Bucks County Herald - August 16, 2007
by Joe Ferry
IVYLAND -- The key to breaking America's reliance on foreign oil might lie in a non-descript laboratory in a gritty Ivyland industrial park.
Researchers at Power and Energy, Inc. are working to perfect a process to keep fuel cells supplied with high quality hydrogen.
"Essentially, it is hydrogen on demand," said Al Stubbamann, vice president of sales and marketing for the company.
The implications are enor- mous, said Stubbman. By making fuel cells a viable source of energy, the company claims the use of fossil fuels -- and.resulting greenhouse gasses -- could be reduced by 50 percent.
Established in 1993, Power and Energy develops and manufactuers hydrogen purifiers and separators for seminconducor fabrication, energy research and laboratory applications. For the last: several years, it has focused on adapting its techology for use with fuels cells, according to Stubbman.
"We know how to clean up hydrogen," he said.
While hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, it does not naturally exist on Earth in its elemental form. Engineers and scientists must produce pure hydrogen from hydrogen compounds, including fossil fuels or water.
The company's proprietary process, which makes use of tiny fragile, straw-like filters made of palladium, is so effective that it reduces impurties in hydrogen down to one part per billion, said Stubbman.
So far, the company has been successful in working with gasoline, diesel fuel and E-85, the mixure of ethanol and gasoline. But Stubbman said the process could be extended to include landfill gases and pig manure.
The company is actively working with several organizations, including the U.S. Navy.
Congressman Patrick Murphy stopped by the lab briefly Friday afternoon for a demonstration of the company's process and came away suitably impressed. He said "green collar" jobs are the wave of the future.
"These are the kinds of jobs we need to invest in," he said.
Photo by Joe Ferry
Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy, left, listens as Peter R. Bossard, CEO of Power and Energy, Inc. explains how his company is working to solve the energy crisis.
Article Copyright Bucks County Herald, August 16, 2007.
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.
For further information, contact Al Stubbmann, Power & Energy Inc., 106 Railroad Avenue, Ivyland, PA 18974-1449, e-mail al.s@powerandenergy.com or call +1-610-217-0193.
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