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Improved rating for residential fuel cells
June 28, 2006A new performance rating system for residential fuel cells developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can help prospective buyers assess the economic value of alternative fuel-cell technologies.
Residential fuel cells now being developed combine hydrogen from natural gas or propane with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. Homeowners might be able to meet all of their energy needs with a residential fuel cell and, in some cases, even sell excess energy to a utility. Currently, PTC 50, an ASME standard, is used to measure fuel cell system performance, but it does not take into account either seasonal changes in heating and cooling requirements, or a residence's quickly changing demands for electricity.
To bridge the gap between the PTC 50 standard and the information that consumers will need to make economic decisions on installing a fuel cell, NIST researchers have published proposed test and rating methods* that will help consumers assess the economic feasibility of four different types of residential fuel cells under different climate conditions in six different geographic locations. The rating will provide the annual electrical energy produced, fuel consumed, thermal energy for domestic water heating and space heating delivered, and water used by the residential fuel cell system.
The four fuel cell types studied include systems that operate independent of the power grid with all generated power used by the residence itself; systems connected to the grid, in which electrical power output remains constant and excess electricity is sold to the utility; systems for thermal space and domestic water heating similarly connected to the grid to supplement the fuel cell power when needed; and similar but smaller systems used primarily for water heating.
The NIST test methodology and performance rating procedure uses building energy simulation results for three days, one each for winter, spring/fall, and summer for a prototypical house located in a representative city within six Department of Energy (DOE) designated climate zones, including Jacksonville, Fla.; Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Astoria, Ore.
The NIST researchers expect to present their test methodology and performance rating procedures to standards organizations this summer. Several manufacturers have provided input on the rating methodology.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
The four fuel cell types studied include systems that operate independent of the power grid with all generated power used by the residence itself; systems connected to the grid, in which electrical power output remains constant and excess electricity is sold to the utility; systems for thermal space and domestic water heating similarly connected to the grid to supplement the fuel cell power when needed; and similar but smaller systems used primarily for water heating.
The NIST test methodology and performance rating procedure uses building energy simulation results for three days, one each for winter, spring/fall, and summer for a prototypical house located in a representative city within six Department of Energy (DOE) designated climate zones, including Jacksonville, Fla.; Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Astoria, Ore.
The NIST researchers expect to present their test methodology and performance rating procedures to standards organizations this summer. Several manufacturers have provided input on the rating methodology.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Fuel Cell Current Events and Fuel Cell News RSSToward home-brewed electricity with 'personalized solar energy'
New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalized solar energy," in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities.
U of C chemists discover recipe to design a better type of fuel cell
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Ion Tiger fuel cell unmanned air vehicle completes 23-hour flight
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Smaller isn't always better: Catalyst simulations could lower fuel cell cost
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SRI to present hydrogen fuel safety research results at 2009 International Conference
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Making more efficient fuel cells
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Hydrogen Storage Gets New Hope
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Growth Spurts: Berkeley Lab Researchers Record First Real-Time Direct Observations of Nanocrystal Growth in Solution
The veil is being lifted from the once unseen world of molecular activity. Not so long ago only the final products were visible and scientists were forced to gauge the processes behind those products by ensemble averages of many molecules.
Wastewater produces electricity and desalinates water
A process that cleans wastewater and generates electricity can also remove 90 percent of salt from brackish water or seawater, according to an international team of researchers from China and the U.S.
NRL's XFC UAS achieves flight endurance milestone
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has completed a successful flight test of the fuel cell powered XFC (eXperimental Fuel Cell) unmanned aerial system (UAS).
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