Nuvera Fuel Cells to Ship 1st Gas-Powered Fuel Processing Systems
20 July 2000
International firm's multi-fuel processing systems to be used by OEMs to validate gasoline as the "fuel of choice" for powering fuel cell vehicles
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Nuvera Fuel Cells announced yesterday that it will ship the world's first complete gasoline-powered fuel processing systems designed for testing fuel cell transportation applications. The units, which will be delivered to four major automotive companies from the United States, Europe, and Japan, will be integrated with fuel cell stacks to validate gasoline as an emerging fuel of choice for tomorrow's fuel cell vehicles.Nuvera will also ship a gasoline-powered fuel processing system to Plug Power, LLC, a fuel cell manufacturer based in Latham, NY, as part of an ongoing U.S. Department of Energy program to advance the development of transportation-based fuel cell systems.
"As the only company to successfully demonstrate the conversion of gasoline to fuel cell electricity, we have taken significant steps toward leading the industry in advancing the development of clean, low-cost, and reliable fuel cell powered vehicles that will more than double fuel efficiency, resulting in dramatic fuel cost reductions," said Jeffrey Bentley, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nuvera Fuel Cells. "The delivery of gasoline-powered fuel cell systems to the auto industry represents a tremendous milestone in achieving the promise of fuel cell vehicles."
These systems provide a viable pathway to rapidly commercializing fuel cell vehicles, since the units operate on a traditional fuel - gasoline - that is readily available around the globe today. The auto manufacturers plan to evaluate Nuvera's gasoline-powered fuel cell systems for overall performance, functionality, and acceleration response time.
Bentley added, "During the past two years, we have been working with our commercial and government partners to advance the development of fuel processing systems and meet stringent industry standards. Delivery of these automotive systems is further proof that fuel cells can be - and will be - commercially viable in the near term and that Nuvera will be a global leader in this arena."
Nuvera has also successfully addressed the issue of sulfur removal in the conversion of gasoline to fuel cell power. Sulfur, which is known to create acid rain and cause other environmental damage, acts as a poison to fuel cell systems if it is not removed. Nuvera has developed a sulfur removal technique that allows its fuel processors to operate on sulfur-bearing fuels such as gasoline, natural gas, and propane over the life of the system.
"Our ability to remove sulfur in the fuel conversion process is yet another step to the commercial success of fuel cells," Bentley said.
To date, Nuvera has met or exceeded several automotive target specifications set by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) for the year 2004. Among Nuvera's accomplishments are achieving super ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) standards established by the State of California, 80 percent energy efficiency, and less than 10 second transient response time. PNGV is a joint government / industry program aimed at strengthening America's competitiveness by developing technologies for a new generation of vehicles. Automakers unveiled PNGV concept cars this year and are scheduled to demonstrate pre-production prototype vehicles in 2004. The goal is to produce vehicles that achieve up to triple the fuel economy of today's vehicles, meet all safety and environmental requirements, and provide the comfort, utility, and performance of today's vehicles.
Nuvera has developed the technological capability to generate clean energy from a variety of hydrocarbon and renewable fuels, such as gasoline, ethanol, methanol, natural gas, propane, butane, naphtha, and other synthetic fuels. So-called "fuel flexibility" is considered a key factor in rapidly advancing the commercialization of fuel cell systems. Nuvera's multi-fuel processing systems are capable of successfully converting gaseous and liquid fuels into hydrogen, which is then fed to their proprietary fuel cell stacks to produce clean, quiet, and efficient power.
About Nuvera
Nuvera (www.nuvera.com) is a leading global provider of core fuel cell technologies for manufacturers and distributors in the clean energy industry. The company was recently formed by the merger of Arthur D. Little's Epyx Corporation and De Nora Fuel Cells, a subsidiary of De Nora of Milan, Italy. Among fuel cell companies, Nuvera possesses the unique combination of proprietary technology, industry know-how, and global reach to produce environmentally clean, integrated fuel cell systems for applications in the stationary power and transportation markets. Nuvera's fuel cell power modules, multi-fuel processing systems, and fuel cell stacks have been tested and evaluated by major automotive manufacturers and fuel cell development companies around the globe for more than 10 years. With international operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Milan, Italy, Nuvera presently employs more than 130 staff and plans to expand to 200 employees by year-end. Discover the dynamic world of Nuvera and see how we are making a world of difference in clean energy solutions(TM).
