisure market. Tradition-ally, RV owners and users have used expensivesolutions such as batteries coupled togenerators or photovoltaic systems, but thesehave severe drawbacks such as limitedreliability (solar cells) or high noise emissionsand pollution (generators), which are overcomewith fuel cells.

Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, Brunnthal-Nord,Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 45460, www.smartfuelcell.com

Massachusetts-based Acumentrics, a leadingsolid oxide fuel cell developer, is formingAcumentrics Japan Co as a joint venture withSumitomo Corporation, one of Japan’s largestintegrated trading companies. The newcompany will market and sell Acumentrics’proprietary tubular SOFC (T-SOFC) powersystems throughout Japan. The venture marksthe successful conclusion of a year-longmarket and fuel cell technology study.

The partners will initially concentrate onmodifying Acumentrics’ prototype natural gaspowered, rapid-start T-SOFC systems for theJapanese market, specifically targeting 2–10 kWeresidential and small commercial applications.Acumentrics will be solely responsible for SOFCtechnology, while Sumitomo will be responsiblefor market requirements and marketing of thefuel cell products. Future products may extendbeyond 100 kWe for applications such as largecommercial power and transmission congestionrelief. It is also anticipated that other majorJapanese corporations will soon join andcontribute to product development.

Japan’s reliance on energy imports, coupledwith its commitment to reduce greenhouse gasemissions, has driven the development of new,highly efficient energy systems, such as SOFCs.‘Our research has convinced us that theAcumentrics’ SOFC systems, in particular, havea real potential to emerge as the leadingtechnology in the fuel cell market, which wouldstart from FY 2005 in Japan,’ says Kazuaki Mori,Sumitomo’s business development manager.

Acumentrics’ low-pressure bundled tubular‘fuel inside the tube’ design is claimed to give it aunique edge over other designs for stationary usebecause of its inherent low cost, simplicity andfuel versatility. The T-SOFC can internallyreform natural gas and propane to achieve morethan 40% efficiency gas to AC output, at lessthan 0.5% degradation per 1000 h.

Contact: Acumentrics Corporation, Westwood, MA,USA. Tel: +1 781 461 8251, www.acumentrics.com

Or contact: Sumitomo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. Tel:+81 3 5166 5000, Fax: +81 3 5166 6292,www.sumitomocorp.co.jp

Acumentrics, Sumitomo form SOFC joint venture

ISSN 1464-2859/03 © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedThis journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use:

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SFC products commercially available to end-users

ISSN 1464-2859 October 2003