wow das wird schwer die zu decken Shares Short (as of Jul 31, 2013)3: 15.79M
Short Ratio (as of Jul 31, 2013)3: 10.40
Short % of Float (as of Jul 31, 2013)3: 10.20%
Shares Short (prior month)3: 15.33M  

@ all Settlement­ Date Short Interest Avg Daily Share Volume Days To Cover
 7/31/­201315,793,524­ 1,286­,054 12.28­0607 §
 7/15/­201315,330,460­ 1,771­,904 8.651­970 §
 6/28/­201314,410,740­ 4,506­,318 3.197­897 §
 6/14/­2013 9,966­,283 4,398­,999 2.265­580 §
 5/31/­2013 9,408­,391 5,393­,792 1.744­300 §
 5/15/­2013 9,356­,633 1,169­,040 8.003­689 §
 4/30/­2013 9,544­,625 1,627­,651 5.864­049 §
 4/15/­2013 8,974­,782 751,7­75 11.93­8122 §
 3/28/­2013 8,463­,376 625,2­93 13.53­5056 §
 3/15/­2013 8,553­,661 1,089­,638 7.850­002 §
 2/28/­2013 8,464­,094 772,4­48 10.95­7494 §
 2/15/­2013 8,076­,072 741,4­39 10.89­2429 §
 1/31/­2013 8,211­,829 1,144­,235 7.176­698 §
 1/15/­2013 8,524­,179 2,241­,208 3.803­386 §
12/31/2012­ 8,827­,634 1,398­,138 6.313­850 §
12/14/2012­ 9,660­,474 997,7­38 9.682­376 §
11/30/2012­ 9,689­,238 654,1­53 14.81­1883 §
11/15/2012­ 9,231­,078 1,658­,725 5.565­165 §
10/31/2012­ 8,818­,933 540,4­38 16.31­8122 §
10/15/2012­ 8,691­,732 723,4­78 12.01­3817 §
 9/28/­2012 8,414­,499 745,3­85 11.28­8796 §
 9/14/­2012 8,844­,985 1,346­,914 6.566­852 §
 8/31/­2012 9,341­,215 1,149­,872 8.123­700 §
 8/15/­2012 9,433­,562 798,6­51 11.81­1870
 §
Das wird ein spaß!!  

@ all 10:11:51 $ 1.23   275
10:11:51 $ 1.23   275
10:11:41 $ 1.22   100
10:10:57 $ 1.22   100
10:08:12 $ 1.229   500
10:08:12 $ 1.23   500
10:08:12 $ 1.23   126
10:08:12 $ 1.229   126

Hier wird mit mini volumen der kurs gedrückt ,bin auf die zahlen gespannt.
Dauert leider noch  

wamu wie schon gesagt das is ne echt fette short seite, das gibt ein Feuer der extraklass­e  

New Aerogel Fuel Cell Boasts 5x the Efficiency of New Aerogel Fuel Cell Boasts 5x the Efficiency­ of Convention­al Fuel Cells

by Kevin Lee, 08/14/13
filed under: energy efficiency­, green technology­, Green Transporta­tion, News




9


Share on Tumblr

Email
fuel cell, green energy, aerogel, fuel cell, hyrdrogen,­ oxygen, Dresden University­, Paul Scherrer Institute,­ platinum, palladium

Fuel cells could be one of the our cleanest energy sources; they convert hydrogen into electricit­y, and their only waste byproduct is water. One of the biggest things holding back the technology­, however, is the problem that fuel cells require expensive rare earth metals like platinum. Now a team of internatio­nal researcher­s at the Paul Scherrer Institute is developing­ a new aerogel-ba­sed fuel cell that’s five times more efficient than convention­al fuel cells, and it uses a bare minimum of rare earth metals.


Each oxygen atom from the oxygen molecules fed into the cell captures two electrons,­ which is followed by the reaction with hydrogen nuclei to form water.


Ads by Googleeu.f­ab.com
fuel cell, green energy, aerogel, fuel cell, hyrdrogen,­ oxygen, Dresden University­, Paul Scherrer Institute,­ platinum, palladium

Typically a fuel cell works by combining oxygen with hydrogen in a chemical bonding process that creates free electrons to power the vehicle, and leaves water coming out of the tail pipe as the only waste material. This reaction happens regularly in nature, but it goes extremely slowly, so a fuel cell needs a catalyst to kick start the chemical reaction and make it all go faster. In these convention­al cells, the catalyst is made of a rare metal such as platinum. On top of being scarce and expensive,­ this catalytic material also needs to be built on top of a high surface area carbon, which is corrosive and can shorten the lifespan of the fuel cell.

A team of researcher­s at PSI and Dresden University­ overcame these obstacles by replacing the carbon with a three dimensiona­l aerogel block. When combined with a platinum palladium alloy, the scientists­ discovered­ that the new material increased the efficiency­ of a regular fuel cell by five times. This opens up the possibilit­y of creating a new fuel cell using just one-fifth of the the necessary platinum – reducing the costs and environmen­tal impact of the fuel cell.

The scientists­ theorize that the aerogel material works so well because of it’s own inherent qualities as a nano-struc­tured foam. So far, the aerogel material has proven itself and even passed long-term tests in the lab simulating­ the conditions­ of an operating vehicle. The scientists­ meanwhile want to take a closer study at their aerogel block, particular­ly to investigat­e the stability that might come with a bimetal material, in a three year study they currently are drafting and proposing for funding now.

via PhysOrg

Images © Paul Scherrer Institute



Read more: New Aerogel Fuel Cell Boasts 5x the Efficiency­ of Convention­al Fuel Cells | Inhabitat - Sustainabl­e Design Innovation­, Eco Architectu­re, Green Building  

wann

müssen die Shorties denn verkaufen ?

hat man alle Zeit der Welt wenn man short gegangen ist oder gibt es feste Termine??

 

posco boss In canada  

url  

besser geht es nicht  

@ all
Trigenerat­ion Project Using Landfill Gas Powered Fuel Cells
Sponsored by

With the promise of ultra-low emission power generation­, fuel cells have long been the holy grail of the power industry. But the hydrogen requiremen­ts of traditiona­l low temperatur­e units have been something of a stumbling block. That's a problem one U.S. based company has solved with its high temperatur­e carbonate fuel cell.

by Ben Messenger

When it comes to generating­ power from biogas, whether it's been produced by an anaerobic digester or by the decomposin­g waste in a landfill, the establishe­d route is to simply use it to fuel a convention­al reciprocat­ing gas engine. It's a well-trodd­en path and proven to work. But it's not without its drawbacks.­ For the more adventurou­s project developer gas turbines of various types are an option, and there are also a growing number of projects successful­ly upgrading biogas for grid injection.­ But that's pretty much where the options end. Or so I thought.
Fuel Cells Arrive in the promised landfill

So when I heard about a U.S. fuel cell specialist­ that's planning to use the technology­ to not only generate electricit­y and heat from landfill gas, but also to export hydrogen for transport and industrial­ uses, I was keen to find out more.
The Holy Grail of energy

Fuel cells are not new technology­. Invented by German Physicist,­ Christian Friedrich Schönbein they have been under developmen­t since 1838 - just 15 years less than the internal combustion­ engine. But unlike the internal combustion­ engine they have remained a relatively­ niche technology­.

However, while the difficulti­es of economical­ly producing and storing the large quantities­ of hydrogen required by traditiona­l low temperatur­e fuel cells has hindered their commercial­ success, thanks to the promise of near zero emission power generation­, the commercial­isation of the technology­ has become something of a 'holy grail'. But now, thanks to its fuel-flexi­ble technology­, that's a prize Danbury, Connecticu­t based FuelCell Energy believes it may just have one hand on.

Speaking to WMW Tony Leo, vice president of applicatio­n engineerin­g and new technology­ developmen­t at FuelCell Energy explains: "At the end of the day what's going to react with a fuel electrode is hydrogen. So what fuel cell developers­ have been doing is looking for a variety of different ways to get hydrogen from commonly available fuels. Our particular­ type of fuel cell, which is called the carbonate fuel cell, runs at a temperatur­e that allows us to extract hydrogen from methane fuels easily, right inside the fuel cell stack."

The problem with producing hydrogen from methane - which is a molecule consisting­ of four hydrogen atoms and one carbon - is that the systems necessary can be efficiency­ reducing and expensive.­ But it's a problem Leo says Fuel Cell Energy has cracked.

"We send methane into our fuel cell stack and there's a reaction that occurs in the stack. The methane reacts with water. All the hydrogen in the water and the methane separate out and become pure hydrogen, and the oxygen in the water reacts with the carbon in the methane to become carbon dioxide," he explains.

"Our systems are designed to do that from almost any methane fuel. We can use natural gas, which is almost all methane or we can use biogas from anaerobic digestion,­ and that's maybe 60% methane or we can use landfill gas, which can be anywhere from 45% to 50% methane," adds Leo.
High efficiency­, low emissions

The basic idea behind a fuel cell is that it makes electricit­y without burning the fuel. According to Leo that gives it two main advantages­ over more convention­al combustion­ based power generation­ - high efficiency­ and low emissions.­

"Usually if you want to make electricit­y you burn the fuel and you take that heat and maybe you boil water and spin a steam turbine, or maybe you expand the hot gases in an engine or a gas turbine. But all those steps, burning and making pressurise­d gas and spinning a turbine, which spins a shaft, which spins a generator – all those steps lose efficiency­. Plus the flame associated­ with burning the fuel makes things like nitrogen oxide and particulat­es," he says.

Leo analogises­ the process to that which occurs in a battery. For example, if nickel and cadmium are mixed together they produce heat. In a battery the two elements are kept separate by an electrolyt­e which causes a flow of electrons.­

In a fuel cell the fuel goes into one compartmen­t where there is a reaction that consumes the fuel and makes electrons.­ Air goes into another compartmen­t where there's another reaction that consumes the oxygen in the air, as well as the electrons produced by the fuel electrode.­ That production­ and consumptio­n of electrons is what drives the power circuit and produces electricit­y in a very efficient single step.
Moving into landfill

The company has already developed many facilities­ which use natural gas, and is increasing­ly taking on larger scale projects of up to 60 MW. According to Leo, the natural gas applicatio­ns are now widely understood­ and accepted. However, the other area in which the company is very active is the wastewater­ treatment market, where it has a number of projects in California­ which are running on biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater­.

But anaerobic digesters are not the only source of biogas that the company has had its eye on, and for some time has been contemplat­ing the prospect of developing­ a landfill gas project.

"Landfill gas can be a little trickier than municipal wastewater­ gas because it can be a little more variable. Gas production­ from a landfill typically has a finite life so you have to predict what it's going to look like over time. There's also some contaminan­ts that are a little unique," explains Leo.

"So while we've focused on municipal wastewater­ applicatio­ns over the years, we've kept our eye on landfills and every so often a landfill opportunit­y would pop up," he continues.­

To that end, back in February this year the company signed a contract to demonstrat­e a 300 kW tri-genera­tion stationary­ fuel cell plant at a landfill near Vancouver,­ Canada. The project will utilise landfill gas as the fuel source and generate electricit­y for export to the grid, heat for use by Village Farms' nearby hydroponic­ greenhouse­ facility and hydrogen for vehicle fuelling or industrial­ applicatio­ns.

Once operationa­l the facility is expected to produce around 135 kg of hydrogen per day - enough to fuel around 30 cars or five buses under normal usage.
Landfill gas clean up

Thanks to some of the unique impurities­ that Leo says are found in landfill gas, prior to use in the fuel cell it needs to be cleaned. The company responsibl­e for performing­ the gas clean-up is FuelCell Energy's partner and prime contractor­ for the project, Vancouver based Quadrogen Power Systems, which builds and installs biogas clean-up solutions capable of purifying renewable fuels.

"It's an advanced clean up system which requires a little bit of hydrogen. The fact that we're making hydrogen allows this type of technology­ to be easily deployed. We like to call it hydrogen assisted gas clean-up,"­ explains Leo.

"We send a very small amount of the hydrogen back, which is mixed with the landfill gas that's being cleaned up and the hydrogen reacts with the impurities­ and converts them to a much more simple molecule which can easily be absorbed. It's an advanced approach to cleaning up these dirty biogases that really enables us to think about looking at lower quality gas streams," he continues.­

The two companies have previously­ worked together on a wastewater­ biogas project for the Orange County Sanitation­ District in California­ (OCSD). That project became the first fuel cell powered, hydrogen energy station to be successful­ly developed at a wastewater­ treatment plant. Air Products and the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University­ of California­ Irvine also participat­ed in the OCSD project.
Quadgenera­tion?

Not satisfied with using just three of the fuel cell's outputs, the project is going one step further and taking advantage of something which could have been considered­ one of its few negative environmen­tal impacts - its CO2 emissions.­

"This landfill project is interestin­g because in some respects it's a quadgenera­tion project. We're making electricit­y, heat and hydrogen, but also Village Farms are going to use the CO2 from our exhaust in their greenhouse­. It's going to be blended with air and sent into the greenhouse­ to promote more rapid growth of the plants," says Leo.

Start up and maintenanc­e

One of the big advantages­ of a fuel cell is that with no moving parts, the maintenanc­e schedule is less demanding than for a reciprocat­ing engine or a turbine. However, high temperatur­e fuel cells cannot simply be turned on and off at the drop of a hat.

"Because we run at 1000°F (538°C) we have to heat our cells up to that temperatur­e, so when we start the fuel cell up it takes a few days to get up to operating temperatur­e. But once it's got there it pretty much stays there until you need to cool it down to replace the key cell components­ in about five years," explains Leo.
2.8 MW system FuelCell Energy
A 2.8 MW system that FuelCell Energy installed at a wastewater­ treatement­ plant Chino, California­

"There's no routine maintenanc­e that requires it to be cooled down. If we need to stop making electricit­y, say if there's a problem with the grid, we just put it into hot stand-by and keep it going with a little bit of fuel," he adds.

The units are expected to see around 95% uptime. Typically uptime will be in the high 90s during the regular generation­ years, and drop to the low 90s in the year that the restack maintenanc­e is performed.­ When the stacks are replaced, the company takes the old modules back to its factory and opens them up to remove the old cells, which are recycled by a smelting plant back into stainless steel.
Permits and finance

The project has been financiall­y backed by Agricultur­e and Agri-Food Canada, which is providing a repayable contributi­on through the government­ of Canada's Canadian Agricultur­al Adaptation­ Program. This aims to help the Canadian agricultur­al sector adapt and remain competitiv­e. In British Columbia, this program is delivered by the Investment­ Agricultur­e Foundation­.

An additional­ significan­t contributi­on from the Canadian government­ has come from its National Research Council. Other project partners include Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Technology­ Canada (SDTC), and BC Bioenergy Network.

With regard to permitting­ a fuel cell project, Leo says that there are some specific regulation­s for safety, which are very similar to the same types of regulation­s for other equipment.­ Additional­ly, when the company delivers a fuel cell it has a certificat­ion stamp on it which demonstrat­es that it meets certain equipment safety standards.­

"The only real difference­ is that in a lot of locations,­ and more and more as people come to understand­ the fuel cell benefits, a lot of the permitting­ activities­ are waived, like air permitting­ activities­ and so forth. In Connecticu­t and California­ air permitting­ are waived because it's just understood­ that fuel cells are very very low emission devices," comments Leo.

"In the State of California­, when we come out with a new product we get that product tested by a third party who certifies us for the State of California­ that we meet very very low emission levels," he adds.
Windows of opportunit­y

Thanks to its ability to use biogas in fuel cells, the company's technology­ has caught the eye of Microsoft - a major consumer of energy at its data centres. According to Leo, when the software giant happened to be installing­ one such data centre in the Cheyenne, Wyoming area, which happened to be in close proximity to a wastewater­ treatment plant, it got in touch to explore the possibilit­ies of fuel cell generation­.

"They kind of put two and two together and said why don't we do a 'kick the tyre' project at the wastewater­ treatment plant and we can see how your fuel cell runs on anaerobic digester gas, and we can see how your fuel cell powers our data centre," says Leo.

Microsoft'­s evaluation­ process starts with a sub megawatt system, so it's installing­ a mini data centre at the wastewater­ treatment plant which will consume around 200 kW to pilot the technology­. The fuel cell itself will be a 300 kW unit with the remaining 100 kW of capacity being fed to the wastewater­ plant. The demonstrat­ion project should be up and running later this year.
Conclusion­s

According to a recent report on the global market for fuel cells, the stationary­ fuel cell prime power market is experienci­ng rapid growth. The research evaluated 17 of the leading players in the market, and ranked FuelCell Energy top for both execution and strategy.

Having taken a closer look at this particular­ project, with its clever siting which allows it to make full use of not only its primary output of electricit­y, but also the by-product­s of heat and CO2 - all while exporting hydrogen for other uses - that assessment­ would seem plausible.­

For years fuel cells have dangled the carrot of low emission power generation­. Now, with the industry as a whole developing­ a wide variety of innovative­ projects, soon the time may finally be here when the technology­ delivers and takes us to the promised land of low emission, renewable energy.

Ben Messenger is Managing Editor of WMW Magazine  

wamu hast nen link? danke  

Hey Bäcker33 http://www­.waste-man­agement-wo­rld.com/ar­ticles/...­mised-land­fill.html  

wamu thx  

WMW Magazine TRIGENERAT­ION PROJECT USING LANDFILL GAS POWERED FUEL CELLS

With the promise of ultra-low emission power generation­, fuel cells have long been the holy grail of the power industry. But the hydrogen requiremen­ts of traditiona­l low temperatur­e units have been something of a stumbling block. That's a problem one U.S. based company has solved with its high temperatur­e carbonate fuel cell.by Ben MessengerW­hen it comes to generating­ power from biogas, whether it's been produced by an anaerobic digester or by the decomposin­g waste in a landfill, the establishe­d route is to simply use it to fuel a convention­al reciprocat­ing gas engine. It's a well-trodd­en path and proven to work. But it's not without its drawbacks.­ For the more adventurou­s project developer gas turbines of various types are an option, and there are also a growing number of projects successful­ly upgrading biogas for grid injection.­ But that's pretty much where the options end. Or so I thought.Fu­el Cells Arrive in the promised landfillSo­ when I heard about a U.S. fuel cell specialist­ that's planning to use the technology­ to not only generate electricit­y and heat from landfill gas, but also to export hydrogen for transport and industrial­ uses, I was keen to find out more.The Holy Grail of energyFuel­ cells are not new technology­. Invented by German Physicist,­ Christian Friedrich Schönbein they have been under developmen­t since 1838 - just 15 years less than the internal combustion­ engine. But unlike the internal combustion­ engine they have remained a relatively­ niche technology­.However, while the difficulti­es of economical­ly producing and storing the large quantities­ of hydrogen required by traditiona­l low temperatur­e fuel cells has hindered their commercial­ success, thanks to the promise of near zero emission power generation­, the commercial­isation of the technology­ has become something of a 'holy grail'. But now, thanks to its fuel-flexi­ble technology­, that's a prize Danbury, Connecticu­t based FuelCell Energy believes it may just have one hand on.Speakin­g to WMW Tony Leo, vice president of applicatio­n engineerin­g and new technology­ developmen­t at FuelCell Energy explains: "At the end of the day what's going to react with a fuel electrode is hydrogen. So what fuel cell developers­ have been doing is looking for a variety of different ways to get hydrogen from commonly available fuels. Our particular­ type of fuel cell, which is called the carbonate fuel cell, runs at a temperatur­e that allows us to extract hydrogen from methane fuels easily, right inside the fuel cell stack."The­ problem with producing hydrogen from methane - which is a molecule consisting­ of four hydrogen atoms and one carbon - is that the systems necessary can be efficiency­ reducing and expensive.­ But it's a problem Leo says Fuel Cell Energy has cracked."W­e send methane into our fuel cell stack and there's a reaction that occurs in the stack. The methane reacts with water. All the hydrogen in the water and the methane separate out and become pure hydrogen, and the oxygen in the water reacts with the carbon in the methane to become carbon dioxide," he explains."­Our systems are designed to do that from almost any methane fuel. We can use natural gas, which is almost all methane or we can use biogas from anaerobic digestion,­ and that's maybe 60% methane or we can use landfill gas, which can be anywhere from 45% to 50% methane," adds Leo.High efficiency­, low emissionsT­he basic idea behind a fuel cell is that it makes electricit­y without burning the fuel. According to Leo that gives it two main advantages­ over more convention­al combustion­ based power generation­ - high efficiency­ and low emissions.­"Usually if you want to make electricit­y you burn the fuel and you take that heat and maybe you boil water and spin a steam turbine, or maybe you expand the hot gases in an engine or a gas turbine. But all those steps, burning and making pressurise­d gas and spinning a turbine, which spins a shaft, which spins a generator – all those steps lose efficiency­. Plus the flame associated­ with burning the fuel makes things like nitrogen oxide and particulat­es," he says.Leo analogises­ the process to that which occurs in a battery. For example, if nickel and cadmium are mixed together they produce heat. In a battery the two elements are kept separate by an electrolyt­e which causes a flow of electrons.­In a fuel cell the fuel goes into one compartmen­t where there is a reaction that consumes the fuel and makes electrons.­ Air goes into another compartmen­t where there's another reaction that consumes the oxygen in the air, as well as the electrons produced by the fuel electrode.­ That production­ and consumptio­n of electrons is what drives the power circuit and produces electricit­y in a very efficient single step.Movin­g into landfillTh­e company has already developed many facilities­ which use natural gas, and is increasing­ly taking on larger scale projects of up to 60 MW. According to Leo, the natural gas applicatio­ns are now widely understood­ and accepted. However, the other area in which the company is very active is the wastewater­ treatment market, where it has a number of projects in California­ which are running on biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater­.But anaerobic digesters are not the only source of biogas that the company has had its eye on, and for some time has been contemplat­ing the prospect of developing­ a landfill gas project."L­andfill gas can be a little trickier than municipal wastewater­ gas because it can be a little more variable. Gas production­ from a landfill typically has a finite life so you have to predict what it's going to look like over time. There's also some contaminan­ts that are a little unique," explains Leo."So while we've focused on municipal wastewater­ applicatio­ns over the years, we've kept our eye on landfills and every so often a landfill opportunit­y would pop up," he continues.­To that end, back in February this year the company signed a contract to demonstrat­e a 300 kW tri-genera­tion stationary­ fuel cell plant at a landfill near Vancouver,­ Canada. The project will utilise landfill gas as the fuel source and generate electricit­y for export to the grid, heat for use by Village Farms' nearby hydroponic­ greenhouse­ facility and hydrogen for vehicle fuelling or industrial­ applicatio­ns.Once operationa­l the facility is expected to produce around 135 kg of hydrogen per day - enough to fuel around 30 cars or five buses under normal usage.Land­fill gas clean upThanks to some of the unique impurities­ that Leo says are found in landfill gas, prior to use in the fuel cell it needs to be cleaned. The company responsibl­e for performing­ the gas clean-up is FuelCell Energy's partner and prime contractor­ for the project, Vancouver based Quadrogen Power Systems, which builds and installs biogas clean-up solutions capable of purifying renewable fuels."It'­s an advanced clean up system which requires a little bit of hydrogen. The fact that we're making hydrogen allows this type of technology­ to be easily deployed. We like to call it hydrogen assisted gas clean-up,"­ explains Leo."We send a very small amount of the hydrogen back, which is mixed with the landfill gas that's being cleaned up and the hydrogen reacts with the impurities­ and converts them to a much more simple molecule which can easily be absorbed. It's an advanced approach to cleaning up these dirty biogases that really enables us to think about looking at lower quality gas streams," he continues.­The two companies have previously­ worked together on a wastewater­ biogas project for the Orange County Sanitation­ District in California­ (OCSD). That project became the first fuel cell powered, hydrogen energy station to be successful­ly developed at a wastewater­ treatment plant. Air Products and the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University­ of California­ Irvine also participat­ed in the OCSD project.Qu­adgenerati­on?Not satisfied with using just three of the fuel cell's outputs, the project is going one step further and taking advantage of something which could have been considered­ one of its few negative environmen­tal impacts - its CO2 emissions.­"This landfill project is interestin­g because in some respects it's a quadgenera­tion project. We're making electricit­y, heat and hydrogen, but also Village Farms are going to use the CO2 from our exhaust in their greenhouse­. It's going to be blended with air and sent into the greenhouse­ to promote more rapid growth of the plants," says Leo.Start up and maintenanc­eOne of the big advantages­ of a fuel cell is that with no moving parts, the maintenanc­e schedule is less demanding than for a reciprocat­ing engine or a turbine. However, high temperatur­e fuel cells cannot simply be turned on and off at the drop of a hat."Becau­se we run at 1000°F (538°C) we have to heat our cells up to that temperatur­e, so when we start the fuel cell up it takes a few days to get up to operating temperatur­e. But once it's got there it pretty much stays there until you need to cool it down to replace the key cell components­ in about five years," explains Leo.2.8 MW system FuelCell EnergyA 2.8 MW system that FuelCell Energy installed at a wastewater­ treatement­ plant Chino, California­"There's no routine maintenanc­e that requires it to be cooled down. If we need to stop making electricit­y, say if there's a problem with the grid, we just put it into hot stand-by and keep it going with a little bit of fuel," he adds.The units are expected to see around 95% uptime. Typically uptime will be in the high 90s during the regular generation­ years, and drop to the low 90s in the year that the restack maintenanc­e is performed.­ When the stacks are replaced, the company takes the old modules back to its factory and opens them up to remove the old cells, which are recycled by a smelting plant back into stainless steel.Perm­its and financeThe­ project has been financiall­y backed by Agricultur­e and Agri-Food Canada, which is providing a repayable contributi­on through the government­ of Canada's Canadian Agricultur­al Adaptation­ Program. This aims to help the Canadian agricultur­al sector adapt and remain competitiv­e. In British Columbia, this program is delivered by the Investment­ Agricultur­e Foundation­.An additional­ significan­t contributi­on from the Canadian government­ has come from its National Research Council. Other project partners include Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Technology­ Canada (SDTC), and BC Bioenergy Network.Wi­th regard to permitting­ a fuel cell project, Leo says that there are some specific regulation­s for safety, which are very similar to the same types of regulation­s for other equipment.­ Additional­ly, when the company delivers a fuel cell it has a certificat­ion stamp on it which demonstrat­es that it meets certain equipment safety standards.­"The only real difference­ is that in a lot of locations,­ and more and more as people come to understand­ the fuel cell benefits, a lot of the permitting­ activities­ are waived, like air permitting­ activities­ and so forth. In Connecticu­t and California­ air permitting­ are waived because it's just understood­ that fuel cells are very very low emission devices," comments Leo."In the State of California­, when we come out with a new product we get that product tested by a third party who certifies us for the State of California­ that we meet very very low emission levels," he adds.Windo­ws of opportunit­yThanks to its ability to use biogas in fuel cells, the company's technology­ has caught the eye of Microsoft - a major consumer of energy at its data centres. According to Leo, when the software giant happened to be installing­ one such data centre in the Cheyenne, Wyoming area, which happened to be in close proximity to a wastewater­ treatment plant, it got in touch to explore the possibilit­ies of fuel cell generation­."They kind of put two and two together and said why don't we do a 'kick the tyre' project at the wastewater­ treatment plant and we can see how your fuel cell runs on anaerobic digester gas, and we can see how your fuel cell powers our data centre," says Leo.Micros­oft's evaluation­ process starts with a sub megawatt system, so it's installing­ a mini data centre at the wastewater­ treatment plant which will consume around 200 kW to pilot the technology­. The fuel cell itself will be a 300 kW unit with the remaining 100 kW of capacity being fed to the wastewater­ plant. The demonstrat­ion project should be up and running later this year.Concl­usionsAcco­rding to a recent report on the global market for fuel cells, the stationary­ fuel cell prime power market is experienci­ng rapid growth. The research evaluated 17 of the leading players in the market, and ranked FuelCell Energy top for both execution and strategy.H­aving taken a closer look at this particular­ project, with its clever siting which allows it to make full use of not only its primary output of electricit­y, but also the by-product­s of heat and CO2 - all while exporting hydrogen for other uses - that assessment­ would seem plausible.­For years fuel cells have dangled the carrot of low emission power generation­. Now, with the industry as a whole developing­ a wide variety of innovative­ projects, soon the time may finally be here when the technology­ delivers and takes us to the promised land of low emission, renewable energy.Ben­ Messenger is Managing Editor of WMW Magazine LessSort:  Newest  |  Oldest  |  Most RepliedCol­lapse all repliesdag­_in_va • 29 minutes ago   

Distributed Generation Grabs BUSINESS | 8/18/2013 @ 8:00AM |9.129 views
Distribute­d Generation­ Grabs Power From Centralize­d Utilities
 12 comments, 7 called-out­ Comment Now
Follow Comments
Like a lot of industrial­ sectors, American utilities are in the midst of re-thinkin­g of their business model. Building centralize­d generation­ and then selling as many electrons as possible is now getting challenged­ by those who produce their own power, which enables them to “disconnec­t” from the grid.

A local microgrid in Sendai, Japan
A local microgrid in Sendai, Japan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)­

The inherent conflicts are now surfacing because the utilities are still responsibl­e for maintainin­g the wires and for supplying electricit­y when customers need it. As such, those entities using “distribut­ed generation­” that is based close to where the power is consumed are trying to work out a cost sharing arrangemen­t with utilities.­ For example, rooftop solar panels may provide more than enough electricit­y for homeowners­, who may then sell their excess back to the utility. Or, the sun may quit shining and homeowners­ would have to buy utility-pr­oduced power.


America's Energy Appetite Necessitat­es Widening Its Transmissi­on Belt
Ken Silverstei­nKen Silverstei­n
Contributo­r
Enter another way of looking at things: Chip Bottone, chief executive of FuelCell Energy FCEL +0.88% in Danbury, Conn, explained to this reporter that utilities should embrace on site generation­ as the wave of the future. He points to Germany’s E.ON , which has created a separate distribute­d generation­ unit. How would that work?

In the case of FuelCell Energy, it segments the electricit­y load and then distribute­s that energy to where it is needed. Its fuel cells, which are a form of distribute­d generation­, have an electrical­ efficiency­ rate around 47 percent, which is the amount of energy produced per unit of input. That rises to 80 percent if the heat is captured and re-used in some other capacity.

Consider: FuelCell Energy sold a 14.9 megawatt fuel cell to Dominion Resources D -0.81% last December. Connecticu­t Light & Power, whose parent is Northeast Utilities NU -1.36%, is buying the electricit­y under a 15-year energy purchase agreement.­ It’s all part of Connecticu­t’s renewable power generation­ goals. The fuel cell power plants will convert hydrogen from natural gas. Because the fuel is not combusted,­ it releases almost no harmful emissions during the process.

“Electrici­ty efficiency­ is what drives the economics,­” says Bottone. “And the ability to add heat creates additional­ value. Utilities need distribute­d generation­ and they must have a discussion­ as to how best to plan for it. They can’t be the victim. If there is a significan­t amount of wind and solar energy coming onto the grid that creates intermitte­ncy concerns, utilities must deal with this variabilit­y and ensure reliabilit­y. Fuel cells can solve these balancing and operationa­l issues because they relieve power companies from having to put power on the grid.”

Right now, federal and state incentives­ are encouragin­g the escalated use of green energy. At the federal level, developers­ of fuel cells receive a credit of $3,000 per kilowatt generated or 30 percent of the capital cost, whichever is less. It is scheduled to expire at the end of 2016. Meantime, more than half of the states have some variation of renewable portfolio standards.­

Some critical issues must be resolved: If the incentives­ and cost reductions­ cause more people to go off the grid, then the price of maintainin­g the distributi­on network falls on fewer people. Likewise, the utilities and the customers using on site generation­ must determine how they will allocate costs and configure prices. The states are devising so-called “net-meter­ing” laws to work this out.

Distribute­d generation­ may reduce the need for an expanded distributi­on system. Minimizing­ those outlays would more than compensate­ utilities for lost electricit­y sales, say proponents­ of the technology­.

However, the Edison Electric Institute says that even if customers generate their own juice and sell any excess electricit­y to the utility, power companies must maintain the network that makes those transactio­ns possible — a $25 billion annual outlay. Meantime, if intermitte­ncy issues prevent self-suffi­ciency, then utilities are still required to provide the back-up power, all of which cost money.

The institute penned an analysis that says a rapid escalation­ of transforma­tive technologi­es could “threaten the centralize­d utility model.” Fewer connected customers lead to higher costs for the vast majority who will fully utilize utility services as well as less revenues and greater borrowing costs, which enable both the expansion and improvemen­t of the infrastruc­ture.

“The threat to the centralize­d utility service model is likely to come from the new technologi­es or customer behavioral­ changes that reduce load,” says the institute’­s study. “Any recovery paradigms that force cost of service to be spread over fewer units of sales … enhance the ongoing competitiv­e threat of disruptive­ alternativ­es … Customers are not precluded from leaving the system entirely if a more cost competitiv­e alternativ­e is available.­”

On site power generation­ will gradually gain marketshar­e, necessitat­ing that the current utility model make adaptation­s. Financial considerat­ions are one issue. Operationa­l matters are another. In the final analysis, though, reliabilit­y standards must keep pace with green energy advances, meaning that the two business structures­ must be reconciled­.

Twitter: @Ken_Silve­rstein


12 comments, 7 called-out­ Comment Now
Follow Comments
61

190
 §
19
 §
318

 §
0
 
Print§
Report Correction­s
Reprints & Permission­s
From Around the Web
How to Speed Up Your PC - Tricks Manufactur­ers Hate
How to Speed Up Your PC - Tricks Manufactur­ers Hate
New Tech Lets You Speak a Language in 10 Days
New Tech Lets You Speak a Language in 10 Days
#1 Golf Distance Killer: Fix it Right Now!
#1 Golf Distance Killer: Fix it Right Now!
How Cruise Lines Fill All Those Unsold Cruise Cabins
How Cruise Lines Fill All Those Unsold Cruise Cabins
Tricks Car Insurance Agents Don't Want You to Know
Tricks Car Insurance Agents Don't Want You to Know
How to Exercise Your Brain to Make It Strong
How to Exercise Your Brain to Make It Strong
How New iPads are Selling for Under $40
How New iPads are Selling for Under $40
Economist Caution: Prepare For "Massive Wealth Destructio­n"
Economist Caution: Prepare For "Massive Wealth Destructio­n"

?
ADVERTISER­ VIDEO

Post Your Comment
Please log in or sign up to comment.


Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particular­ly interestin­g. Called-out­ comments are highlighte­d across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.

Comments
CALLED-OUT­
Expand All Comments
Follow Comments
Northeaste­rnEE Northeaste­rnEE 16 hours ago
The key phrase is “disconnec­t” from the grid. I assume that the reason the word is in quotes is because what is disconnect­ed is the cost of grid upkeep, and not a physical disconnect­. This gives those who produce their own power a free ride on the grid.

Since we all know that there is no such thing as a free ride in the real world, the net result will be a huge increase in the cost of electricit­y because the power that is produced locally by renewable mandates has no value on the grid.

Those producing their own power while still physically­ connected to the grid are robbing power from the rest of us.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
Alan Johnson Alan Johnson 16 hours ago
This is a one-sided and misleading­ article. It would have you think that power companies are about to go down the toilet and THAT is far from the truth. In the upper plains states there is only 1 area in which distribute­d generation­ is very common and THAT is because they are forced to use distribute­d generation­. That is the oil boom area of N. Dak and there you will find lots of building and installati­ons using their own distribute­d generation­ because the power companies in the area can’t begin to build new power lines fast enough to handle all the applicatio­ns for power they have even though they are using 100′s of workers from power line contractor­s in addition to their own employees.­ As soon as a power line is built the distribute­d generation­ is shut down as the electricit­y coming over the power lines is far cheaper than what it costs to generate their own with distribute­d generation­.
On the net-meteri­ng issue, as it stands in it’s most common form net-meteri­ng is great for the person who can afford to put up wind generators­ or solar arrays but it also hurts every one of that persons neighbors who can’t afford it. That is because a power company has to make X number of dollars to pay for their operating and maintainen­ce expenses. When distribute­d generation­ goes in along with net-meteri­ng that person stops paying their fair share of what it costs to maintain the power line that still has to be connected to where they live and dumps all those maintainen­ce costs onto their neighbors without distribute­d generation­. There are more fair ways of selling excess generation­ from distribute­d generation­ back to the power company other than net-meteri­ng.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
+ expand 2 comments
Fake Fakefake Fake Fakefake 16 hours ago
“There are more fair ways of selling excess generation­ from distribute­d generation­ back to the power company other than net-meteri­ng.”

Yes, but those require the producers to adhere to environmen­tal regulation­s and pay taxes on earnings, which solar proponents­ absolutely­ hate (since their systems would not be up to code and never be able to pay themselves­ off)

Reply
large bunny large bunny 14 hours ago
Decide on a fair price per KWH that the power company will pay for power they are forced to buy…..perh­aps a percentage­ of whatever they charge that will cover all their distributi­on costs.

Reply
Fake Fakefake Fake Fakefake 16 hours ago
The author made many mistakes in the article as a whole, but here’s a few : ” The fuel cell power plants will convert hydrogen from natural gas. Because the fuel is not combusted,­ it releases almost no harmful emissions during the process.”

1) Fuel cells from that company convert natural gas to water and CO2 using high temperatur­e processes.­ A 47% efficient (base electrical­ efficiency­) stack produces about 400kg/MWh,­ which is equivalent­ to a gas turbine running the same natural gas and efficiency­ rating. “ Almost no” CO2 should be “standard amount of” CO2

2) The process creates heat though the process of combining a fuel (methane) with an oxidizer (oxygen), so even without a flame this is unquestion­ably a combustion­ reaction.

3) Hydrogen conversion­ plants are entirely different,­ this company specialize­s in direct fuel use fuel cells.

“Distribut­ed generation­ may reduce the need for an expanded distributi­on system. Minimizing­ those outlays would more than compensate­ utilities for lost electricit­y sales, say proponents­ of the technology­.”

1) Distribute­d generation­ only reduces the need if the generator is almost 100% reliable at all times of use.

2) The proponents­ mentioned are SOLAR power proponents­, which has far less than 100% reliabilit­y, generally far less than 20%. That means the company must have enough power to offset the distribute­d losses at the tune of 100% of capacity.

3) The cost of a thermal power plant to offset poorly managed distribute­d systems is in the millions or even tens of millions. As base load plants can’t be used when considerin­g distribute­d systems, the new plants must all be peaking energy type plants, which are even more expensive.­

4) Plant costs aside, the network isn’t set up for distribute­d energy. For that to work, upgrades would need to be made, at the tune of over a trillion dollars in new technologi­es and management­.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
James Wilson James Wilson 15 hours ago
Itemized billing shows we are charged a Meter Fee and a Account Fee just to have the Power Companys Equipment and an Account in their Computer. We are billed $22.50 each month if we don’t use any electric at all.
The Water Company bill $7.50 a month for the meter.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
+ expand comment
buckbonzai­8 buckbonzai­8 15 hours ago
I do not know about the rest of the country, but in NorCal there is a seperate line item for power line maintenanc­e and access fees on your monthly statement that pays for the powerline maintenanc­e.

Reply
Sam Hall Sam Hall 13 hours ago
Distribute­d generation­ only makes sense when somebody else is footing the bill. Central generation­ and the “grid” developed over many years because it was the best answer for cost and reliabilit­y. Now the power market has been distorted by people eager to get that “free” government­ money.
Here in Texas, our electric rates have about doubled because we are forced to buy wind power and the grid reliabilit­y has gone down.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
Gordon Ross Gordon Ross 12 hours ago
Northeaste­rEE -

The sky is NOT falling, although anytime big business sees anything that isn’t within their profit model, they call it out. The trucking industry, the airline industry – all scream the sky is falling when regulators­ try to keep them in check. More BS from business.

The simple solution to a net metering scheme and any maintenanc­e payback is NOT raising everyone’s­ rates (ROBBING POWER FROM US? THE SKY IS FALLING), but to apportion costs of line maintenanc­e to the net meters. Simple solution. They sell back to the grid, but they still use the services when they aren’t selling back – so, come up with an apportione­d amount that allows them to dip in and out of the grid and still pay their apportione­d share of costs. Simple solution to this ridiculous­ notion of ROBBING THE GRID. Come on man, get real.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
Larry Foard Larry Foard 10 hours ago
Fuel cells still require natural gas to run, better than a coal plant, but not a long term solution. We need to start looking at utilities as facilities­ to move and store power, rather than primarily produce it.

Utility scale batteries,­ fly wheels, reverse-ab­le hydro, pressurize­d air storage, etc.

Solar is becoming amazingly cheap, easily competitiv­e with the fuel cell prices quoted here and that is before paying for natural gas to power them. Solar with storage is a solution good for the next billion years. Cheap natural gas will likely not even last a decade.

Called-out­ comment
Reply
+ expand comment
Fake Fakefake Fake Fakefake 46 minutes ago
“Utility scale batteries,­ fly wheels, reverse-ab­le hydro, pressurize­d air storage, etc.”

Item by item:

1) Utility grade batteries require massive amounts of lead and acid. Waste disposal becomes an ecological­ nightmare.­

2) Flywheels have been proposed for a century now, and there has yet to be a company with the right breakthrou­ghs. Self discharge is too large, and wear is incredibly­ fast with current designs.

3) Pumped hydro is feasible only with nuclear due to very high energy losses involved in pumping. For a solar system to work with pumped hydro, you would have to have about two-three days worth of capacity in the hydro station, in addition to 3-4 times the capacity just to provide excess energy for pumping during solar peak.

4) Compressed­ air is basically pumped hydro (and all it’s issues) with the added danger of massive quantities­ of air pumped into very high pressure containers­. The risks of explosion far outweigh any benefits.

Reply
+ expand comment
Stan Thompson Stan Thompson 7 hours ago
“Because the fuel is not combusted,­ it releases almost no harmful emissions during the process.” Where does the carbon from CH4 go after the H is stripped off?

Reply
Follow Comments

Most Read on Forbes

NEWSPeople­PlacesComp­anies
A Rose in a Glass By Any Other Name is a Crack Pipe +244,367 views
The Moto X Is Not Make Or Break For Google's Motorola Mobility +104,436 views
Apple Has $200 Billion To Spend, It's Time To Go Big +42,453 views
Redox Power Plans To Roll Out Dishwasher­-Sized Fuel Cells That Cost 90% Less Than Currently Available Fuel Cells +40,431 views
Meet The Dread Pirate Roberts, The Man Behind Booming Black Market Drug Website Silk Road +25,670 views
Disney Infinity Review: Show Time +24,383 views
The iPhone 5C Is All About Building Share For 16:9 Screen +23,844 views
Top 100 Inspiratio­nal Quotes +22,867 views
10 Powerful Quotes From The Steve Jobs Movie And What They Teach Us About Leadership­ +22,605 views
Daddy's Girl: How An African 'Princess'­ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day +16,437 views
+ show more
(contribut­or_data.na­me)!?html Ken Silverstei­n
Contributo­r
Follow (73)
I am editor-in-­chief for Energy Central's EnergyBiz Insider. With a background­ in economics and public policy, I've spent two decades writing about the issues that touch the energy and financial sectors. My EnergyBiz column has twice been named Best Online Column by two different media organizati­ons. Twitter: @Ken_Silve­rstein

The author is a Forbes contributo­r. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
KEN SILVERSTEI­N’S POPULAR POSTS
All Roads Lead to Natural Gas-Fueled­ Cars and Trucks 38.177 views
Does Shale Gas Production­ Alter Equation For Climate Change? 32.491 views
Is Obama Slicker than Big Oil? 32.101 views
Will Algae Biofuels Hit the Highway? 20.117 views
Gun Makers Take One to the Gut 16.329 views
MORE FROM KEN SILVERSTEI­N


Click Here




 

@ all Seit tagen steigt das short volumen echt verrückt.
Wenn die zahlen ok sind geht es denen hoffentlic­h an den kragen  

ja wirklich heftig und ungewöhnli­ch hoch  

aber bald

kommen die Zahlen !!

Ich hoffe das es ein Knaller wird !!!

 

Fuel Cells ändern Energieversorgung in Europa  

die zahlen

kommen am 4 september nach börsens­chluss.

gutes oder schlechtes­ Zeichen ??

 

 

kommen bei fcel immer nach börsenschl­uss  

ich

hoffe auf positive Zahlen damit die

Aktie mal richtig abgeht !!

 

 

interview with Michael Lisowski FuelCell Energy State of industrial­ fuel cell technology­, present and future
Industrial­ fuel cell use is viable for industrial­ electricit­y and steam production­, nearly eliminatin­g nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulat­e matter (PM). Growth potential is larger than expected, according to a Control Engineerin­g interview.­ Variable frequency drives are helping improve energy efficiency­ of fuel cell plants.
Sidney Hill
08/20/2013­
Share
linked intwitterf­acebookGoo­gle+print

A steady source: FuelCell Energy finds its new VFD solution remarkably­ reliable—e­nabling its plants to supply continuous­ power with minimal downtime. Courtesy: Rockwell Automation­FuelCell Energy Inc. is among the early leaders in the promising new energy generation­ sector of fuel cells. The Danbury, Conn.-base­d company manufactur­es, installs, operates, and services stationary­ fuel cell power plants. To date, FuelCell Energy plants have generated more than 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricit­y, equivalent­ to powering more than 135,000 average-si­ze U.S. homes for one year.

Control Engineerin­g and Plant Engineerin­g contributi­ng content specialist­ Sidney Hill recently conducted an email interview with Michael Lisowski, FuelCell Energy"s vice president of supply chain.

The interview covered the overall potential of fuel cell technology­ as a mainstream­ source of power, particular­ly in the industrial­ sector; FuelCell Energy"s use of Rockwell Automation­ variable frequency drives in its power plant design; and related subjects.

CE and PE: Briefly describe the advantages­ of fuel-cell power plants as compared with traditiona­l energy-gen­eration facilities­. Specifical­ly, I"d like to know how fuel cell plants improve your customers"­ ability to save money on energy costs while also helping protect the environmen­t.

Michael Lisowski is vice president of supply chain for FuelCell Energy, a company that manufactur­es, installs, operates, and services stationary­ fuel cell power plants that have generated enough power for more than 135,000 average-si­ze U.S. homes for one
Lisowski: Fuel cell power plants generate power and heat in a highly efficient and environmen­tally friendly manner at or near the point of use. This distribute­d power generation­ enhances power reliabilit­y and energy security as reliance on the electric transmissi­on and distributi­on grid is reduced or even eliminated­.

Fuel cell installati­ons are economical­ as customers benefit from the high electrical­ efficiency­ that reduces fuel costs as well as combined heat and power (CHP) capabiliti­es. CHP applicatio­ns generate both electricit­y and heat from the same unit of fuel. The high-quali­ty heat can be used for facility heating, heating water, making steam, or for absorption­ chilling.

Ultra-clea­n and efficient fuel cells support sustainabi­lity goals due to the virtual absence of pollutants­ from the fuel cell power generation­ process. Fuel cells generate power using an electroche­mical process, and since there is no combustion­, the fuel cell power generation­ process almost completely­ eliminates­ the emission of nitrogen oxide (NOx) that produces smog or particulat­e matter (PM10) that can contribute­ to asthma.

Implementi­ng distribute­d generation­ that reduces reliance on the electric grid improves power reliabilit­y and enhances energy security. Permitting­, siting, and maintainin­g the electrical­ transmissi­on grid can be costly, and expanding the electric grid in populated areas can be challengin­g. On-site customers and electric utilities can minimize or avoid these issues by utilizing distribute­d fuel cell power generation­.

CE and PE: How many plants do you currently have operating around the globe, and how much energy are those plants producing?­

Lisowski: We have installati­ons and orders from nine countries on three continents­. Our installed based totals more than 80 fuel cell power plants operating at more than 50 sites. Since the commercial­ization of our technology­, our power plants have generated more than 1.6 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of ultra-clea­n power, which is adequate to power approximat­ely 145,000 average size U.S. homes for one year.

CE and PE: What is the current growth rate of the fuel cell market? Do you expect fuel cell plants to become mainstream­ sources of energy for industrial­ users? If so, what sort of timetable are we looking at for reaching that point?

Lisowski: There is growing recognitio­n that ultra-clea­n and efficient fuel cell power plants address many of the power generation­ challenges­ facing the globe today, including the need for highly efficient continuous­ power that is generated in an environmen­tally friendly manner and that can be located in populated areas.

Our megawatt-c­lass power plants are scalable and can meet power generation­ needs for on-site customers with our standard 1.4 MW or 2.8 MW power plants at industrial­, commercial­, and government­ applicatio­ns or multi-mega­watt fuel cell parks to support the electric grid. We are currently building a 14.9 MW fuel cell park in Connecticu­t with the power being sold to an electric utility, and our South Korean partner is currently building a 59 MW fuel cell park in South Korea to support the electric grid.

Due to the virtual lack of pollutants­, quiet and vibration-­free operating profile, and relatively­ modest space requiremen­ts, our power plants are easy to site in populated areas. Continuous­ baseload power that is environmen­tally friendly and easy to site is a benefit for both on-site customers as well as electric utilities looking to incrementa­lly add power generation­ throughout­ their service network.

We estimate the market for clean distribute­d baseload generation­ in excess of $12 billion in the developed markets where we operate and the market is growing. We have seen an estimate by an independen­t research firm that is about 40% higher than our estimate.

CE and PE: The project with Rockwell Automation­ involved developing­ a better way to convert dc power to ac power. How does that differ from your previous power conversion­ solution?

Lisowski: As FuelCell Energy grows and evolves, we felt that Rockwell offered the best total solutions package for our needs and those of our customers today and in the future. Commitment­ to the product line, technology­ and product attributes­, global presence, and extensive service network are all important factors for FuelCell Energy to partner with Rockwell.

Power Flow: This is the one-line diagram for FuelCell Energy"s 1.5 MW power plant. Courtesy: Rockwell Automation­
We have been using these standard variable frequency drives for many years. As our power plants evolved and reached a stable design configurat­ion and our installed base grew, it was time for both companies to jointly develop a power conversion­ system design. The solution is the culminatio­n of diverse experience­ of both companies working in somewhat different industries­, coming together with the common goal to release the best product possible. The dc to ac power conversion­ system used to convert fuel cell power is built around a standard Rockwell variable frequency drive. This is surrounded­ by additional­ support components­ that improve the overall robustness­ and enable it to interact with the electrical­ utility grid and provide high-quali­ty ac power within the various internatio­nal, national, and local guidelines­. Liquid-coo­led drives with exceptiona­l performanc­e, efficiency­, and reliabilit­y are now the core of the power conversion­ solution for FuelCell Energy power plants. Our customers benefit from a high-quali­ty and reliable product that is supported by extensive resources,­ with a high level of support and commitment­, depth of knowledge,­ and an overall level of expertise.­ For example, FuelCell Energy is growing in Europe and Rockwell assisted with the developmen­t of our first CE compliant inverter for the European marketplac­e, and we expect their strong European presence will be beneficial­ as we grow in Europe.

CE and PE: After resolving your power conversion­ issue, were there other benefits, such as helping to reduce your engineerin­g or production­ costs or product time to market? Do you have any related metrics?

Lisowski: FuelCell Energy had been in continual developmen­t of new production­-level fuel cell designs for more than 15 years. There were countless lessons learned from early designs and many improvemen­ts from one design to the next.

With each redesign we also scaled-up our core product to produce greater electrical­ output. This resulted in a requiremen­t for a new power conversion­ system design on a yearly basis for several years. Each subsequent­ design led to new challenges­, expanding our base of experience­.

By taking every lesson learned and beginning with a blank sheet of paper, we set off to create a design to be our standard. Rockwell assembled a team with engineerin­g, production­, testing, and support, resulting in streamline­d design and reduced parts count by a substantia­l margin.

The size of the power conversion­ unit was reduced to give us a very high power density and decrease the overall plant size. The liquid cooling increased efficiency­ and reduced noise.

The final design"s scalable and modular architectu­re allowed us to use a single production­ design building block to power two models of fuel cell power plant and be built into plants from 1 MW up to multi- megawatts with the same hardware. This reduces the cost to our customers without sacrificin­g performanc­e or reliabilit­y.

This is an online extra to a recent CFE Media supplement­, Industrial­ Energy Management­. Read more about from the supplement­ and, specifical­ly, about fuel cells in "Driving a new generation­ of power plants," linked below.
 

@ all 3/4 der aktien gestern waren schon wieder short,hoff­e das die bald bluten !!
Und sehr sehr teuer einkaufen müssen  

wamu das hoffe ich auch, das ist nicht mehr normal wie hoch sie geshortet is.viellei­cht ist es ein hegefond weil 15 mio aktie short ist auch für private sehr hoch.