Rochester Public Utility enlists partners to study fuel cell uses
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The Hybrid Energy System Study brings together representatives from the Rochester Public Utility and the University of Minnesota to learn about fuel cell capabilities and applications. The HESS research team is (l. to r.) Sophronis Mantoles, a graduate student in engineering; Dr. Jim Licari and Dr. Hal Ottesen of the University of Minnesota; and Jim Walters, RPU's manager of marketing and external services. (photo courtesy of RPU)
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A research partnership between Rochester Public Utility and the University of Minnesota-Rochester is expected to yield valuable data on the operation of hydrogen fuel cells and—maybe—a way to integrate the technology with heating and cooling systems.
The Hybrid Energy System Study, RPU's first collaboration with the university, will test the capabilities of a 1.2-kW fuel cell under different conditions and demands. The second and third phases of the study will investigate strategies to marry fuel cells with geothermal systems. "It's too early in the initiative to go into more detail, except to say that we are very excited about the potential," said Jim Walters, the utility's HESS team representative.
Growing interest in fuel cells creates marketing opportunities
As RPU's manager of marketing and external services, Walters keeps up on the latest developments in renewable energy. He noticed that fuel cell projects kept popping up in industry literature. "General Motors is investing $1 billion in fuel cell research; Long Island Power Authority is using fuel cells to diversify its power supply; even President Bush has said that fuel cells are part of our energy future," he noted.
The western Minnesota utility's customers had heard about the environmentally friendly technology, too, and were asking questions. "Our customers have told us that conservation is their No. 1 priority," said Walters. "It was clear that we had an obligation to them to learn all we could about fuel cells."
Walters contacted Dr. Jim Licari, UMR assistant director for industrial liaison, to discuss a joint study. RPU's desire to provide its customers with efficient and cost-effective energy solutions complemented the university's mission to develop its local research capabilities.
"We had talked about conservation and renewable energy projects in the past, but this one just clicked," recalled Dr. Licari. "The technology is maturing, and industry and government interest is there. The study has the potential to benefit the Rochester economy. It also helped that the new director of the university's Center for the Development of Technological Leadership is enthusiastic about fuel cells."
Multi-phase study weighs variables in residential application
Dr. Licari suggested a faculty member and colleague from UM's Digital Technology Center in Minneapolis and Rochester, Dr. Hal Ottesen, to head up a research team that includes Walters, Licari and Sophronis Mantoles, a graduate student in electrical engineering at UMR. Ottesen holds more than 70 patents and will apply his expertise in "fuzzy logic" to the many questions related to using fuel cells as a residential energy source.
The team kicked off the HESS on March 31 with a training session at RPU headquarters by Ballard Power Systems Inc. The fuel cell manufacturer's Nexa unit is the subject of Phase I of the study. Designed for the backup electric market, the fuel cell has a net output of 1.2 kW, 46 amps and 26 DC volts with an operating lifetime of 1,500 hours. "In Phase I, we are just 'kicking the tires,' so to speak," explained Walters. "We will be collecting data on how it operates in different modes, at varying temperatures and with different fuels. So a less expensive model with a shorter lifespan was a cost-effective choice."
Phases II and III will require a larger, more costly 5 to 10 kW fuel cell with a heat exchanger. "A large utility has approached us about partnering in the later stages," said Walters. "If the study becomes a large-ticket item, we'll know we are onto something."
What the team members hope they are onto is a way to use the heat and water byproducts of hydrogen fuel cell generation in a geothermal system. "Fuel cells have an efficiency rate of only 35 to 40 percent," explained Licari. "The rest of the fuel is spent as heat and water. If you can use the heat, the efficiency goes up to 80 percent."
This would be an ideal heat source for homes in cold climates like Rochester, Licari pointed out, but added that there are many variables. "Location is a factor, as is the type of heating system, and developments in geothermal and fuel cell technology. The HESS will be looking at a lot of different concepts."
Study conclusion coincides with affordable fuel cell introduction
The team expects to wrap up its investigation around the time Ballard introduces an affordable 3 to 5-kW fuel cell to the U.S. market in 2007. The timing was no accident, Walters asserted. "Cost and infrastructure have held fuel cells back so far, but that has been changing fast in the last few years," he observed. "The infrastructure is advancing now; when the cost comes down, fuel cells will make big inroads in the residential market."
When that time comes, RPU will be ready, thanks to the HESS. RPU's leadership is absolutely committed to conservation, noted Walters, and fuel cells represent a tremendous opportunity, both environmentally and economically.
The partnership between the utility and the university may produce a new energy-efficient product or it may simply position RPU to help its customers make the most of existing technology. Either way, said Walters, "Our goal is to achieve beyond expectation. To do that, you have to think big."