New fuel cells double efficiency

Kyocera at it again

Fuels rush in

never mind the ice caps. This could cut our electricity bill by 25 per cent

Nippon Oil is among the developers - including BT and BP- testing a new type of residential fuel cell that has 25 per cent higher generation efficiency than current offerings, the New Energy Foundation told Ecological-IT on Monday.

Solid-oxide fuel cells, which use ceramic materials in their power-generating parts, will be tested over four years. Twenty-nine such fuel cell systems will be tested in the first year. Performance and reliability will be gauged via real-world use in homes.

The foundation will borrow devices from manufacturers, with gas and other companies responsible for setting up and conducting tests. It will provide up to 20 million in assistance for each fuel cell system.

Reading based Kyocera will provide fuel cell systems whose fuel will come from city gas providers. Systems using kerosene and liquefied natural gas will be supplied by Nippon Oil.

In terms of running the test sites, Osaka Gas will operate 20, the most of any of the firms, while Toto and Nippon Oil will be involved in both providing systems and running tests.

These residential fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, with the resulting heat also used to boil water. Solid-polymer fuel cells using resins have been the mainstream to date, but these fuel cells have generation efficiencies of 36 per cent. Solid-oxide cells boast efficiencies of 45 per cent.