SIQENS presents a compact prototype of a high temperate methanol fuel cell with a 1kW output.
Siqens GmbH, a young and innovative company that develops and produces off-grid energy converters, presents their new alpha-prototype at this year’s World of Energy fair in Stuttgart for the first time to international specialists. The compact prototype with 1 kW electrical power output represents a key step towards market entry for a new type of fuel cell. This novel fuel cell succeeded, for the first time, in utilizing methanol directly in the energy converter unit – the so-called ‘stack’. Because of high temperatures in the stack, the methanol is volatile, which requires a new technological solution.
SIQENS has
come further in an important step in the development of a new fuel cell
technology. Already in 2012 the company has received an f-cell award for
their innovative concept of a high-temperature methanol fuel cell. At
that time, the biggest challenges in technical implementation of the
concept and preparation of marketability lay still ahead of the
developing team around the founder and today´s CTO, Volker Harbusch. In
the beginning of October Siqens can present the first prototype which,
for the first time, proves technical feasibility in a compact system.
Presently available methanol fuel cells on the market can only be operated at low temperatures, and with a low degree of efficiency. Alternatively, one can first convert methanol in an external reformer into hydrogen, which was accompanied by a marked decrease in the efficiency. SIQENS by its new concept, in contrast, converts methanol directly in the stack to hydrogen for energy generation. „By direct connection of the generation of hydrogen to the intrinsic fuel cell reaction we could benefit from waste heat which is usually is hard to make use of and which increases our degree of efficiency“, comments Volker Harbusch, CTO of SIQENS. The electrical degree of efficiency of 36 % measured in an open laboratory installation should be increased to over 40 % with the new prototype. The compact prototype achieves more than 1 kW power output, and is in a primary stage for a close to market test series. This series will be presented at the Hannover Fair 2015, and will open the market for SIQENS.
„We are convinced that, in distinct markets with our novel
high temperature methanol system, we could completely replace
traditional technical concepts “, said Dr. Lars Behrend, managing
director responsible for sales and marketing. In different market
segments – like the leisure market, or off-grid energy supply of
important infrastructure facilities – there is a high demand for a
maintenance-free, eco-friendly energy converter. Trend-setting energy
solutions, that differentiate from conventional combustion engines in
that they do not cause noise or toxic gases, will influence the market
field effectively. „A further important advantage for our customer is
that our system makes use of a liquid and easily available fuel, which
is in contrast to the conventional hydrogen fuel cell“, closes Behrend’s
market estimation.
Printable graphical material could be downloaded under the following link: http://www.siqens.de/presse/20140610.html
On World of Energy in Stuttgart, which will be held from 06th to 08th of October 2014, SIQENS will present in hall 2, booth E16.
Since
its foundation in the year 2012 SIQENS GmbH is about to bring a
completely new generation of methanol fuel cell to the market.
Headquartered in Munich, the company has 15 employees, and develops and
produces energy converters on the basis of fuel cell technology. Focused
on the power range between 0.5 and 5 kW, the new high temperature
methanol fuel cell could easily match conventional combustion engines
with respect to ease-of-use and cost-effectiveness.
Katherine Josephs
Siqens GmbH
Landsberger Straße 322a
80687 München
Phone: +49 89-45 2446-30
E-Mail: josephs@siqens.de
Internet www.siqens.de
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