Press Release
ACAL Energy Achieves Key Milestones in Development of New Fuel Cell Technology
25 October 2011
First Demonstration System now ready for installation at Solvay Interox
Cheshire, UK – 25th October 2011 – ACAL Energy has achieved key milestones in the development of its FlowCath® platinum-free liquid cathode fuel cell technology. The Company has completed the build of its first field test system, producing gross power of 3kW. At the same time the company has also achieved a new record peak performance power density of nearly 900 mW/cm2, which is a substantial improvement over the previously announced peak power record of around 600 mW/cm2.
ACAL Energy has built its first FlowCath® demonstration unit, and will install the unit next month at Solvay Interox’s chemical plant at Warrington, Cheshire. There, it will provide continuous electrical power to a remote environmental monitoring system within the manufacturing facility. The stack and regenerator sub-systems in the demonstration unit are together capable of producing over 3kW of gross electrical power and represent a significant scale-up from the previous generation test unit which produced about 1kW of gross power.
The demonstration system is part of a collaborative project that ACAL Energy is leading, co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board. The project is seen as a major step towards commercialisation for this innovative technology, and is supported by ACAL Energy’s partners: Solvay Interox, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, UPS Systems, the Centre for Process Innovation, the University of Southampton and the Manufacturing Engineering Centre at Cardiff University.
The new record peak power output from a single cell of nearly 900 mW/cm2 was achieved under the PEM Challenge grant project sponsored by the Carbon Trust, which is funding accelerated development of ACAL Energy’s technology for automotive applications. The latest performance results give the company even greater confidence in the ability of its technology to meet the efficiency requirements of nearly all stationary and automotive applications, while delivering a substantially higher level of durability than conventional fuel cells.
“With the successful implementation of our FlowCath® technology into a full multi-kilowatt system, ACAL Energy has passed a significant milestone in our business plan. We have shown that this new low cost and durable fuel cell technology can be packaged and operated in a form suitable for nearly all stationary power applications”, said Dr SB Cha, CEO of ACAL Energy. “To have broken new performance records at the same time is a very promising sign that we can also make this technology suitable for automotive applications. It is also a tribute to the hard work and ground-breaking innovation of the entire ACAL Energy team.”
ACAL Energy’s proprietary technology replaces the platinum catalyst on the cathode in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with a low cost, durable liquid chemical, so reducing the overall platinum content, as much of the platinum in conventional PEM fuel cells is used in the cathode. Fuel cell systems utilizing FlowCath® represent a clean and economically sensible alternative to diesel and gasoline generators in stationary and transportation applications requiring 1kW to 200kW of electrical power.
-ends-
Editorial contact:
Terry Nicklin, KeynotePR Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)7923 540695
E-mail: terry@keynotepr.com
At the company:
Amanda Lyne, ACAL Energy
Tel: +44 (0)1928 511581
E-mail : alyne@acalenergy.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
Pictures available: Fuel cell stacks.
About ACAL Energy Limited
ACAL Energy is a developer of a new fuel cell technology that will enable low cost and highly reliable fuel cell systems for a wide variety of applications. The company was founded in August 2004 by FlowCath® inventor Dr Andrew Creeth and is headquartered in Runcorn, UK.
Fuel cells are a highly efficient and clean energy production technology capable of replacing combustion engines in applications including remote and distributed power and residential cogeneration, as well as automotive and mobile power applications. FlowCath® replaces the expensive precious metal catalyst found in conventional fuel cells with a proprietary low cost liquid catalyst. This not only reduces the cost of the fuel cell, but also provides significant durability and reliability benefits through system simplification and the elimination of the most common failure mechanisms found in standard fuel cells. With this technology, ACAL Energy believes that fuel cells can ultimately replace combustion engines in remote and distributed power, residential cogeneration and automotive applications. FlowCath® is a registered trademark of ACAL Energy Ltd.
www.acalenergy.co.uk
Solvay Interox Ltd is a hydrogen peroxide producer wholly owned by the international chemical group Solvay. Solvay has broad experience and expertise in the fields of industrial polymers, membranes and especially fluoropolymers, and has significant interest and capability in fuel cells, particularly through their joint venture company Solvicore. SolviCore is a 50%/50% joint venture of Umicore and Solvay, with currently 43 employees, which focuses on the development, production and sales of Membrane-Electrode-Assemblies (MEA) for fuel cells. Solvay Interox is providing the location and application for the development.
www.solvay.com
Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of fuel cell catalysts, membrane electrode assemblies and other catalysed components to fuel cell developers worldwide. The facility in Swindon, UK, where this project is based, is capable of researching and fabricating a wide range of developmental and production scale MEAs.
UPS Systems Plc. Founded in 1993, UPS Systems pioneered the concept of 'one-stop-shop' distribution for standby power products from all major suppliers. They are also one of the UK’s leading authorities on fuel cell technology, having installed more units in the UK than any other company and implemented the UK’s first two hydrogen fuel cells providing AC standby power. It is currently working on projects where the technology will be used for the supply of backup and prime power to utilities, remote monitoring, portable signage, broadcasting and security applications.
The Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) based in Cardiff University was founded in 1996 under the directorship of Professor Duc Pham OBE. The 90-strong MEC conducts world-class research and development in all major areas of Advanced Manufacturing and uses the output to promote the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry. MEC is providing capability in low cost system design and engineering to meet the target low cost parameters.
Southampton University. The 5*-rated School of Engineering Sciences at Southampton University brings a wealth of expertise in modelling and simulation of complex systems. The School benefits from world-class computing facilities including several high-performance computing systems for parallel simulations, and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. They are using their expertise in fluid and electrochemical modelling to optimise the liquid and electrode flows.
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was established by One North East in 2004 as a UK-wide resource to stimulate and drive innovation within the process industry. The Low Carbon Energy platform has laboratories that support the practical implementation of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. It also works with a dedicated network of organisations and companies supporting the development of a low carbon energy supply chain in North East England. CPI’s experience ensures that the system meets real application standards and requirements.
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org
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