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.
Degree of Efficiency is Second to None
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.