Indias National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has developed an efficient, low-cost electrolyte for hydrogen-based fuel cells. NCL researchers have innovated a variant of polybenzimidazole a type of polymer used in making spacesuits that can be used as an electrolyte.

As making fuel cells that use pure hydrogen is prohibitively expensive, scientists make do with the cheaper diluted hydrogen. Diluted hydrogen, however, has its set of problems such as a higher working temperature and corrosive reactions that reduce performance of the cells. The polybenzimidazole variant promises to be an electrolyte that can get around these problems, said Dr. K. Vijayamohan, a senior NCL scientist.

Most hydrogen fuel cells currently use DuPonts Nafion polymer. The NCL polybenzimidazole variant will be at least 100 times cheaper to manufacture than Nafion, said Dr. Vijayamohan. The new electrolyte is superior to Nafion as it is resistant to carbon monoxide and works efficiently at 150C, he said, while Nafion doesnt tolerate temperatures above 80C. However, crucial parameters on the variants viability, such as how many hours it could run without a replacement, remain to be verified.

Source: www.livemint.com

Power Air, start-up company in the United States, says next year it will introduce a small portable power pack that employs zinc-air fuel cell technology developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The technology an alternative to lithium-ion battery or hydrogen fuel cell creates an electrical current by exposing a zinc solution to the oxygen in air. Power Airs product line, called ZAFC PowerPacks, is aimed at people who need an auxiliary source to extend power of a cell phone for another hour at the end of the day.

In a zinc-air battery or fuel cell, zinc powder or pellets are fed into an electrolyte solution. Exposing the solution to air causes a chemical reaction that starts the flow of electricity. With the ZAFC Powerpack, the consumer would open a lid on the pack to get the current flowing. Inside is a gel that contains the zinc powder and electrolyte. The technology has many advantages over existing battery technologies and that zinc is a better energy source than, say, lithium. Zinc is already used in many products, including batteries, and it is abundant. It has high energy density, which means that batteries or fuel cells can pack more power into a given space as compared with other batteries. It is also safe, and the material can be recycled.

Source: news.cnet.com

In the Netherlands, a collaboration between Bredenoord and NedStack Fuel Cell Technology BV has resulted in the development of Purity, a prototype mobile power generator based on fuel cells. Purity is free from polluting emissions such as oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur and can be used wherever AC power is needed. The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack sees to the conversion of hydrogen into electricity, water and heat. The system can produce 4 kW power for about 40 hours with standard hydrogen cylinders.

NedStacks fuel cell technology is at the base of the Purity power generator. Purity is mobile and works off-grid. The power supply comes with a high efficiency of 40-60 per cent, and zero vibration, sound and hazardous emissions. Contact: Mrs. Margien Storm van Leeuwen, NedStack Fuel Cell Technology BV, P.O. Box 5167, 6802 ED Arnhem, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (26) 319 7600; Fax: +31 (26) 319 7601; E-mail: margien.stormvanleeuwen@nedstack.com.

Source: www.fuelcellmarkets.com

Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have leveraged their know-how of liquid hydrogen handling to design and develop hydrogen fuel cells to run automobile buses. ISRO and Tata Motors agreed in 2006 to design and develop an automobile bus that uses hydrogen fuel cell, says Mr. V. Gnana Gandhi, ISROs honorary adviser. Technical specifications for all the elements and general specifications for the bus, along with the preliminary and detailed design review for all components and sub-systems, have been completed, Mr. Gandhi added. Tata Motors is working on the locomotive and handling systems of the bus. The first proto-model has already been assembled.

Source: www.indiaedunews.net