20
March 2000
Another
first: two joint presentations devoted to the
subject of hydrogen and fuel cells:
- Technologies
(Hall 18)
- Products
and Services (Hall 8)
33
exhibitors from around the world document progress
from research to practical utilization
Road
vehicles running on hydrogen, fuel cells supplying
electric power for mobile telephones and laptops,
and fuel cells developed for NASA space shuttles:
these are just some of the exhibits to be seen
at the joint display stands devoted to "Hydrogen
and Fuel Cells" at HANNOVER FAIR 2000 (20th -
25th March).
The
joint presentations by 33 exhibiting firms from
Germany, Europe and the USA at HANNOVER FAIR 2000
highlight a cross-section of projects in the field
of hydrogen and fuel cell technology, ranging
from applied research to successful examples of
commercial exploitation. Each year since HANNOVER
FAIR 95 a series of joint displays have documented
the latest developments in hydrogen and fuel cell
technology. This is the only display platform
of its kind in the world, and it is the result
of a collaboration between Deutsche Messe AG and
Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR in Starnberg.
Continuing
technical advances and the need to reduce CO2
emissions are the driving force behind the worldwide
development of new commercial applications for
hydrogen and fuel cells. Scientists believe that
hydrogen has a key role to play as a future source
of clean, renewable energy for our planet. Fuel
cells are used to convert hydrogen very efficiently
into electric power and heat - and the process
is totally pollution-free.
Joint presentation
on hydrogen and fuel cells
Technologies, Hall 18
A
group of 20 European firms and scientific institutions
are presenting displays of their work at the "Innovations
Market Research and Technology" in Hall 18. The
exhibitors together with their chosen topics are
outlined in brief below.
For
the first time since 1995 Germany's largest industrial
corporation, DaimlerChrysler AG, is once again
exhibiting at the HANNOVER FAIR. The company's
Fuel Cell Project Group is presenting the fuel
cell concept study NECAR (New Electric Car). The
vehicle's fuel tank is filled with methanol, with
an on-board reformer that converts methanol into
hydrogen. The chemical reaction between hydrogen
and oxygen in the fuel cell produces electrical
energy to power the vehicle's electric motor.
Fuel cell cars should be on sale by 2004. The
joint display stand in Hall 18 will feature a
full-size cutaway model of the NECAR based on
a Mercedes-Benz A-Class. XCELLSIS GmbH, a new
company based in Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern, was jointly
set up in 1997 by DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford Motor
Company in the USA and Ballard Power Systems in
Canada to develop and manufacture a new type of
power plant to replace the internal combustion
engine in cars. Production and marketing are scheduled
to begin in 2004. The new propulsion system relies
on a "polymer electrolyte membrane" (PEM) fuel
cell, which produces electricity from hydrogen
to drive the car's electric motor. The fuel cell
systems can be powered by either methanol or hydrogen.
The
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
in Freiburg is displaying a mini-fuel cell for
portable electronic equipment operating in the
low-power range, with a high power-to-weight ratio
of between 1 and 50 watts. This device allows
laptops and camcorders to be operated without
batteries. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
Energy Systems has been exhibiting regularly at
the joint display stand since it was first introduced
in 1995. The Baden-Württemberg Centre for
Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) is presenting
its own range of portable fuel cells, which are
designed for substantial power outputs in everyday
use. These fuel cells use hydrogen supplied from
a hybrid accumulator which is mixed with oxygen
from the air. At the Gerhard Mercator University
in Duisburg the Department of Mechanical Engineering
(special subject: Energy Technology) has also
been working on the development of low-cost portable
fuel cells aimed at a mass market. Typical applications
include the supply of power for electronic devices
such as CD players, laptops and other computers
and portable electric power tools, as well as
helping to supply the general electricity needs
of other consumers.
PROTON
MOTOR Fuel Cell GmbH (PM) from Starnberg develops
and manufactures fuel cells and fuel cell stacks,
together with elements and systems components.
PM is currently working on systems with a power
output of up to 60 kW, and has already produced
a 30 kW fuel cell unit for use in cars and a larger
60 kW system for buses on local public transport
routes. Another research organization, Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, will present examples of its
work such as combined energy supply-and-storage
systems (PHOEBUS), a high-pressure electrolyser
for the direct conversion of electricity into
hydrogen and oxygen, and a highly efficient system
of energy supply based on solid-oxide fuel cells.
Increased
power output combined with lower manufacturing
costs for fuel cells are the aims of the German
Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Stuttgart. Also featured
at the stand in Hall 18 is the Institute for Industrial
Thermodynamics, which is highlighting its work
in the development of low-temperature fuel cells
(PEFC and DMFC) along with further advances in
high-temperature fuel cells (SOFC).
Another
repeat exhibitor this year is Mannesmann Pilotentwicklungsgesellschaft
mbH from Munich, which is presenting key products
for the various mobile applications of fuel cell
systems. These include peripheral modules, components
and control units.
Also
from Bavaria, but exhibiting this year for the
first time, is the Technical University of Munich.
The University's Department of Physics (special
subject: Interfaces and Energy Conversion) is
showcasing its work on CO-tolerant PEM fuel cells.
This unique method for removing adsorbed carbon
dioxide from the catalytic converter interface
will help to improve the reliability of fuel cell
systems and thus extend the range of their practical
applications.
The
EUHYFIS Working Party on Hydrogen Filling Stations
will be presenting the first example of a pressurized
hydrogen delivery system for the European market.
The hydrogen is produced at the filling station
and supplied to a pump, which is then used in
the conventional way to fill the vehicle's fuel
tank.
L-B
Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST) is one of the original
founder members of the joint display. LBST is
the world leader in strategic consultancy for
sustainable energy and transport concepts. Under
the direction of its founder, Dr.-Ing. h.c. Ludwig
Bölkow, the team at LBST offers various options
for the supply of solar and hydrogen-based energy.
Much of the company's current work focuses on
alternative fuels and fuel cells. HyWeb, the hydrogen
and fuel cell information system on the Internet
(http://www.HyWeb.de),
is operated by LBST and updated at regular intervals.
"Hydrogen
is the fuel for the new millennium" is the proud
boast of the German Hydrogen Association (DWV)
in Berlin, which represents a number of leading
German companies, but also has a substantial private
membership. The DWV is working to promote hydrogen
as a clean and sustainable medium for the storage
of primary energy, and to secure its early adoption
by the energy industry as part of a new environment-friendly
energy strategy. The European Fuel Cell Group
Ltd. from the Netherlands is supporting the introduction
of fuel cells as a highly efficient and clean
technology for producing heat and energy within
Europe.
The
French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA-CEREM) in
Grenoble is represented for the first time at
the joint display stand in Hall 18. This organization
promotes work with hydrogen and fuel cells, develops
PEMFC components and carries out research into
hydrogen accumulator capacities.
The
Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN is
the largest independent organization engaged in
energy research in the Netherlands. Its research
effort is mainly concentrated in the area of renewable
energy sources (solar, wind and biomass), under
the motto "Working for the world's future". The
ECN's subsidiary, InDEC Pilot Production B.V.,
is also contributing to the joint display as a
manufacturer of electro-ceramic components, typically
used in fuel cells, electro-catalytic reactors
and in the form of ceramic membranes for the separation
of gases. Current production capacity is currently
in the range of 15,000 - 25,000 electro-ceramic
components a year.
H-TEC
GmbH, a German company based in Lübeck, has
been exhibiting at the joint display in Hannover
since 1995. H-TEC manufactures fuel cells for
teaching and demonstration purposes, selling its
systems to vocational training schools and other
training establishments. This is a fast-growing
market, and the company now exports its products
all over the world to meet the demand. Heliocentris
Energiesysteme GmbH, a young company in Berlin,
is also a player in this market, producing teaching
and training materials for the classroom and laboratory
and developing new concepts for the use of fuel
cells.
Joint presentation
on hydrogen and fuel cells
Products and Services, Hall 8
The
second joint presentation on hydrogen and fuel
cells - Products and Services - is taking place
for the first time in Hall 8, with the largest
national contingent coming from the USA. A total
of 13 exhibitors from five countries are contributing
displays on a range of topics, including high-efficiency
electrolysers for the production of hydrogen,
commercial systems for supplying buildings with
electric power and heat and mobile or portable
applications, e.g. for mobile phones or laptops.
The exhibitors together with their chosen topics
are outlined in brief below.
Belgium
is represented by Hydrogen Systems N.V., the market
leader in its field, which is presenting an innovative
concept for hydrogen production. The devices manufactured
by the company are designed for an output of between
3 and 120 Nm³ per hour, and large numbers are
already in service around the world. The company
has also produced Europe's first hydrogen-powered
city bus, which will be unveiled to the visiting
international public at HANNOVER FAIR 2000.
The
first hydrogen-powered taxi was shown for the
first time at HANNOVER FAIR 99 by the British
company ZeTek Power Plc. The first commercial
sales of this vehicle were confirmed in December
1999, when an order was placed by the City of
Westminster (London). In the meantime ZeTek Power
has also developed a second-generation fuel cell
that no longer has to be hand-built in the laboratory,
but is specially designed for automated production
methods. The new production process will be the
subject of the company's presentation at HANNOVER
FAIR 2000.
Switzerland's
Sulzer-Burckhardt Engineering Works Ltd. is the
world market leader in the manufacture of low-pressure
and high-pressure hydrogen compressors. According
to a company spokesman, the growing demand for
hydrogen and the future introduction of fuel cells
into the transport sector mean that hydrogen is
very much the market of the future.
HGC
Hamburg Gas Consult GmbH is setting new standards
in the energy industry, having developed a fuel
cell that is already supplying electricity and
heating for hospitals, swimming baths, office
buildings and other energy consumers in outlying
districts. Heralding the future of decentralized
energy supply for the individual household is
HGC's domestic energy generator based on a PEM
fuel cell, which can produce 3 kW of electric
power and 8 kW of heat output. The company's display
also highlights further possible applications
in the area of biogas treatment.
H.
Power Corp., based in Belleville, New Jersey,
is the market leader in PEM fuel cells, a technology
that was pioneered by this US company. Having
developed the technology, the company has been
vigorously proactive in commercializing and marketing
fuel cells, and at this year's HANNOVER FAIR will
be exhibiting its complete product range, with
outputs ranging from 10 watts up to 3 kW. Typical
applications include portable electrical and telecommunications
equipment and the battery chargers that go with
them. The larger units are designed to generate
electric power for sensitive computer systems,
road vehicles, etc., as well as providing backup
power in the event of a mains power failure.
Another
US exhibitor participating in the joint presentation
is Hydrogen Burner Technology Inc. from Long Beach,
California. This company will be presenting various
applications of hydrogen as a fuel source for
industry. The technology developed by Hydrogen
Burner can be cost-effectively utilized in fuel
cell systems of varying sizes.
SGL
TECHNIK GmbH from Bavaria will be unveiling its
new concepts for the mass production of carbon
components for PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane
Fuel Cell). Gas diffusion layers and bipolar plates
act as electrolytes to assist the functioning
of the proton-conductive membrane.
Another
German company, H. Seus GmbH & Co. Systemtechnik
KG from Wilhelmshaven, is joining forces with
two co-exhibitors from other countries: Proton
Energy Systems Inc., from Rocky Hill, Connecticut,
USA, and Diamond Lite SA from Switzerland. All
three firms will be presenting hydrogen generators
with PEM membranes at HANNOVER FAIR 2000 - a safe
and reliable way of generating hydrogen at the
point of use.
DCH
Technology Inc. is yet another market leader featured
in the joint presentation in Hannover. Hailing
from Valencia, California, this US company develops
and manufactures fuel cells together with a range
of sensors for different applications. These sensors
play an important role in the generation of hydrogen,
where they are used for safety functions and for
monitoring the reaction process at every stage.
The "robust hydrogen sensor" is already being
marketed commercially, and the company is aiming
for annual sales of around $200 million.
The
two subsidiaries of the US concern United Technologies
Corporation - International Fuel Cells (IFC) and
the ONSI Corporation based in South Windsor, Connecticut
- are world market leaders in the production of
commercial fuel cells. IFC builds the fuel cells
for the NASA space shuttles, and is also developing
fuel cell systems for the car industry. The ONSI
Corporation has already supplied over 200 fuel
cell systems to customers all over the world.
Designed for stationary installation, these systems
have already clocked up more than 3 million operating
hours.
Further
information for the press:
Please
contact
Kristina
Irmler
Tel.: +49 511/89-31018
Fax: +49
511/89-39695
E-mail: kristina.Irmler@messe.de
Arno
A. Evers FAIR-PR
Tel.: +49 8151/99892-3
Fax: +49 8151/99892-43
E-mail: arno@fair-pr.de
Selected
press releases together with photos can also be
found on the Internet at: http://presse.messe.de.
If you would also like to receive one of our press
releases as a computer file, we will gladly send
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