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News2005
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January 2005
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JFC
News No. 21
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| 21-1
Mass-Production Technology of Carbon Nanocoils is Established Professor Takigawa in Toyohashi University of Technology, TOHO GAS Co., Ltd, and Futaba Corporation have succeeded in creating a technology for synthesizing the carbon nanocoil (CNC) in a mass-production manner. The technology is capable of continuously synthesizing carbon nanocoil at a speed, which is 15 times as high as of the conventional one. Samples of the carbon nanocoils produced will be delivered with the intention of its application to fuel cells. To mass-producing the carbon nanocoil, new equipment was developed in which a catalyst is put on a substrate, and the substrate carrying the catalyst is automatically entered into an electric furnace. Temperature within the furnace is kept within a range of 650 degrees Celsius to 800 degrees Celsius. This ensures a continuous mass-production of the carbon nanocoil. Another noticeable feature resides in that a mixture catalyst of iron and tin is used in place of indium-contained catalyst. A carbon nanocoil was successfully manufactured at a rate of 2g/hour, and is a spiral CNC 200 to 700 nanometers in diameter, and 1 to 150 nanometers long. Toyohashi University of Technology: http://www.tut.ac.jp/english/index.html Futaba Corporation: http://www.futaba.co.jp/english/index.htm TOHO GAS Co., Ltd.: http://www.tohogas.co.jp/eng_index/index.html THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 21-2. Fuel Cell Power Supply: Low Price and High Power Generation Efficiency Vantec Co., Ltd. will exhibit fuel cell power supplies at "2005 FC EXPO on January 19 to 21, 2005, in Tokyo. The company supplies several types of fuel cell power supplies with different output powers. An important feature of the product is that a hydrogen supply pressure to the fuel cell stack is about 1/10 as large as of other competitive companies. This feature brings about many advantages. A load to the cell as a power generating part is reduced to provide a long service life. No control unit is required for the stack. The structure is simple, providing easy maintenance. With low hydrogen supply pressure, good safety is ensured. Of those power supplies, a fuel cell power supply with an output of 2kW is currently a staple product. The size of the staple power supply is 800mm x 700mm x 500mm. The weight is 120kg. The power generation efficiency of the fuel cell is high, 40% or higher. The current density is high. The price of the fuel cell is almost the half of that of the competitive product. Hydrogen absorbing alloy or a steel cylinder is available for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell. A steel cylinder of 7 cubic meters allows the fuel cell power supply to continuously operate for about 5 hours. Vantec Co., Ltd: http://www.vantec-jp.com/index.htm THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 21-3. Electrolyte Film Reaches a Practical Level Japan Atom Energy Research Institute and Nitto Denko Corporation have announced that they succeeded in fabricating a high performance electrolyte film for highly concentrated methanol fuel cell, which uses a fluorine plastic film, and further in manufacturing a continuous roll film of the electrolyte film. Nitto Denko Corporation will exhibit the electrolyte film at "2005 FC EXPO on January 19 to 21, 2005, in Tokyo. This high performance electrolyte film developed this time suffers from less deterioration. Exactly, this electrolyte film has durability (25,200 hours) six times as high as of our electrolyte film for PEFC, thus far developed by Japan Atom Energy Research Institute, which the film is hard to swell in alcohol and is capable of providing high power generation efficiency. Further, an electric conductivity of the electrolyte film is two times as high as of the commercially available one, and a methanol permeation velocity of the same is 1/10 as high as of the same in a condition of high methanol concentration (30%). Nitto Denko Corporation, which has an excellent process technology for manufacturing a diaphragm for button cell battery by radiation, has successfully manufactured a continuous roll film by using this electrolyte film developed by Japan Atom Energy Research Institute. A fluorine plastic film is irradiated with a radiation to produce an active reaction point, and is subjected to a unique manufacturing process consisting of a series of graft polymerization, irradiation by radiation, sulfonating steps. As a result, the subject "how to hold the sulfonic acid group within the film" is solved. Thus, the electrolyte film has reached a practical level. Nitto Denko Corporation will exhibit the electrolyte film at "2005 FC EXPO on January 19 to 21, 2005, in Tokyo. Japan Atom Energy Research Institute: http://www.jaeri.go.jp/english/index.cgi Nitto Denko Corporation: http://www.nitto.com/ THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 21-4. "Atomic Switch" Finally Appears National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency and RIKEN have successfully developed an ultimate micro device "an atomic switch", which operates through nano-scale control of the movement of an atom(s), and also a technology to integrate the atomic switches. In experiments, memory and (arithmetic) operation circuits were constructed, and it was confirmed that those circuits exhibited excellent performances. It is expected that the atomic switches will greatly contribute to development of the computer electronics. The atomic switch results from the unique nanotechnology. The atomic switch is based on a new principle that the operation of the atomic switch is based on the atom movement control, while the operation of the semiconductor device currently used is based on the electron movement control. The atomic switch utilizes the movement of the atom, which is heavier than the electron, but it exhibits excellent performances. The reason for this is that a device of a nano dimension was realized. The atomic switch is based on a discovery that movement of one to several atoms can be controlled in steps of nanometers by appropriately utilizing the property of a material called a solid electrolyte, and on our basic research that was done for clarifying the detailed mechanism of the phenomenon of the discovery. The computer may be thought to be an aggregation of a tremendous number of switches. The micro-fabrication and performance improvement technologies of the switches currently used for the computer, such as semiconductor switches, approach the limits, and the semiconductor device improvement has almost reached the limit physically and economically. The atomic switch is superior to the semiconductor switch in that the geometry is small, the power dissipation is small and the atomic switch as a memory is of the nonvolatile type. More importantly, the atomic switch has a learning function whose realization is very difficult by using the semiconductor device. With the learning function, the atomic switch will pave the way for a computer having network circuitries resembling the nervous network of a brain of a human being. The atomic switch, entitled as "Quantized Conductance Atomic Switch" has already been described in the British science magazine "Nature", January 6, 2005. National Institute for Materials Science: http://www.nims.go.jp/jpn/news/press/press101.html Japan Science and Technology Agency: http://www.jst.go.jp/ RIKEN: http://www.riken.go.jp/engn/index.html |
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JFC
News No. 22
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| 22-1
Dai Nippon Printing Enters Fuel Cell Parts Business Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. has started fuel cell parts business and aims at annual sales of three billion yen at the first year. The company has many excellent print-related technologies, such as coating technology and metalworking technology. The company has judged that it can manufacture various kinds of fuel cell parts at low cost and efficiently and reliably by utilizing those technologies. Some of typical products to be produced are: 1) Catalyst transfer film for MEA (membrane electrode assembly) 2) Metallic separator 3) Hydrogen selective permeable membrane 4) Methanol reformer Those products will be exhibited at "2005 FC EXPO on January 19 to 21, 2005, in Tokyo. Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.: http://www.dnp.co.jp/index_e.html 22-2. Hydrocarbon Electrolyte Membrane of Low Cost and Low Methanol Permeation Tokuyama-Sus, Co., Ltd. has developed a hydrocarbon electrolyte membrane in use for DMFC. The electrolyte membrane is featured by low cost and low methanol permeation. The cost of the Tokuyama's electrolyte membrane is about 1/5 to 1/10 as high as that of the fluorine based electrolyte membrane currently and widely used, and its methanol permeability is 1/10 as high as of the latter. Methanol can be set at high concentration, and an output density of the membrane is high, 50 mill watts per square centimeter. Further, the company has developed joining resin exclusively used for joining the electrode and the membrane together. The joining resin can readily be applied to the MEA. The company has already established a production system capable of producing tens of thousands square meter of the electrode membrane of up to 800mm wide and 20 to 40 microns thick, and is plan to commercialize the membrane in 2006. The company aims to gain the sales of four to five billion yen. Tokuyama-Sus, Co., Ltd.: http://www.tokuyama-sus.co.jp/ 22-3. Plans to Commercialize Ion Liquid as a New Electrolyte Some Japanese companies are planning to commercialize "ion liquid" as a new electrolyte in use for fuel cells and hybrid vehicles, mobile phone batteries. A market demand for the ionic liquid is expected to expand. In 2010, a market scale of the ionic liquid is forecast to be worth 15 billion yen. Possible applications of the ionic liquid are the capacitor, fuel cell, solar cell parts, solvent and catalyst for chemical reaction. Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. has a plan to start the commercialization of the ionic liquid in 2007. The company will mass-produce imidazole cation by itself, and procure anion from other companies, and prepare ionic liquid by using them. Stella Chemifa Corporation will construct a factory for mass-producing fluoride anion, and produce the same of about 5 tons a year in 2005, and in 2006, the company will invest one billion yen to build a real factory capable of producing 20 tons a year. The production capability will be increased to 700 tons a year till 2010, achieving price reduction to 10,000 yen per ton, 1/10 of the present price. Koei Chemical Co., Ltd. has a plan to construct a real factory at the end of 2005 to produce amine cation, and to procure anion from other companies. The ionic liquid will first be used for the electrolyte of the electric double layer capacitor, which converts kinetic energy generated during the braking operation in the hybrid vehicle into electric energy, and stores the electric energy. The hybrid vehicles using the capacitors are still few. Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. has started incorporated the capacitors into the hybrid trucks, and cooperates with JEOL Corporation and those companies are developing high performance capacitors. Power Systems Co., Ltd., which is invested by Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and OMRON Corporation, will start real mass production of the capacitors in 2005. Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.: http://www.nichigo.co.jp/english/index.htm Stella Chemifa Corporation: http://www.stella-chemifa.co.jp/english/index.html Koei Chemical Co., Ltd.: http://www.koeichem.com/index.htm Nikkei Sangyo Shinbun: http://ss.nikkei.co.jp/ss/ 22-4. Low-Temperature SOFC Operates Continuously for 1000 hours with No Voltage Drop The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and Mitsubishi material corporation have announced that those has succeeded in the continuous rated operation of a 1kW power generation system incorporating a low-temperature (800 degrees Celsius or lower) SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) using city gas. In the operation, it is confirmed that the fuel cell performance is not deteriorated (no voltage reduction was observed during the operation, exactly the voltage drop rate was 0% for 1000 hours.). It was proved that it is feasible to achieve the durability performance required for the commercialization. This excellent durability performance is due to the improvements of component parts of a module of the power generation system. The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.: http://www.kepco.co.jp/ Mitsubishi material corporation: http://www.mmc.co.jp/english/top_e.html 22-5 New Hydrogen Generation Equipment Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. announced that new hydrogen generation equipment ("HyGeia") featured in that it is capable of generating pure hydrogen (99.999%) for 50 cubic meters, reducing an amount of gas used by at least 20%, and halving a generator installation space, and its operation is completely automated with remarkable improvement of reliability. Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd.: http://www.kakoki.co.jp/english/ |
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JFC
News No. 23
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2005 FC EXPO (1st International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell expo) Successfully Ends 23-2 New Silicon Nitride Ceramics Having an Additional Physical Property, Conductivity 23-3 New Composite Material Doubling SOFC Power Generation Performance |
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JFC
News No. 24
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24-1A
 The company will start
to operate the same type of the FC cogeneration systems at other two locations
up to this spring, and is plan to increase the number of the cogeneration
systems to be installed and to launch into the fuel cell market. The company
intends to accept the order of 150 cogeneration systems for several years
ahead. Japan Energy Corporation: http://www.j-energy.co.jp/cp/english/
Toshiba Fuel Cell Power Systems Corporation: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/product/fc/fce/index.htm
24-F1.
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JFC
News No. 25
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Kyoto Protocol Comes into Effect The Koyto Protocol prescribing actions to be taken for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has come into effect on February 16, 200. The protocol was borne in Kyoto in Decemober 1997. The protocol experienced many difficulties such as the withdrawal of the United States as the world's largest emission country from the protocol, and the disagreement of the climate change framework at COP (conference of parties) 6. Many commemorative events were held in Kyoto to commemorate the taking effect of the protocol, with participation of many domestic and foreign environmental NGOs. Upon entry into force of the Koyto Protocol, the Japanese Goverment has gotton a scheme of achieving the Kyoto target (6% cuts to 1990 levels). The scheme envisions that the carbon diozide emission from the energy related industries including oil and coal will increase, and as a result, the restriciton of the greenhouse gas missions is strengthened in the industry fields. The souces said that EU countries began picking up steam since the major EU countries have already achieved the greehouse gas reduction of 3% to 1990 levels and come within a range of achieving 8% emission cuts 25-2 MAZDA builds a Hydrogen Gas Station MAZDA Motor Corporation has built a hydrogen gas station for storing and supplying hydrogen to hydrogen vehicles in the site of the head office under the construction permission from the Hiroshima prefecture. The hydrogen gas station is installed for supplying hydrogen fuel to the hydrogen rotary engine, which is now under developement towards its commecialization, and to the hydrogen engine test equipment. In the hydrogen gas station, hydrogen gas of 20MPa supplied from a hydrogen gas supplier outside MAZDA is boosted to a higher pressure of 35 MPa. The boosted hydrogen gas is supplied to the hydrogen vehicle. The gas station is capable of supplying the hydrogen gas to about 10 vehicles each day. MAZDA succeeded in developing an RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine, which employs a dual fuel system allowing hydrogen and gasoline to selectively be used for the fuel, and obtained the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport certification on the hydrogen rotary vehicle for performing public road tests in October last year, and performed public road tests of the vehcle. MAZDA is planning to deliver the RX-8 hydrogen vehicle government offices and companies in lease sales within 2 years. The dual feul system allows a driver in the driver's seat to select hydrogen or gasoline by operating a select switch. MAZDA Motor Corporation: http://www.mazda.com/ 25-3 Capable of Manufacture and Performance Evaluation of the Organic Electronic Device by Using Single Equipment Kitano Seiki Co., Ltd. has succeeded in equipment which enables manufacture of organic electronic device (orgaic transistor, organic electrolumescence, organic solar cell, etc) and performance evaluation of the resultant device within the equipment. The manufacture and the performance evaluation are both carried out in a high vaccum environment of 1/100,000,000 Pa. There is no danger of exposing the manufactured device to the air, ensuring a high-precision evaluation of the manufactured device. The price of the equipment is 100,000USD or higher. Kitano Seiki Co., Ltd.: http://www.kitano-seiki.co.jp/company/index.html THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/ 25-4 Opens the Route to Bendable Personal Computes SEIKO Epson Corporation has opened the route to bendable personal computers, portable information terminals, etc. The company has successfully developed a fabricating technique forming an arithmetic circuitry of thin film silicon transistors on a film. The arimetic circuitry is formed on a silicon substrate,and then transferred onto a film. A microprocessor (MPU) using low temperature polysilicon TFTs was experimentally formed, and successfully operated by a simple software. This technology will be commercialied in four to five years ahead. The technology was presented at International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) being held in U.S.A. SEIKO Epson Corporation http://www.epson.co.jp/e/index.htm 25-5 World's First Observation of Switching Phenomenon from an Insulative Organic Material to a Metallic Material Chief reseacher Katoh Reizo and his researcher group in RIKEN discovered a huge current response phenomenon occurring when light is radiated on an organic conductor and its radiation is stopped. In the phenomenon, an insulative organic material is permanently changed into a metallic material with the application of a flash of light. A new metallic state appears which has a huge current response accompanied by resistance change of seven digits or more, and is retained for a long time. This phenomenon was first observed in the world. It seems that the phenomenon indicates that an insulating material is switched to a metallic material, and will greatly affect the development of the organic device. In the experiment, alpha - (BEDT-TTF)2I3 (charge-ordered insulating material) was irraidated with a nano-second pulse laser of 450 nanometers in wavelength. The result was that metal transfer is induced to switch an insulating state to a metallic state, and the metallic state is retained for a long time. It is estimated that appearance of the light induced huge current response has some relation to the molecular orientation and the stripe strucutre in the charge ordered state . This implies that the light induced huge current response may be controlled at nano-scale level. The result of the study will be published on the February Issue of "Journal of the Physical Society of Japan". RIKEN: http://www.riken.go.jp/engn/index.html The physical of Society of japan: http://jpsj.ipap.jp |
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JFC
News No. 26 Missing
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| March 2005 |
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JFC
News No. 27
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| 27-1
76.2% is a City-Gas to Hydrogen Conversion Efficiency 27-1A Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. has participated in a large-scale monitor project of the residential FC cogenertion systems 27-B Next-Generation power-Saving Type Switching Element 27-2 New Metallic Material Suitable for a Metallic Separator of a PEFC 27-3 Successfully Growing of Extremely High-Quality Carbon Nanotube in a Computer Simulation Domain 27-4 Small Feul Cell of Remarkably Improved Safety, Marketed for Laboratories 27-5 318 Km: World Record of Autonomous Unmanned Deep-Sea Navigation 27-6 Kyoto Protocol Drives Japanese Major Electronic/Electric Manufactures to Race for Expanding the Business of Basic Parts of the Hybrid Cars |
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| 27-1
76.2% is a City-Gas to Hydrogen Conversion Efficiency Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. has achieved 76.2% as a city-gas to hydrogen conversion efficiency in hydrogen production. The conversion rate required for practical fuel cells is said to be at least 80%. The figure of 76.2% is extremely close to this target figure. A hydrogen production system newly developed is capable of producing hydrogen of 40 Nm3 per hour. Purity of produced hydrogen is 99.999% or higher. The system uses a new hydrogen separation membrane. The system size is: 3.6m wide x 2.6m deep x 2.6m high. A city gas flow in the reactor was analyzed, and a temperature distribution within the reactor was optimized. Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.: http://www.tokyo-gas.co.jp/ 27-1A Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. has participated in a large-scale monitor project of the residential FC cogeneration systems Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. has participated in a large-scale monitor project of the residential FC cogeneration systems, sponsored by the NEF. The FC cogeneration system is of the LPG reformer type, and uses a 1kW PEFC. The FC stacks are supplied from FC manufacturers. The LPG-to-hydrogen reformer, originally developed by Idemitsu, has an endurance performance of 40,000 hours. Idemitsu has already developed a reformer for generating hydrogen from kerosene, which has an endurance performance of 35,000 hours. Several tens of the FC cogeneration systems will be installed at residences as customers of LPG affiliates of Idemitsu. Maintenance of the FC cogeneration systems will be performed in cooperation with the affiliates. 27-1B Next-Generation Power-Saving type Switching Element NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) has developed a normally-off type silicon carbide power MOSFET having remarkably reduced power loss. The voltage withstand of the transistor is 1100 V, and its on-resistance is 4.3 milliohm square centimeters. The power loss of the transistor when it is in on state is about 1/5 as high as that of the power element currently used. The power element can be fabricated without the heat treatment at 1500 degrees Celsius or higher. This fact indicates that good electron flow is secured to provide low on-resistance. The voltage withstand is high. The power element is of the normally-off type where it allows no current to flow when no gate voltage is applied. Accordingly, when it is applied to the normal inverter, its gate control is easy. Possible applications are switching power source, inverters for air conditioners, electric vehicles and hybrid cars. 27-2 New Metallic Material Suitable for a Metallic Separator of a PEFC Daido steel Co., Ltd. has developed a new metallic material suitable for a metallic separator of a PEFC. The anti-corrosion property and the conductivity property of the new separator material are at the top level in the world. The anti-corrosion property of the material is about 100 times as large as that of stainless steel (SUS316L). Its conductivity proper is about 30 times as large as of carbon. The power generation time of the fuel cell using the material was 1,000 hours, confirmed by the company. Use of the new material will contribute to the weight and size reduction and the performance improvement of any type of the fuel cell. The company has built a production facility capable of producing the material of 10 tons per month. The product will be supplied to fuel cell stack development organizations. Daido steel Co., Ltd.: http://www.daido.co.jp/english/ 27-3 Successfully Growing of Extremely High-Quality Carbon Nanotube in a Computer Simulation Domain FUJITSU Limited and FUJITSU LABORATORIES Ltd. have confirmed a growth of a carbon nanotube (CNT) in the domain of computer simulations. The CNT successfully grown is high in quality enough to allow one to definitely specify its chirality. The molecular dynamic (DM) method was used for the computer simulation. This successful formation of the carbon nanotube will propel the research and development of the CNT. It has been said to be almost impossible to predict the CNT growing by using the computer simulation. (added on March 15) In the computer simulation using the molecular dynamics, it is possible to compute and predict a CNT growing process under a certain condition by supplying one carbon atom every second. In this case, carbons haunting catalyst particles grow in cap-like form, and amorphous carbons grow at unnecessary positions. It is difficult to grow the carbons in tube-like form. There are some experimental examples in which extremely high purity CNTs are successfully formed in a manner that alcohol or water is added to remove the amorphous carbons. We assumed that a phenomenon resembling that of the experiment case occurs in the computer simulation. On this assumption, the effect by removing the amorphous carbons was introduced into the computer analysis. We had the calculation result of calculating a catalyst revitalization by using the first-principle calculation for searching for an elementary reaction process, which is based the quantum mechanics and conducted without incorporating an initial value We simulated the formation of a CNT by incorporating the effect by removing the amorphous carbons into the molecular dynamics calculation. As a result, we confirmed that a carbon nanotube had successfully grown in the computer simulation domain, and that the CNT grown had a quality, high enough to allow one to count the chiralities of the CNTs. The successful formation of the CNTs by the computer simulation will accelerate the research and development of the CNTs since it enables one to analyze a growing process of the CNT, which cannot be analyzed by the microscope. Incidentally, at present, we cannot observe the diameter and chirality of the CNT, the number of layers, and in the case of the double layer CNT, a position from where the second layer starts to grow. To learn more and exactly this news item, please contact the following companies: FUJITSU Limited: http://www.fujitsu.com/ FUJITSU LABORATORIES Ltd.: http://www.labs.fujitsu.com/en/ 27-4 Small Fuel Cell of Remarkably Improved Safety, Marketed for Laboratories New Japan Eco System Co., Ltd. has started the sales of a small fuel cell designed in use for experimental purposes. A major feature of the fuel cell is that the hydrogen gas supplying pressure is remarkably reduced to 0.03 to 0.04 megapascal, about 1/10 as high as that of the same type of another fuel cell currently marketed. This ensures a good safety and a long service life of the fuel cell. A price of one set is about 10,000 USD. A main unit weight is about 3 Kg, and a hydrogen unit is about 5 Kg. New Japan Eco System Co., Ltd.: http://www.esc-one.co.jp/ 27-5 318 Km: World Record of Autonomous Unmanned Deep-sea Navigation JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) announced that the ocean explorer Urashima, powered by the fuel cell, has set a world record of 317 Km Navigation in deep sea. Urashima is an autonomous unmanned deep-sea navigating submarine, 10 m in overall length and about 10 tons. Urashima started its autonomous navigation at 7 : 10 in February 26 in the sea at a depth of 800 m, toward a target point. It shuttled between the start point and the target point distanced 25 Km from the start point, at 5.7 Km per hour. The navigation ended at 15 : 10 in February 28. The fuel cell system used is of the closed type in which oxygen is stored in the tank, and water generated is also stored in a pressure-resistant tank. This technology is indispensable for the space navigation as well as the deep-sea navigation. An advanced metallic separator is used for the power generator part of the fuel cell system. An energy efficiency of the fuel cell system was 54% or higher. Incidentally, 16% is the energy efficiency of the gasoline car, and 37% is that of the hybrid car. JAMSTEC: http://www.jamstec.go.jp/jamstec-e/index-e.html 27-6 Kyoto Protocol Drives Japanese Major Electric/Electronic Manufactures to Race for Expanding the Business of Basic Parts of the Hybrid Car The Kyoto protocol has come into effect in the last month. In response to this, "the cumulative sales of hybrid cars will exceed 2,000,000 cars after five years in only the domestic market.", said by the source. Toyota has sold about 60,000 hybrid cars in Japan in 2004, and is plan to sell 300,000 hybrid cars in the world. Honda is plan to sell hybrid cars in Japan. Nissan is developing hybrid cars to be exported to the United States. "The fuel cell powered car is now attracting an attention as an ecology car; however, it involves many technical problems to be solved. Accordingly, hybrid car days will continue for at least 15 years." said by some authority in the related field. In this circumstance, the Japanese major electronic/electric manufactures race for expanding the business of basic parts of the hybrid car, such as batteries and engine control semiconductor parts. Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd. (a joint venture of Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation) has completed arrangements of production increase of secondary batteries for supplying them to Toyota and Honda. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. is plan to increase the batteries from 1,000, 000 per month to 2,000,000 in the later of 2005 for Ford Motor and Honda. Hitachi Ltd. cooperate with its group companies, Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd, and Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. to set up a new company, and will develop a lithium ion battery of a small size and a large capacity [Source]: THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/. To know more and exactly about this news, contact the source or us |
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JFC
News No. 28
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| 28-1 Report on the Demonstration Test Results of the Stationary Fuel Cells 28-2 New Smelting Method for a Hydrogen Storage Alloy 28-3 "Biomass White Paper 2005" in Japan Published by Biomass Industrial Society Network 28-4 New battery offers unsurpassed recharge performance and high energy density - Charging Speed Comparable with that of Electric Double Layered Capacitor - 28-5 A New Catalyst for Fuel Cell Reduction of PtRu Catalyst Size to 2nm by Addition of Phosphorus |
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Report on the Demonstration Test Results of the Stationary Fuel Cells New Energy Foundation disclosed the results of the demonstation tests of the stationary fuel cells (FCs), which were conducted in 2004 in Japan. The tests were conducted at 33 test sites. A) Stationary FCs: A total of 33 FCs of 1 to 5 kW were operated. The fuels to the FCs were city gas, LPG. and kerosene (reformed), and pure hydrogen. A power generation efficiency was 30% or higher (of most of the 1kW FCs ). An overall efficiency of combined heat and power, cogeneration was 55 to 70%. A primary energy reduction rate was 20% or higher (of most of the FCs), and that of the 5 kW FC system was at least 15%. A CO2 reduction rate of the FC system was at least 20% (of most of the FCs). B) FCV (fuel cell vehicle): A gas mileage per vehicle weight was better than that of the gasoline hybrid vehicle, in particular in the medium and high speed regions. C) Hot-water Supply: The power generation efficiency was 95 to 80% of the power generation efficiency at the rating time in partial load operation (30 to75%). (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 28-2 New Smelting Method for a Hydrogen Storage Alloy A new smelting method capable of highly accurately controlling a composition of a hydrogen storage alloy as designed was developed cooperatively by AIST and Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd. The new smelting method is expected to encourage the development of the hydrogen storage alloy, which will be applied, in particular, to the fuel cell system incorporated into the vehicle. In smelting an alloy consisting of metals of low boiling and melting points, such as magnesium, calcium, and lithium, and a metal of high melting point, much of metals of low boiling point evaporate in the melting furnace, making it to form an alloy having a composition as designed. Further, floating metallic powder possibly gives rise to dust explosion. In this respect, the smelting process of the alloy involves a safety problem. To solve those problems, particular attention is made to an inactive gas which has been used as an atmospheric gas in the melting furnace, and a helium mixture gas was used in lieu of an argon gas having been used as the inactive gas. (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 28-3 "Biomass White Paper 2005" in Japan Published by Biomass Industrial Society Network Biomass Industrial Society Network (non-profit organization) has published "Biomass White Paper 2005" in Japan, which are targeted at business, general and government organizations. The white paper is published in a Japanese version only: a digest version consisting of 29 pages (A4 size) and a full version consisting of 70 pages (A4 size). A brief table of contents of the white paper is: 1. Biomass Overview in 2004 to 2005 2. Lumber Market Structure in Japan and Toward Sustainable Use of Biomass 1) Problems of Lumber Market Structure in Japan 2) Market Trend of Wood Pellets in 2004 3. Biomass Business and its Economical Effects 4. Increasing Use of Biodiesel 5. Expanding Use of Biogas Column - Candle Night by Biomass light - Slow Life and biomass More details of the white paper will be described on another page in near future. 28-4 New battery offers unsurpassed recharge performance and high energy density - Charging Speed Comparable with that of Electric Double Layered Capacitor - TOKYO -- Toshiba Corporation announced a breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries that makes long recharge times a thing of the past. The company's new battery can recharge 80% of a battery's energy capacity in only one minute, approximately 60 times faster than the typical lithium-ion batteries in wide use today, and combines this fast recharge time with performance-boosting improvements in energy density. 28-5 A New Catalyst for Fuel Cell Reduction of PtRu Catalyst Size to 2nm by Addition of Phosphorus Hitachi Maxell Ltd. (President and Chief Executive Officer : Norio Akai) developed a quite new technology reducing size of PtRu catalyst*1 for fuel cell to 2nm and improving its dispersion by addition of phosphorus. PtRu*2 is widely used in catalyst for fuel cell. In general, increase of reaction area of catalyst by reducing its size is effective to improve catalytic activity. It is well known that the size of catalyst becomes fine by using carbon supports having large specific surface area*3. However, many micropores exist in such carbon supports and the catalysts buried in the micropores can not oxidize methanol and hydrogen. Therefore, there was trade-off between reducing the size of catalyst and improving efficiency in utilization of expensive catalyst. Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. http://www.maxell.co.jp/e/release/20050329.html http://www.maxell.com/ |
| April 2005 |
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JFC
News No. 29
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Contents
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| 29-Add1 CDM project in Brazil by Showa Shell approved by METI 29-Add2 Specification lists for the peripheral devices of FC cogeneration systems are disclosed 29-1 New Tester Enables Study of an FC Electrolyte Membrane Capable of Standing High Temperature/Humidity 29-2 Demonstration System of Kerosine-Reformer Based 1kW Residential Fuelcell 29-3 IBM Japan, Sanyo Electric Join Hands to Commercialize Fuel Cell ... 29-4 New positive electrode material for a lithium ion battery 29-5 A conductor that produces current from light (Dr. Reizo Kato, DRI) |
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| 29-Add1 CDM project in Brazil by Showa Shell approved by METI A CDM (clean development mechanism) project, which is planned in Brazil by Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., was certified by METI (Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry) was approved by METI (Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry). In the project, a biomass generator of 9,430kW will be installed in a papermill with the intention to replacing the fossil-fuel basis system electric power with the biomass electric power. After the papermill has worked well, carbon dioxide (CO2) of 180,000 tons will be reduced each year. 29-Add2 Specification lists for the peripheral devices of FC cogeneration systems are disclosed Agency for Natural Resources and Energy has disclosed specification lists of periphery devicesof a residential fuel cell (FC) cogeneration system on April 21, 2005. It is concluded from a final report on the study of the commercialization of residential FC cogeneration systems that in promoting the commercialization and spread of the cogeneration systems, the subject to urgently be solved is to cost down the peripheral devices of the cogeneration system. The disclosure of the required specifications will facilitate entry of new companies and competition among those companies, resulting in the cost down of the cogeneration systems" This news item will be described in more detail on the next issue. 29-1 New Tester Enables Study of an FC Electrolyte Membrane Capable of Standing High Temperature/Humidity A tester which can measure, while controlling humidity, a strength of an FC electrolyte membrane under high temperature and humidity was developed by Toshin Kogyo Co., Ltd. A price of the tester set, including a humidity controller and a dedicated controller for the tester, is 200,000 USD or lower. In testing an electrolyte membrane of PEFC, it is difficult to precisely control humidity in an ambient of 100 degrees Celsius or higher. Therefore, the test has been conducted in an ambient of about 80 degrees Celsius. In the new tester developed, humidity can be set and kept at any value within a range from 30% to 90% at 180 degrees Celsius (max.) and 0.5 mega paskal. The company also developed a small plant which can perform a metal test in an ambient of 100% hydrogen at ultra high pressure of 45 mega paskal. Toshin Kogyo Co., Ltd. is a top maker specialized in particular in metallic material tester. Major clients of the company are the laboratories of private and public organizations. (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 29-2 Demonstration System of Kerosine-Reformer Based 1kW Residential Fuelcell Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and CORONA Corporation have cooperatively completed a demonstration residential fuelcell system of 1kW. Kerosine is used for the fuel. Test run of the FC system starts in April. Its endurance run will be performed at 33% (power generation efficiency). One of unique features of the FC system resides in a kerosine-to-hydrogen reformer system which employs a high endurance catalyst, originally developed by Idemitsu. The catalyst is used in a reforming step to reduce a sulfur concentration in the kerosine from 50ppm to 20ppm, and to selectively remove a carbon monoxide content by oxidization. A unique combustion burner system by CORONA is also used in the reformer system. The catalyst for completely removing a sulfur content from kerosine, which contains much sulfur, has been proved to be durable for 4,000 hours (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 29-3 IBM Japan, Sanyo Electric Join Hands to Commercialize Fuel Cell ... This hybrid power system has a hot-swap function. The function allows the user to replace a used-up fuel cartridge with a new one during operation of the laptop computer. The power system will realize a complete AC cordless environment, and enables the user to operate the laptop computers and other mobile devices at places where no power supply is available. SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is the top maker in the field of small rechargeable batteries. The company has started the production of nickel-cadmium batteries in 1964, nickel-hydrogen batteries in 1990, and lithium-ion batteries in 1994. IBM Japan, Ltd. has developed that famous laptop computer, "ThinkPad", which features good rigidity and reliability. 29-4 New positive electrode material for a lithium ion battery SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. has developed a new positive electrode material for a lithium ion battery. The positive electrode material consists of a combination of a complex oxide of nickel, manganese and cobalt, and cobalt. The complex oxide is capable of keeping a thermal stability even if the charging voltage is increased, and keeping a good safety. SANYO named the new positive electrode as "neo-hybrid electrode". Use of the new electrode material allows the charging voltage to the battery to be increased from 4.2V to 4.4V. The result is that the capacity of the battery incorporating the new electrode is increased by 10%. The new battery having an elongated battery life is suitable for the third generation (3G) cellular phone, which will consume much power. Further, it is noted that an amount of cobalt used is reduced. The price of cobalt is now in an upward tendency. SANYO will accelerate efforts to sell the batteries incorporating the new positive electrodes. The company is plan to increase the monthly production ability of batteries to 58,000,000 per month within this year. SANYO has a top share of the global market of the lithium ion batteries. It is estimated that the domestic market of the cellular phones is about 80%, and the global market is about 50%. (THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 29-5 A conductor that produces current from light (Dr. Reizo Kato, DRI) The potential uses for organic conductors in electric devices, solar cells and optical electronics have captivated scientists and engineers for years. To date a large number of organic conductors have been developed in laboratories throughout the world with the hope of developing flatter, more flexible electronic devices. These synthetic materials have been studied for the conductive properties induced when pressure or a magnetic field is applied. Now, researchers in the Condensed Molecular Materials Laboratory at RIKEN Institute in Japan have identified a new photo-induced conductive state. |
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JFC
News No. 30
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Contents
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| 30-1 New MEA: 4,000 hours continuous operation at 120 degrees Celsius and 50% humidity 30-2 Biomass gasification/generation plant is completed in Mie prefecture in Japan 30-3 Specification list of the peripheral devices of the FC cogeneration system (see 29-Add2 in the previous issue) 30-4 New process for converting the waste containing vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel |
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| 30-1 New MEA: 4,000 hours continuous operation at 120 degrees Celsius and 50% humidity ASAHI GLASS CO LTD has developed a new membrane electrode assembly (MEA) as a core part of a solid high polymer fuel cell, and successfully operated continuously for 4,000 hours under conditions of high temperature (120 degrees Celsius) and low humidity (50%). The company also confirmed that decomposition deterioration of the fluorine polymer was reduced to 1/100 to 1/1000. The new MEA has such a construction that a catalyst mechanism is joined to a fluorine resin film. It has developed targeted at FCVs (fuel cell vehicle). Operation temperature of the conventional PEFC is 80 degrees Celsius. When the operation temperature is increased, the radiator of the conventional automobile may be used as it is. In the case of the stationary FC, the endurance time is elongated. (Source: THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) 30-2 Biomass gasification/generation plant is completed in Mie prefecture in Japan Daiei Inter Nature System, Inc. has completed a biomass gasification/generation plant. In the plant, wood chips of 96 tons/day, made mainly out of construction scrap wood, are fed to a rotary kiln heat decomposition gasification furnace where the chips are indirectly heated at high temperature. The resultant heat decomposition gas and carbide are collected. The heat decomposition gas is used for a heat source of the gasification furnace. The whole quantity of steam generated in the boiler is fed to a steam turbine to generate electric power of 400kW per hour. The whole quantity of generated electric power is used by the company and the carbide is used as a reducing agent. The total investment was about 21,000,000 USD part of which was subsidized by Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI). The company contracted with Mitsubishi heavy Ind. Ltd. to construct the plant. The plant is the first biomass gasification/generation plant constructed by the Mitsubishi heavy Ind. Ltd. in Japan. (Source: THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD.) |
| May 2005 |
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JFC
News No. 31
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Contents
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| 31B "Table of Contents" of the "Report on the study of the commercialization of residential FC cogeneration systems" (see 29-Add2 in, "Old New") 31A-1 Plan to set up a network for the maintenance and management of residential FC cogeneration systems 31A-2 Press Release from HERA "HERA Partners with McGill University" 31A-3 Press Release from FuelCell Energy Inc. FuelCell Energy Power Plant Running on Waste Byproduct to Generate Stable Electricity Source for Showcase Eco-Community in Kyoto, Japan |
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| 31A-1 Plan to set up a network for the maintenance and management of residential FC cogeneration systems NIPPON OIL CORPORATION announced that the company has a plan to set up a network for the maintenance and management of residential FC cogeneration systems that were put on the market this spring. A center for remotely supervising operation statuses of the cogeneration systems installed at homes will be located at the oil manufacture place in Yokohama city in July. 20 to 30 maintenance staffs will be placed for periodical inspections and repair work. [Source : NIKKEI NET] 31A-2 Press Release from HERA "HERA Partners with McGill University" Longueuil (Quebec, Canada) - May 3, 2005 - HERA, Hydrogen Storage Systems Inc. ("HERA" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has become exclusive licensee of a substantial intellectual property ("IP") portfolio developed by McGill University in the field of advanced hydride materials for hydrogen storage. McGill University, located in Montreal, is one of the best-known and internationally recognized universities in Canada and the most research-intensive university in the country. HERA is a leading developer of hydrogen-related technologies and products based on hydrides and proprietary nano-catalysts, for automotive, transportation and hydrogen distribution applications, including hydrogen storage. 31A-3 Press Release from FuelCell Energy Inc. FuelCell Energy Power Plant Running on Waste Byproduct to Generate Stable Electricity Source for Showcase Eco-Community in Kyoto, Japan Electricity produced in renewable energy system to help hospital, school, apartment buildings and City Hall achieve reduced emissions in compliance with Kyoto Protocols KYOTANGO CITY, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2005-- FuelCell Energy Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL) today announced that one of its 250-kilowatt Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plants, sold by its Asian distributor Marubeni Corporation (TSE:8002), will supply power as part of the electric grid servicing a school, a hospital, apartment buildings and city hall in a planned, renewable energy community on the western coast of Japan. 31B "Table of Contents" of the "Report on the study of the commercialization of residential FC cogeneration systems" (see 29-Add2 in, "Old New") Specification lists for the peripheral devices of FC cogeneration systems were disclosed as recently reported (see 29-Add2 in JFC news in our site). The disclosure of the specification lists is based on the "Report on the study of the commercialization of residential FC cogeneration systems". Themes interested to me are picked up from the report and presented here. For details, please directly contact "Agency for Natural Resources and Energy" or " infomedia@fcpat-japan.com". Table of contents I. Recent trends on fuel cells II. Measures thus far taken by the FC commercialization promotion conference III. Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Cutting-Edge Research Center (FC3) IV. Measures to be taken toward a hydrogen society and FC commercialization V. Current technology development statuses of fuel cells and hydrogen, and development directions
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JFC
News No. 32
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Contents
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| 32-1 Press Release from FuelCell Energy Inc. 32-2 New metallic separator for the fuel cell stack 32-3 New wheelchair powered by a FC/battery hybrid power system 32-4 Toyota, GM in talks on fuel-cell car joint venture - report Forbes - USA 32-5 World's first artificial atom 32-6 Bio-fuel cell using glucose, human-body friendly 32-7 Biological fuel cell runs on blood 32-8 Toyota, GM to ally on fuel-cell vehicles 32-9 Toyota unveils a new 350-bar hydrogen storage tank for FCV 32-10 Bio-fuel cell by Nishizawa et al: Rough translation of abstract, major claims, and background description of the patent specification in Japan |
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| 32-1 Press Release from FuelCell Energy Inc. FuelCell Energy Power Plant to Generate Electricity, Provide Heat and Hot Water, at State University of New York's Syracuse Campus SUNY's Internationally Recognized Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy Takes Important Step toward Achieving State's Energy Mandate DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2005-- FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL) today announced the sale of a 250-kilowatt Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plant to generate onsite electricity and provide residual heat for domestic hot water and heating at the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) in Syracuse. 32-2 New metallic separator for the fuel cell stack Kurimoto, Ltd. announced on May 10 that the company successfully developed a metallic separator for the fuel cell. The company succeeded in covering a stainless steel surface with a conductive carbon film having a thickness of several hundreds nanometers, in cooperation with AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial & Technology) and Ryukoku University. A continuous power generation test of the fuel cell with the metallic separator incorporated was conducted continuously for 72 hours. By the test, it was confirmed that the FC performances were comparable with those in the case of using the carbon separator. A problem that sulfuric acid generated corrodes the metal is still left, however. The metallic separator is superior to the conventional carbon separator in that a volume of the separator is reduced to 1/3, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the output electric power is high when it is incorporated into the fuel cell. (Source: THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN, LTD) 32-3 New wheelchair powered by a FC/battery hybrid power system |