Alkaline Fuel Cell

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Alkaline Fuel Cell Applications
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Step By Step Process Illustrated
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Alkaline Fuel Cell technology Company

• http//www.astris.ca/
• ProfileFounded in 1983, Astris Energi has
  steadily developed the alkaline fuel cell (AFC)
  and become the worlds leading AFC technology
  company.
• Through technology breakthroughs, Astris has
  developed an AFC that has lower material costs
  than other low temperature fuel cells, in
  addition to having higher energy efficiency and
  broad operating capabilities.

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Advantages of AFC by Astris

• Jiri Nor, President and CEO of Astris, helped
  develop the very first working alkaline fuel cell
  (AFC) in Canada in 1984. He decided early on that
  AFC technology had both technical and economic
  advantages over the proton exchange membrane (PEM
  )technology that was being pursued by most U.S.
  companies in the field. NASA and the Russian
  space program had also chosen AFCs over PEMs to
  provide electricity, heat and pure water for all
  manned space vehicles, due to the AFCs greater
  fuel efficiency

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Continued

• The selection of the alkaline over the PEM and
  three other types of fuel cells is proving to
  have been the right choice, as the AFC appears to
  be positioned to take the lead due to major
  technology breakthroughs. The AFC was relegated
  to secondary status in the 1970s despite
  important attributes because of concerns about
  cost and lifespan for commercial use. concerns
  Astris has now addressed.

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Continued

• The leader in AFC technology, Astris has replaced
  costly platinum with inexpensive materials as the
  AFC catalyst and introduced new scrubbing
  technology to minimize CO2 effects and thereby
  extend the alkaline fuel cell life beyond that of
  other fuel cells.

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Advantage Points

• With these and other developments, the AFC has a
  number of competitive advantages
• Low material costs plastics, carbon, base
  metals and metal oxides no platinum.
• Long life span 2000-plus hours currently.
• Superior electrochemical conversion efficiency to
  other fuel cells and the internal combustion
  engine.
• Quick start, even in sub-freezing temperatures
  down to minus 40 degrees C.
• Simpler heat and water management when compared
  to other fuel cell technologies.
• Like other fuel cells, it is odorless and quiet
  for enclosed applications

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Current Focus

• Validating the strides made in AFC technology,
  the US Department of Energy recently renewed an
  RD roadmap for the AFC after a 30 year
  hiatus.AFCs currently in development are most
  suited to smaller scale applications in the three
  main energy markets and these are the types of
  market Astris initially targets
• Stationary such as back up power for
  communication towers, data centers.
• Portable such as prime or auxiliary power for
  worksites, cottages, boats.
• Transportation such as neighborhood electric
  vehicles, golf cars, fork lift vehicles

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Present Applications

• Fuel Cell Taxi Boat http//www.infotools.hfpeuro
  pe.org/energyinfos__e/fuelcells/main06.html
• Generator and Golf Car http//www.astris.ca/PR/PR5
  0.php

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Energy Tutorial Link

• A Complete tutorial for energy and fuel cells.
• http//www.nfcrc.uci.edu/EnergyTutorial/index.html
  

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Glossary (Terms)

• http//www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/Educati
  onCentre/EducationCentreExternal/EduCentreDisplay/
  0,1741,Glossary,00.html
• http//www.infotools.hfpeurope.org/glossary/main_0
  0.html
• http//www.iags.org/glossary1.htmC
• A PDF file (Glossary.PDF) released by US Fuel
  Cell Council is uploaded in the Server under the
  directory MURU has all the terms defined.

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ALKANLINE FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21st
CENTURY

• Alkaline cells, just like alkaline based
  batteries, are reliable performers that can be
  built inexpensively from down-to-earth materials
  carbon, plastic, base metals they use cheap
  electrolyte, start instantly and perform even in
  deep subzero temperatures. They do not depend on
  expensive platinum catalyst. And one of the
  alkaline cell problems often quoted by their
  detractors their limited tolerance to carbon
  dioxide has been solved by engineers many times
  over.
• The complete article is in a PDF format and its
  uploaded in directory MURU under the name
  AFC-Future.PDF.