FuelCell Energy Inc (FCEL)

[krays]

Is hydrogen distribution a problem or a huge opportunity for FCEL?

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This technology could easily change the preferred method of hydrogen production. Because it is fully scalable it can be sized to provide the exact amount of hydrogen needed at a given site, eliminating the need for hydrogen transportation. Transportation costs can easily double or triple the cost of hydrogen at many sites and greatly increase CO2 emissions due to emissions from trucks or other transportation means. A single DFC® stack of the size currently used for power generation can produce over 1,500 kg per day of hydrogen when operated in this mode. FuelCell Energy’s standard large fuel-cell system incorporates 8 of these fuel-cell stacks which would thus have the potential to produce over 12,000 kg per day of hydrogen. Thus large industrial scale hydrogen can be generated with this system.

On the other end of the scale, the system will maintain efficiency even as it is scaled down. FuelCell Energy is looking at a home refueling system concept which would scale this technology down to the 1 to 2 kg/d production level needed for typical fuel-cell vehicles. Such a system could potentially solve the hydrogen infrastructure problem which is a concern for these vehicles. FuelCell Energy is also developing an electrochemical hydrogen compression system which compresses and purifies the H2 in one step. By combining these two technologies, the high pressure high purity hydrogen needed by the vehicles can be easily and cost-effectively generated at this small scale.


https://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/1348835

http://www.google.com/patents/US20160351930