Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Continued
The selection of the alkaline over the PEM and three other types of fuel cells is proving to have been the right choice, as the AFC appears to be positioned to take the lead due to major technology breakthroughs. The AFC was relegated to secondary status in the 1970s despite important attributes because of concerns about cost and lifespan for commercial use. concerns Astris has now addressed.
Continued
The leader in AFC technology, Astris has replaced costly platinum with inexpensive materials as the AFC catalyst and introduced new scrubbing technology to minimize CO2 effects and thereby extend the alkaline fuel cell life beyond that of other fuel cells.
Advantage Points
With these and other developments, the AFC has a number of competitive advantages: Low material costs plastics, carbon, base metals and metal oxides; no platinum. Long life span 2000-plus hours currently. Superior electrochemical conversion efficiency to other fuel cells and the internal combustion engine. Quick start, even in sub-freezing temperatures down to minus 40 degrees C. Simpler heat and water management when compared to other fuel cell technologies. Like other fuel cells, it is odorless and quiet for enclosed applications
Current Focus
Validating the strides made in AFC technology, the US Department of Energy recently renewed an R&D roadmap for the AFC after a 30 year hiatus. AFCs currently in development are most suited to smaller scale applications in the three main energy markets and these are the types of market Astris initially targets: Stationary such as back up power for communication towers, data centers. Portable such as prime or auxiliary power for worksites, cottages, boats. Transportation such as neighborhood electric vehicles, golf cars, fork lift vehicles
Present Applications
Fuel Cell Taxi & Boat http://www.infotools.hfpeurope.org/energyinfos__e/fu elcells/main06.html Generator and Golf Car http://www.astris.ca/PR/PR50.php
Glossary (Terms)
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/Educati onCentre/EducationCentreExternal/EduCentreDispla y/0,1741,Glossary,00.html http://www.infotools.hfpeurope.org/glossary/main_00 .html http://www.iags.org/glossary1.htm#C A PDF file (Glossary.PDF) released by US Fuel Cell Council is uploaded in the Server under the directory MURU has all the terms defined.