Fuel cell technology – the pollution-free electricity generation technology which provides a green alternative to the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels – is tipped to be one of the largest, ‘new’ industries of the 21st century, with fuel cells anticipated to become a common source of power for cars, trucks and buses and even ultimately, individual homes, public and commercial buildings.

As the worldwide need to identify greener energy solutions becomes more acute, Cummins Power Generation – a world leader in the design and manufacture of power generation equipment and technology – remains at the forefront of research which has the potential to result in the development of a cleaner, more efficient source of power destined to revolutionise the energy sector.

Xin Li, a technical specialist at the company, predicts that on the basis of current progress Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) mobile power products will be commercially available in as soon as 2–3 years time in the industry, with higher powered – over 100 kilowatt (kW) – stationary power units becoming commercially available in 7–10 years.

Research into fuel cell capability is a long-standing item on the company’s agenda. Its history with fuel cells dates back as far as the 1960s but was renewed in late 2001, when the company began an association with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) program. Cummins elected to focus its research and development on SOFC technology due to its potential to be cost effective while operating cleanly and efficiently on existing hydrocarbon fuels – as well as hydrogen as it becomes more widely available.

In 2007, the company was one of six industry teams involved in the DOE SECA program to successfully complete the Phase One tests of the first SOFC prototypes. “These units offered the potential to be manufactured at costs approaching to conventional stationary power generation technology,” said Xin Li.

The resulting SOFC power system – developed with Versa Power – has the potential to directly replace its diesel powered generator sets in many applications and can provide virtually silent power with significantly lower fuel consumption and exhaust emission than existing generator sets. Additional projected benefits include higher reliability and lower maintenance than today’s systems.

The prototype unit tested for SECA produced 3 kW of electrical power while operating on commercial pipeline natural gas and ran flawlessly for over 2,000 hours at Cummins’ test facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It demonstrated an efficiency of over 37 per cent, which compares favourably with comparably sized small internal combustion engine-based generator sets, where efficiency is generally well below 30 per cent or even lower.

Commenting on the advantages of the SOFC system Xin Li says that SOFC technology represents a highly efficient, clean emission (no exhaust treatment required) source of high quality AC power, which is compatible with other energy resources such as diesel generator sets, solar and wind.

He adds that the power output is quiet making it socially more attractive than traditional engine driven generator sets, with low vibration levels, and the whole system boasts the added appeal of low maintenance. SOFC technology can provide a reliable power generator solution for a range of applications and industries including telecommunications, recreational vehicles, marine, truck auxiliary power units (APU), home combined heat and power (CHP) and the military. In the case of CHP, in addition to the significant green credentials, the possible financial savings to the consumer are considerable. For example, for home CHP applications the natural gas powered SOFC system can deliver over 70 per cent efficiency, which when converted to current home pipeline natural gas prices represents half the cost of regular supply electricity.”

In addition to the SECA program, Cummins has been 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 of on-highway trucks.

Xin Li says the company is committed to providing new, greener alternative energy solutions to address the issues associated with climate change. Specific initiatives that underpin the company’s commitment to leading the emissions market include the launch in May this year of a new series of low emissions generators which represent the first to market in the SIIIA emission compliant 175 – 220 kilovolt range, and the announcement that spark-ignited gas generator sets from Cummins Power Generation comply with new EPA exhaust emissions standards.

“Fuel cell technology may only recently have begun to generate media interest but as a business Cummins’ experience with fuel cells began almost 50 years ago, and we are delighted with the results that we have achieved to date,” says Xin Li.