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Media Information Press Release March 5, 2005 The Fuel Cell Marathon: First Fuel Cell Systems Have Passed 50,000 Hours of Operation Highlight of the Summer Olympics is the 42,192 meter Marathon run. All crossing the finish line are kings of the games. For fuel cells, the magic number is only 40,000, not meters, but hours or close to five years of operation. Many fuel cell systems have already passed this mark and late starters are approaching the finish line. Without any doubt, most of those still in the race are going to make it. However, the fuel cells talked about most have already dropped out of the race. The combination of hydrogen and fuel cells is often hailed as future sources of clean and abundant energy. Demonstration projects fill the headlines, commercialization strategies are formulated and national programs are linked to international networks. One might believe that fuel cells can only be operated with hydrogen and that the establishment of a hydrogen economy is the key to a sustainable energy future. Unfortunately, neither one is true. Fuel cells convert chemical energy (hydrogen, natural gas, oil etc.) into electricity similar to, but better than IC engines. Also, hydrogen is not a new source of energy, but only an artificial medium for the transport of energy from the source to the user. Energy must be available to synthesize hydrogen and hydrogen by itself is of little use before it is converted back to electricity by fuel cells or engines. It may shatter the hydrogen fuel cell world that the few hydrogen fuel cells that have entered the race have given up long before the finish line while others have already completed 50,000 hours of operation and are still running not with hydrogen, but with natural gas or methane from sewage plants. The future is here already. We don’t have to wait for low temperature fuel cells and a hydrogen economy. While polymer electrolytes fuel cells need pure hydrogen, others can also convert carbon-containing fuels into electricity and heat at useful temperature levels. Such fuel cells work at higher temperature. They are based on phosphoric acid, molten carbonates or thin ceramic electrolytes. Some hundreds of those high temperature fuel cell systems are already in daily operation and convert natural gas or biomethane into electricity and useful heat. The first phosphoric acid fuel cells were installed in 1992 by United Technology. To date 288 of the PC25 units have been installed in all parts of the world, each delivering up to 250 kW of electric power and waste heat at useful temperatures. About 230 of these units are still in operation. The unit providing energy to the Central Park Police Station at New York has logged over 60,000 hours with natural gas and the first stack, and it is still doing strong. A stack replacement scheduled for 40,000 hours, will now be done at 80,000 hours or two years from now. Similar units run on biogas from sewage plants and food industry. Problems have been encountered, mostly with failing conventional components like blowers, motors, valves, sensors and switches. The reliability of these phosphoric acid ("PAFC") units is greater than 96%, ahead of conventional power conversion devices of similar power rating. The first molten carbonate pilot test plants were installed in 1997. FuelCell Energy (USA) and its German partner MTU Friedrichshafen have already delivered 35 of the 250 kW "HotModule" MCFC co-generation units. They convert natural gas, digester gas, even methanol from the tank during hours of peaking gas demand into electricity, steam and hot water for hospitals, office buildings or industrial sites. The oldest of them have delivered electricity and useful heat for more than 30,000 hours with system availabilities above 95%. Again, conventional parts proved to be much less reliable than the innovative fuel cell components. Similarly impressive is the success story of the solid oxide fuel cell technology. The first 100 kW Test unit of Westinghouse, now Siemens Power Generation (USA) was installed 1998 in Arnhem (Netherlands). Until 2000 it delivered 109 kW of continuous power during 16,500 hours. After repair of a structural ceramic component it was moved to Germany, restarted in 2001 and logged another 4,000 hours without major problems. It was then returned to Pittsburgh for thorough inspection, rebuilt and shipped to Italy. After another 7,000 hours it is running better now than ever before. Natural gas is converted to 110 kW of electricity and 50 kW of useful heat. The electrical efficiency is close to 50%. The positive experience with stationary fuel cells will be the main topic of the Lucerne Fuel Cell Forum 2006 (July 3 to 7, 2006, Lucerne / Switzerland). Operators will present honest, but critical reports about "their" fuel cell systems. All installations are run on real fuels like natural gas, biogas, methanol and liquid hydrocarbons. The international event is organized by the European Fuel Cell Forum (www.efcf.com). Such fuel cells are desired for the establishment of a sustainable energy future. The first generation has passed the endurance marathon with flying colors. This is good news about fuel cells! Copyright free. File copy requested >> back to Media Overview |
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