MENU
SEARCHPASADENA, CA - A smart diesel reformer and a tolerant fuel cell are the core components of a new type of electric power supply unit that researchers say may have future applications in the electric vehicle market.
PASADENA, CA - A smart diesel reformer and a tolerant fuel cell are the core components of a new type of electric power supply unit that researchers say may have future applications in the electric vehicle market.
Norwegian company Nordic Power Systems (NPS) is developing the silent electric generator. California-based SAFCell Inc. is developing the new type of fuel cell. Also on the research team is the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
This combination of two advanced technologies is now undergoing testing, funded under the Research Council of Norway's RENERGI program. In trials, a 200-W solid-acid fuel cell ran on both pure hydrogen and on hydrogen produced from diesel by the unit's reformer -- with only an insignificant difference in performance.
The reformer converts hydrocarbons into hydrogen, CO2 and heat. Because of the unit's high efficiency, CO2 emissions are substantially lower than in conventional combustion engines, and no other demonstrable exhaust is discharged. This means that diesel particulates, black carbon soot, nitrous oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) are eliminated. An added plus is that the reformer emits no smoke or odor.
It all began in Germany. In 2006 the NPS founders came across an interesting conversion technology developed at RWTH Aachen University in the late 1990s. NPS acquired the licensing rights, envisioning market potential for an electric power supply unit based on a fuel cell that isn't dependent on hydrogen filling stations, and that can run on regular, easily available fuel without surrendering the environmental benefits of fuel cells.
In 2009 NPS secured usage rights to the new U.S. solid-acid technology for use with various fuel types such as diesel and biofuels.
NPS said that since the technology is scaleable, it is well suited for future generators in electric vehicles. But NPS is taking the development in stages. The company's first market is power supply for the defense industry. NPS has a technology development agreement with the Royal Norwegian Armed Forces.
Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.
Read More →
Fleet managers are done with the debate—and focused on execution. Learn how to build a practical electrification strategy that aligns infrastructure, operations, and financing while keeping costs controlled and deployment scalable with support from Blink Charging. Discover how smart planning today positions fleets for long-term performance and ROI.
Read More →
New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?
Read More →
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.
Read More →
With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.
Read More →
Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.
Read More →
EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.
Read More →
EV buyers took advantage of the final federal tax credit days, while average prices edged up for new EVs and continued to decline for used models.
Read More →
But most OEMs record low-volume sales, which means EV profitability remains a distant dream for nearly every automaker.
Read More →
