by Hydrogeit | Feb 17, 2025 | Development, Fuel cells, Germany, hydrogen development, Market, News
System solutions for hydrogen supply and water separation
Fuel cell systems have much fewer components compared to other energy converters such as internal combustion engines, but even they need pumps and valves as well as the corresponding sensors. Thus, among other things, precise hydrogen dosing, safe hydrogen cut-off and precise water separation in the anode circuit of the fuel cell must be guaranteed.
The basic structure of a PEM fuel cell is relatively simple (see Fig. 3). It consists of two electrodes that are separated by a membrane. On the anode side, the energy source hydrogen is supplied as fuel and on the cathode side, oxygen from the air is supplied as an oxidizer. The membrane itself is coated on both sides with catalyst material. This ensures that electrons are split off from the hydrogen molecule on the anode side. The membrane is permeable to the resulting protons, so they can pass through and make it to the cathode side, in order to be able to react there with oxygen from the air to form water.
The electrons that split off on the anode side travel to the cathode via a closed electrical circuit. Used in this are the electrical as well as thermal energy. In a vehicle, this electrical energy can then be used, for example, to charge a battery or directly for the electric drive. In the stationary area, for example for the self-sufficient energy supply of a house or building complex with electricity and heat, the fuel cell ensures emissions-free living with renewable energies. When used to secure critical infrastructures such as signal boxes or data centers, hydrogen fuel cells are used instead of diesel generators and enable the use of CO2-neutral energy.
Safely dose hydrogen
So that PEM fuel cells like the HyStack® 400 from Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH (see Fig. 2) can be operated without any problems, among other things, components for the hydrogen supply and water separation are required that meet the fluid control demands of the manufacturer and feature defined interfaces to the fuel cell stack module. Robert Baustädter (see Fig. 1), Fuel Cell Engineering division at Proton Motor, stated: “Such systems are essential for the functioning of the fuel cell, because they regulate the supply of hydrogen at the anode input and are also responsible for the safety shutdown. At the anode output, they must ensure gas purging and water separation.” Only then can several of these stacks (21.3 to 49.7 kW) be connected together and in HyShelter® (see fig. on p. 4) sold to customers as a turnkey container solution.
Fig. 2: The HyStack® 400 module from Proton Motor, Source: Proton Motor
The Bavarian company developed solutions for this together with Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, an expert for special fluidic components, whose materials are tailored to the special requirements of these areas of application and form the basis for a wide variety of system solutions. Among other things, compact blocks were developed for both anode supply and water separation, which are attached directly to the stacks using fluidic screw connections and require little installation space (see Fig. 1). „ The media adapter plates, which we have a partner produce using 3D printing, are more than just a mechanical interface. They are a multifunctional component that monitor the pressure and temperature of the individual stretches as well as ensure the proper tempering of the overarching system,” reported Robert Baustädter. The fuel cells are quickly ready for operation even in sub-zero temperatures.
Control valves in the anode block
In the anode block, a servo-controlled piston valve provides safety shut-off for the hydrogen supply. An integrated pressure sensor checks for the target pressure. As a redundant safety component, a pressure switch is also installed. To increase pressure and leakage safety, the plug and core guide tube are welded together. The shape and surface quality of the housing enable maximum flow values. The coils are pressed with chemically highly resistant epoxy.
A second valve – a direct-acting proportional valve – assumes the pressure control for the hydrogen. It is, with its integrated cut-off function, likewise tightly closing. For use in fuel cell systems, suitable plug-in (cartridge) and flange housings as well as magnetic coils with automotive connectors of protection class IP6K9K are also available.
Water and hydrogen separation
In fuel cell systems, the hydrogen introduced into the anode is never completely used up. In a recirculation cycle, the unused hydrogen is not wasted, but is fed back into the stack. At the anode output, the water separator with two integrated valves ensures, on the one hand, the flushing process of the fuel cell system and, on the other, the separating out of the water evolved in the stack during the chemical reaction.
For the two direct-acting plunger valves, the plug and core guide tube are welded together to increase the pressure and leakage safety. The sealing materials are adapted to the application, because the valves not only have to work precisely and reliably, but also have to be tailored to the specific area of application. With hydrogen, for example, the materials used must not become brittle and must not corrode when used with deionized water.
Robert Baustädter summarized: “For the HyStack 200 with outputs from 4 to 11 kW that is currently being developed, in principle the same fluidic systems could be used, just with smaller nominal valve sizes.”
Business operations of Proton Motor are shutting down
At the time of going to press, it was questionable what would happen next with the Puchheim-based company. Due to financing problems, employees are currently being laid off and new investors are being sought (see p. 7).
Fig. 3: Basic structure of a fuel cell, Source: Bürkert Fluid Control Systems
Authors: Sven Geitmann
Dominik Fröhlich, Jan Beranek, both at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, Ingelfingen, Germany
by Niels Hendrik Petersen | Oct 9, 2024 | Development, Europe, Germany, News
Bipolar plates based on carbon can be a cheaper and, at the same time, scalable alternative to titanium, think researchers at the institute Fraunhofer UMSICHT. A new and patented carbon-based bipolar plate from the scientists consists of a thermoplastic polymer-bonded carbon matrix with conductive additives such as carbon black and graphite. It is produced in a powder-to-roll process. Because PEM electrolysis is generally not very economical at the moment, as the bipolar plate, an important key component, is usually made of corrosion-resistant titanium, which is more expensive than other metals due to the complex extraction and processing involved.
The new material and the innovative production process enable the continuous production of a bipolar plate that is both easy to process and weldable and is already being used commercially in the field of redox flow batteries. The researchers have already subjected this bipolar plate as well as a bipolar plate made of titanium to several tests. Among other things, the bipolar plates were subjected to accelerated ageing tests for over 500 hours.
In essence, the scientists have found that the carbon-based bipolar plate has a low ageing rate and therefore shows promising performance. This means that it can certainly compete with titanium bipolar plates and represents a much more cost-effective alternative. Another advantage: Because of its material properties during welding, the innovative material enables new designs for PEM electrolyzers.
More articles about bipolar plates start on page 37.
by Hydrogeit | Oct 6, 2024 | Europe, News
More providers and larger locations
For some months now, more and more companies have been entering the market for H2 refueling stations. Although their total number still have not substantially increased, increasingly more well-established as well as numerous new providers are announcing their intentions of opening additional locations for the supply of hydrogen.
A rather new player is, for example, Mint Hydrogen, which operated under the name Jet H2 Energy until March 2024. The Hamburg-based subsidiary of H2 Energy Europe opened its first hydrogen refueling station in Giengen an der Brenz in mid-May this year. The location is situated on the mobility hub of Jet Tankstellen Deutschland GmbH, on the federal highway A7. Oliver Reichert, Manager Retail Germany of Jet, called the Jet mobility hub, which employs the refueling technology of Maximator Hydrogen GmbH, a “reference project for us.”
Clifford zur Nieden, CEO of Mint Hydrogen Germany GmbH, added, “A reliable refueling infrastructure is crucial for the development of a regional ecosystem for renewable hydrogen and particularly important for the decarbonization of heavy goods traffic.” It is planned that vehicles from partner companies, among others, like Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, Hylane, Keyou, Stellantis and Arthur Bus, will fill up at the new refueling station.
TotalEnergies and Air Liquide found TEAL
A clear commitment to hydrogen has also been placed by Air Liquide and TotalEnergies, as they announced at Hannover Messe 2024 that they will jointly establish a new brand: With TEAL Mobility, the two heavyweights founded a joint venture that wants to have more than one hundred H2 refueling stations for heavy commercial vehicles in operation under the TotalEnergies brand within the next ten years in Europe. By the end of 2024, there will be around 20 stations across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
Meanwhile Tyczka Hydrogen plans to build its third hydrogen refueling station in Bavaria starting mid-2025. In Geretsried, not far from the highways A70, A71 and A7, a station is to go into operation in the first half of 2026 designed for a refueling capacity of one tonne per day.
The second H2 refueling station from Tyczka, which was funded with 2 million euros by the Bavarian ministry for economy, state development and energy (StMWi) during the Bavarian refueling station program, was opened in the logistics hub Güterverkehrszentrum Augsburg June 17, 2024. Potential users of this location are Arthur Bus, BMW, Daimler Bus, Hylane, Keyou, Kühl Entsorgung, MAN, Paul Group, Quantron, SFC and Still.
“The new hydrogen refueling station is an important signal for the entire industry and a milestone for our joint efforts in sustainable mobility,” stated Thomas Zorn, managing director of Tyczka Hydrogen GmbH.
New high-performance refueling stations
Parallel to this, the construction of a hydrogen refueling station in Frankenthal from H2 Mobility and BASF is being driven forward. After important components were delivered in May 2024, the partners are planning the start of operation for the fourth quarter of 2024. Initially, 700 to 800 kilograms of hydrogen will be able to be refueled there (corresponds to more than 30 trucks or buses). The capacity is expected to double by 2027. “Demand for heavy-duty transport will also increase significantly in this region. That is why we are building new sites like the one in Frankenthal many times larger than a few years ago. In future, up to three vehicles will be able to refuel here at the same time, including buses and trucks at 350 bar and light commercial vehicles and cars at 700 bar,” according to Martin Jüngel, managing director and CFO of H2 Mobility Deutschland.
Tilmann Hezel, Senior Vice President Infrastructure at BASF location Ludwigshafen, added: “CO2-free hydrogen is an integral part of our energy transformation at the location in Ludwigshafen. At the same time, hydrogen and a sufficient H2 infrastructure are essential for a shift towards alternative drive systems. We want to use this intersection: With projects such as the H2 refueling station, but also the water electrolyzer currently under construction, we would like to support regional mobility as well as our suppliers and transportation companies at the location in switching to vehicles with fuel cell drives.”
Dr. Doris Wittneben, head of future fields and innovation at Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH, was pleased that with the hydrogen refueling station in Frankenthal, which is a component of the project H2Rivers (details coming in H2-international Feb. 2025), “another important component of the hydrogen ecosystem is being launched in the Rhein-Neckar region.”
H2 Mobility currently has over 80 public 700-bar refueling stations. Four more are in planning, construction or start of operation. In addition, the infrastructure provider owns 27 stations for the refueling at 350 bar. And 15 more 350-bar refueling options are in implementation.
Frank Fronzke, managing director and COO of H2 Mobility, declared in spring 2024 at an opening ceremony: “In Heidelberg today, one of the most significant refueling station projects of the year is officially going into operation. The size and performance of the new stations [Heidelberg, summer 2024 in Mannheim, end of 2024 in Frankenthal, beginning of 2025 in Ludwigshafen – editor’s note] represent a new H2 refueling station generation. Using powerful technology, several 350- and 700-bar vehicle types can refuel at the same location – buses, trucks, light commercial vehicles and cars.”
“Europe’s highest performing H2 refueling station”
In March 2024, construction began on a high-performance hydrogen refueling station in Düsseldorf that will have a daily capacity of over five tonnes – that is more than ten times the capacity of H2 stations currently in operation and over three times the locations that were built four or five years ago. Partners involved are, in addition to H2 Mobility, also Hoerbiger as well as Ariel.
At the focus of this new station stands a compact yet powerful compressor, which, according to the information from the manufacturer, addresses the essential customer needs of the H2 industry. Its eHydroCOM system enables a mass flow of over 250 kg/h at both low and high suction pressures, making it ideal for heavy-duty refueling stations or trailer refueling systems. The high degree of standardization and the design with compact and space-saving packaging also enables rapid scalability, making it easier for system operators to achieve their total cost of ownership targets.
by Hydrogeit | May 2, 2024 | Development, Fuel cells, Germany, News
Project developer Enertrag has appointed Tobias Bischof-Niemz to the board. From the beginning of April 2024, the hitherto head of new energy solutions will be responsible for the newly created executive division of “Projects International & Technology.” The move will see the number of board members rise from three to four.
Jörg Müller, supervisory board chairman, founder and principal shareholder of the company located in Uckermark in eastern Germany, explained: “We are convinced that Dr. Bischof-Niemz, with his extensive experience and expertise, is the ideal candidate for the board position of Projects International & Technology. His commitment to sustainability and his successful track record in the design and implementation of integrated renewable power plants that combine power, hydrogen and heat production make him a key figure for the further development of Enertrag at a global level.”
The appointment by Enertrag, which now employs over 1,000 staff members, is the company’s response to growing international interest. Prior to joining the board, the 47-year-old was in charge of the organization’s international activities and sector coupling solutions.
by Sven Jösting | Apr 18, 2024 | Development, Energy storage, Fuel cells, hydrogen development, international, News, Stock market
The Plug share price fell quickly to under 3 USD (2.50 USD at low) and then rose again to over 4 USD. At a price of less than 3 USD, it was possible to build up excellent trading positions (see H2-international Feb. 2024). Is there now a turnaround in the price trend or was this just a brief flare-up before the downward trend continues? Or will there even be an upward trend reversal?
There is a great opportunity for Plug Power to receive a credit (loan) totaling 1.6 billion USD from the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. This is to come in the third quarter, although there are also rumors that it could be approved much earlier, but I won’t take part in this speculation. In this ideal scenario Plug will then have sufficient capital to establish and expand several production facilities, for example in Tennessee and New York, and start production there. The stock market will value this – if it happens – very positively: with higher share prices.
But a loan is borrowed capital that has to be repaid. What are the conditions? How high is the interest or coupon? What are the repayment arrangements? Will the loan be paid out immediately in full or in installments and with target definitions (milestones)? What is Plug doing with the money? If there is no clarity about this or the loan is not approved in the first place, then the stock market will be miffed or react in disappointment, with the consequence of falling share prices.
Parallel to this is running a share placement program (at-the-market) worth 1 billion USD. Of this, already over 305 million USD, through the placement of 77.4 million shares, have flowed into Plug’s account. This will also correlate positively with the DOE credit: If this is granted, Plug’s share price will – even if possibly only for a short time – climb, and this then enables the perfect placement of shares via ATM in the ramp-up. This money from the ATM program can be used to solve the short-term liquidity problem, since the cash on hand lay at just 135 million USD December 31, 2023.
There are also other possible difficulties, because the US Treasury Department is defining how hydrogen must be produced in order to receive the subsidy of up to 3 USD per kg. Plug is relying very heavily on this funding, but there are still questions: From which location must the regenerative energy come from, in what amount and at what point in time? And at which location must the electrolysis take place? With this are, like in the EU, a series of bureaucratic hurdles – unfortunately.
Disappointing figures
What are these figures: The turnover in fiscal year 2023 amounted to, instead of the expected 1.2 billion USD, only 891 million USD. The loss even amounted to 1.4 billion USD, which corresponds to a minus of 2.30 USD per share. The press conference on the results in March raised more questions than it answered.
For example, the material inventory is to be reduced by a value of 700 million USD via the delivery of finished products to customers. Whereas in 2023 only 400 million USD was invested in this area, no more capital is to flow into here in 2024.
The production at locations such as Georgia, Tennessee and Louisiana is to be ramped up and contribute to an increase in the profit margin. These sites are already capable of producing liquid hydrogen for the company itself and supplying it to customers. The Texas and New York sites will only be continued once the DOE loan has been approved, as otherwise they tie up too much liquidity.
In addition, there is to be price raisings (among others for H2, stacks and electrolyzers) and a cost-cutting program of 75 million USD. Liquid hydrogen is currently still being purchased, which entails losses, but is to be replaced by self-produced hydrogen.
After Plug Power – I reported in detail – established production facilities in the USA and internationally in a variety of ways and thus severely strained liquidity, the planned cost-cutting program amounting to 75 million USD is now to take effect. Whether this amount will be sufficient may be doubted, however, because it seems downright ridiculous in view of the Plug’s liquidity problems and comes much too late. That the company has started to produce liquid hydrogen at several locations and has delivered to customers like Amazon and Walmart is good news for now, but will at first have little influence on the company figures.
With orders for electrolyzers too has Plug scored, but it will be some time before significant sales and thus profits are visible here. That the Saudi sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF) at the end of 2023, with the selling of 5.67 million shares, has completely withdrawn from Plug is not a good sign.
Summary
Words must now be followed by deeds, because all too often very full-bodied forecasts have been made. That Plug will bring partners on board for some projects seems very likely. And also the spin-off (partial sale) of some units is conceivable, if liquidity cannot be adequately presented soon. However, there is currently no need for action. Plug is clearly on my watch list, though, as the company is active in the right markets at the right time. Once the financial problems have been solved, there will possibly also be changes in management, which has lost trust, and Plug will continue on its way.
Over 170 million shares sold short (short interest, status mid-February) are dubious, however, as there is massive speculation against the company or – keywords Amazon and Walmart (warrants) – a form of hedging is being used – no guarantees. All the same, already 10 million shares were short covered in January/February. On the other hand, it is this short interest that can sometimes have a price-driving effect via the covering (short squeeze) when good news is reported. Everything has two sides.
There is still no need for action, however, since the publication of the figures for the first quarter is pending. That various business media in Germany count Plug Power among their top investments in hydrogen befuddles me, though. There are more convincing H2 investments.fa
Disclaimer
Each investor must always be aware of their own risk when investing in shares and should consider a sensible risk diversification. The FC companies and shares mentioned here are small and mid cap, i.e. they are not standard stocks and their volatility is also much higher. This report is not meant to be viewed as purchase recommendations, and the author holds no liability for your actions. All information is based on publicly available sources and, as far as assessment is concerned, represents exclusively the personal opinion of the author, who focuses on medium- and long-term valuation and not on short-term profit. The author may be in possession of the shares presented here.
Author: Sven Jösting
