Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) claims that the achievement of an electrical efficiency of 60 per cent by one of its micro-CHP devices marks a milestone in the development of the technology.
The Australian company says that the efficiency level was achieved by its natural gas powered fuel cell generating device while exporting electricity to the grid, and is a ten percentage point improvement on its last record, set in December 2008. It is also the highest electrical efficiency ever achieved from any technology that converts hydrocarbon fuel into electricity.
“This milestone takes our company to a new level,” said managing director Brendan Dow. “We have now achieved 60 per cent efficiency in a fully integrated fuel cell and heating system, while exporting 1.5 kW of electricity to the grid. This is not a laboratory test but a unit that has all the functions of a commercial unit for homes.”
CFCL says it has spent $220 million since 1992 developing the technology, which uses fuel cells made from ceramic materials to generate heat and electricity. The Melbourne-based firm has established a programme with a series of utility partners in Europe to help commercialise the technology and provide it with a route to market.
When the generating unit’s heat recovery is taken into account, its overall efficiency stands at 85 per cent. Recovered heat is used to produce hot water for domestic use.
High efficiency is an essential element for micro-CHP units aimed at the domestic market as it will help homeowners to save money on fuel costs and generate a faster payback on investment. High electrical efficiency will also give CFCL a competitive advantage in the emerging market for home CHP units, says the company.
A 2007 study of other microgeneration technologies by the UK Carbon Trust, based on a trial of 70 units, found average electrical efficiencies to be less than ten per cent. A Japanese government-sponsored trial of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell home units showed average electrical efficiency of about 30 per cent. These figures may be compared with the average electrical efficiency of conventional power plants in the EU, after transmission and distribution losses are taken into account, of 35 per cent.
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