Energy Partners' PEM Fuel Cell Stack Powers Virginia Tech's Lumina
14 June 1999
Energy Partners' PEM Fuel Cell Stack Powers Virginia Tech's Chevrolet Lumina to an Electric Finish at the 1999 FutureCar Challenge in Washington, D.C.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--June 14, 1999--Energy Partners' advanced PEM fuel cell stack powered a Chevrolet Lumina hybrid electric vehicle in one of the first successful demonstrations of hydrogen fuel cell technology in a production vehicle. Energy Partners, L.C. a leading PEM fuel cell research, design, and manufacturing company, provided the PEM fuel cell stack, which was successfully integrated & operated in the Chevy Lumina by the students and faculty of Virginia Polytechnic University under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy's 1999 FutureCar Challenge.The vehicle was designed to demonstrate the advantages of PEM fuel cell technology without comprising consumer expectations for performance and comfort. Finishing second in the overall competition and first in emissions testing, the vehicle successfully showed the environmental and performance benefits of the vehicle while maintaining all of the conveniences of the original vehicle. Rhett Ross, Vice President of Energy Partners stated that " We are extremely pleased with the performance of the NG2000 20 kilowatt stack and the students' system design that so effectively operated the stack. We feel that this program achieved its goal of demonstrating the efficiency, performance and consumer orientation of the technology, as well as exposing the next generation of engineers to fuel cells"
The specific goal of the FutureCar Challenge is to re-engineer a mid-size American car to get double or even triple current fuel economy. Each team starts with similar late model vehicles, a Chevy Lumina, Dodge Intrepid, Ford Taurus, or Mercury Sable. The teams are evaluated on their fuel economy and performance measures that include handling, braking and acceleration. They are also judged on consumer acceptability criteria such as design, interior climate control, passenger comfort and luggage space.
The Chevy Lumina with the Energy Partners fuel cell stack represents a milestone in automotive re-engineering, as the original internal combustion engine is removed and replaced with the fuel cell stack. The vehicle traveled up to a speed of 80 miles per hour with high fuel efficiency. In the emissions test that was done by Ford Motor Company testing facility during the competition, the fuel cell stack produced no carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or hydrocarbon emissions winning the Award for EPA Lowest Emissions. Mike Ogburn, team leader for the Virginia Tech team sampled some water which is the only emission/ by-product of the fuel cell exhaust system, emphasizing how clean the emissions from a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle actually are. This is the third year that Virginia Polytechnic Institute has placed first or second in the competition. They have recently been selected to participate in the upcoming FutureTruck 2000 SUV research competition.
Energy Partners will continue to be a fuel cell supplier to the Department of Energy, universities, and the automotive industry in support of national research being done by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) program. Since 1990 Energy Partners has been at the forefront of PEM fuel cell technology development. They have developed fuel cells for a range of stationary and automotive applications including PEM fuel cell stacks with a maximum power rating of 20kW, prototypes of various sized reformate capable fuel cells with near term power ratings of 65kW, and demonstrations of direct hydrogen vehicles. Energy Partners is transitioning into a product-based company with near term focusing on the primary power, back-up power and microcogeneration markets, and continue to attain an unmatched reputation for product performance and reliability.
