AFC Energy announces successful 1500 hours electrode performance
November 30th, 2006
AFC Energy, the developer of next generation alkaline fuel cells, announces that it has successfully completed a 1,500 hour trial of its ultra low cost electrode.
Long term testing is taking place in parallel at Surrey University and at AFC Energy’s laboratories covering transient and non transient tests, load curves and single cell operation.
Whilst testing these aspects, an additional testing program has been undertaken with the new generation electrode material at Surrey University (for some 1400 hrs so far) without pre-treatment of air to remove Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The purpose of this test program is to establish the effect of Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) contamination with CO2 (sometimes erroneously referred to as CO2 Poisoning).
AFC Energy is pleased to announce that there appears to be no significant degradation of performance with these new generation electrodes. Indeed, the non-CO2 filtered electrode has performed slightly better than the CO2 filtered ones.
These achievements demonstrate the commercial reality of the new generation of alkaline fuel cells whilst dispelling concerns of carbon dioxide contamination, often associated with alkaline fuel cell technology.
Howard White, Chairman said:
‘This achievement, repeated and verified by an independent organisation, confirms our level of confidence in achieving our projected milestones of full commercialisation in 2009.
‘The results we and Surrey University have achieved, using untreated air for extended operational periods, reinforce our belief that the whole issue of carbon dioxide contamination in alkaline fuel cell technology has been overstated.
‘In any event, should CO2 contamination occur, it results in a gradual degradation of performance over a long time and is completely reversible by the treatment, or replacement, of the KOH electrolyte. It should not be confused with Carbon Monoxide poisoning, which can occur in PEM based fuel cells.
‘Carbon Monoxide poisoning is irreversible and represents a major barrier to commercialisation for the PEM technology.’
AFC Energy is now well on course to complete its next milestone of 2000 hours some 4 months ahead of schedule.