Hannover Fair highlights

• Book ID: 104434628
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 19 KB
• Volume: 2003
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1464-2859
• DOI: 10.1016/s1464-2859(03)00631-x

✦ Synopsis

microscale fuel cell developed by Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. The fuel processor system, which contains two vaporizers, a heat exchanger, catalytic combustor and steam reformer within a package no larger than a dime, enables the system to convert fuel and water into hydrogen-rich gas. Methanol has proved to be the most effective fuel source, but butane, jet fuel or even diesel may be used.

Testing has revealed that the reformer/fuel cell prototype can produce an equivalent power (20 mWe) to batteries, but at one-third the weight, according to Evan Jones, PNNL principal investigator. Similar micro fuel cell systems with greater power output (50 We) are currently under development, providing power equal to that of batteries weighing 10 times as much. Development will now focus on creating a deployable system suitable for military use or industrial application. According to Terry Doherty, director of PNNL's Department of Defense programs, the military envisions many useful applications for this emerging miniaturized energygenerating technology.