Proton Energy Systems Announces Successful Testing of Reversible PEM Fuel Cell
3 August 1999
Proton Energy Systems Announces Successful Testing of Reversible PEM Fuel Cell
ROCKY HILL, Conn.--Aug. 2, 1999--Proton Energy Systems announced today that it has successfully tested its Proton Exchange Membrane Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (PEM URFC) Energy Storage System at the company's facilities in Rocky Hill, CT. The PEM URFC, developed with the support of EPRI, the collaborative science and technology development organization for the power industry, has achieved performance above expectations equaling that of separate fuel cells and electrolyzers.The PEM URFC storage system converts electricity to hydrogen and then generates electricity from the stored hydrogen on demand. This technology will operate as a high-performance large-scale battery without many of the limitations of conventional batteries. When power output from storage is needed for extended time periods the PEM URFC technology delivers this at a fraction of the cost of conventional batteries. Vice President of Technology and Process Development, Trent Molter said, "this accomplishment is a revolutionary breakthrough in PEM technology that opens the door to low-cost, hydrogen-based electrical energy storage systems."
Successful prototypes of PROTON's energy storage products will be suitable to meet a variety of commercial energy storage needs including premium power backup, standby power supply, atmospheric monitoring, surveillance, and communications. Commercial UNIGEN(TM) URFCs may ultimately be used in for backup energy storage in generating stations, homes, villages, factories, monitoring stations, and on-grid peak shaving. Coupled to a conventional fuel source such as natural gas, these systems can create a complete energy management system with the ability to both generate and store electricity.
Proton Energy Systems, located in Rocky Hill, CT is a world leader in the development and commercial manufacture of PEM hydrogen generators and regenerative fuel cells. At the heart of these systems is the proprietary PROTON Energy Systems electrochemical cell stack. The company's hydrogen generator products are now in commercial production with the introduction of related energy products planned for 2001.
UNIGEN is a Trademark of PROTON Energy Systems, Inc.