Company Information

Company Interest:
The Research Centre Jülich, as one of the 15 Helmholtz research centres in Germany, links all its work to this common denominator. A staff of 4300 are devoted to investigating current issues in the areas of energy, environment, life, information and matter in one of the largest research institution in Europe. In Jülich scientists from many different disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering work together closely. This work results in contributions to basic research and long-term programmes, applied research and key technologies.

News at HANNOVER FAIR 2002:
In the long term, the issue of energy storage is also part of the solar energy concept. Hydrogen, the most attractive storage medium, is obtained by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using solar electricity. The reconversion into electricity is undertaken by fuel cells. Fuel cell technology will be opening up new possibilities in the near future. It can be used, for example, to drive electric cars. The aim is to use liquid energy carriers such as methanol as the fuel since this is easier to handle and more economic than hydrogen. Moreover, fuel cells are suitable for producing electricity and heat in decentralized power stations or in remote areas.
At Hannover Fair 2002, Forschungszentrum Juelich will display a Direct-Methanol-Fuel Cell System, exhibits to Fuel Processing and SOFC Technologies.

The Forschungszentrum Jülich exposes their latest results in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.

Nicola Kimiaie presents the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
(DMFC) to a visitor.

It is the concept of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell to avoid the difficulties of hydrogen storage to derive the hydrogen from liquid fuels i.e. methanol by means of a reformer or to feed the Fuel Cells directly with methanol, i.e. without passing it through a separate reformer.