sanevogert studer:breakthrough in fuel cell

Gert Studer:Breakthrough in fuel cell
Interview:"Breakthrough in fuel cell
Already in the 1960s, fuel cell powered astronauts of the Apollo missions to the moon on its flights with heat and electricity. Decades of efforts to develop this technology for the boiler room match failed, however, so far. But now seems the hurdles: The first models are already in series production.
Louis-F. Steel

(March 19, 2012) Once upon a time the gasoline engine: In the area of ??combined heat and power generation for residential heating sector focused in the 1980s on the proven technology of the internal combustion engine. Which resulted from the traditional company Fichtel & Sachs provider SenerTec began development of an optimized engine and put 1997 before the first supplier to a small power plant with a combustion engine to the boiler room ("Badger").
Stirling is the state of the art

With the turn of the century moved to the heating and giant Vaillant took over Power Plus Technologies, the developer of the "ECOPOWER 4.7" home power plant. The data used in this mini-power stations gasoline engines similar in design to the engine of a motor vehicle and because of their size recommended for use in apartment buildings. Also for the house area is with the Vaillant "ECOPOWER 1.0", a model with an internal combustion engine available. The relatively high cost of investment of € 15 727 (net price), including storage tank and hot water as well as the costs go through the maintenance of the internal combustion engine technology, however, despite a significant cost saving electricity and heat for residential hardly economical.
Maintenance-free Stirling engine

A small revolution was most recently in spring 2011 at the International Sanitary and Heating Fair in Frankfurt. Since the gas-fired condensing boilers dominate with integrated Stirling engine Brötje, SenerTec, De Dietrich Remeha Viessmann and the image of combined heat and power for one-and two-family houses.

731 mini-power plants with Stirling engine

Currently, mini-power plants dominate with a combustion engine (left) and condensing boilers with a Stirling engine (right) the market for electricity-generating heaters.

The biggest advantage of the Stirling external combustion technology is the closed system and the Stirling engine. The Stirling engine is built only as an encapsulated and maintenance free module in a conventional condensing boiler. This results in a very compact power station, which can also be manufactured cost-effectively and causes no additional costs for maintenance. Already at a list price of € 11 950 (net) for the unit with storage tank and hot water, for example, the price cutter named "eVita" of Remeha available.
Prior art

The currently available CHP with combustion and Stirling engines achieve thanks to condensing heat exchangers overall efficiencies of up to 95 percent. For one-and two-family houses, the share of electricity generation in relation to the heat output is still very low: the Stirling engine with condensing boilers convert only about 15 percent of the supplied energy into electricity. The bulk of the energy is converted into heat, however, and used to heat the building. Better is the Vaillant "ECOPOWER 1.0" with an internal combustion engine from Honda dar. But the "ECOPOWER 1.0" is only a conversion of about 25 percent of the supplied energy into electricity.

Fuel cells can achieve far better results, but are tested for decades, only in field tests and exhibited at trade fairs. In particular, the heating technology manufacturers will see a well-established market is still far off. It was not until the end of January dedicated Vaillant near Karlsruhe, the first prototypes of a new field tests. "The launch of the field test represents a milestone for the Vaillant Group in the development of this innovative technology," explains Dr. Carsten Stelzer Vaillant. A date for a launch is uncertain and is not expected before 2016.
Progress elsewhere

Other companies are already much further. The company Ceramic Fuel Cells, for example, was founded in 1992 and has since developed fuel cell heating appliances and fuel cell stacks and other components for other manufacturers of fuel cell devices. The " BlueGen "fuel cell device is manufactured in North Rhine-Westphalia already Heinberg in a small series. "With the" BlueGen "the first natural gas-powered fuel cell unit can be for the boiler room behind the field test phase and is available now for customers. The first 100 units, we were able to settle in the shortest possible time, "says Sanevo CEO Gert-Studer in an interview with industry magazine" CHP Data Library "( www.bhkw-Infothek.de )

731 BlueGen prototype

A "BlueGen" prototype was the crowd puller at the Hannover Fair 2011
Advantage of fuel cell technology

Particularly interesting is, compared with today's technology, almost a factor of three improved electrical efficiency of the "BlueGen" fuel cell module of 60 percent. Due to the high current ratio and low heat generation of the "BlueGen" it is now possible to secure the area in the house in the summer of a continuous operation. This avoids the operator having to buy expensive electricity. In addition, fuel cells are virtually silent, unlike engines, and are thus better suited for use in small homes.
The heart of the "BlueGen"

Is used in "BlueGen" a Gennex module with a so-called "Solid Oxide Fuel Cell", which means as much as solid oxide fuel cell. SOFC fuel cells belong to the category of high-temperature fuel cells which operate at an operating temperature of 650 to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The cells themselves are very thin at 0.3 mm and consist of a contact layer, substrate, catalyst, anode, membrane electrolysis, cathode, and an additional contact layer. Thanks to this technique, the "BlueGen" are operated with ordinary natural gas.
The cost

The "BlueGen" is in Germany at a price of 29,000 € (net) sold, which is far more expensive than the conventional device with a Stirling engine. The cost will therefore be achieved in the initial phase only in conjunction with government subsidies, grants Sanevo managing director Gert Studer. "For an inexpensive mass production still lack the necessary quantities. Higher volumes and the increasing automation and optimization of the production costs are reduced to a very considerable extent be. "Several states and public utilities plan according to the manufacturer to launch a start-up funding of up to 50 percent of the cost of fuel cell heating appliance.
Conclusion

For one-and two-family houses are wall-CHP boilers with stirling engine currently state of the art and relatively inexpensive. In the field of fuel cell technology to the established heating limit manufacturers currently on the other hand, public relations activities. With the "BlueGen" but is now for the first time a fuel cell for the boiler room available for free. The question now remains, above all, the durability of the fuel cell stack. This is the "BlueGen" but a risk of the manufacturer, because the consumer "BlueGen" should only purchase with a ten-year maintenance and warranty agreement. Thanks to government support is the "BlueGen" also depending on the region in view of the very high cost of fuel cell technology is a highly innovative alternative for consumers. With the initial funding of the state and many municipal utilities of the fuel cell will succeed after their flight to the moon and decades of development and countless announcements burst now hopefully the dip in the boiler room. "
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