Ballard Begins Fuel Cell Generator Testing … Denso Develops Starter/ Generator For Hybrids … Airborne Fuel Cells? … Toyota, Hino Team On Vehicles

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Sept, 2001

Ballard Power Systems announced that its subsidiary, Ballard Generation Systems, has completed the construction and commenced in-house testing of its 10 kW natural gas-fueled engineering prototype stationary fuel cell power generator. The 10 kW unit, which incorporates Ballard's proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack, is being developed for back-up, light industrial and standby applications for telecom and other applications.

Denso Corp., in a joint effort with Toyota, has developed what it called the first belt driven integrated starter generator (ISG) for hybrid vehicles. The new ISG is installed in the Toyota Estima hybrid car, currently in production. The belt driven ISG integrates the starter with the alternator allowing the car's engine to turn off when it's not moving. The ISG instantly restarts the car's engine when it begins to move. The idle stop function decreases fuel consumption for energy savings. Because the ISG is a belt driven feature, it allows for quieter operation than a gear driven starter, the company said. The ISG's starter motor drive is 2.1 kW and operates at speeds to 1200 rpm. Weighing approximately 23 lb., it is water cooled through the engine's cooling system. It also offers 6.2 kW of regenerative braking, the company said.

The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology Education (FASTec) has unveiled the world's first piloted fuel cell powered aircraft, the EPlane. The plane is a high-speed, all carbon French DynAero Lafayette III that is being converted from a combustion engine to electric propulsion in three stages. The first flights, planned for next year, will be on lithium ion batteries; the next flights will be powered by a combination of lithium ion batteries augmented by a fuel cell; and finally, the aircraft will be powered totally by a hydrogen fuel cell, with a range of over 500 mi.

Toyota Motor Corp. has developed two fuel cell hybrid vehicles: a 63-seater bus and a five-seater passenger car. Toyota worked with Hino Motors, Ltd. to develop the two vehicles. Both the low-floor city bus, called the FCHV-BUS1, and the passenger car, the FCHV-4, carry high-pressure tanks of hydrogen to fuel the fuel cell engine. The car has been approved for road tests by the transport ministry. The FCHV-BUS1 has a cruising range of 186.4 miles and can reach a top speed of 50 mph.

Cummins Westport Inc., the joint venture between Cummins and Westport Innovations Inc. said that its 8.3 L, C8.3G Plus engine, has obtained low-emissions certification from the California Air Resources Board. Available in ratings to 280 hp, the C8.3G Plus engine is targeted mainly toward buses and urban work trucks like refuse haulers and pickup and delivery trucks.

Green VOLT Power Corp., a development stage company specializing in alternative energy sources, is readying a 200 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plant for delivery. The 30-ton unit, fueled by natural gas and air, is designed as a stationary, independent power plant with sufficient power and heat output to supply approximately 20, 3000 sq.ft. homes with electricity and heat on a daily, year-round basis. Fully automated and self-contained, the unit is designed to operate for approximately 30,000 continuous hours (about 7 to 10 years) before a stack replacement.

Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA of France will jointly develop cars with a fuel cell that runs on gasoline. The companies will spend $714 million on the project and will market the fuel cell vehicles as early as 2005. Renault is also working with PSA Citroen to speed the development of a commercially viable fuel cell car by 2010.