Fuel-cell line launched for traffic systems

Brunnthal, Germany-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell announced today a new line of fuel cells designed to withstand broad temperature changes.

The company said its EFOY products come with a 28-liter M28 fuel cartridge, which provides 31.1 kilowatt hours of power and can power a warning blinker for 50 days without intervention.

Smart Fuel Cell said the casing of the device is able to withstand severe temperatures, between -20 degrees Celsius and +45 degrees Celsius.

Fuel cell research has been focused on new approaches and innovations to permit fuel cells to run at low temperatures (see Japanese tout low-temp fuel cell). The fuel cell is designed to recognize and automatically charge either 12 volt or 24 volt batteries. 

The company said the Munich North Autobahn Authorities are currently using the new line of fuel cells and have found they offer cost advantages over past battery-based signal trailers, which had to be serviced every eight hours. The traffic authority said the line of fuel cells has saved the company 108 man-hours per month, a cost advantage of some €9,000 ($13,050), the company said.

The new fuel cell line provides charging capacity of 600 to 1600 watts per hour per day, depending on the individual application. The portability and power capacity of fuel cells has been of great interest for military use over the past several years (see DuPont, SFC portable fuel cell in limited field use). The company said it runs in closed rooms and vehicles. The cells are designed so that customers can remotely monitor and control them using  a mobile phone or computer via an integrated user interface.

Frost & Sullivan research said fuel cells demonstrate electrical efficiencies of about 40 percent to 49 percent in comparison to other technologies that offer about 30 percent to 35 percent.

In a co-generation mode, fuel cell systems can achieve an electrical efficiency of about 80 percent to 85 percent. With higher efficiencies and better benefits, co-generation, or combined heat and power-based fuel cell, systems are expected to lead the stationary fuel cells market during the initial years of its commercialization.