Mobile hydrogen fuelling station and
series of fuel cell applications make UK debut
On Tuesday 4 th October, 2005, at The Ninth Grove Fuel Cell Symposium in London, a mobile vehicle fuelling system – the Air Products Series 100 hydrogen station – will demonstrate for the first time in the UK how Air Products is leading support for the global automotive industry in its research and transition into hydrogen fuelling.
The system will be used to power the Daimler Chrysler Mercedes-Benz A-class
"F-cell" fuel cell car, which will be on show at various locations, including Trafalgar Square and the symposium venue, the QEII Centre. The bi-annual symposium is the premier European event of its kind. The occasion will also be the first time the cars have been fuelled with hydrogen in the UK.
The Air Products Series 100 is a fully integrated fuelling system which offers flexibility of location and of hydrogen supply – it can operate with either delivered or onsite generated hydrogen. Flexibility of supply also has the advantage of reduced power costs, increased fuelling capacity and overall energy efficiency.
As an acknowledged leader in safety, Air Products has developed the Series 100 to exceed current European safety standards. The system is fitted with sensor-controlled automatic shutdown with leak detection and standard operator earthing. Authorised access is ensured by a personal identification number (PIN) which allows only trained personnel to use the system.
Additionally, as part of the event, Air Products will be conducting a seminar, Hydrogen for Generations to Come, at the QEII centre on Wednesday, 5 th October between 10.15 and 11.15 . The seminar aims to demonstrate that the understanding of hydrogen in an industrial environment can be used when designing domestic or transport systems for hydrogen use. There will be examples of recent innovations around hydrogen applications as well as examples of how existing hydrogen pipeline infrastructure is planned to be used to supply the fuel into homes.
Air Products is the world’s leading producer and supplier of hydrogen, with over 50 years’ experience in hydrogen applications from petrol refining to fuelling space programmes.
Other hydrogen applications
Also on display in Trafalgar Square and outside the QEII Centre, will be a trailer-mounted motorway road sign that incorporates on-board hydrogen storage supplied by Air Products. The project has been developed in partnership with the CPI Fuel Cells Application Facility in Teesside, the sign manufacturer VARiTEXT LTD and Bristol City Council, who will use the sign as part of the EU-Sponsored ‘Vivaldi’ initiative.
The variable message signs currently in use on our roads typically rely on diesel or LPG generators and the use of an integrated hydrogen and fuel cell system ensures a cleaner mode of power supply. The sign display is powered by a 300w fuel cell that uses hydrogen contained in six cylinders stored in the base of the trailer. The sign will operate for six to eight days on this fuel store. It is then refuelled from a hydrogen station that Air Products will install at a council depot in Bristol.
Photos of the fuelling station and the car being fuelled are available on request. |
