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NEWS 10 Fuel Cells Bulletin September 2007 first complete 400 kW module for demonstra- tion at the Ashta commercial demonstration power plant. ‘The commercial demonstration PAFC power plant at Ashta Chemicals Inc will enable us to showcase our technology in an industrial setting representing a key target market segment for the company,’ comments Dr Leo Blomen, chairman/CEO of HydroGen. ‘Now we enter the pre-commissioning and preparation phase, the necessary precursors to accepting newly produced 400 kW modules at the plant for testing and demonstration.’ HydroGen Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary, HydroGen LLC, is designing and manufacturing multi-MW fuel cell systems utilizing its proprietary air-cooled 400 kW PAFC technology. Utilizing fuel cell technol- ogy originally developed by Westinghouse Corporation, the company is targeting market applications where hydrogen is currently avail- able and where other drivers favor the adoption of fuel cells. Contact: HydroGen Corporation, Wright Fuel Cell Center Building, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Tel: +1 216 368 4774, www.hydrogenllc.com IQ Micro, CSEM accelerate microfluidic product development T he Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) will play a leading role in the accelerated product development program of Florida-based IQ Micro. CSEM, a private R&D center specializing in micro- and nanotech- nology, will support IQ Micro in its micropump development program, with a special focus on micro fuel cell applications. ‘Before contacting CSEM in March 2004, IQ Micro had worked on the theory of the pump’s principle and design, and had per- formed initial testing on the macroscopic scale for verification,’ says Philippe Steiert, CSEM’s chief operating officer. ‘CSEM was approached to partner in developing a microfabricated version of the pump, and subsequently in preparing the micropump’s design and optimi- zation, as well as organizing the microfabrica- tion of the pumps. To achieve these goals, the required innovative methods for the production of these micropumps were jointly developed by IQ Micro and CSEM.’ IQ Micro has been granted exclusive licens- ing rights to the microfluidics technology developed and patented by the Norwegian company, Osmotex AS. Contact: IQ Micro Inc, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Tel: +1 561 514 0118, www.iq-micro.com Or contact: CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA, Alpnach Dorf, Switzerland. Tel: +41 41 672 7511, www.csem.ch DMFCC, Tyco sign production agreement C alifornia-based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) has signed a design and certified manufac- turer agreement with Tyco Electronics Corporation, a global manufacturer of electronic components and systems. Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation has been establishing a global network of suppliers to manufacture and distribute fuel cartridges and other fuel cell products, reports Dr Carl Kukkonen, CEO of both DMFCC and its par- ent, Viaspace. He adds that DMFCC is now broadening its market focus to work on special fuel cell applications, in addition to producing methanol fuel cartridges that will provide the energy source for laptop computers, mobile phones, and other portable electronic devices to be powered by DMFCs. ‘Tyco Electronics is always looking to inno- vative technologies, and is looking forward to working with DMFCC on direct methanol fuel cells and liquid fuel cartridge products,’ says Boris Golubovic, director of business development for transpower products at Tyco Electronics. ‘Our manufacturing and applica- tions expertise, combined with DMFCC’s fuel cell and cartridge technology, can make it possible to address unmet customer needs for autonomous powering of electronic equipment.’ Contact: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation, Pasadena , California, USA. Tel: +1 626 768 3375, www.dmfcc.com research Navy funding for Texas project on lighter DMFCs A team at the University of Texas at Austin is being funded with $3.5 million over three years from the US Office of Naval Research to develop novel materials and manufacturing processes for direct methanol fuel cells. ONR is expected to provide a further $2.3m for two additional years on this Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant. Power sources based on methanol-powered fuel cells could weigh about half as much as their lithium-ion battery counterparts. The DMFCs would also permit consumers and mil- itary personnel to carry replacement methanol cartridges and avoid having to recharge devices using electrical outlets. The team is led by mechanical engineering professor, Dr Arumugam ‘Ram’ Manthiram, working with seven UT colleagues and a mechanical engineering professor at Stanford University in California. The project aims to develop cheaper, more efficient materials for prompting the chemical reactions that gener- ate electricity in DMFCs, and cheaper, more efficient membranes that serve as the proton transport medium for these chemical reactions will also be studied. To develop an efficient manufacturing pro- cess, mechanical engineering professor Joseph Beaman and colleagues will use computer-aided selective laser sintering and predictive process controls to produce components such as car- bon plates that control the flow of methanol and oxygen to membrane-electrode assemblies. These MEAs will also be produced using other types of advanced manufacturing processes. The researchers will also study how to inte- grate the different components that would be manufactured to produce an efficient DMFC system. Contact: Professor Arumugam Manthiram, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA. Tel: +1 512 471 1791, Email: [email protected], www.me.utexas.edu Fraunhofer developing lighter kit for soldiers D isposable and rechargeable bat- teries for electronic devices account for a significant amount of the weight of equipment carried around by soldiers. Now researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Germany have devel- oped a lightweight hybrid power sup- ply that will lighten the load. The weight of equipment that soldiers need on their missions can quickly add up. On a five-day mission, disposable and rechargeable batteries alone account for about 10 kg, not even including the various charging devices for cell phones, PDAs and visual systems.

IQ Micro, CSEM accelerate microfluidic product development

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Page 1: IQ Micro, CSEM accelerate microfluidic product development

NEWS

10Fuel Cells Bulletin September 2007

first complete 400 kW module for demonstra-tion at the Ashta commercial demonstration power plant.

‘The commercial demonstration PAFC power plant at Ashta Chemicals Inc will enable us to showcase our technology in an industrial setting representing a key target market segment for the company,’ comments Dr Leo Blomen, chairman/CEO of HydroGen. ‘Now we enter the pre-commissioning and preparation phase, the necessary precursors to accepting newly produced 400 kW modules at the plant for testing and demonstration.’

HydroGen Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary, HydroGen LLC, is designing and manufacturing multi-MW fuel cell systems utilizing its proprietary air-cooled 400 kW PAFC technology. Utilizing fuel cell technol-ogy originally developed by Westinghouse Corporation, the company is targeting market applications where hydrogen is currently avail-able and where other drivers favor the adoption of fuel cells.

Contact: HydroGen Corporation, Wright Fuel Cell Center Building, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Tel: +1 216 368 4774, www.hydrogenllc.com

IQ Micro, CSEM accelerate microfluidic product development

The Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) will play a

leading role in the accelerated product development program of Florida-based IQ Micro. CSEM, a private R&D center specializing in micro- and nanotech-nology, will support IQ Micro in its micropump development program, with a special focus on micro fuel cell applications.

‘Before contacting CSEM in March 2004, IQ Micro had worked on the theory of the pump’s principle and design, and had per-formed initial testing on the macroscopic scale for verification,’ says Philippe Steiert, CSEM’s chief operating officer. ‘CSEM was approached to partner in developing a microfabricated version of the pump, and subsequently in preparing the micropump’s design and optimi-zation, as well as organizing the microfabrica-tion of the pumps. To achieve these goals, the required innovative methods for the production of these micropumps were jointly developed by IQ Micro and CSEM.’

IQ Micro has been granted exclusive licens-ing rights to the microfluidics technology

developed and patented by the Norwegian company, Osmotex AS.

Contact: IQ Micro Inc, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Tel: +1 561 514 0118, www.iq-micro.com

Or contact: CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA, Alpnach Dorf, Switzerland. Tel: +41 41 672 7511, www.csem.ch

DMFCC, Tyco sign production agreement

California-based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) has

signed a design and certified manufac-turer agreement with Tyco Electronics Corporation, a global manufacturer of electronic components and systems.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation has been establishing a global network of suppliers to manufacture and distribute fuel cartridges and other fuel cell products, reports Dr Carl Kukkonen, CEO of both DMFCC and its par-ent, Viaspace. He adds that DMFCC is now broadening its market focus to work on special fuel cell applications, in addition to producing methanol fuel cartridges that will provide the energy source for laptop computers, mobile phones, and other portable electronic devices to be powered by DMFCs.

‘Tyco Electronics is always looking to inno-vative technologies, and is looking forward to working with DMFCC on direct methanol fuel cells and liquid fuel cartridge products,’ says Boris Golubovic, director of business development for transpower products at Tyco Electronics. ‘Our manufacturing and applica-tions expertise, combined with DMFCC’s fuel cell and cartridge technology, can make it possible to address unmet customer needs for autonomous powering of electronic equipment.’

Contact: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation, Pasadena , California, USA. Tel: +1 626 768 3375, www.dmfcc.com

research

Navy funding for Texas project on lighter DMFCs

A team at the University of Texas at Austin is being funded with $3.5

million over three years from the US Office of Naval Research to develop novel materials and manufacturing

processes for direct methanol fuel cells. ONR is expected to provide a further $2.3m for two additional years on this Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant.

Power sources based on methanol-powered fuel cells could weigh about half as much as their lithium-ion battery counterparts. The DMFCs would also permit consumers and mil-itary personnel to carry replacement methanol cartridges and avoid having to recharge devices using electrical outlets.

The team is led by mechanical engineering professor, Dr Arumugam ‘Ram’ Manthiram, working with seven UT colleagues and a mechanical engineering professor at Stanford University in California. The project aims to develop cheaper, more efficient materials for prompting the chemical reactions that gener-ate electricity in DMFCs, and cheaper, more efficient membranes that serve as the proton transport medium for these chemical reactions will also be studied.

To develop an efficient manufacturing pro-cess, mechanical engineering professor Joseph Beaman and colleagues will use computer-aided selective laser sintering and predictive process controls to produce components such as car-bon plates that control the flow of methanol and oxygen to membrane-electrode assemblies. These MEAs will also be produced using other types of advanced manufacturing processes.

The researchers will also study how to inte-grate the different components that would be manufactured to produce an efficient DMFC system.

Contact: Professor Arumugam Manthiram, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA. Tel: +1 512 471 1791, Email: [email protected], www.me.utexas.edu

Fraunhofer developing lighter kit for soldiers

Disposable and rechargeable bat-teries for electronic devices

account for a significant amount of the weight of equipment carried around by soldiers. Now researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Germany have devel-oped a lightweight hybrid power sup-ply that will lighten the load.

The weight of equipment that soldiers need on their missions can quickly add up. On a five-day mission, disposable and rechargeable batteries alone account for about 10 kg, not even including the various charging devices for cell phones, PDAs and visual systems.