NEWS RELEASE
Power+Energy Inc. Receives Contract To Develop Hydrogen Separation Technology For Fuel Cells
SBIR to Address Use of Diesel in Shipboard Fuel Cells.
IVYLAND, PA../EWORLDWIRE/Aug 24, 2004
Power+Energy Inc., located near Philadelphia, has been awarded a contract to develop hydrogen separation membranes as part of a system for generating hydrogen from diesel fuel. The Phase II SBIR program issued by the Office of Naval Research will provide technology to the NAVSEA center located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Under this program, P+E and another firm will deliver components critical for the Navy’s plan to utilize logistical diesel fuels as the feedstock for surface vessel shipboard proton-exchange-membrane-based fuel cells.
Diesel presents two major challenges as a fuel for PEM fuel cells. First, diesel fuel contains high levels of sulfur, which damages fuel-reforming catalysts. Second, reforming diesel fuel generates large quantities of carbon monoxide, which damages PEM fuel cells. This project is intended to address both issues by efficiently separating pure hydrogen from a gas stream consisting of reformed diesel fuel.
Power+Energy Inc. will develop a compact, high efficiency, sulfur-tolerant hydrogen separation membrane that will remove all impurities including the carbon monoxide and sulfur from the fuel stream. The system is intended to deliver the hydrogen needed to operate the ship-board fuel cells. The contract calls for P+E to deliver hydrogen separation module with an output capacity of 50 kW of hydrogen.
IIn March, P+E was awarded a DARPA-funded SBIR contract to develop hydrogen membranes for the Army for portable fuel cell applications using methanol as a fuel. The Department of Defense envisions numerous requirements for this technology ranging from 100 Watt back-pack fuel cells to large capacity 500 kiloWatt fuel cells for distributed electric power generation for surface ships.
About Power+Energy
Power & Energy is headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA. Established in 1993, the company’s mission is to enable the hydrogen economy and promote energy efficiency through the application of micro-channel technologies. The company provides a full range of micro-channel hydrogen purifiers to ultra-high purity users across the U.S., Asia and Europe.
Power & Energy is leading the way to the hydrogen economy with proprietary manufacturing and patented hydrogen purification, separation and generation technologies. Power & Energy’s Micro-Channel palladium-alloy hydrogen purifiers purify any grade of hydrogen to nine-nines purity, meeting the most stringent requirements for semiconductor fabrication processes, including light emitting diode manufacture, solar cell manufacture and the manufacture of other compound and silicon semiconductors. Power & Energy’s Micro-Channel hydrogen purifiers are also ideal for metallurgy, R&D, and instrumentation applications. Power & Energy’s Micro-Channel membrane systems can also be used to efficiently separate hydrogen from reformed fuels and synthesis gas mixtures.
Power & Energy is now applying its hydrogen expertise to the fuel cell vehicle refueling market. Power & Energy has recognized that highly compact, low cost, and efficient hydrogen generators that can convert existing liquid fuels to hydrogen at the refueling station will enable the rapid development of the hydrogen refueling infrastructure that fuel-cell vehicles will require. The company’s expertise in the design and manufacture of micro-channel gas processors provides the basis for this exciting new venture.
For further information, contact Noel Leeson, Power & Energy Inc., 106 Railroad Drive, Ivyland, PA 18974-1449, e-mail sales@powerandenergy.com.