IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) _ Scientists at the Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory say they have developed
the first system to convert dirty diesel fuel into a quiet,
self-contained and efficient energy source.
The system is the product of six years of research and a $25
million joint effort between the Office of Naval Research and
fuel-cell company SOFCo-EFS.
In the future, the Navy's destroyers could run quieter, require
half the fuel, pollute less and have a smaller heat signature for
enemies to detect.
The system converts diesel fuel into a 30 percent hydrogen
mixture. By using the diesel to run a fuel cell instead of burning
it, the system produces twice the energy output, without sulfur or
nitrous oxide pollution.
About two weeks ago, the experimental system started running a
5-kilowatt fuel cell.
``We see this as the start of a new technology that will greatly
improve on where we are today,'' said Rodger McKain, president of
SOFCo-EFS, a fuel-cell company that split the project's cost with
the U.S. Navy. ``It could help make stealthier ships,'' said Mark Cervi, power
generation coordinator for the Navy.
The military will decide in two years whether it will fund a
prototype system for a new class of destroyers, which are scheduled
to start being built in 10 years.
Although the process of getting hydrogen from diesel is not new,
it has never been done before on such a large scale.
It is also the only system specifically designed to run on
high-sulfur content diesel, which the Navy can buy around the
world.
The technology could be installed anywhere people want to have
quiet, self-contained energy systems instead of diesel generators.
Dennis Witmer, a technology specialist at the University of
Alaska in Fairbanks, wanted to see if the system could be used in
remote Arctic villages that aren't connected to a power grid.
``There's a significant interest in rural communities because
right now many have to listen to a noisy diesel generator,
24-seven,'' Witmer said.
As with any new technology, the main obstacle is the cost.
The 5-kilowatt experimental fuel cell that is running at the
INEEL costs $200,000, and that doesn't include the cost of a system
to isolate hydrogen from diesel.
Studies have shown that if the cost of the system came down to
about $3,500, and could provide 5 kilowatts of electricity, plus
heat, there would be a huge market among homeowners, Witmer said.