Bright
future for fuel cells
RIT is part of the
worldwide effort to harness this promising
Fuel cells offer the
tantalizing prospect of a world transformed by clean, abundant
energy, pollution-free vehicles and independence from fossil
fuels.
The Rochester area
is poised to become a leader in development of this alternative
energy source, with General Motors, Delphi Corp., Harris RF
Communications and Hydrogenics focusing fuel cell research
efforts at facilities in the region. A number of smaller companies
in the region also are involved in fuel cell-related activities,
according to Greater Rochester Enterprise, an economic development
group dedicated to job creation in the region.
 |
| Senator Hillary Clinton chats with CIMS Director
Nabil Nasr and his daughter, Laura, at the Alternative Energy
in New York Expo2004 held at RIT in February. |
“Fuel cell and
smart energy technologies represent an opportunity for the Rochester
region to drive research initiatives, create a foundation for
new jobs, and position Rochester as a leader in developing innovative
technologies that make a difference in society and in the environment,”
says Michael A. Finney, president and CEO of Greater Rochester
Enterprise (GRE). “We are pleased to have Rochester Institute
of Technology, a leading fuel cell research institution, supporting
our efforts to make this a reality for the Rochester region.”
RIT
is making contributions in this important field through
projects underway in the Center for Integrated Manufacturing
Studies (CIMS), the Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE),
the College of Science (COS) and the College of Liberal
Arts (COLA).
In February, RIT hosted
Alternative Energy in New York Expo2004, a daylong conference
to explore ways to bring together the human, educational and
business resources needed for the region’s
investment in new energy. The conference was sponsored
by New Jobs for New York, a not-for-profit organization founded
last year to encourage economic development and spur job
growth in communities facing economic challenges throughout
the state. In the event’s keynote address, Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton characterized fuel cells as a form of “smart
energy” that
represents future job growth for the state.
“I do
believe we are positioned to be the smart energy capital
of the nation,” she told conference participants. “We
have all the ingredients to do that, including institutional
capital such as RIT.”
Awesome potential
Fuel
cells are electromechanical devices that create electricity
from sources such as hydrogen and oxygen, giving off heat
and water as by-products. Although the first fuel cell was
built in 1839 by Sir William Grove, a Welsh judge and gentleman
scientist, serious development of the technology began in the
1960s, when fuel cells were used by NASA to furnish power for
the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft and, later, the space shuttle.
Today, every major
automaker in the world is attempting to develop a commercially
viable fuel cell-powered car. Fuel cells are already in use
in buses, trains and other vehicles, and they are being used
to power facilities such as commercial buildings and water
treatment plants. The fuel cell market is expected to reach
$18 billion in 10 years, according to industry analysts.
As
the use of fuel cells grows, research being performed at
RIT’s
National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource
Recovery, a unit of CIMS, is examining sustainability in
the design cycle as a solution to potential problems that could
surface once large-scale production is begun. Considering
their current short life cycle, questions remain as to the
overall costs and environmental implications of producing,
using, and eventually disposing of or recycling fuel cells
in large quantities.
“Design decisions
are currently being made that will profoundly affect the waste
stream challenges of future generations,” says
Nabil Nasr, director of CIMS. “Rarely
does industry have the know-how and opportunity
to address long-term concerns at the birth
of product development.”
Last year,
Nasr and his research team were awarded
a $250,000 grant from the Environmental Protection
Agency to develop a sustainable-design
approach to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).
This type of fuel cell is being widely
researched by the automotive and energy industry and
for use in home power generators. The grant
was made possible through the support of Congresswoman
Louise Slaughter (D-Fairport, N.Y.) and Congressman
Jim Walsh (R-Syracuse), who chairs the House
subcommittee that approves funding for the
EPA.
Designers of PEMFC
systems need guidelines to assist with design decisions encountered
along the product development path. The CIMS fuel cell program
will develop a comprehensive set of tools and methodologies
to be used in the design phase. The keys are reducing life
cycle costs and increasing the amount of components that can
be recycled or remanufactured.
“The unique
opportunity to influence the architecture of the fuel cell
early in the adaptation phase should not be lost,” explains
Nasr. “Designing components with
the ultimate goal of reuse, remanufacturing
or recycling significantly reduces
the overall cost and environmental
implications. The research and implementation
of improved design for manufacturing
processes will quicken the pace toward
viable fuel cell applications.”
A
second project, funded by $225,000
from the Environmental Protection
Agency, will be underway within the next few
weeks. The objective of this project
is to address micro fuel cells development,
infrastructure, use and disposal challenges.
Micro fuel cells can be used in a broad
array of products such as laptop computers
and other electronic equipment.
One of the early objectives
of the CIMS research is to use technology forecasting to provide
predictions on the growth of micro fuel cell technology over
the next 10 years – and potential
problems. Additionally, this forecasting
may uncover new technologies likely to emerge in this industry.
Collaborations
are an important element of the CIMS research effort. Currently,
the team is working with Plug Power, an
Albany, N.Y.-based manufacturer of fuel
cells for stationary products. CIMS and
Plug Power are working with state and federal
agencies to increase funding for R&D. The long-term goal is to provide
tax incentives and establish
the regulatory infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for widespread
adoption of distributed power generation.
In the classroom and
beyond
Fuel cells have an
important place in undergraduate and graduate education
and professional development initiatives
within RIT’s
Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
 |
| The Advanced Fuel Cell Research Laboratory in the Kate
Gleason College of Engineering focuses on undergraduate and
graduate education and professional development in all fuel
cell technologies. From left are research professor of mechanical
engineering Ramesh Shah, who heads the lab; fifth-year engineering
students Christopher Wall and Brian Banazwksi; and Satish
Kandlikar, professor of mechanical engineering. |
A yearly upper-level
undergraduate and graduate course on fuel-cell technology, taught
by Ramesh Shah, research professor of mechanical engineering,
was offered for the first time last year and is filled to capacity
this spring.
A student project
in RIT’s Advanced Fuel Cell
Research Laboratory includes design of a fuel-cell-powered motorized scooter
similar to gasoline-powered
scooters in widespread use in many countries. A fuel-cell-powered version
would eliminate high levels of pollution generated by existing
scooters, says Shah, the lab’s
director.
A twice-yearly
professional development course, Fundamentals
of Fuel Cell Components and
Systems, was taught at RIT
for the first time in 2002.
Shah instructed similar courses
last year in Bangladesh and
Taiwan. One course focused
on portable power for electronic
components requiring power
of 200 watts or less, such
as laptop computers and personal
digital assistants.
In a visit to China
last December, Shah lectured on “Fuel
Cell Technology and
Compact Heat Exchangers” at Xi’an
Jiatong University,
Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Technology. He
was recently named a distinguished lecturer on fuel-cell technology
by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, making him
one of only 16 such lecturers from among more than 100,000 ASME members.
In
June, RIT hosts the second International Conference
on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering
and Technology. Attendees – up
to 400 are expected – will
hear 15 lectures
by industry, academia
and government experts
on engineering and
technology developments
in stationary, mobile
and portable fuel-cell
power generation.
Last year’s
inaugural conference,
also hosted by RIT,
drew more than 200.
RIT
also hosts the
second International Conference
on Microchannels
and Minichannels
in June. Close
to 150 papers will be
presented, says
Satish Kandlikar, professor
of mechanical engineering
and conference
chair. “Minichannels
and microchannels
are critical components
in fuel-cell stack
design,” Kandlikar
says. “There
is tremendous interest
in this emerging
field.”
Fuel
cell stacks are
groups of fuel
cells “stacked” together
to increase power
output. As Kandlikar
explains, hydrogen
and oxygen (air)
are supplied
to fuel cells
through a network
of gas distribution
channels. The
water byproduct
within a fuel
cell unit is
carried away
through the same
channels – giving
it the name “two-phase
flow.” Using
high speed imaging
techniques, researchers
in RIT’s
Thermal Analysis
and Microfluidics
Laboratory, directed
by Kandlikar,
are designing
improved distribution
methods for reacting
gases by studying
cooling and gas
flow in fuel
cells. Working
with him in the
lab are a post-doctoral
researcher along
with two doctoral,
six master’s
and two co-op
students. The
National Science
Foundation, International
SEMATECH and
other firms have
provided research
support.
Both
upcoming conferences
are co-sponsored
by the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Elsewhere at RIT
A
number of RIT professors are pursuing fuel cell-related projects,
including:
- Thomas Smith,
professor of chemistry in the College of Science, who is
synthesizing a model proton exchange polymer and exploring
composite polymer membrane materials. These activities are
being carried out in collaboration with General Motors Fuel
Cell Activities in Honeoye Falls, N.Y.
- Roman Press,
distinguished researcher, and Gerald Takacs, professor
of chemistry, formed the RIT Renewable Energy Enterprise (RITree)
to analyze the effectiveness of using renewable sources to
meet the university’s
basic energy needs. Addressing part of this vision, the
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has
approved funding for a study to investigate using gas from
a local landfill site as an alternative energy source for a
proposed RIT boiler/chiller/co-generation plant.
- James Winebrake,
associate professor and chair of public policy in the
College of Liberal Arts and director of the University-National
Park Energy Partnership Program, addresses the role of public
policy in fuel cell advancement. Winebrake works with Argonne
National Laboratory to conduct energy and emissions analysis
of fuel cell vehicles; Massachusetts Institute of Technology
International Motor Vehicle Program on exploring the role
of fuel cells in U.S. transportation; and the National Park
Service to provide energy audits and feasibility studies for
fuel cell applications in national parks.
- Director of
the NanoPower Research Laboratories Ryne Raffaelle and
his team have published and presented their research on developing
electrodes using nanomaterials for proton exchange membrane
fuel cells (PEMFC). The team continues to work with these
microscopic materials to develop microelectronic fuel cells
on silicon. This research is supported by the Department of
Energy.
- Thomas
Gennett, professor of chemistry, works on hydrogen storage
using nanotubes with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in Colorado. His past work at NREL resulted in numerous
papers, presentations and patents.
Susan Gawlowicz '95, Kathy Lindsley, Michael Saffran, Paul Stella
'03
