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News2004 09 - 12, 2004

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August

1. The lifetime of the kerosene reforming catalyst reached 30,000 hours or longer 2. New nonplatinum catalyst for hydrogen generation 3. New environmental transmission electron microscope for real-time observing a growing process of carbon nanotube 4. NEC Realizes Control of Position & Diameter of Carbon Nanotube - Technology that contributes to electronic devices utilizing carbon nanotubes -

August

1. The lifetime of the kerosene reforming catalyst reached 30,000 hours or longer A lifetime of the catalyst (rutheniums) for reforming kerosene reached 30,000 hours or longer, announced by Petroleum Energy Center (PEC) and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. This figure shows that the lifetime of the kerosene reforming catalyst remarkably approaches 40,000 hours, required for commercial products of fuel cells. The lifetime of this kind of catalyst, found in the theses in this field, is 9,000 hours at most. In the test, commercially available kerosene that was desulfurized to have a sulfur concentration of 0.2ppm was reformed into hydrogen at a reforming rate of 100% in the presence of catalyst, and no deterioration of the catalyst performances was confirmed in this condition. (See No. 4 in "FC-News Review" August 13 to 29) Petroleum Energy Center (PEC) : http://www.pecj.or.jp/english/index_e.html Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. : www.idemitsu.co.jp/agri. 2. New nonplatinum catalyst for hydrogen generation A combination of a cobalt complex and a manganese oxide may be used for the electrodes of the PEFC and DMFC, instead of the platinum catalyst. This fact was confirmed by a researcher group including Professor Takeo Osaka in Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering of Tokyo Institute of Technology in their basic experiments. The experiment showed that the new catalyst or the nonplatinum catalyst was inferior to the platinum catalyst in the electric power extracting ability. In a static oxidizing and reducing ability measurement, the ability of the new catalyst was comparable with that of the platinum. However, the ability of the new catalyst will exceed that of the platinum if the structure and the particle diameter of the catalyst are properly controlled in a nanometer level. If the new catalyst is used for the air electrodes in the PEFC and DMFC, the amount of platinum used for the whole fuel cell will considerably be reduced. Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering in Tokyo Institute of Technology : http://www.igs.titech.ac.jp/index-e.html 3. New environmental transmission electron microscope for real-time observing a growing process of carbon nanotube Professor Takeda and his group in Graduate School of Science of Osaka University will start development of a new environmental transmission electron microscope for the purpose of observing an initial growing process of carbon nanotube (CNT) in real time, and is to complete till autumn 2005. The following reasons triggered the development. As is known, the physical properties (e.g., metallic, semiconductive and insulative properties) of the CNT depend on a way in which the nanotube is wound. Atom arrangement of the CNT is determined in an initial stage of a CNT growing process. Therefore, if a mechanism of an initial growing process of the CNT is made clear, one can form a CNT having desired physical properties by controlling the carbon atom arrangement. A little is known about a mechanism that allows a CNT to grow from a nanocatalyst in chemical vapor deposition. The environmental transmission electron microscopes are currently operating at several locations throughout the world; however, none of them is incapable of controlling the way in which the CNT is wound. Graduate School of Science of Osaka University : http://www.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/index.html 4. NEC Realizes Control of Position & Diameter of Carbon Nanotube - Technology that contributes to electronic devices utilizing carbon nanotubes - http://www.nec.com/global/what/index.html 6. Development of a self-operation type hydrogen supplying system starts The hydrogen supplying system utilizes DME (dimethyl ether) to generate hydrogen, and is capable of continuing the hydrogen supply even in the event that it is disconnected from a commercial electric power distribution network. The hydrogen supplying system will be used for the continuous hydrogen supply mainly to hydrogen stations and SOFC and effectively functions at the time of disaster and in regions having the commercial electric power distribution network insufficiently laid. The DME generates clean energy having many advantages. It can be manufactured from a variety of and inexpensive materials, such as coal, natural gas and biomass, has no sulfur content, and generates a less amount of carbon dioxide. Further, it can be reformed at low temperature. The system development is performed jointly by J power and Sumitomo Seika Chemicals co., Ltd. J Power : http://www.jpower.co.jp/english/index.html Sumitomo Seika Chemicals co., Ltd.: http://www.sumitomoseika.co.jp/english/index.html

September

September

1. Fuel-Cell Battery Suitable for Laptops 2. World's First Success in High Temperature Operation for over 2,000 Hours

1. Fuel-Cell Battery Suitable for Laptops Materials & Energy Research Institute Tokyo, Ltd. developed a fuel-cell for laptops. A cell size is 3 cm (high) x 2 cm (width) x 1 mm (deep), and a cell weight is 5 g. To produce an output power of 25W, 50 cells are stacked. The company seeks companies outside Japan that desire to use the technology of the fuel-cell battery. MERIT (Materials & Energy Research Institute Tokyo, Ltd.) http://merit.jp.hydrogen.co.jp/ KUCEL (Kogakuin University Chemical Energy Laboratory): http://kucel.hydrogen.co.jp/index.html H-Gene Tech Alliance: http://alliance.hydrogen.co.jp/

2. World's First Success in High Temperature Operation for over 2,000 Hours - Using an MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY with a Fluorine-based Membrane - Demonstrates Excellent Durability by 120 degree Celsius Continuous Operation Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. : http://www.agc.co.jp/english/news/2004/0928_e.pdf 2. SOFC Using Town Gas: 55 % is the power generating efficiency and 3000 hours are the endurance time TOTO Ltd ( http://www.toto.co.jp/company/press/2004/09/17.htm) succeeded in developing a stack of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having the world top level power generating efficiency and a long endurance time. The SOFC has an output power of 1.5kW and uses town gas. These excellent features are based on the ceramic electrodes manufactured by the slurry coating process originally developed TOTO, of which the core technology is the ceramics pottery manufacturing technology. Use of the ceramic electrodes remarkably reduces an inner resistance of the cylindrical cell. Gas flow and temperature within a module (consisting of cell stacks) are uniformized. 3. New element of At. No. 113 is found RIKEN (http://www.riken.go.jp/engn/index.html) found a new element of At. No. 113. Zinc �iAt. No. 30�jwas shot to bismuth (At. No. 83) to synthesize one atomic nucleus. At the instant the atomic nucleus was synthesized, it underwent successive four alpha disintegrations and the subsequent spontaneous fission to disintegrate. It was concluded that an atomic nucleus of At. No. 113 was synthesized, from the successive atomic disintegrations and the disintegration energy. The details of this will be described in Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, October 2004: http://jpsj.ipap.jp.

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October

October

1. 280 degrees of centigrade: Temperature for synthesizing multilayer carbon nanotubes 2. Study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack starts 3. 500g per Hour; Route is opened to Mass Production of Carbon Nanocoils 4. New organic-inorganic composite film capable of controlling a permeability to a gas and a liquid 5. Fuel-cell catalyst technology utilizing glucose 6. Another nonplatinum catalyst for fuel cells 7. 280 degrees of centigrade: Temperature for synthesizing multilayer carbon nanotubes 8. 13% increase: photoelectric conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell 9. Sanyo electric Co., Ltd. and Osaka University cooperate to develop a technology for using carbon nanotubes for the electrode of the electric double layer capacitor (ECS 2004) 10. micrometer: Width of a nickel bump on an LSI electrode 11. Basic agreement on an establishment of a joint company for lithium secondary battery plates 12. Study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack starts 13. Companies selected for study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack 14. Mazda to Unveil Two-Seat Sports Car Concept and Hydrogen Rotary Engine at 2003 Tokyo Motor Show 15. NEC Presents a Fuel-Cell Integrated Note PC in WPC EXPO 2004 16. Small Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle by Toyota 17. Bendable/Expandable Solar Cell Panel by Sharp 18. Voltage/Resistance Measuring Instrument for Fuel Cell Stacks

1. 280 degrees of centigrade: Temperature for synthesizing multilayer carbon nanotubes Multilayer carbon nanotubes, which are expected to be hydrogen absorbing materials for use with fuel cells, have successfully been synthesized at 280 degrees of centigrade by Professor Yutaka Ishikawa in Nippon Institute of Technology. The synthesizing temperature is very low when compared with 500 degrees of centigrade or higher in the conventional synthesizing process. A hot filament CVD method was used for the synthesizing. Alcohol was dissolved by a tungsten filament heated at about 1,600 degrees of centigrade, and the resultant was blown onto metal catalyst heated at 280 degrees of centigrade. A diameter of the synthesized multilayer carbon nanotube was 3 to 20nm. The synthesizing process allows one to use a low heat-resistant material, such as glass or plastic, for a substrate, and enables one to synthesize the multilayer carbon nanotubes by a simple and low-cost synthesizing process. Institute of Technology: http://www.nit.ac.jp/OVERSEAS/index.html 2. Study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack starts New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has started the study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack. How to increase the lifetime and endurance of the fuel cell stack. Clear solutions to this problem are essentially provided before the current automotive and residential PEFCs step up onto the practical use stage. The study results will enable one to grasp an initial stack deterioration phenomenon and to set up the guidelines for the study of analyzing deterioration factors. Clear understanding of the initial stack deterioration phenomenon will explain mechanisms of stack deterioration phenomena continuing over a long term when the stack is operated in actual stack conditions, and lead to a deterioration acceleration testing methodology. NEDO: http://www.nedo.go.jp/informations/koubo/161007_2/161007_2.html 3. 500g per Hour; Route is opened to Mass Production of Carbon Nanocoils A technology for mass producing carbon nanocoils (CNCs) has been developed by professor Nakayama and his group in Osaka Prefecture University. The CNC was synthesized in the gaseous phase and at the rate of 500g/hour. An acetylene gas (carbon source) and a powder catalyst covered with an ion oxide, an indium and a tin oxide were fed to a reaction furnace of a vertical thermochemical vapor growth method, which is operating at 700 degrees of centigrade and normal pressure�DThe CNC was synthesized during a period of several minutes when passing through the furnace. The diameter of the resultant CNC was 100 to 500 nanometer (nm), and depends on the particle diameter of the powder particle. The CNC is able to absorb electromagnetic waves. A frequency of the electromagnetic wave to be absorbed depends on the diameter of the CNC. Osaka Prefecture University: http://www.osakafu-u.ac.jp/kikaku/etest/index-e.html 4. New organic-inorganic composite film capable of controlling a permeability to a gas and a liquid A New organic-inorganic composite film which is capable of controlling a permeability to a gas and a liquid has been developed by Professor Hiroshi Kawakami in Tokyo Metropolitan University. Only a surface of a high polymer material is made to be a mesh-like inorganic material (carbon) by irradiating the high polymer material with ions. The mesh size depends on a kind of ion used. A permeability of the polymer material to a liquid may also be controlled if the surface layer is perforated, with a plasma, to have perforation holes each having a diameter of 1nm or shorter. Tokyo Metropolitan University: http://www.metro-u.ac.jp/index-e.html 5. Fuel-cell catalyst technology utilizing glucose A new fuel cell system utilizing glucose for generating electricity has been disclosed by a researcher group by Kumamoto University and Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd., in �gECS 2004�h. Usual fuels for the fuel cell are hydrogen gas and methanol. Kumamoto University: http://www.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/univ-e.html Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd.: http://panasonic.co.jp/ 6. Another nonplatinum catalyst for fuel cells Toyota central res. & dev. Inc. has disclosed, in �gECS 2004�h, a new catalyst utilizing an organic complex containing Co as the center metal for the catalyst of the fuel cell. Toyota central res. & dev. Inc. http://www.tytlabs.co.jp/eindex.html 7. 280 degrees of centigrade: Temperature for synthesizing multilayer carbon nanotubes Multilayer carbon nanotubes, which are expected to be hydrogen absorbing materials for use with fuel cells, have successfully been synthesized at 280 degrees of centigrade by Professor Yutaka Ishikawa in Nippon Institute of Technology. The synthesizing temperature is very low when compared with 500 degrees of centigrade or higher in the conventional synthesizing process. A hot filament CVD method was used for the synthesizing. Alcohol was dissolved by a tungsten filament heated at about 1,600 degrees of centigrade, and the resultant was blown onto metal catalyst heated at 280 degrees of centigrade. A diameter of the synthesized multilayer carbon nanotube was 3 to 20nm. The synthesizing process allows one to use a low heat-resistant material, such as glass or plastic, for a substrate, and enables one to synthesize the multilayer carbon nanotubes by a simple and low-cost synthesizing process. Institute of Technology: http://www.nit.ac.jp/OVERSEAS/index.html 8. 13% increase: photoelectric conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell A researcher group of RIKEN and Hokkaido University has succeeded in increasing the photoelectric conversion efficiency (per dye molecule) of the dye-sensitized solar cell by 13%. This figure results from the improvement of titanium oxide that provides an electric conduction path from the dye to the electrode. Regularity was given to a surface structure of the titanium oxide. The result was that it behaved as a photonic crystal, and light is efficiently confined. RIKEN: http://www.riken.go.jp/engn/index.html Hokkaido University: http://www.hokudai.ac.jp/bureau/e/index-e.html #: "13%:" in the title was not correct as pointed out by Dr. Uchida. "13%:" has been corrected to "13% increase:". Dr. Uchida: Authority on the dye-sensitized solar cell in Japan (http://kuroppe.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp/~uchida) His recent achievement: Press release news, Sept 15, 2004, JCN network (http://www.japancorp.net/search.asp) 9. Sanyo electric Co., Ltd. and Osaka University cooperate to develop a technology for using carbon nanotubes for the electrode of the electric double layer capacitor (ECS 2004) (Google japan: http://www.google.co.jp/) Sanyo electric Co., Ltd.: http://www.global-sanyo.com/index.html Osaka University�Fhttp://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/eng/sitemap.html 10. micrometer: Width of a nickel bump on an LSI electrode 1 micrometer is the width of a nickel bump formed on an electrode of the LSI. This figure is 1/15 of that of the conventional nickel bump width, and has been attained cooperatively by Atomnics Laboratory Inc. and a plating plating company. The electroless plating process was used. In the process, problem is present in which ion substitution between nickel and aluminum is more difficult with decrease of an opening part of the aluminum electrode. The pump is formed at the opening part. To cope with this, an additive for activating ions and a process for optimumly controlling the ion substitution were invented. Atomnics Laboratory Inc. : http://www.atomnics.com/ 11. Basic agreement on an establishment of a joint company for lithium secondary battery plates - Between Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. and Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. - Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. and Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. have reached a basic agreement on an establishment of a joint company for developing, manufacturing and selling lithium secondary battery plates. A new company will be established on January 1, 2005. An increasing trend of the market demand for the lithium secondary batteries will still continue. However, the market of the batteries will be tightened in particular in battery prices. To cope with this, it is essential to accelerate the technical development of the battery plate as a key component of the battery, and to further improve the cost and quality competitiveness. To this end, the coating technology and inking technology of Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. and the battery technology and the battery plate design technology by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. are combined. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. http://panasonic.co.jp/mbi/ Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. http://www.dnp.co.jp/index_e.html 12. Study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack starts New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has started the study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack. How to increase the lifetime and endurance of the fuel cell stack. This problem must be sovled before the current automotive and residential PEFCs step up onto the practical use stage. To this end, fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack must clearly be explained. If the mechanisms are clearly explained, one can grasp an initial stack deterioration phenomenon and it will be easy to analyze deterioration factors. Aclear understanding of the initial stack deterioration phenomenon will explain mechanisms of stack deterioration phenomena which continues over a long time when the stack is operated in actual conditions, and will lead to a deterioration acceleration testing methodology. NEDO: http://www.nedo.go.jp/informations/koubo/161007_2/161007_2.html 13. Companies selected for study of clarifying fundamental mechanisms of the PEFC stack Those companies are: Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Nippon Oil Corporation, Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd., Sanyo electric Co., Ltd., and Toshiba International Fuel Cells Corporation. Those companies will study progress of deterioration of PEFCs and deterioration of polymer membranes of PEFCs in various operation conditions. The study will be continued till July of the next year (2005). <<Nonplatinum Catalysts Already Reported>> Reference is made to "News Already Reported" in Fuel Cell japan. 1. Another nonplatinum catalyst for fuel cells Toyota central res. & dev. Inc. has disclosed, in "ECS 2004", a new catalyst utilizing an organic complex containing Co as the center metal for the catalyst of the fuel cell. Toyota central res. & dev. Inc. http://www.tytlabs.co.jp/eindex.html 2. Epoch-Making Nonplatinum Catalyst for Fuel Cells A combination of a cobalt complex and a manganese oxide may be used for the electrodes of the PEFC and DMFC, instead of the platinum catalyst. (August 30 to September 8, 2004) 4. Another non-platinum catalyst for the electrode of the micro fuel cell was developed by Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. Molybdenum oxide crystals are reduced to be 1nm in diameter by using the Maxell's unique technique. July 11 to 20, 2004) 5. New technology of manufacturing the anode electrode of a fuel cell by carbonizing a protein contained in blood, developed by Osaka Municipal Technical Research Institute. This technology eliminates the use of platinum, resulting in considerable cost reduction. (July 1 to 2, 2004) 14. Mazda to Unveil Two-Seat Sports Car Concept and Hydrogen Rotary Engine at 2003 Tokyo Motor Show The rotary engine is based on a dual fuel system in which two types of fuels, hydrogen and gasoline may be used. Hydrogen gas is directly injected from an electronically controlled hydrogen gas injector provided on the rotor housing. http://www.mazda.com/mnl/200310/ibuki.html 15. NEC Presents a Fuel-Cell Integrated Note PC in WPC EXPO 2004 NEC has developed a note PC (personal computer) into which a fuel cell unit is integrally incorporated as its power supply. In the conventional fuel-cell driven note PC, it was not intercoupled in operation with the power supply to the PC. Accordingly, it is necessary to drive the fuel cell unit before the PC operation. Electrically, the new PC has a remarkable feature in that the fuel cell unit serves as a main power supply. This is realized by incorporating a unique control system into the fuel cell unit. The control system optimumly controls the operation of the fuel cell in accordance with various conditions, such as start/stop of the PC, varying loads, and the fuel amount and density. Structurally, the PC has another remarkable feature in that the fuel cell unit is integrally incorporated into the PC main body by placing the fuel cell unit on the bottom of the PC main body. 16. Small Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle by Toyota Toyota will send a small FCHV to the 38th Tokyo Motor Show 2004 to be held on November 3 to 7 in Chiba. This hydrogen vehicle is featured in that the size is extremely small, and the fuel cell unit operates at high efficiency, and the roof panel is made of a material using kenaf as raw material in consideration of an environmental matter. For a photograph of the vehicle, click: http://www.toyota-body.co.jp/news/h16nendo/h161019.html. 4. Bendable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell with Electricity Storage Function Professor Miyasaka in Toin University of Yokohama has successfully developed a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell having an electricity storage function. A structure of the solar cell consists of an optical catalyst thin film and a capacitor thin film. The capacitor thin film is formed in an electrolyte part of the solar cell. The capacitor thin film is made of activated carbon. An amount of electricity stored in the capacitor film varies depending on a thickness of the capacitor film. The solar cell will find a variety of applications. Development of the solar cell into practical use will be cooperated with Showa Denko corporation. Professor Miyasaka: http://www.cc.toin.ac.jp/sc/miyasaka/index.html http://www.peccell.com/ http://www.cc.toin.ac.jp/UNIV/english/index.html Showa Denko corporation: http://www.sdk.co.jp/contents_e/news/index.htm 17. Bendable/Expandable Solar Cell Panel by Sharp Sharp corporation has developed a bendable and expandable solar cell panel. This solar cell panel will find a variety of applications. It can be carried in a rolled state. It may be attached to an umbrella, and used as a power supply to portable devices. A thickness of the solar cell is reduced to the half (100 micrometers or thinner) of that of the conventional fuel cell panel. A technique to cut the silicon into a thin film is developed. The solar cell is based on a unique silicon cutting technique capable of cutting the silicon into a thin film. The power generation efficiency is comparable with that of the conventional fuel cell panel. 18. Voltage/Resistance Measuring Instrument for Fuel Cell Stacks The selling of actual fuel cell equipment in the near future has motivated Eiwa corporation to start the selling of an instrument for measuring voltage and resistance of fuel cell stacks for a solid high polymer fuel cell on November. The instrument is capable of successively measuring voltage and resistance of 60 stacks. Measurement is performed for one second for each cell. The instrument size is 431 mm x 199 mm x 450mm. The price is about $10,000 US or over. Prospective selling destinations are fuel cell, automobile, and secondary battery manufacturers. Eiwa corporation: http://www.eiwa-net.co.jp/ 7. Photonic Film with Enormous Electro-Optical Conversion Capability Prepared through Aerosol

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November

November

1. FC EXPO 2005 is an international exhibition & conference featuring all kinds of technologies, equipment & products related to fuel cells & hydrogen http://www.fcexpo.jp/ 2. DMFCC (direct methanol fuel cell corporation) Opens Japanese Office Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) of Pasadena, California has opened an office in Tokyo to work closely with Japanese direct methanol fuel cell and portable electronics manufacturers. Mr. Tosh Komamura has been appointed as DMFCC Managing Director, Japan. Concurrently, a large Japanese company made a strategic equity investment in DMFCC. The identity of the investor will be revealed at a future date. For further information, see DMFCC DMFCC: http://www.dmfcc.com 3. Matsushita Reveals a Residential FC Cogenerating System and its Manufacturing Process The mass production of the fuel-cell (FC) cogenerating system is substantially in sight. 2008 is a start time of its real commercialization. About 10,000USdollars or less is a target price of the FC cogenerating system for the time being. An urban gas-based PEFC is employed of the revealed FC cogenerating system. The output power is 1 kW; the power generating efficiency is 32% or higher; the hot water supply efficiency is 44% or higher; the service life is 13,000 hours (practical service life 20,000 hours). 40% to 50% of the average electric power of one family is the power supplying capability of the FC cogenerating system. Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd. : http://panasonic.co.jp/ 4. PEFC within the category of a General Electric Structure ? NISA (nuclear and industrial safety agency) has gone to the work to revise the related regulations in order that the PEFC whose output power is smaller than 10kW falls within a category of a general electric structure. NISA has prepared 1) Proposed amendment to the technical standards on the thermal power generation equipment, 2) Proposed amendment to the interpretation on the same, and 3) Proposed amendment to the enforcement regulations of the lectric enterprise law, and announced to accept opinions on those proposed amendments. NISA: http://www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/index.htm 5. Development of a Hybrid Fuel-Cell & Wind Power Generator System Starts San-Esu Denki Tsushin Co., Ltd.. and Hokkaido University cooperate to develop a commecializable hybrid fuel-cell and wind power generator system as a combination of a wind power generator and a fuel cell. An output power of the wind power generator varies in accordance with a strength of wind. To stabilize the output power variation, the fuel cell is used. Hydrogen is generated by utilizing electricity generated by the wind power generator. If the generated hydrogen is stored in a suitable manner, there is no need for hydrogen transportation. An output power of the hybrid power generator system is about 850W. The hybrid power generator system will be commercialized within 2005. Hokkaido University: http://www.hokudai.ac.jp/bureau/e/index-e.html San-Esu Denki Tsushin Co., Ltd. : http://www.sanesu.co.jp/ 6. 100 Liters/Hour of Pure Hydrogen Gas at 100Vdc A pure hydrogen gas generator, developed by Nihon Julax (Kyoto: +75 953-3366), is capable of generating 99% or higher purity hydrogen gas at any time and any place by using water and electric power in a simple manner. 100 liters/hour is an amount of hydrogen gas generated when the car battery of 100Vdc is used. 240 liters/hour is that when the home power supply is used. Those figures were achieved by covering the electrode plate with a unique separator. 7. New Type Carbon Nanofibers A new type of carbon nanofibers, developed by TEIJIN Ltd., are suitable for the catalyst carriers of the fuel cell. The carbon nanofiber takes a radial structure, a parallel laminated structure or another structure. The new carbon nanofibers are good in electric/thermal conductivity, highly oriented in a direction and bioaffinity, and 200 to 500 nanometers in diameter. No metal is contained in the carbon nanofibers because of its formation by a unique spinning technique not using catalyst. This feature brings about good bioaffinity. TEIJIN Ltd.: http://www.teijin.co.jp/english/flash.html 8. New Catalyst for Hydrogen Storage by Japan Energy A trace of platinum is attached to aluminum oxide to form the new catalyst. No deterioration of the performance of the catalyst is observed after 2,700 hours use of the catalyst. 4000 hours is a target duration time in practical use. It seems that the catalyst has reached a technical level at which it is applicable for the hydrogen station for supplying hydrogen vehicles. Japan energy has studied technologies for storing and supplying hydrogen to hydrogen vehicles in cooperation with Professor Ichikawa in Hokkaido University Catalyst Research Center. In the study, organic hydride is used for absorbing and discharging hydrogen. The catalyst is used for accelerating the hydrogen absorbing/discharging reaction. Professor Ichikawa has some unique organic hydride technologies Japan Energy : http://www.j-energy.co.jp/cp/english/ Hokkaido University Catalyst Research Center: http://www.cat.hokudai.ac.jp/index.eng.html 1. MAZDA's RX-8 Hydrogen rotary Engine Car Test Runs on Public Roads MAZDA's RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine car, which employs a dual fuel system using hydrogen and gasoline, starts a test run on a public road. The RX-8 hydrogen car will be delivered to government offices and companies in lease sales within 2 years. The hydrogen rotary engine has excellent features. It emits no carbon dioxide and emits little nitrous oxide, and keeps a natural drive feeling indigenous to the internal combustion engine. Engine parts and production facilities, which have been used for producing the conventional rotary engines, are available for production of the new rotary engines. This fact indicates low production cost and high reliability. Use of the dual fuel system enables the new rotary engine car to run in areas where there is no hydrogen infrastructure. MAZDA seems to have a belief that the hydrogen rotary engine has a sufficient potential to realize a possibility that the internal combustion engine will continue to exist. MAZDA: http://www.mazda.com/mnl/200310/ibuki.html 2. Two Big Companies of the Matsushita Group Cooperate in Preparation for Full-Scale Mass Production of Residential FC-Based Cogeneration Systems The FC (fuel cell) development departments and the FC manufacturing departments of Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. will be combined into one FC development department and one FC manufacturing department, respectively, in preparation for full-scale FC mass production of residential FC-based cogeneration systems. In Japan, limited mass production of residential FC systems will start in 2005. The full-scale mass production of the cogeneration systems must be waited till 2008. Matsushita Electric Ind. will produce 150 fuel cell products in 2005. Matsushita Electric Works has completed a portable 250W butane-fueled fuel cell using the stacks of Ballard Power Systems, and has delivered a 1kW residential cogeneration system to Osaka gas and Nihon gas association. The FC technologies of both companies will be additively merged to provide product service life increase and cost reduction. Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd. http://panasonic.co.jp/ Matsushita Electric�@Works, Ltd. http://www.mew.co.jp/e/corp/index.html 3. "Magnet is solid.", reversed by professor Hamaguchi Professor Hamaguchi and graduate student Mr. Hayashi have discovered a new kind of liquid "a magnetic ionic liquid", which strongly reacts to a magnet. This liquid is a kind of an ionic liquid consisting of positive ions and negative ions. When the magnet ionic liquid is moved to near a magnet, it is strongly attracted to the magnet. Known examples of a fluid reacting to the magnet are a concentrated aqueous solution of magnetic metal salt, and oil into which magnetic powder is suspended, Those conventional liquids have difficulties in that the liquids are instable in their phases and each of those liquids tends to separate into solid and liquid. In marked contrast to those, the "magnetic ion liquid" possesses many excellent features proper to the ionic liquid: it is extremely stable, never volatiles, and is hard to be frozen. It is sure that unexpected applications of the new ionic liquid will be presented on us. The discovery will be described on "Chemistry Letters" 2004/12, issued by The Chemical Society of Japan". Some reagent makers has started production of the "magnetic ionic liquid". http://www.chemistry.or.jp/index-e.html School of Science, the University of Tokyo: http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/info/bmim.html 4. New Fuel Cell Eliminating a Big Hydrogen Generation Plant A new portable fuel cell, developed by Muroran Institute of Technology, is continuously operable for 20 hours when fed with only aluminum powder of 40g (about 1 USD) and water of 60cc. The fuel cell eliminates the necessity of a big plant for generating hydrogen. The fuel cell needs only three components, aluminum powder, water and oxygen in the air to generate hydrogen. The aluminum power may be formed from waste aluminum, and functions to separate hydrogen from water. At room temperature, the generated hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the air. Users have to wait about one year to get it at about 600 USD. Muroran Institute of Technology: http://www.muroran-it.ac.jp/index-e.html 5. DMFC Powered Information Display Terminal Presented by HITACHI This device is already reported by Fuel Cell Works, and is designed so as to be used in EXIPO 2005 AICHI as reported. The information display terminal named as "Nature Viewer" is portable and powered by a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell), and includes, as basic components, iVDRmini and a m-chip reader, in addition to the portable fuel cell, and further is provided with a 3.5-inch LCD display, and two select buttons. m-chips as extremely non-contact IC chips are buried in exhibits. The two buttons are for feeding forward and backward motion/still picture. When an exhibit attendee carrying the "Nature Viewer" approaches to a m-chip contained exhibit the attendee desires to view, and points it to the exhibit, the viewer device reads information from the m-chip contained in the exhibit by the m-chip reader and displays it on the LCD screen. The CPU contained in the device is "SH-Mobile" manufactured by Renesas Technology. Exactly, the power supply is a hybrid of a fuel cell and a lithium ion battery. It is capable of driving the viewer device continuously for 13 hours. In the viewer device, the fuel cell is a direct methanol fuel cell which discharges only carbon dioxide and water. An electrolyte membrane used was newly developed so as to impede methanol permeation. A highly activated electrode catalyst was also newly developed so as to efficiently extract energy from the methanol at room temperature. A method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is a combination of the electrolyte membrane and the electrode, was further developed newly. Additionally, a fuel cartridge for the DMFC was developed in cooperation with Tokai Corporation. The m-chip reader module was developed in cooperation with Yagi Antenna Inc. An LSI employing a part of the conventional m-chip reader circuit was used to realize a great size reduction. A thin antenna taking the form of a single substrate was used. HITACHI, Ltd.: http://www.hitachi.com/ Fuel Cell Woks: http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage1494.html 6. FC EXPO 2005 is an international exhibition & conference featuring all kinds of technologies, equipment & products related to fuel cells & hydrogen http://www.fcexpo.jp/ 7. DMFCC (direct methanol fuel cell corporation) Opens Japanese Office Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) of Pasadena, California has opened an office in Tokyo to work closely with Japanese direct methanol fuel cell and portable electronics manufacturers. Mr. Tosh Komamura has been appointed as DMFCC Managing Director, Japan. Concurrently, a large Japanese company made a strategic equity investment in DMFCC. The identity of the investor will be revealed at a future date. For further information, see DMFCC DMFCC: http://www.dmfcc.com 14-1 Cost-Reduction Competition Ends: Single-Layer Carbon Nanotube Production - 1/several hundreds (mass production cost: about 1000USD/g) - 500 times (nanotube length & of catalyst weight) - 2000 times (nanotube growing rate) - 99.98% (by-product impurity) = 2000 times (conventional impurity) 14-2. Toshiba and UTC Fuel Cells Agreed to Rearrange Fuel Cell Partnership Tokyo -- Toshiba Corporation today announced moves to reinforce its on-site fuel cell business, including positioning Toshiba International Fuel Cells (TIFC) as a wholly owned Toshiba subsidiary. http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2004_11/pr1701.htm 14-3. Efficient and Fine Discharge Machining of a Super Hard Alloy Succeeds Researcher Hisashi Minami in Machinery Group, Technology Research Institute of Osaka Prefecture http://www.tri.pref.osaka.jp/en/ succeeds in developing technique for discharge machining a super hard alloy by using a zinc alloy electrode (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN,LTD.(http://www.nikkan.co.jp/). This technique will find applications, for example, formation of the separator of the fuel cell. In the research, a copper mesh square, 0.8mm x 0.8mm was placed between a super hard alloy and a zinc alloy, and was used as an electrode. In this state, discharging operation was performed. The zinc alloy passed through the mesh to form a number of fine quadratic prisms. At the same time, reverse discharge was performed, so that the zinc alloy per se become an electrode. As a result, fine perforations were formed in a workpiece. The super hard alloy was machined while repeatedly forming the zinc electrodes. As a result, fine perforations of 0.25 mm x 0.3mm were formed in the super hard alloy. A fine passage was also formed on the super hard alloy. The width and depth of the passage were each about 70 micrometers. 14-4 Green Alga-shaped Carbon Nano-material Researchers Ando and Nakagawa (Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science: http://www.nims.go.jp/eng/index.html) have succeeded in synthesizing a new carbon nanomaterial having a shape like a green alga. Mixture of the new carbon nanomaterial with another material will be applied to fuel cell electrodes, capacitor materials, and aircraft materials, car parts. Carbon nanofilaments, which are each 1 to 10 nanometers in diameter and 50 nanometers in length, got twisted around a diamond of 10 to 100 nanometers to grow into a lump of nanofilaments, which is shaped like a green alga having a size of 1 to 10 micrometers. Exactly, 90% of those lumps were spherical in shape, and the remaining ones were triangular and elliptical. A catalyst carrier used was a diamond oxide as a diamond the surface of which is modified with oxygen. Iron was supported on the catalyst carrier and reacted at 500 to 700 degrees of centigrade in a hydrocarbon gas by a CVD process, and carbon nanotubes grew on the surface of the diamond oxide. No soot was produced and hence, no refining process is required. The new carbon nanomaterial may be varied in diameter and may be mass produced by appropriately varying reaction conditions, and it was confirmed that it has a metallic nature. Research of the green alga carbon will be continued and a time point where it will reach a practical level is set within about 3 years. 14-5. New Lithium Ion Battery Positive Electrode - Good Discharge Capacity and High Safety - A new lithium ion battery positive electrode, based on unique complex oxides and a crystal control technique, was developed by JFE mineral company, Ltd. (http://www.jfe-mineral.co.jp/e_mineral/). With use of the new nickel positive electrode, the lithium ion battery has an increase of 20% in discharge capacity, with the safety and the battery lifetime being both comparable with those of the conventional battery, and is free from dangerous explosion of the lithium nickelate. Sample delivering to customers has started. The product facility is running at 5 tons/month. Production at 50 tons/month will run within 2005. (The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun Ltd.(http://www.nikkan.co.jp/). 15-1 Direct Observation of Hydrogen Molecules Adsorbed onto a Microporous Coordination Polymer This will lead to formation of revolutionary hydrogen storing materials. SPring-8 which is the world's largest third-generation synchrotron radiation facility was used for the observation. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/109799570/ABSTRACT 15-2 Two Big companies Cooperate for Development of a 1-kW Residential SOFC Cogeneration System Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. and Kyocera Corporation cooperate to develop a 1-kW residential SOFC cogeneration system toward its practical use, and will start running tests for confirming the durability and reliability of the system by installing the SOFC cogeneration system at general households in 2005. Approximately 44% was an AC transmission terminal efficiency (LHV) of an SOFC generator system developed by Kyocera in the running evaluation by Osaka Gas. Kyocera has developed the 1-kW residential SOFC cogeneration system (using cylindrical planar cells) and achieved a generation efficiency of 54% (DC generator terminal efficiency, LHV base) on December, 2003. It was demonstratively proved that basic performances of the cogeneration system, such as start-up and load follow-up, are satisfactory for home-use cogeneration system An AC conversion efficiency of the cogeneration system was improved, and the power consumption as the result of operating system auxiliary devices was remarkably reduced. As a result, the generation efficiency of 44% (AC transmission terminal efficiency (LHV) could be achieved. The entire SOFC cogeneration system including component parts is entirely developed within Kyocera. Osaka Gas has stored many and various techniques on the residential cogeneration system, such as waste heat utilization technique, a leaning control system for optimumly controlling the cogeneration system in accordance with "life patterns", town gas desulfurizing/reforming techniques for fuel cells. Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. : http://www.osakagas.co.jp/index.htm Kyocera Corporation.: http://global.kyocera.com/ 15-3 New Catalyst for Generating Hydrogen from Gasoline

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December

JFC News No. 15 & 16 & 17

Contents

17-1 New Hydrogen Gas Sensing System for Hydrogen Gas Stations - by using a highly reliable wireless system with power saving - 16-1 Commercial Unit of Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration Systems Launch into the Market 16-2 Innovative ! Needle Tip-Size Fuel Cell 16-3 Development of Fuel Cell-Driven Electric Cars Progresses Quietly but Steadily 15-4 New Material for the Electrolyte for the Next Generation Battery 15-5 Public Road Test Run by a Low Displacement FC Vehicle with a 700-Bar Hydrogen Tank

Details

17-1 New Hydrogen Gas Sensor System for Hydrogen Gas Stations - by using a highly reliable wireless system with power saving - Hitachi Ltd. and Okayama University cooperate to develop a hydrogen gas sensing system in use for hydrogen gas stations.  Gas sensors, which are installed at different places within a hydrogen gas station and sense hydrogen gas densities in the air, are wirelessly networked.  The gas sensing system monitors hydrogen gas densities at different places and hydrogen gas dispersion within the gas station.  The gas sensing system is composed of sensor nodes each including an FET hydrogen gas sensor, a base station, and a monitoring server.  The FET hydrogen gas sensor is capable of sensing a hydrogen density of 100ppm or lower.  A size of the sensor is 7.5mm x 3mm, and its price is low.  Improvement of the developed gas sensing system will be made to provide a hydrogen gas sensor stable against ambient conditions of temperature/humidity variations through demonstration tests using several tens of hydrogen gas sensors.  The hydrogen gas sensing system will be commercialized in about 2008. The new hydrogen gas sensing system results from the combination of semiconductor technologies, the wireless communication technologies and the system technologies, which are owned by Hitachi, and the material technologies by Okayama University. Unique features: 1) Power control system has attained power saving of the system in constantly monitoring hydrogen gas.  The sensor is operable in two modes: a room-temperature mode and a high temperature mode.  Normally, the sensor senses hydrogen gas in the room-temperature mode.  In this mode, the related microcomputer is in a standby mode.  When a measured value exceeds a predetermined value, the microcomputer issues a heating instruction to the sensor.  The sensor operation mode is switched to the high temperature mode.  In this mode, influences by temperature and humidity are removed, and the sensor surface response is active to accurately measure hydrogen gas.  The system power consumption in the room-temperature mode is 1/200 of that in the high temperature mode.  By properly selecting those modes in operation, the power consumption of the overall system is reduced to about 1/10 of the conventional system power consumption.  2) Communication control system for hydrogen gas leakage When gas leakage information is transferred to the monitoring server through the base station, the monitoring server sets communication priority levels for the sensor nodes in a descending order such that the sensor nodes of high priorities have high frequencies of communication, while the sensor nodes of low priorities are regulated to be low in communication frequency.  In this way, the base station preferentially collects important gas leakage information.  As a result, overall system reliability is improved. Hydrogen Gas Sensing System 1-1 Sensor 1-2 Communication system 1-3 Control System 1-4 Power Supply Hitachi Ltd.: http://www.hitachi.com/ Okayama University: http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/index_e.html 16-1 Commercial Unit of Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration Systems Launch into the Market In Japan, development of the residential fuel cell cogeneration system has entered a semi-commercialization phase. In this phase, technical development and mass production of the FC cogeneration system will concurrently progress. This semi-commercialization by Tokyo Gas is executed as part of the "large-scale FC monitor plan (2005 to 2007)" promoted by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Other Japanese major companies have anticipated in this monitor plan. In Japan, the liberalization of electric power will be started in 2007, and the electric power companies will be placed in market mechanism-based competition. In this situation, the FC cogeneration system will serve as a strong tool for the offensive by the electric power companies. * Cost reduction plan of the cogeneration system: a) 600 million yen in 2005, b) 300 million yen in 2006, c) 150 millionyen in 2007, d) 100 million yen or lower in 2009 (at 10,000 systems), e) Target price : 500,000 yen to 300,000 yen * Power generation efficiency: Matsushita and Ebara Ballard: 35% (has been achieved), Other companies: 31% (has been achieved) * Durability: Matsushita: 15,000 hours (full stack), 40,000 hours (possible), Ebara-Ballard: 40,000 hours (will be achieved till 2008) (The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun Ltd.). 16-2 Innovative ! Needle Tip-Size Fuel Cell Kanagawa Industrial Technology Research Institute has succeeded in developing an ultra-micro fuel cell of a needle-tip size. A micro-fabrication technique was used. The fuel cell is of the solid high polymer type. The size of the fuel cell is 0.2mm square. An output density of the fuel cell is 1mW per 1cm square. The fuel cell could light on an LED. The fuel cell will be improved to such a level as to allow it to be packed into an actual mobile phone within 2 years. Platinum catalyst electrodes and an electrolyte film are used. A gold thin film of 0.2 micrometers thick is used for wiring. A substrate is made of high heat- and oxide-resistance plastic. (The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun Ltd.). Kanagawa Industrial Technology Research Institute: http://www.kanagawa-iri.go.jp/eng/index.html 16-3 Development of Fuel Cell-Driven Electric Cars Progresses Quietly but Steadily Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has succeeded in accelerating an actual railway truck up to a speed of 50km/h by using a fuel cell system carried on the railway truck. The fuel cell system has an output power of 30kW. The fuel cell is of the solid high polymer type. The RTRI has a plan to construct dummy fuel cell electric cars and to run it on a test route laid on the premises of the laboratory, and sets a target of commercializing fuel cell-driven electric car at 2010. Two cars coupled will be used for test. A first car carries a motor, a power converter and a battery, and a second car carries a fuel cell system and a hydrogen cylinder. The twin cars are capable of running at 120km/h, and have a running range from 300km to 400km. The problem, which now confronts the researchers, is how to improve an efficiency of the fuel cell system. An output power of 600kW is required for running the twin cars. To secure this output power, it is necessary to increase the number of fuel cell units so long as the fuel cell units currently available are used. However, it is difficult to well install the increased number of fuel cell units into the twin cars. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the size of the fuel cell unit to 1/2 of that of the current fuel cell unit. Railway Technical Research Institute: http://www.rtri.or.jp/index.html 15-4 New Material for the Electrolyte for the Next Generation Battery - Advanced by one step toward the commercialization of a lithium metal secondary battery - 15-5 Public Road Test Run by a Low Displacement FC Vehicle with a 700-Bar Hydrogen Tank Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) and General Motors Corporation (GM) have developed a fuel-cell low displacement car, "MR Wagon - FCV", carrying a 700-bar compressed hydrogen storage system, and the FC vehicle was approved by a minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The minister of the MLIT has first approved the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) with the 700-bar hydrogen storage system. "MR Wagon - FCV" will receive number plate as a fuel cell vehicle certified by the minister of the MLIT. The Suzuki's FVC is capable of running 200km when the tank is filled one time with compressed hydrogen. The cruising range of the FC vehicle is 200km, two times of that by the FCV with the conventional 350-bar system. The FCV carries a high power drive motor newly developed, and its weight is reduced about 50kg through design reconsideration, resulting in improvement of the vehicle running performance. Durability of he fuel cell stack is also improved. Public road test of "MR Wagon - FCV" will start on January 2005.

JFC News No. 19

Contents

19-1 LP Gas-Fueled Residential FC System for Commercialization Is Unveiled - Will be semi-commercialized on March 2005 - 19-2 High Performance Kerosene Reformer for a 1-kW Residential FC System is Successfully Developed 19-3 (16-1) Commercial Unit of Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration Systems Launch into the Market See 16-1 in "Old News". 19-4 Breaking News! from Ultralife Batteries

Details

19-1 LP Gas-Fueled Residential FC System for Commercialization Is Unveiled - Will be semi-commercialized on March 2005 - Nippon Oil Corporation�@announces that it has succeeded in developing a world's first liquefied petroleum (LP) gas-fueled residential FC system, named as ENOS ECO LP-1, and will be put into the market on March 2005. The company has conducted monitor tests of the LP gas-fueled residential FC systems at more than 20 locations in Japan from February 2003 in cooperation with Sanyo electric Co., Ltd. The FC system is based on high-level hydrogen generation technology and catalyst technology, which have been developed by the companies. The FC system is a cogeneration system advantageously featured in that an overall energy efficiency is high, 76%, and an amount of CO2 generated is reduced by 30 to 40% of that of the conventional system. The current FC system is operable for at least 4,000 hours, and the FC system to be operated in 2005 will be operable for 10,000 hours. The rated generation capacity is 750W, the generation efficiency, 34% (LHV), the heat recovery efficiency, 42%, and the hot water tank capacity, 200 liters. Since the fuel is LPG, not city gas, the system can be installed at any location. In 2005, a total of 150 systems will be installed in Kanto area (around Tokyo) in Japan, and in 2006 the systems will be installed all over Japan. Nippon Oil Corporation : http://www.eneos.co.jp/english/ Sanyo electric Co., Ltd.: http://www.global-sanyo.com/index.html 19-2 High Performance Kerosene Reformer for a 1-kW Residential FC System is Successfully Developed Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and CORONA Corporation have succeeded in developing a high performance kerosene reformer for a 1-kW residential FC system. A kerosene reforming efficiency of the reformer is 80% Those companies have a firm outlook for the mass production of the residential FC system, and are plan to complete a residential FC system into which the reformer is incorporated on March 2005, and to start demonstration tests. The durability improvement and start-up time reduction will be made through the tests. The kerosene has a large number of carbons. Because of this, high-level technology is required for desulfurizing and reforming the kerosene to generate hydrogen from kerosene. The residential FC system is based on the kerosene-burning burner technology by CORONA and the hydrogen generating catalyst technology by Idemitsu. The kerosene is easy to handle because of its low volatilization, and is available anywhere since the kerosene supply infrastructure has already been built. An outline of the reformer is as follows: Fuel used is commercially available kerosene, an amount of hydrogen, 1Nm3 (cubic meters)/h (consumed for a 1kW fuel cell), the size, 30L, and the start-up time is 45 minutes (till hydrogen extraction). Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.: http://www.idemitsu.co.jp/e/index.html CORONA Corporation: http://www.corona.co.jp/en/index.html 19-3 (16-1) Commercial Unit of Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration Systems Launch into the Market See 16-1 in "Old News". 19-4 Breaking News! from Ultralife Batteries Breaking News! The Department of Transportation has issued a new rule regarding the transportation of primary (non-rechargeable) lithium batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft. All current Ultralife customers will receive a packet describing the rule. For immediate information, visit our website: http://r.vresp.com/?UltralifeBatteries/56eac4eafc/267755/42a8f55d7c/3cca76e

JFC News No. 20

December

20-1. 0.1 second or Shorter: Sensing Time of New Hydrogen Sensor 20-2. Actual Sales of Micro Fuel Cells Start in Around 2007 20-3. "Aluminum - Silicon Alloy Film" is Successfully Formed 20-4. Two types of Temperature/Hygrometer Instruments 20-5. "A table of Contents" of "2004 Future Prospects on Fuel Cells and Related Technologies in Japan" See also "2004 Japan FC Market Research".

Details

20-1. 0.1 Second or Shorter: Sensing Time of New Hydrogen Sensor Professor Shuji Harada in Niigata University has succeeded in remarkably reducing a sensing time of the hydrogen sensor. 0.1 second or shorter is the sensing time of the new sensor, while one to two minutes are that of the conventional one. The sensor is based on an EMF method in which to sense hydrogen leak, a chemical potential change of hydrogen gas is directly converted into a potential difference change in the air. An additional advantage of the sensor is that the sensor may be fabricated into a chip of 5 grams or lower. The sensor technology was granted to Techno Link Co., Ltd., and Kazama Denki Kogyo Corporation takes charge of sales. Techno Link Co., Ltd is plan to manufacture several hundreds of sensor products within 2005. An approximate price of the sensor will be within a range from 2,000 to 3,000 USD. In 2020, a market scale of the hydrogen sensor will be forecast to be \7 oku to \20 oku in a domestic market, and \140 oku to \500 oku in a world market (Agency for Natural Resources and Energy). (A unique sensor, "Ball SAW sensor", was reported in "New Technology Details" in our site.) Niigata University: http://www.niigata-u.ac.jp/index_e.html Techno Link Co., Ltd.: http://www.techno-link.co.jp/eng/index.html Agency for Natural Resources and Energy: http://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/ Nikkei Net: http://www.nikkei.co.jp/ 20-2. Actual Sales of Micro Fuel Cells Start in Around 2007 Hitachi is plan to actually sale fuel cells for mobile devices in around 2007. Hitachi Ltd. will start sales of micro fuel cells for use with mobile devices in around 2007. Hitachi cooperates with KDDI to develop a micro fuel cell that may be built in the mobile phone or be carried about for charging purpose, and is plan to put it on the market one by one. In circumstances that the power consumption of the mobile phone is increasing with additional functions of the download of games and ground digital broadcasting reception, Hitachi intends to provide an environment where the mobile devices are operable for a long time. Two types of fuel cells are put on the market. One type of fuel cell is a charger of paperback size, and another type of fuel cell is a built-in fuel cell. The fuel cell of the built-in type can continuously be used for a long time only by replacing the cartridge of the methanol as fuel with a new one. Hitachi has developed an inexpensive and high efficient film using a hydrocarbon material in the field of the electrolysis film that determines the performances of the fuel cell. Hitachi has completed strong fuel cartridges in cooperation with Tokai Corporation, which manufactures mainly low-price cigarette lighters. This type of fuel cell had a problem: how to improve the energy output performance. This problem was successfully solved by making full use of the nanotechnology. Further, a cartridge was used for the fuel supplying system. Hitachi: http://greenweb.hitachi.co.jp/sustainable/denchi.html Tokai Corporation: http://www.vesta-tokai.co.jp/1guidance/coprof05.htm Nikkei Net: http://www.nikkei.co.jp/ 20-3. "Aluminum - Silicon Alloy Film" is Successfully Formed Professor Niwa and researcher Yumoto in Kogakuin University have successfully formed an "aluminum - silicon alloy film" in which silicon particles of 10 nanometers in diameter are finely dispersed in aluminum. An original technology called "supersonic free-jet PVD" which accelerates nanoparticles to supersonic velocity was used for the film formation. The alloy film formed is hard to crack and to flake off. A hardness of the alloy film could be controlled by varying the silicon particles content. The alloy film having the combination of light aluminum and silicon having high abrasion- and heat-resistance will find a variety of applications, including typically car engine parts. Kogakuin University: http://www.kogakuin.ac.jp/english/index.html THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 20-4. Two Types of Temperature/Hygrometer Instruments Two types of temperature/hygrometer instruments, which are designed for fuel cell evaluation tests, are developed by CHINO Corporation. One type of the instrument measures a temperature and a relative humidity. The other type measures a temperature and a dew point temperature. The instrument measures a relative humidity when the dew point temperature reaches 100 degrees Celsius or higher. The pressure- and heat-resistance performances of the temperature/hygrometer instrument are remarkably improved: The upper limit of the pressure resistance is 1 Mega Pascal, and the upper limit of the heat resistance is 180 degrees Celsius. A polymer capacitor type humidity sensing element is used. This feature enables the instrument to measure a relative humidity from 0%. The sensor part is of the plug-in type, providing an easy maintenance. The sale of the instruments will start in the middle of February this year. Approximate price is 4,000 USD. CHINO aims at sales of 200 sets for fuel cell research/development organizations in the first year The temperature/hygrometer instruments will be exhibited to "2005 FC EXPO" held in Tokyo Big Site in Ariake of Tokyo from January 19 to 21. For 2005 FC EXPO, please click the logo located at the upper right part of this home page. CHINO Corporation: http://www.chino.co.jp/english/index.html THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 20-5. "A table of Contents" of "2004 Future Prospects on Fuel Cells and Related Technologies in Japan" (See also "2004 Japan FC Market Research".) I. General Introduction 1-1. Fuel Cell and Related Fields Market Map (Products, technologies, markets, demands, corporations and industrial fields) 1-2. Market Forecast of Every Type of Fuel Cell (Cost lines of the products purchased by demanding clients and demand amounts) 1-3. Every-Product Market Scale Transition and Forecast 1-4. Results of Various Types of Demonstration Tests and Corporations Participated in the Tests 1-5. Administration Trend and Research Report Lists 1-6. Trends of Overseas Fuel-Cell Makers by Domestic Market Researchers 1-7. Technical Subjects of Individual Items and Future Trends 1-8. Lists of Corporations Having Entered Fuel Cell Business II. Fuel Cell Hardware and Technologies 2-1. Fuel Cell Main Bodies, Peripheral Devices and Component Parts a. PAFC: phosphoric-acid fuel cell b. PEFC: proton-exchange membrane fuel cell c. SOFC: solid-oxide fuel cell d. MCFC: molten carbonate fuel cell e. Micro fuel cell f. Other fuel cells (DMFC, etc.) 2-1-1. Peripheral Devices a. Fuel/air supplying devices (pumps, blower, etc.) b. Reformer (LNG reformer, LPG reformer, kerosene reformer, etc.) c. Heart recovering system d. Power storage system 2-1-2. Component Parts (Relating to Stacks) a. Electrode material for PEFC b. Electrolyte for PEFC c. Electrolyte for SOFC d. Separator for PEFC 2-2. Infrastructure and Related Hardware a. Hydrogen supplying apparatus (hydrogen compressor, etc.) b. Hydrogen storage (hydrogen tank, mobile hydrogen station, etc.) c. Hydrogen supplying facility (hydrogen gas station, mobile hydrogen gas station, etc.) 2-3. Related Market Trend (apparatus, technology, facility, etc.) 2-3-1. Material Development a. Separator b. Electrode catalyst c. Reforming catalyst d. Electrolyte material 2-3-2. Hydrogen Generator a. Biomass hydrogen generator b. By-product hydrogen recovery apparatus c. Natural energy, hydrogen generator 2-3-3. Fuel cell related devices and apparatus a. Pure water apparatus, pure water supplying apparatus b. Safety running apparatus (nitrogen purging system, etc.) c. Fuel cell control/adjustment system 2-3-4. Technologies for Utilizing Fuel Cells a. Power supply/control system b. Combined generator c. Hybrid system d. Micro-grid 2-3-5. Raw Fuel Production/Fuel Infrastructure a. Raw fuel production technologies b. Private use infrastructure c. Methanol production/delivery d. Chemical halide e. Hydrogen absorption using carbon nano-material f. Ultra pressure hydrogen storage III. FC Cases Actually Handled by Corporations 3-1-1. List of Corporations Handling FC Main Bodies (arranged in a random order) 3-2. List of Corporations Handling Stack Members (arranged in a random order) 3-3. List of Corporations Handling Other Devices and Technologies (arranged in a random order)

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