Ballard, Sofa ( Seite 194)

Es wird vielleicht schon bald möglich sein, Brennstoffzellen erheblich preiswerter herzustellen.

Oxygen mix promises to increase fuel cell performance
By R. Colin Johnson
EE TimesApril 11, 2003 (2:09 p.m. EST)


PORTLAND, Ore. — Supercharging fuel cells by premixing the fuel with oxygen holds out the promise of superslim fuel cells that can be manufactured on a printing press.
Inventor Generics Group Ltd. (Cambridge, England) believes the new design, which eliminates the need for bulky metal separation plates, will shrink the cell size while increasing power density tenfold.
“The compact mixed-reactant [CMR] fuel cell is a platform approach that is applicable to every type of fuel cell,” said Michael Priestnall, technical director of CMR at Generics. “Our premise is that if you change the catalysts so that they are selective, then you can relax many of the restraints about not allowing the fuel and oxygen to mix.”
In normal fuel cells, the fuel and oxygen are kept in separate, adjacent compartments. In the first compartment, the fuel enters and reacts with the anode catalyst, which breaks the fuel`s molecular bonds so that its electrons can flow out the anode to power equipment. In the second compartment, oxygen flows over the cathode catalyst, which uses the electricity`s return line from the load to bond oxygen to the leftover fuel`s free hydrogen, resulting in water as exhaust.
Platinum is typically the choice for both the anode and cathode, because it “is very good at doing both fuel oxidation and oxygen reduction,” said Priestnall. “You need to keep the fuel and the oxygen completely separate; otherwise they will both react on the same platinum electrode, producing combustion instead of electricity.”
To keep the fuel and oxygen separate, traditional fuel cells put metal flow-field plates between adjacent cells. One side of the flow-field plate supplies fuel to the anode of the next fuel cell, while the other side supplies oxygen to the cathode of the previous fuel cell. The anode and the cathode are separated by a solid polymer membrane to segregate the fuel and oxygen.
Whereas those traditional designs measure about 2 mm thick, according to Generics, the CMR fuel cell eliminates the metal flow-field plate completely and uses a thin, perforated polymer membrane.
“The membrane material in a typical fuel cell is 100 microns thick-at a cost of about $300 per square meter. But our perforated membranes only need to be about 1 micron thick,” Priestnall said. “The cost of membrane material in a normal fuel cell is over $500 per kilowatt. We have brought that down to $15/kW.”
A selective catalyst allows the mixing of fuel and oxygen. Both the anode and the cathode of a fuel cell have to be coated with a catalyst that induces the correct reaction-either breaking down fuel into hydrogen molecules at the anode or bonding free hydrogen to oxygen at the cathode with the electrical return line.

INTERVIEW - Ballard CEO sees hydrogen cars commercial by 2013
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USA: April 17, 2003
NEW YORK - Vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells could be competitive with conventional combustion engine powered cars within 10 years, the CEO of fuel cell developer Ballard Power Systems Inc. (BLD.TO) (BLDP.O) said.
At the moment, cars powered by fuel cells are almost entirely crafted by hand and come with sky-high price tags of up to $2 million each. But Ballard President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Campbell said soon the price will drop. Ballard plans to unveil its next generation of fuel cell engines by 2008 and a more advanced engine a few years after that. "The next generation we will demonstrate what it will take to become competitive, and the generation after that we will execute what it will take to become competitive," said Campbell in an interview in New York. He said future generations of fuel cell vehicles will be simpler, have fewer parts, and use less of costly materials such as platinum. An increased volume of sales and making the switch from hand-crafting to production line manufacturing will cut costs, he said. In the next two to three years, Ballard expects to have built 180 more fuel cell engines for cars, in addition to the 50 already built, Campbell said. He said Ford Motor Co. (F.N) is expected to have bought 60 Ballard engines, DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX.N) (DCXGn.DE) should also take 60, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T) is expected to buy30, and a European Union program should buy 30 buses powered with fuel cells. Next month, Spain, the first country to receive the buses, is scheduled to unveil one of them, which would operate as a regular city bus in Madrid. Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to create energy, emitting only water as a byproduct. But first, hydrogen must be separated from either water or fossil fuels such as natural gas - by methods that use energy from conventional sources or alternative sources such as wind, solar and hydro-power. For this reason, hydrogen is known to many as a currency of fuel, but not a fuel itself. Campbell said stripping hydrogen from natural gas is the most efficient way to build a supply. But that creates greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, which would then have to be captured to make the method environmentally friendly. In other cases, nuclear power can separate hydrogen from water, which creates no greenhouse gases. "The menu of solutions is quite broad and going to depend on regional needs and economics," said Campbell. Hydropower in the Pacific Northwest would be a solution there, he said, particularly since hydropower can be much cheaper in off-peak hours. Although Ballard has yet to turn a profit, Campbell said the company forecasts earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to be positive by the end of 2007. EBITDA is a key measure of cash flow. Last year revenues totaled about $120 million, up nearly a third from the year before. "We are a company that two years ago had no commercial products for sale; today we have six commercial products in the market place," said Campbell. Those products include backup power systems and carbon fibers.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

was ist eigentlich aus meinen h-power - Aktien geworden ? Wer kann mir sagen, wo deren Grab ist ?

@Holle
H-Power ist jetzt in der Tasche von Plug.

13.11.2002: Plug Power plant Übernahme von H Power
Plug Power Corp. (WKN 928999), der US-amerikanische Hersteller von Stromgeneratoren und Brennstoffzellen, plant laut Reuters die Übernahme des Konkurrenten H Power. Die Übernahme des Brennstoffzellen-Produzenten soll bis zum März durch Aktientausch erfolgen, bei einem Kurs von 0,8 für eine Aktie von H Power. Das Übernahmevolumen beträgt 50,7 Millionen Dollar.

Roger Saillant, Vorstandschef von Plug Power, erhofft sich von diesem Zusammenschluss der beiden Marktführer eine verbesserte Ausgangsposition für zukünftige Projekte. Frank Gibbard, Chef von H Power, hebt dagegen die Vorteile für die Shareholder seines Unternehmens hervor. Der Wert ihrer Anteile werde sich durch den Tausch mehr als verdoppeln.

Fuel Cell Commercialization: Allan Rock Announces Government and Industry Charting the Path for Fuel Cell Success

OTTAWA, April 15 /CNW/ - An important step toward a hydrogen economy in
Canada has been taken as Allan Rock, Minister of Industry, today released the
Canadian Fuel Cell Commercialization Roadmap. The Roadmap identifies how
Canadian companies, institutions and governments can plan their investment
decisions, industrial development activities, and research and educational
programs to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell and hydrogen
technologies, which hold significant potential for environmental benefit and
economic opportunity.
"Canadian companies, researchers, universities and governments now have a
plan to build on our successes and remain on the cutting edge of new fuel cell
technologies," said Minister Rock. "With a strategy for bringing new,
environmentally-friendly technology to market, Canada will continue to be a
world leader in environmental technologies, and have the environmental quality
that makes Canadian communities great places in which to work, play and live."
The industry-led Roadmap is the result of the collaborative work of over
45 organizations across the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors, spearheaded by
Industry Canada and national industry association, Fuel Cells Canada, and
facilitated by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world`s largest professional
services organization. The Roadmap identifies four key steps to be taken for
the Canadian fuel cell industry to extend its leadership position in this
emerging technology. They are:

- stimulating market demand;
- improving product quality while reducing costs;
- gaining increased access to capital for growth; and
- creating a support infrastructure.

"For the first time, industry, governments and academia have come
together to chart the path for this diverse and important sector, and we must
continue our broad collaboration to implement our recommendations and realize
our objectives," said Ron Britton, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Fuel Cells Canada. "These efforts will not only position Canada to take
advantage of a predicted $46-billion annual global market by 2011, but will
also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollution and develop
long-term sustainable energy solutions."
The Roadmap steering committee has articulated a series of proposed
actions and recommendations to ensure Canadian fuel cell success. Continued
private - public partnerships and investments in research, development and
demonstration will realize the greatest benefits for all.
"Canada is in an excellent position to exploit and benefit from the
development of this sector," said John Webster, Managing Partner for British
Columbia, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "The Roadmap clearly lays out the challenges
and specific recommended actions that will need to be addressed, as well as
the leaders who are best positioned to help ensure successful implementation."
The Climate Change Plan for Canada underscores the importance of fuel
cell technology to producing energy in a clean and efficient manner. The
continuing development and demonstration of fuel cell and hydrogen
technologies will set the stage for further emission reductions moving
forward, helping Canada achieve its climate change objectives. The Canadian
Fuel Cell Commercialization Roadmap is an initiative of the Government of
Canada`s Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change, a $500-million, five-year program
to help Canada address the challenges of climate change. Action Plan 2000 is
led by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of the Environment,
in collaboration with the Minister of Industry and other government
departments.
Commercialization roadmaps identify critical factors for industry to
bring technologies to market, and provide strategic planning tools for
industry, academia and governments. For companies, these roadmaps are tools to
identify gaps between current capabilities and future requirements, and to
guide investment decisions to close this gap. For research organizations and
educational institutions, roadmaps provide guidance for structuring future
programs. For governments, they provide a strategic direction for industrial
development activities.

About Fuel Cells Canada
-----------------------
Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the National Research
Council Innovation Centre, Fuel Cells Canada is a non-profit, national
industry association. It is a primary source of services and support for
Canadian corporations, educational institutions and business alliances
promoting, developing, demonstrating, and deploying fuel cell and related
products and services in Canada. Its mission is to advance Canada`s world-
leading fuel cell industry. For more information, visit
www.fuelcellscanada.ca.

Wenn der Brennstoffzellenmarkt 2011 bei 46 Milliarden Euro liegt, wo wird dann die Ballard power wohl stehen?

Mein Tipp: 46 Mrd Euro x 20 % Marktanteil = 9,2 Mrd.
9,2 Mrd. Umsatz x 10 % Umsatzrentabilität = 0,92 Mrd.
0,92 Mrd x KGV 50 = 46 Mrd
46 Mrd / 89.000.000 Aktien = 517 €.
Habe mir zwar ursprünglich (1997) mehr erwartet. Aber aus jetziger Sicht könnte man doch damit leben. Sind 20 % Marktantiel realistisch? Und 10 % Umsatzrentabilität.Ich denke, dass KGV von 50 ist nicht zu hoch gegriffen. Die Anzahl der Aktien habe ich aus der Marktkapitalisierung bei Consors errechnet.

Das wäre doch nicht schlecht für den Anfang.