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TAKING the first tentative step towards a future society living without oil, a United Kingdom company has successfully begun testing of a unique and world-first application of what may well become the ubiquitous alternative -- the fuel cell.
Trials have just got under way of a phone mast that incorporates the latest in this still innovative technology. Pioneered by a leading telecoms company, Orange, the mast is applying hydrogen fuel-cell technology that will hopefully and ultimately eliminate the need for laying electric power cables.
This self-contained technology holds out great promise to remote regions and developing countries for it means that masts can be installed in those areas that would previously have been unviable.
The Plug Power system involved costs 8,000 pounds sterling and is initially fuelled directly with hydrogen that is stored under pressure in cylinders on site. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will be used later. This compares dramatically with average cabling costs of 80,000 pounds and 120,000 pounds plus the build price for a base station on a greenfield site at 50,000 pounds.
"We are delighted to be trialling the first ever hydrogen-powered mobile base-station," said Ian Guthrie, the operations manager of Orange in Scotland. "This breakthrough means we will be able to look at getting network coverage to those areas not covered at this time."
The mast has been erected at Clashindarroch Forest in Scotland, near the Huntly Nordic Ski Centre. Guthrie emphasises that the stand-alone power unit was an environinentally friendly alternative to the laying of five kilometres of cabling at the site. He added that the cabling work would have caused environmental damage and would have proved much more costly. The fuel cell is being supported by a back-up LPG generator.
This eco-friendly aspect of the project was echoed by Norman Davidson, district manager for Forestry Commission Scotland, who said: "The technology means there has been no impact on the forest and it is something we will be looking at further to provide power to installations we need to run in our remote areas."
Ski club secretary Peter Thorn said an oil generator or cabling would have had a negative impact on the site and the club now has full network coverage that would prove beneficial should an accident happen.
On this project Orange is working with FDT Associates, a leading provider of design and construction services for telecoms sites. It is the first application in the UK of hydrogen fuel cells that have been developed by the international UK-based BOC group, one of the largest gases companies in the world. These cells are capable of producing electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen over a platinum catalyst.
John Carolin, BOC's global director of hydrogen energy, said: "As a company that prides itself on its ability to innovate, BOC is delighted to support this project. We are confident that projects such as this will demonstrate the superior energy efficiency of fuel cell technology and the practical use of hydrogen as a fuel."
This project will expand BOC's already extensive knowledge of hydrogen technology, particularly in the safe use of high-pressure gases in mobile applications.
William Grove invented the fuel cell in Wales in 1839. He realised that if electrolysis, using electricity, could split water into hydrogen and oxygen then the opposite would also be true. Combining hydrogen and oxygen, with the correct method, would produce electricity. To test his reasoning, Grove built a device that combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, the world's first fuel cell.
A fuel cell operates as a battery operates but it does not run down or require recharging. It produces energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied to it. It consists of two electrodes sandwiched around an electrolyte; oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water and heat. The emissions from this type of a system are much smaller than emissions from cleaner fuel combustion processes.
Fuel cells have many uses besides driving cars. They are using them for back-up energy storage in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and airport terminals. They can also be used in residential homes for home-heating needs. They can produce hot water and home space heating. Another use is that the fuel cells are made smaller and used in cell phones, laptops and hearing aids. These miniature fuel cells generally run on methanol, an inexpensive wood alcohol. Finally, they can operate at landfills and wastewater plants to reduce their emissions.
The Orange/BOC project has come at a very apposite time in the rapid development of the communications industry and well places the UK to take a substantial share of the future. This whole sector could soon become very much fuel cell oriented. This is because it is thought very likely that large numbers of fuel cell powered phones will reach the market next year. This speculation is well founded by the announcement from Japan's giant DoCoMo company that it will start shipping 3G phones using fuel cells instead of batteries. The market for micro fuel cells is expected to reach about 200 million units in 2011, according to research firm ABI.
To cement its part in this future, BOC has started two hydrogen fuel cell trials at UK sites. One trial will provide electrical power, 24 hours a day, to a gas analyser and alarm system. The second trial is at a site where backup power for essential services is being provided by a 50OW fuel cell, also fuelled with hydrogen.
These are the first in a series of global trials and demonstration projects that BOC says it will undertake in the coming years and are part of its plans to further develop its hydrogen capabilities, tailored to the specific needs of the fast developing markets for fuel cells and hydrogen energy.
Trials will take place in several countries around the world, in addition to the UK, and will test a range of applications and hydrogen supply systems. They will include remote power sites, domestic fuel cells, standby power systems and portable applications.
To supply the hydrogen for these trials, BOC is developing a range of new hydrogen packages and supply systems. These will range from small high-pressure composite cylinders to large, lightweight manifolded cylinder packs, increasing the time between cylinder changes and providing handling benefits to customers.
— London Press Service
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