Fuel cells, indoor hydrogen storage studied

By Mike Ouellette, Associate Editor

The world of industrial forklifts has experienced a renaissance over the past few years. This ultra-competitive market has been upping the research and development ante, offering a bevy of technological, safety and ride-enhancing improvements to the standard forklift. And the time is almost right for the next major shipf of the warehouse and plant floor workhorse: fuel-cell technology.

Chances are this isn't the first you've heard of this new addition, though chances are better you've never operated one. That's because, even though fuel cell developers such as Ballard Power Systems Inc. and Hydrogenics Corp. have publicized much-hyped industrial trials, the projected cost of such technology is still too high for the market to support. Add to that the relative shyness of any pu7blic entity to endorse the storage and production of hydrogen in the average Joe's workshop and you have a bonna fide barrier to commercialization.

But the environmental and efficiency benefits of the technology are coaxing some public entities to get a move on.

The New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a US-based public benefit corporation focused on energy research, along with the New York State Power Authority (NYPA), a state-owned energy producer, have teamed up with forklift manufacturer Raymond Corp. to conduct a US $750,000 study into hydrogen fuel-cell powered lift trucks and indoor hydrogen storage.

The early findings of the two-year study are in, and they're rosy for the fuel-cell inclined among us.

"In comparison with battery powered lift trucks, hydrogen fuel cell lift trucks maintain comparable performance while reducing refueling time," says Ramond's president and CEO Jim Malvaso.

The research began in Raymond's Greene, NY, manufacturing facility using Raymond fuel-cell powered lift trucks and an indoor fast-fill hydrogen refuelling system to tackle its own material handling assignments.

The study uses reach trucks and pallet trucks and several fuel cell suppliers.

Billerica, Ma.-based Nuvera Fuel Cells provided the hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing technology.

Plug Power, in Latham, NY, supplied two GenDrive power units for reach trucks and one unit for a Class 3 pallet truck.

The Canadian contingent, Mississauga, Ont.-based fuel cell developer Hydrogenics Corp., provided a MyPM fuel cell module for a reach truck.

The study's initial research has found the braking distance and maximum lift and travel speeds of the fuel cell lift truck are equivalent to the performance of battery powered models. Refuelling time has been reduced to two minutes from the 20 minutes it takes to replace a spent battery.

Battery Counterweight

Finally, the study found that an electric lift truck's battery acts as part of the unit's counterweight. Hydrogen fuell cell comonents weigh less than lead-acid batteries, which changes the centre of gravity and creates handling issues. In the future, fuel cell lift trucks must adress this problem, which creates some design and engineering dilemnas.

As the Raymond research continues in hopes of dispelling regulatory reticence, other manufacturers are getting onboard.

Toyota Industrial Equipment recently unveiled its FCHV-F prototype fuel cell lift truck. The company found in its research that the fuel cell power plant gives constant power delivery without the degredation in voltage output common with a lead-acid battery.

Toyota plans to bring this product to market "in the next few years."

After years of taking massive losses trying to develop fuel cells for the automotive market, Vancouver-based Ballard has shifted geras. The company sold its automotive division to Ford Motor Co. And Daimler AG in an effort to focus solely on the more lucrative materials handling market.

The move is already paying dividends-Ballard recently announced a two-year agreement with Danish system integrator H2 Logic A/S. In the deal, Ballard will supply Mark 9 SSL and Mark 1020ACS fuel cells while H2 integrates them into products aimed at the European material handling industry.

In 2006, Richmonnd, BC's General Hydrogen Corp. (GHC) integrated Ballard's fuel cells in an $867,000-project involving the serpentine baggage "tuggers" at Vancouver International Airport. The airport is expecting hordes of visitors for the 2010 Olympics and the Canadian government-the project's sponsor-hopes to offset the increased pollution.

The diesel-powered tuggers travel through Air Canada's Ground Support Equipment terminals and service buildings, releasing objectionable fumes.

"The potential for hydrogen fuel cells to provide power for an array of equipment, both mobile and stationary, is immense," says Gary Lunn, federal minister of natural resources. "As we develop a made-in-Canada plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of our air, water and land, it's important to work with companies like General Hydrogen in developing the innovative technologies Canada will need."

It's materials handling projects like these that are helping to turn public fuel cell companies around. The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 2007 Fuel Cell Surey found sales revenues were finally exceeding R&D spending. While none of the publicly traded companies actually reported a profit, and aggregate losses jumped to US $644 million in 2007 from $371 million in 2006, revenues for those companies rose 59% in 2006 to US $416 million. Thus, the future looks bright for these purveyors of energy technology.

"Beyond the financial numbers, fuel cell companies are working hard to deliver products that meet customer demands for performance and cost," Said Joyn Webster, a PwC partner and co-author of the survey. "Certain niche markets have begun to open for fuel cell products and we expect to see product development and cost reduction continue to challenge incumbent products."

The message is clear: fuel cell companies able to find and exploit a niche, such ast he material handling market, hav ethe opportunity to gain a market foothold for the technology as a whole.