image gallery


Global's SOFC stack
Versa Power
Systems

Towards the end of 2001, Sulzer Hexis has begun the pre-series phase with its fuel cell system «HXS 1000 PREMIERE». The system is designed for use with natural gas. The fuel cell system covers all thermal requirements and the basic electricity needs of a single-family home (operation parallel to the grid). It replaces a conventional gas furnace.
Sulzer Hexis


Delphi has been developing fuel cell technology for the past 10 years, and is a leader among industry-wide efforts to bring fuel cell technology to the marketplace. Delphi also has a strong, collaborative partnership with the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), the Department Of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, resulting in accelerated development of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) auxiliary power units (APUs). This effort involves a 10-year, $138 million development project with the U.S. DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory to develop and test an SOFC auxiliary power unit design that can be mass produced at low cost. Delphi's activities under the SECA contract focus on stationary applications. Delphi is also concentrating on the development of SOFCs that generate auxiliary electric power for passenger vehicle, commercial, and military applications, targeted to be developed during the second half of this decade.
Delphi


Rolls-Royce has experience in the system integration of several different types of fuel cells and believes the Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell is the best for stationary power generation applications while retaining the capability of being developed subsequently for various transportation, military and marine applications.
Rolls-Royce


220 kW SOFC/gas turbine hybrid system at National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC), Irvine, California - the world's first!
Siemens


"The most reliable and thoroughly developed technology in SOFC is the tubular cell developed by Siemens Westinghouse over the past 30 years."
Siemens


"Acumentrics' unique and proprietary natural gas fueled, tubular solid-oxide fuel cell systems are designed for on-site power generation, premium power and military use. "
Acumentrics


"FCT is developing modular 5 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrical power systems for distributed generation. The systems will provide electricity for residential, small commercial, and remote facility applications. Demonstration systems will be available in 2003. They will not only provide electricity for the home, cottage, or business, but also the capability to supply hot water and heat. This co-generation capability creates a high system efficiency of approximately 90%. This compares to about a 35% operating efficiency for conventional power and heating systems. "
FCT


"CFCL's fuel cell plates and separators are made with commonly available ceramic materials in a standard consistent shape and can be made with conventional manufacturing processes. They are therefore suited to volume manufacture and easy assembly."
Ceramic Fuel
Cells Limited


A primary SOFCo-EFS product line is mass-customized SOFC power modules, consisting of SOFC stacks, heat exchangers, a reformer and other components within an insulated enclosure. SOFCo-EFS uses its system integration know-how to customize power modules for specific products being developed by each strategic partner.
SOFCo-EFS


"Jülich scientists design both fuel cells that convert hydrogen or methane, that is to say gaseous energy carriers, as well as those that use liquid energy carriers such as methanol. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are of the first type and are of major interest for stationary electricity and heat generation in power plants or buildings. Scientists in Jülich are working on advanced SOFCs with planar cells and thin electrolytes . . ."
Jülich


FFC has developed broad scale fuel cell testing capabilities. We have over 25 test stations capable of testing cells of various sizes on different fuels and operating conditions. Current fuels being tested include diesel, gasoline, propane, butane, natural gas, methane, and hydrogen.
Franklin Fuel Cells
fuel cell companies
 A-Z | By Type of Fuel Cell | By Application | Integrated Systems
Types of Fuel Cells
• Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)
• Direct Methanol (DMFC)
• Molten Carbonate (MCFC)		 • Solid Oxide (SOFC)
• Phosphoric Acid (PAFC)
• Alkaline (AFC)		 • Regenerative
• Other Types
• Metal-Air "Fuel Cells"
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC)
Advantages: higher efficiency than PEM, runs on natural gas, hot exhaust good for cogeneration
Disadvantages: slow start-up,
Applications: APUs, residential, commercial, industrial, cogeneration
Name Description
Acumentrics 4/28/03 Acumentrics Chosen by U.S. Department of Energy for $74 Million SECA SOFC Program
> "proprietary tubular solid oxide fuel cells", "patented small-tube solid oxide fuel cell design offers efficiency and operational advantages over competing fuel cell and power solutions"
Adaptive Materials Inc.
Ann Arbor, MI		 "goal is to become the leading designer, developer, and mass manufacturer of portable solid oxide fuel cell modules for electric and electronic original equipment manufacturers"
Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc.

"developing ceramic oxide fuel cell membranes and reactive catalyst support structures"
> NASDAQ:ALTI

Bloom Energy
Sunnyvale, Ca 		"has an enviable list of VCs behind it, more than $100 million and a credible scientist at its helm . . . The technology behind Bloom is a solid oxide regenerative fuel cell for the distributed co-generation of electricity and hydrogen in businesses and potentially in homes" greentechmedia
> 10/16/07 Ztek Accuses Bloom Energy of Patent Infringement greentechmedia
> Patents | Patent Applications
CellTech Power "variation of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), which can be built at lower cost and is able to utilize a far broader selection of fuels, than any other existing fuel cell system"
Ceramic Fuel Cells, Ltd.
Australia 		"a developer of planar (flat plate) Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology for clean high efficiency power generation applications."
> 6/3/08 Latest Company Update given to ASX Brokers
> 7/27/05 CFCL's new CEO on International Strategy - Open Briefing
> 5/5/05 Interview: Julian Dinsdale, Executive Chairman Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited Wall Street Reporter
Ceres Power
UK 		"Ceres' intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC), operating at around 550°C, overcomes the limitations of high temperature operation while capitalising on the advantages."
CHUBU Electric Power Co.
Japan		 > "In a joint effort with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries . . . we have begun developing the world's first 50-kW commercial unit as a flat-type SOFC. In 2003 we will initiate evaluation testing of a 50-kW SOFC cogeneration system prior to commercialization."
> Flat-type solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) attains world-best output of 15 kW September 11, 2000
Delphi > 5/11/04 Development Update on Delphi’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System 2004 SECA Review Meeting
> 2/6/03 Delphi Breaks Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cost Barrier With U.S. DoE
> Development Update on Delphi's Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System: From Gasoline to Electric Power 4th SECA meeting, Seattle
EBZ GmbH
Germany 		"developing small natural gas driven combined heat and power units (CHP) based on planar high temperature fuel cells (SOFC). The product will be scaled for stationary decentralised energy supply in the range of 1 to 20 kW"
ENrG Inc.
Buffalo NY

"ENrG Inc. expects to introduce to the market a series of products focused on processing SOFC stack or interim materials. These include setters for the aid in sintering fuel cell components, ceramic tape, and sealing compounds."
Franklin Fuel Cells
Malvern, PA 		"an early stage high technology development company that was established to commercialize a break through copper-based cermet solid oxide fuel cell technology for stationary and mobile power generation markets"
> 10/17/05 Franklin Fuel Cells, Inc. Receives Prestigious SECA Grant $100,000 Phase-One Development Grant For Company’s Proprietary Fuel-Cell Technology
Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd
Kingston, Ontario		 > residential class stationary co-generation systems based on Siemens tubular SOFCs.
> 10/16/06 Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd. announces employee layoffs and board resignations
FuelCell Energy, Inc. 4/23/03 Department of Energy Selects FuelCell Energy as Contractor For Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance Fuel Cell Project
> NASDAQ:FCEL |
General Electric > planar SOFC technology acquired from Honeywell 12/2001
> 6/2000 Honeywell Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Markets and Technology Status
Global Thermoelectric
Calgary 		From archived 2003 version of globalte.com: "Global's SOFC no longer needs to operate in the challenging 800°C to 1,000°C range. At temper-atures below 800°C the interconnect plates that are used to facilitate fuel and oxygen flow, collect electrical current and hold the fuel cells in place in the stack, can be stamped standard stainless steel components rather than made of exotic metal alloys or expensive ceramic materials."
> 10/31/03 FuelCell Energy, Inc. Shareholders Approve Acquisition of Global Thermoelectric, Inc. acquisition completed 11/3/03
> Unofficial GLE Reference Page
Honeywell "planar solid oxide fuel cell" hybrid system (technology acquired by GE)
HTceramix
Switzerland 		"HTceramix's main technology is its proprietary SOFConnex™ based fuel cell stack. The SOFConnex™ is a ceramic gas diffusion and current collection layer with plastic properties that compensates for cell imperfections. . ."
Kainos Energy "has adapted revolutionary nanomaterials processing technologies to . . . realize order-of magnitude cost reductions in SOFC stacks while achieving improved performance and reliability to enable large-scale market growth"
Kyocera
Japan 		> 1/24/04 Osaka Gas and Kyocera Launch Major Joint Development to Introduce Japan's First Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Cogeneration Systems for Household Use
> Development of Global Environment-friendly Products - Fuel Cells
Lilliputian
Systems
Wilmington, MA 		Operating in stealth mode. No company web site.
> 6/18/07 Pip-squeak Power Plant " . . . [Lilliputian] has produced a matchbox-size [solid oxide] fuel cell that can put out enough electricity to run a laptop computer for days. Instead of alcohol, it runs on butane, a cheap and far more potent source of energy by volume . . ." Forbes
> 11/7/05 Fuel-cell maker Lilliputian Systems raises $30M
Materials and Systems Research, Inc.

"MSRI uses thin metallic interconnects and pressure sealing gaskets to build solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks, allowing the cells to freely expand and contract during thermal excursions without transmitting stresses to adjacent cells. . ."
> A partner in Versa Power Systems

Mesoscopic
Devices

"20 W DMFC power supplies, 75 W SOFC generators and 250 W SOFC generators"
> Data sheet for 250W portable SOFC generator

NDEnergy "[An SOFC] designed with portability in mind, the NDEnergy fuel cell will generate up to 50 watts of power at 12 volts direct current in an enclosure roughly 7 inches wide by 4.5 inches deep and 9 inches high. The complete system with propane fuel weighs 3.2 kilograms. A system producing 100 watts of power at 12 volts will follow shortly . . . The modularity of the design will allow NDEnergy to rapidly configure solutions for applications requiring up to 1 kilowatt of power. "
> A division of NanoDynamics
NexTech Materials, Ltd "we have developed an electrolyte deposition process based on nanoscale yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ)."
NGK Insulators Ltd. "Forming, firing, machining and evaluation of heat-resistant, high-strength and functional ceramics form the core of our research and development in the power energy field. The R&D Group investigates the spectrum of these key materials and technologies for ceramic gas turbines, high power solid oxide fuel cells and so on." Japan.
Rolls-Royce Plc "The Rolls-Royce fuel cell system is lower cost; more efficient; more easily distributed; more durable and maintainable than its nearest rival."
> Brochure 60 kW - 10 MW, hybrid systems
> Fuel Cells Video 4:47 windows media file
> Fuel Cells Animation 1:03 windows media file
Siemens
Munich, Germany 		"Siemens Power Generation is developing tubular SOFC technology with the support of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) advanced fuel cell research program and by the German Ministry of Economics and Labor (BMWA)."
> Demonstrations
> Fuel Cells: Gentle Revolution

Siemens Westinghouse

"Siemens Westinghouse Power Generation has developed tubular SOFC technology as part of the US Department of Energy's advanced fuel cell research program"
SOFCo-EFS Holdings LLC
Alliance, Ohio 		"SOFCo-EFS Holdings LLC develops planar solid oxide fuel cell power modules and fuel processing solutions for a broad range of stationary and mobile power systems."
> 4/3/07 Acquired by Rolls Royce from McDermott International, Inc.
Sulzer Hexis Ltd
Switzerland 		"active in the development, production and distribution of fuel cell systems for decentralised energy supply"
> 12/22/05 The fuel cell business of Sulzer Hexis will be continued by a foundation SOFCnet
> 8/25/05 Sulzer abandons fuel cell venture Hexis AFX News
TechSys, Inc.

> microtubular SOFCs
> 12/18/03 Securities registration termination (company is defunct)
Topsoe Fuel Cell
Denmark 		"thin anode supported SOFC cells and thin metallic interconnects in a fully sealed internally manifolded SOFC stack . . . core competencies are centred on ceramic processing, catalysts, and catalytic process design"
Versa Power Systems "VPS was founded in 2001 as a joint venture between the Gas Technology Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, Materials and Systems Research, Inc., and University of Utah. Fuel Cell Energy has since acquired an equity position in VPS, transfering to VPS the former solid oxide fuel cell development team and assets of Global Thermoelectric Inc."
Violet Fuel Cell Sticks
San Diego, Ca 		"a novel technology, the SOFC Stick™, one that resolves the last of the technical hurdles of SOFCs and promises to bring them to the mainstream."
Ztek Corporation
Woburn, MA

"A 25kW system with multiple fuel cell stacks and natural gas internal reforming has been developed and is currently in operation . . . A 200kW SOFC/Gas Turbine system is currently under construction"
> also a developer of high temperature steam reformers
> different company than "Zetek"

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