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IFC Boosts Power, Efficiency For Automotive Fuel Cells

6 March 2000

IFC Boosts Power, Efficiency For Automotive Fuel Cells

                     Leapfrogs competition by 15 percent


    SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., March 6 International Fuel Cells,
Inc., (IFC), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. , today
announced it has developed a way to boost the power of automotive fuel cells
while at the same time shrinking their size.  This is a significant step
toward commercializing fuel cells for automobiles.
    IFC has developed the technology to increase the amount of power a fuel
cell will produce per liter, also known as the fuel cells' power density. The
IFC fuel cell generates 1.5 kilowatts of power per liter, 15 percent more
power than competitors' fuel cells.
    IFC announced the development of its improved fuel cell at today's meeting
of the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit.
    "Our fuel cell performance exceeds the best power densities reported to
date," said William T. Miller, IFC president.  "In addition, our system
operates at near atmospheric pressure which means it is quieter, less complex
and more efficient than the pressurized systems more commonly under
development."
    A fuel cell uses an electrochemical process to directly convert the
chemical energy found in hydrogen into electricity and hot water.  Because the
fuel cell does not burn its fuel, it eliminates polluting air emissions. Fuel
cells have been identified by the automotive industry as the most likely new
technology to replace the internal combustion engine.
    IFC has an ongoing, aggressive program to develop automobile fuel cells
and currently has contracts with five automobile makers to develop automotive
fuel cells. A fuel cell developed for BMW was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto
Show in October 1999.
    IFC is the only company producing stationary fuel cell systems
commercially. The company currently markets the PC25, a 200-kilowatt fuel cell
system for commercial applications. More than 190 PC25 systems have been
delivered worldwide. PC25 systems now generate primary or supplementary power
for data centers, hospitals, hotels, universities, military installations and
manufacturers.  In addition to developing automotive and stationary fuel cell
systems, IFC also supplies the fuel cells used on the Space Shuttle.