Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

New Fuel Cell Twice As Efficient As Generators

Posted by kdawson on from the when-and-how-much dept.

Hank Green writes "A new kind of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell has been developed that can consume any kind of fuel, from hydrogen to bio-diesel; it is over two times more efficient than traditional generators. Acumentrics is attempting to market the technology to off-grid applications (like National Parks) and also for home use as personal Combined Heat and Power plants that are extremely efficient (half as carbon-intensive as grid power.)"

5 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. The Product Page by Evets · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here's a direct link to the fuel cells: http://www.acumentrics.com/products-power-generato rs.htm

    1. Re:The Product Page by WED+Fan · · Score: 5, Informative

      5 kW unit is $175,000

      Wow, and at HomeDepot, I can get a 7kW Generator with a 12 hour run-time @ half usage, for around $550. Sure, it produces carbons, but, I'm willing to bet that if the price of gasoline doubled, I still wouldn't be able to off-lay the cost of the fuel cell in this lifetime.

      The trick to getting the American public to switch to greener alternative power systems is:

      • Make it cheaper than the current system
      • Demonstrate that it screws OPEC and Oil and Power Corporations
      • Make it tax exempt for the first 10 years (thus demonstrating you are screwing the Government, as well
      • Make it the next entreup...entr...next great business to break into. In otherwords, make it so Joe Bluecollar can install the powerplant into a home, turn it into a business of taking Bob Whitecollar off the grid, thus, allowing early to market Joe Bluecollars to become the next set of millionaires.

      Oh, did I mention that it should demonstrate the ability to SCREW over OPEC, Government, and Corporations?

      --
      Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
  2. To clear up a few questions by tygerstripes · · Score: 4, Informative
    Wiki it, for pity's sake. (Okay, hardly scientific research, but...)

    For what it's worth:

    • Research & engineering has reduced startup time from 8 hours to more like a few minutes
    • There are several automotive companies (Delphi, BMW, Rolls-Royce) looking into the use of SOFCs
    • Hydrogen fuel-cells are a false economy on their own - they are for energy STORAGE, not generation. SOFCs however are very, very efficient generators, and portable to boot. They're just also incredibly expensive ATM.
    Okay, that last one wasn't from wikipedia, but it needed saying.
    --
    Meta will eat itself
  3. 5kw Back up plan by Martix · · Score: 4, Informative

    5k diesel is $1500 around here.

    I am planing a hybrid system for the house when we get one.
    will consist of Outback inverters, batteries, little solar wind/panels and last but not least is a generator.

    The idea is during a short power outage run off batteries - if it is a long one the generator will start up and
    charge the batteries. the solar and wind will be added in stages starting with the pannels

    Using CFL's for lighting and auto transfer of vital circuts to the back up system. ie Beer fridge

    The idea is that the generator will run at 80-90% load instead of wide fluctuations of 10-90 % the difference is is 2 - 4 hours of run time to a tank so i will use less fuel during a longer outage.

    Also being conservative on power consumtion during that time i can even extend my fuel supply

    Can also get exaust to water exchanger and use it to help heat the house in winter if needed.

    The big advantage is that i can handle larger surge loads then just useing a generator which would have to be 2 to 3 time as large for start up of motors and short peak loads. Ie well pump and sump pump were rural.

    Will cost more then just the generator but is way less the $175,000

  4. Re:Any kind of fuel?? by mprinkey · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, it can, but you need to gasify the coal first to create syngas (steam + coal --> CO + H2). Both CO and H2 can be oxidized in a solid-oxide fuel cell. There is a lot of research being done in these areas by the USDOE. I've worked on both SOFC (wrote a CFD model for SOFCs) and gasification (writing a CFD model model for fluidized bed gasification reactors). The "Next-Gen" power plant designs basically take in coal, gasify it, run it through a fuel cell, burn the effluent gas, run it through a turbine topping cycle, and finally separate out the CO2 and sequester it. The overall system efficiencies are quite good and can produce industrial CO2. There is more information here:

    http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems /vision21/