FCT Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Proving Performance and Cutting Costs

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Under phase 1 of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), Fuel Cell Technologies Corporation (FCT) (CDNX:FCT) (Kingston, Ontario) has finalized the first half of a four year $3.6 million contract with Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation (SWPC).

While FCT's scope of work on the SECA program primarily relates to system integration and balance of plant work. It also includes engineering and testing support of SWPC's solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) module. The overall objective of the SECA program is to develop SOFC systems that have broad applicability via the use of mass customization techniques which are, in turn, applicable to stationary, mobile and military applications with minimal differences in core module components. In Phase 1 of the SECA programme, FCT's work is directed toward a next generation 5 to 7 kW SOFC system that provides both electricity and heat for residential and remote applications.

In addition to moving the residential systems to a new level, additional deliverables include a conceptual design for a 3TO 10Kw SOFC auxiliary power unit (APU) for use in the automotive industry and a definitive work plan for Phase 2 of the SECA program. FCT can use the intellectual property relating to system integration and balance of plant that it develops under the contract on a nonexclusive basis subject to the patent rights and adequate recognition of the US government provisions of the contract.

As a member of the SECA team FCT has the opportunity to work with high profile, multi-sector international companies to reduce SOFC costs. The other team members are Blasch Precison Ceramics, Lennox Industries, the Trane Company, Dominion Resources, Ford Motor Company, Eaton Corporation and Newport News.

FCT have recently received five purchase contracts worth a total of $700,000. These include a 5kW SOFC for the University of Alaska at Fairbanks that will run on natural gas and undergo testing of its combined heat and power capacity for arctic conditions. The university plans to test the performance and reliability of the system for later use to provide electricity and heat for part of the campus. The FCT unit will have communication capability so that FCT can demonstrate its remote monitoring as well as provide real- time service support.

Another Alaskan contract is from the Alaskan Support Office in Anchorage for a 5kW SOFC system for installation at Exit Glacier in the Kenjai Fjords national Park. As with units previously ordered by Bonneville Power for Yosemite national park, the units will operate on propane.

Further purchases by US government and defense related agencies and companies will be significant in satisfying a number of organizations on the viability and reliability of FCT units. The company has also started work with the Ford Motor Company on a fuel cell project that tests the capability of the company's 5kW SOFC unit.