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Metal Hydride Fuel Cell: Overview |
Ovonic Fuel Cell Company is developing rugged, kW-scale metal hydride fuel cells targeted at backup and mission-critical power for military and commercial applications. The metal hydride fuel cell is a fundamentally new approach to fuel cells that avoids the traditional noble catalysts and incorporates charge storage materials in the electrodes. These materials provide for intrinsic energy storage yielding unique performance features, including:
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Instant start |
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Intrinsic operation down to -40°C |
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Operation without hydrogen gas fuel for several minutes |
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Energy storage for power bridging and transient handling |
The Ovonic® Metal Hydride Fuel Cell uses low-cost materials, readily available components, and a manufacturable approach, as shown below:
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Low-cost materials: non-noble metal catalysts |
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Readily available components: plastic meshes, carbon and graphite powders |
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Manufacturable approach: roll-to-roll processes for electrodes, injection molded stack components |
With its low-cost approach and unique performance advantages, the Ovonic® Metal Hydride Fuel Cell is suited for a variety of applications in the 1 to 100 kW power range, including:
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Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems and backup power |
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Military applications |
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Stationary applications |
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Scooters and motive power |
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Automotive fuel cells |
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