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Following the
highly successful visit last year, which was
substantially oversubscribed, the repeat party comprised
11 members and1 visitor from I Mech E.
We were welcomed by Bruce Girvan (CEng) Technical
Marketing Manager and Matthew Harrington (AIMechE), one
of the Development Engineers, who gave an excellent and
comprehensive presentation on fuel cells and the
development of Ceres Power. On this occasion, due to
customer testing, we were unable to visit the test,
development and assemblies but still gained a fascinating
insight into the principles of fuel cells and their major
potential in meeting future energy needs. This was
particularly topical against the rapidly changing energy
scene both in the UK and worldwide regarding future
supply and demand. In addition global warming and the
need for improved efficiency in energy use created
exciting and challenging opportunities for Ceres Power in
bringing their fuel cell products to market.
In the four years since the company was created, it has
built on its world-class technology to become a
commercially focussed organisation with a very strong
intellectual property portfolio. Past year successes have
included generating commercial revenues, doubling
facilities and staff plus endorsements from the City,
government and industrial partners.
Recent accolades have included winning the prestigious
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Gold Medal
and the Carbon Trust Low Carbon Technology of the Year
Award. The company has established specific relationships
with defined market applications. Associations have been
created with major corporations with direct access to end-users
of energy, including British Gas for micro-CHP and BOC
for off-grid power generation applications.
Fuel cells offer a better way of producing electricity
and heat in a highly efficient, quiet and non polluting
way, providing opportunities for more secure, sustainable
energy supplies worldwide using a variety of fuel types.
In the early stages of development, fuel choices were
limited to complex systems operating at very high
temperatures or vulnerable low temperature systems only
able to run on pure hydrogen.
Ceres Power has developed the world’s first
commercial metal supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
operating at an intermediate temperature of around 500 C
and capable of using a range of fuels including LPG,
natural gas, methanol, hydrogen and vehicle fuels. These
traits provide significant advantages for mass market
uses.
In the SOFC oxygen ions from air react with hydrogen or
hydrocarbon gases under controlled conditions at high
temperatures to produce electricity and heat without
combustion. Electrical power from a single cell is
typically 3 to 5 watts at 0.7 volts: to obtain useful
output levels, fuel cells are assembled into stacks and
then into systems. Total system efficiency (LHV fuel in
to net AC heat and heat out) is high around 85% compared
with 25-45% for conventionally generated electricity.
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) designs basically comprise a
ceramic electrolyte, with oxide cathodes and ceramic -oxide
anodes. Ceres achieved a major breakthrough by
identifying a method of depositing an oxide electrode on
to a stainless steel support. Endurance testing has
successfully demonstrated cell reliabilities and levels
of 30-40,000 hours are confidently expected.
Ceres Power has identified a number of target
applications
Combined heat & power-gas boiler replacement-domestic
and business premises
Off-grid power supply- telecoms, farming, residential
buildings
Auxiliary power units-secondary power for vehicles,
containers & military applications
Uninterruptible power supplies-hospitals, military,
computers, banks, domestic and business premises
The Future - Pilot programme aimed at domestic premises
commences in 2007-08
Ceres Power was formed in 2001 to exploit the
revolutionary fuel cell technology developed by Imperial
College. It produces on site, fuel cell components for
assembly into fuel cells by its customers. Ceres Power
won the Carbon Trust 2003 Innovation Award for the small
business category.
R Budden
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