NEWS

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2000 Brunnert-Grimm built and tested a run-about powered by an electric motor drive. The motor had a power rating of 50 kW, and energy was supplied entirely from on-board batteries.

Extensive tests demonstrated the feasibility of such a runabout. However, they also high-lighted requirements for further technical devel-opment, including the need to increase range and reduce weight – two significant limitations of a system based on batteries. A decision was therefore made to use fuel cell technology.

The companies have adapted a commercially available runabout – the Cobalt 233, manufac-tured by Cobalt Boats – by creating a hybrid drive comprising electric motors, fuel cells, hydrogen tanks and a battery (for peak power requirements). The boat is capable of reaching a top speed of 40 km/h (22 knots), is operated like any ‘normal’ runabout, and runs quietly, smoothly and without producing any emissions.

The Cobalt 233ZET fuel cell boat is built according to the guidelines of Germanischer Lloyd, and will shortly receive the ‘GL Certification for Fuel Cell Boats’. It was on display for the first time earlier this year at the Interboot 2007 watersports exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

A critical factor for the success of early fuel cell applications is the availability of hydrogen fueling stations. Zebotec is also active in this area, and is currently planning and constructing the first permanently installed hydrogen station for boat users on Lake Constance.

Contact: Zebotec GmbH, Konstanz, Germany. Tel: +49 7531 8199 860, www.zebotec.de

Ansaldo, L-3 sign agreement for MCFC combat systems

Italian-based Ansaldo Fuel Cells (AFCo) has signed a memorandum of

agreement with L-3 Communications Combat Propulsion Systems (L-3 CPS) in Michigan, USA to develop and market fuel cell energy generation systems.

Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on marketing activities in the US and on product development for the military sector. The agreement also envisages a possible joint venture that would offer services and products to the US government.

Genoa-based AFCo is one of the few firms developing high-temperature molten carbon-ate fuel cells (MCFCs), and is the only firm in Europe that has invested heavily in the development of this type of technology. A subsidiary of Finmeccanica, Italy’s leading high-

tech company, Ansaldo manages all activities relating to the generation of energy using fuel cells, with the aim of completing the develop-ment and manufacturing of a product and launching it on the market.

Based in Muskegon, Michigan, L-3 CPS develops, manufactures, integrates and supports propulsion and mobility systems that include engines, transmissions, turret drives and suspen-sions for military combat platforms worldwide.

Contact: Ansaldo Fuel Cells, Genoa, Italy. Tel: +39 010 655 8311, www.ansaldofuelcells.com

Plug Power receives order for forklift power from Wal-Mart

US-based Plug Power has received a purchase order for its GenDrive™

fuel cell power units from Wal-Mart Stores, through its wholly owned sub-sidiary Cellex Power Products, based in Canada. The units will be used in fork-lift trucks at one of Wal-Mart Stores’ distribution centers. Plug Power says that this is the largest single GenDrive order to date, although the specific terms are confidential.

The order follows a successful beta trial of Cellex units at two Wal-Mart distribution cen-ters in Ohio in late 2006 [FCB, March 2007]. During the trial, the 12 fuel cell powered pallet trucks were run under ‘live’ working conditions for more than four months, logging in excess of 18 000 hours and 2100 indoor fueling opera-tions by pallet truck operators.

The Cellex fuel cells demonstrated environ-mental and operator benefits. The new units will power pallet trucks used at Wal-Mart’s food distribution center in Washington Court House, Ohio, replacing the lead-acid batteries that are traditionally used in such applications.

For pallet trucks and similar industrial vehicles working in large, around-the-clock fleet operations, lead-acid battery systems can be more expensive to operate and require more space compared with units powered by fuel cells. Lead-acid batteries also require documen-tation demonstrating their proper disposal, and present other safety issues in terms of care and handling. Plug Power says that its GenDrive product eliminates the need to change, charge, maintain and handle batteries in these high-throughput distribution centers, which should reduce costs and increase productivity.

Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA.

Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com

December 2007 Fuel Cells Bulletin

EDITORIAL

The almost simultaneous announce-ments from Ballard and Hydrogenics

[see page 1], regarding their withdrawal from automotive fuel cell development and fuel cell test stations, respectively, mark further disappointment for the Canadian fuel cell industry. In the summer the alka-line fuel cell firm Astris sold off its assets [FCB, June 2007], and late last year SOFC developer Fuel Cell Technologies shut down [FCB, December 2006]. However, despite these setbacks, the federal and provincial governments in Canada are still very supportive of the industry, and other companies are picking up the baton to continue the race to fully commercialize fuel cell technologies. Go Canada!

The use of fuel cells for auxiliary power units (APUs) looks a promising early market, in particular for less high-profile applications such as motor homes and marine craft. I recall a conversation I had during the Grove Symposium in London with Stephen Voller, of the eponymous ‘energy’ company. We were standing in a demonstration motor home equipped with a PEM fuel cell unit, which is used to keep the batteries charged. The ticket price for this sort of luxury recreational vehicle is £100 000 (US$200 000) or more, but apparently there is a huge demand for them across Europe, as well as in their spir-itual home of North America. Compared with the overall price, the relatively modest premium to equip such a vehicle with a fuel cell could be easily justified in buyers’ minds by the numerous benefits of a fuel cell, such as its quietness, greatly reduced emissions, and efficiency. And fueling isn’t an issue, because Calor Gas or LPG is already on-board for cooking etc.

Sailing vessels offer a similar opportunity, and Voller’s fuel cell-equipped Beneteau 411 yacht Emerald has just crossed the Atlantic in the ARC Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, from Gran Canaria to St Lucia in the Caribbean. Congratulations to all involved in the successful crossing.

Vicki McConnell, our North American Correspondent, has written another excellent feature, this time on military unmanned aerial vehicles. This niche market is surprisingly active, and there are plenty of civilian applications for such long-duration flights.

Steve Barrett