Methanol Fuel Cells Licensed To SFC Energy
A team of scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, CA, in partnership with the University of Southern
California in Los Angeles, developed a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
technology for future Department of Defense and commercial
applications. Recently, USC and the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, which manages JPL for NASA, awarded a
license to SFC Energy, Inc., the U.S. affiliate of SFC Energy AG.
The non-exclusive license for the technology will facilitate the
expansion of the company's methanol fuel cell products into the
U.S. market.
Liquid Methanol Fuel Cell
This novel fuel cell technology uses liquid methanol as a fuel
to produce electrical energy, and does not require any fuel
processing. Pure water and carbon dioxide are the only byproducts
of the fuel cell, and no pollutants are emitted. Direct Methanol
Fuel Cells offer several advantages over other current fuel cell
systems, especially with regard to simplicity of design and higher
energy density. Current systems rely on hydrogen gas, a substance
that is more difficult to transport and store.
"JPL invented the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell concept and also
made significant contributions to all the facets of the technology.
These contributions include: development of advanced catalyst
materials, high-performance fuel cell membrane electrode
assemblies, compact fuel cell stacks, and system designs," said JPL
Power Technology Program Manager Rao Surampudi. He explained that
USC worked with JPL in the development and advancement of this
technology for defense and commercial applications.
Over the years, those applications have expanded from the
original defense applications to include such uses as battery
chargers for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, stand-alone
power systems, and uninterrupted/emergency power supplies. "We are
looking forward to working closely with the fuel cell industry to
further develop this technology to meet future market needs," said
Erik Brandon, current Electrochemical Technologies group supervisor
at JPL.
From 1989 to 1998, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) funded JPL and USC to develop direct methanol fuel cells
for future defense applications. Inventors on the JPL team include
Surampudi, Sri. R. Narayanan, Harvey Frank, Thomas Valdez, Andrew
Kindler, Eugene Vamos and Gerald Halpert. The USC inventor team
includes G.K. Surya Prakash, Marshall Smart and Nobel Laureate
George Olah.
"This fuel cell may well become the power source of choice for
energy-efficient, non-polluting military and consumer
applications," said Gerald Halpert, former Electrochemical
Technologies group supervisor at JPL.