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Projects point to growing interest in fuel cells

The Colorado Governor’s Office for Energy Management and Conservation and Anaheim, Calif., Public Utilities recently joined the growing roster of agencies launching projects aimed at overcoming the many barriers still facing fuel cell technology.

Colorado partnership focuses on research
In April, OEMC announced the establishment of the Colorado Fuel Cell Center. The Colorado School of Mines, the Gas Technology Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Versa Power Systems, Inc., submitted the proposal for the center. As described by the proposal, the CFCC will focus on expanding fuel cell-related research, development, education and commercial application in the state.

“Our goal is to get research and development going, and help Colorado companies toward commercialization,” said OEMC Executive Director Rick Grice.

The center will be located at the Colorado School of Mines and GTI will supply technical support and manage its daily operations for the two-year period. CSM students and faculty will perform research at the CFCC, and there are plans to add fuel cell courses to the school’s curriculum.

NREL brings its long-standing experience with hydrogen fuel to the project. “The key issues in terms of fuel are how to produce hydrogen in a clean way and how to store it safely and efficiently,” said Associate Director for Science and Technology Dr. Stanley Bull.

One research project may focus on splitting water molecules with sunlight to get hydrogen. “In the lab, we’ve performed the process indirectly with a type of algae,” said Bull. “It can also be done directly with a solar semi-conductor, but we need to find materials that are economical and durable.”

Hydrogen storage methods must be improved also, for fuel cells to become marketable. The only methods are to compress or liquefy the gas and neither option is ideal, said Bull. “We’re working on a carbon nanotube—a filament—right now that absorbs or releases hydrogen when exposed to small changes in temperature and pressure,” he said. “That technology could have a lot of applications for storage and transportation.”

Utility learns from practical approach
While the CFCC represents the academic path to gaining experience with fuel cells, Anaheim Public Utilities is opting for the hands-on approach. In the same week as the OEMC announcement, the municipal utility dedicated a new fuel cell system powering the East Anaheim Police Department and Community Center. A $200,000 grant from the DOE’s Climate Change Fuel Cell Buydown Program helped offset the fuel cell’s purchase and installation.

Developed by UTC Fuel Cells, the 200-kW unit produces enough energy to power 250 typical homes. Since a 50-kW solar array already serves part of the building’s load, “Any excess power will be fed back into the electric grid,” said Marcie Edwards, general manager of Anaheim Public Utilities. “It can also provide backup power to its dedicated loads in the event of an outage.”

The solar and fuel cell systems complement each other said APU Spokesperson Mike Ebbing. “The installation of a fuel cell along with existing solar panels makes this facility a showcase for environmentally-friendly power generation,” he explained.

The utility’s first fuel cell runs on natural gas and is 15 to 30 times cleaner than a combined cycle powerplant, Ebbing said. “In addition, the waste heat from the fuel cell is captured and supplements the heating system of the building. The fuel cell is close to 40 percent efficient, which is comparable to other generators, but by making use of the waste heat, the efficiency increases to 80 percent.”

Businesses, communities to benefit
Those environmental benefits are enough for the utility, for now. “On the next project, we may want to look at renewable fuels like digester gas or landfill gas,” Ebbing said. “We want to learn all we can about sizing and life cycle and practical business applications, and renewable energy is part of the curve.”

California electric retail sellers of electricity must establish a renewable portfolio standard of 20 percent by 2017. Anaheim Public Utilities is increasing its purchases of renewable resources and is expected to have over 15 percent renewables by 2017. Ebbing sees the city’s fuel cell project as good preparation. “That’s why we are diversifying our portfolio with wind and solar now,” he explained. “Fuel cells running on renewable-derived hydrogen would count toward the standard.”

Whatever the utility learns from the fuel cell project will be useful to share with its business customers, Ebbing added. Bull agreed, pointing out that fuel cells are excellent systems for any business that can’t afford to lose power. “Agencies like hospitals and police stations typically use diesel generators as separate, uninterruptible power sources,” he said. “Fuel cells could do the same work, only cleaner.”

Such stationary applications will be the focus of CFCC research because they offer the best opportunity for early commercialization. “There are fewer requirements for stationary power sources than for transportation applications,” said Bull.

Moving any new technology to the general market is a slow process. Forward-thinking groups like Anaheim Public Utilities and the Colorado Fuel Cell Center partners are willing to do the work to bring hydrogen fuel cells closer to commercialization. In the process, they are positioning their communities to reap the environmental and economic rewards.