Energy News  
Propane Fuel Cell Passes Muster At Exit Glacier Nature Center

The Propane fuel cell at Exit Glacier Nature Center.
by Staff Writers
Fairbanks AK (SPX) Nov 14, 2006
The Alaska Energy Technology Development Laboratory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently announced a successful field test of a prototype propane fuel cell. The cell, manufactured by Massachusetts-based Acumentrics and installed at the Kenai Fjords National Park's Exit Glacier Nature Center near Seward, ran for more than 1,100 hours straight and did so with no measurable degradation in its efficiency.

"From a technical point of view, it is an important milestone we have achieved here," said Dennis Witmer, director of AETDL. "It is one step closer to these kinds of fuel cells becoming devices that can be useful in remote locations."

The fuel cell was part of the original design for the nature center. It was first installed and used in the summer of 2004. Since then, a team of researchers and technicians has been fine-tuning the cell's performance. In August, Park Service officials fired it up again and it ran until the end of the season.

"It's not going back to the factory this winter. It has been mothballed for the winter and we plan on starting it up (next) summer," said Tim Hudson, associate regional director for operations and resources for the National Park Service's Alaska region. "We like the promise of this technology as a way to replace diesel generators, decrease the possibility of fuel spills and provide a cleaner and quieter source of power."

The Exit Glacier fuel cell is notable for several reasons. It uses a fuel source--propane--that is more portable and usable in remote areas than the hydrogen or natural gas that usually powers fuel cells. It was also able to adjust its output to deal with fluctuations in power demand at the center, a phenomenon known as load following. And its most recent test run happened in real-world conditions, rather than in a laboratory with controlled power demands and constant monitoring and adjustment by technicians.

In addition, Witmer said, the Exit Glacier cell is able to efficiently generate relatively small amounts of power. A typical diesel generator is most efficient when it is generating 100 kilowatts of electricity, which is about 100 times more than a small building or cell phone tower would use.

"At one kilowatt, there is no convenient, efficient technology ... and that is where fuel cells really have a hope of finding some market," he said.

The reason for the efficiency is the way fuel cells generate electricity. Like a diesel generator, they use a hydrocarbon fuel source. But while the electricity in a traditional generator results from fuel burning and driving a mechanical generation device, the energy in a fuel cell comes from an electrochemical reaction.

"A fuel cell is a device that converts the energy from fuel directly into DC electricity," Witmer said. "The idea is that the efficiencies are better with the direct electrochemical conversion, especially at lower power levels."

In addition to generating electricity, the fuel cell provided heat to the nature center during its test run from mid-August to late September.

Witmer said that propane fuel cells are still a long way from being practical for the average consumer. However the successful test at Exit Glacier shows that the technology is meeting technical milestones. If the cells are eventually available to the public, it's hard to predict all of their potential applications, he said, noting the number of devices that have come about as the internal combustion engine became smaller and more economical.

"Because we don't have anything really good smaller than a diesel generator, we really don't know what the demand would be for a one-kilowatt generator," Witmer said. "That to me is the really exciting thing."

The Exit Glacier Nature Center fuel cell test is the result of a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service and the Arctic Energy Technology Development Laboratory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Other funding partners include the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, fuel cell manufacturer Acumentrics, the Propane Education and Research Council, fuel cell contractor Energy Alternatives, the Denali Commission and the Alaska Energy Authority.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Dennis Witmer will be available at the 2006 Fuel Cell Seminar in Honolulu, Hawaii Nov. 13-17.

CONTACT: Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Dennis Witmer, Arctic Energy Technology Development Laboratory director, at (907) 590-2836 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Tim Hudson, associate regional director for operations and resources at the National Park Service Alaska Region, at (907) 644-3381 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Jim Buckley, owner, Energy Alternatives, at (907) 227-7191 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Alaska Energy Technology Development Laboratory
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Air Force Laboratory Leads Way For Synthetic Fuels
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH (SPX) Nov 14, 2006
As an integral partner in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Assured Fuels Initiative, the Air Force Research Laboratory is leading the investigation for suitable, domestically produced alternative fuels for military use. AFRL is now certifying suitable fuels for the Air Force fleet, as part of the Air Force's comprehensive energy strategy.







  • Propane Fuel Cell Passes Muster At Exit Glacier Nature Center
  • Air Force Laboratory Leads Way For Synthetic Fuels
  • Republicans Eye Alternate Drilling Bill
  • TNK-BP To Rehabilitate Half Of Idle Oil Wells

  • Nuclear Waste Nears Storage Dump In Germany Amid Protests
  • Russian Green Group Calls For Legal Action Against Uranium Firm
  • NNSA Boosts Low Grade Nuke Fuel Program
  • Indonesia Can Not Go Nuclear To Answer Climate Change

  • France To Create Coal Tax, Tighten Pollution Measures
  • Phytoplankton Cloud Dance
  • Ocean Organisms May be Linked to Cloud Formation
  • Indonesian Rain-Making Stymied As Haze Lingers Over Region

  • Danish Christmas Tree Shortage Threatens Prices Across Europe
  • Ancestor of Modern Trees Preserves Record Of Ancient Climate Change
  • Cork And Oak Trees Dying For Unknown Reasons
  • Global Forests Disappearing For A Pittance

  • Just What Is Organic Farmed Fish
  • Learn To Love Offal
  • One Tenth Of Arable Land In China Suffers From Pollution
  • Is The World Ready For A 'Green Revolution' In Africa

  • Portable Solar-Powered Tag Readers Could Improve Traffic Management
  • GM Sees China As Future Export Base For Emerging Markets
  • General Motors To Build Hybrid Cars In China By 2008
  • European Carmakers Oppose New EU CO2 Emissions Laws

  • Technologies Evaluated For The Future National Airspace System
  • Silent Aircraft Readies For Take-Off
  • Global Aviation Industry Gathers For Key Chinese Air Show
  • China Marks 50th Anniversary Of Aerospace Industry

  • Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear
  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement