POWERgeneration
Cummins Power Generation is working to develop a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-powered
system with potential use as an auxiliary power
unit on long haul trucks. The SOFC is predicted
to vastly reduce engine emissions and noise by
cutting down on engine idling times.
BY IAN CAMERON Cummins Power Generation is developing a way to change how a range of mobile power systems
is driven — and it may only be five years
away, said the company.
The company has been involved in a
U.S. government-funded program to
develop an auxiliary power unit based on
solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which are
being developed to vastly reduce engine
emissions and noise and also slash
engine idling time on hundreds of thousands of long-haul trucks during overnight rest stops.
SOFCs are based on fuel cell technology, and according to some analysts,
may become the main source of energy
to provide electricity in the long term.
However, Xin Li, a technical specialist
at Cummins Power Generation, has
predicted a much swifter move toward
SOFC in mobile applications — between three to five years away in the
small mobile power industry — with
higher-powered (more than 100 k W)
stationary power units to be commercially demonstrated in seven to eight
years. Fuel cells produce electricity from
fuel and an oxidant that react in the
presence of an electrolyte.
POWER CHANGES PREDICTED
Cummins developing solid oxide fuel cell-powered mobile power systems
“Fuel cells can be used in a variety of
applications including base load power
plants, electric and hybrid vehicles, auxiliary power, off-grid power supply and
portable charging docks for small electronics,” said Li.
“SOFCs, which operate on a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, are more compatible with existing
fuel infrastructures including natural
gas, and the only byproducts are water
vapor and a small amount of carbon
dioxide,” he said.
In 2007 Cummins Power Generation,
which supplies alternators, generator-drive engines and power systems, was
one of six industry teams involved in the
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)
Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance
(SECA) program, which successfully
completed “phase one” tests of the first
SOFC prototypes.
Li said, “These units offer the potential
to be manufactured at costs approaching conventional stationary power generation technology.
“The resulting SOFC has the potential
to be seamlessly supplementary to its
diesel-powered predecessor and can
provide virtually silent power with significantly lower fuel consumption and
exhaust emissions than existing generator sets.
“SOFC technology can provide a reli-
able power generation solution for a
range of applications and industries
including telecommunications, recre-
ational vehicles, marine, truck auxiliary
power unit, domestic and military.”
In addition to the SECA program,
Cummins Power Generation is working
with the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy office to develop and
demonstrate a prototype SOFC mobile
auxiliary power unit to provide electrical
power for sleeper cab auxiliary loads on
on-highway trucks.
According to Li, this new application of
fuel cell technology could sharply reduce
engine idling time for long-haul trucks
and cut the industry’s fuel consumption
while also creating virtually no pollutants.
Li said that trucking industry sources
estimate heavy trucks spend an average
of six hours daily idling, mainly to keep
engines and cabs warm or cool. ;
To Request More Information
On This Company Go To
DIRECTLINK
at www.dieselprogress.com
