Transcript Slide 1
The VPS Energy Storage Solution—
Unitized Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolyzers
(SOFCEL)
Robert Stokes, PhD
President & CEO
Versa Power Systems Inc.
Littleton, Colorado
Denver, CO
14 October 2011
Company Overview
Versa Power Systems is a private
company based in Littleton,
Colorado
.~$110 million in product
development projects through
2011- non-dilutive
$32.2
$50.0
Current $0.5
equity holders
$19.7
VPS Ownership
US Government
Current owners
Copyright © 2011 Versa Power Systems. All Rights Reserved.
Industry
GLE/Enbridge
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Company Overview- 32,000 ft2 of research & pilot
manufacturing facilities
Pilot manufacturing and fuel cell development
As-received powders → cells → stacks → stack modules
Tape Casting
One Step Co-Firing
Copyright © 2011 Versa Power Systems. All Rights Reserved.
Screen Printing
Test Infrastructure
3
VPS’s 32,000 square foot facility contains stack product
development infrastructure
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VPS’s 17,000 square foot facility contains systems product
development infrastructure
Copyright © 2011 Versa Power Systems. All Rights Reserved.
5
Versa Power Systems’ Projects
U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory
– FuelCell Energy is project prime
– Development and supply of SOFC technology for operation on gasified coal
– Scale-up and R&D of large SOFC systems
• Large area cells and high kW stacks
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
– Demonstration of 10 kW natural gas powered system
– Supply of 10 kW SOFC module for integration and testing with
VTT balance of plant
Wärtsilä Finland Oy
– Joint development of SOFC power plants for stationary and marine applications
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
– Reversible SOFC / SOEC materials development
– kW stack demonstration
U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
– Boeing is project prime
– Development and delivery of high efficiency energy storage system for
un-manned aerial vehicle
– Reversible SOFC / SOEC operation, high specific power, ultra high efficiency
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DARPA Vulture II / Boeing Project
Overall objective is to develop
technology that will enable an
airborne payload to perform
uninterrupted intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance
over an area of interest
– pseudo-satellite capability, in
an aircraft package
– 5 year aloft
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1425
Versa Power Systems to deliver a high efficiency, light weight, energy storage systems
(ESS)
– In the System trade studies-- SOFCEL identified as best fit
– VPS ESS systems enable continuous flight: 90 day, full-flight demo
Program complete early 2014, follow-on programs possible
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So- how does Energy Storage using SOFCEL get applied,
commercially?
Unitized, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Electolyzers (SOFCEL) are energy storage and
conversion devices. They are capable of operating in both power generation mode
(SOFC) and electrolysis mode (SOEL)
SOFCEL can integrate renewable production of electricity and hydrogen when power
generation and steam electrolysis are coupled in a system, which can
–
–
turn intermittent solar and wind energy into “firm power”…
or, can turn intermittent power into peaking power, to offset gas turbine peaking plants, and
allow coal plants to run baseload.
e-
e-
Power
ee-
e-
O=
e-
2O= —u O2 + 4e-
Anode
Electrolyte
e-
H2O
_
O2
O2
O=
O=
2H2O +
2H2 +
Copyright © 2011 Versa Power Systems. All Rights Reserved.
2O=
+
H2
H2
+
O2 + 4e- —u 2O=
Electrolyte
Anode
Cathode
4e- —u
Cathode
2H2 + 2O= —u 2H2O + 4e-
Load
ee-
O=
e-
_
H2O
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The Market Opportunities: the promise for a multifunctional
energy storage facility
Baseload arbitrage,
Transmission support,
Energy services, and
Renewable energy storage/peak load arbitrage
e.g.: Renewable Energy Sales into Peak Market Prices-- With Energy Storage
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The NREL Study Conclusion
Lowest Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE):
– Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
– Pumped Hydro
Summary:
– Hydrogen is competitive with batteries and
could be competitive with CAES and pumped
hydro in locations that are not favorable for
these technologies.
An appendix to the NREL Study evaluated the
VPS Unitized, SOFCEL:
– “Integration of electrolysis and fuel cell
functions into a single piece of equipment
could:
• Reduce capital cost
• Increase utilization
• Improve round-trip efficiency”
– LCOE? Almost ties CAES and Pumped
Hydro; beats the others.
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Summary
Encouraging results are being obtained in the area
of SOFCEL
o Cell materials development on-going to improve steady-state
SOEL degradation and cyclic performance
o SOEL stack operation demonstrated, however more
development required
Analysis to define system based operating conditions are under
development
Electricity and Stabilityo It's what the electric power transmission system needs and it's what
the VPS unitized, SOFCEL energy storage system can provide.
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