Partners
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
FRANCE
CEA (French Atomic and Alternative Energies Commission) is a research state agency for
nuclear energy, employing 16000 people. The Research & Technologies Division (DRT),
one of the four operating divisions, focus on the new technologies for energy (photovoltaic,
batteries, H2 and fuel cells) and nanomaterials with the LITEN (Laboratory of Innovations
on Technologies for new Energies and Nanomaterials), a technological research institute
of more than 1000 people. CEA/LITEN is in charge of this project with the three services of
the DEHT (Department of Electricity and Hydrogen for Transportation) involved: SRGE,
SIGE and SCGE (Realization, Integration and Components of Electrochemical
Generators). For fuel cells development and studies, CEA/LITEN benefits of several
hydrogen platforms for testing single cells, stacks (from 0.1 to 50kW) and systems;
equipment for manufacturing materials, fuel cell components and stacks; and direct
access to Minatec nano-characterization platform.
IRD A/S
DANMARK
IRD A/S is an independent high-technology SME devoted to and specialized within
development of fuel-cell materials, fuel-cells and fuel-cell systems. IRD operates
internationally through its own organisation and through daughter companies, associates,
and licensees. The IRD strategy is to develop new fuel-cell technologies in collaboration
with international research groups, strategic partners and customers and thus establish a
stronghold in the fuel-cell business with respect to commercialization of fuel-cell
components and products for the global market.
NEDSTACK FUEL CELL BV
THE NETHERLANDS
Nedstack fuel cell technology BV manufactures and commercializes PEM fuel cell stacks
for the main fuel cell markets. Customers are system integrators of PEM fuel cells:
manufacturers of back-up power units (UPS), manufacturers of power generators,
shipyards and bus manufacturers. Nedstack and partners also produce large stationary
fuel cell systems up to 2 MW operating on hydrogen, and have developed and delivered
pre-commercial products for transport applications.
ICI CALDAIE
ITALY
ICI CALDAIE S.p.A. was founded in 1958 and currently it can be considered as a leading
company of the CHP sector thanks to the continuous research and development of highly
reliable heating generators keeping up with the technological evolution. The experience
reached with the passing of the years has allowed the firm to transfer the know-how
acquired in the planning and realization of industrial steam generators, a sector in which
the firm occupies a leading position, to that of domestic and wall hung boilers. Today ICI
CALDAIE S.p.A. presents itself on the European market with a complete range of
products: Every project is made by the R&D Department which is endowed with modern
networked CAD stations; the preparation of the sub-assembled components is realized
with laser cutters and numeric controlled machines; the perfect welding of the elements is
ensured by modern robots and every single boiler is subjected to a severe test which
certifies its reliability. The development of new products, adequate to the ever stricter
European regulations as regards use and emissions, is entrusted to a R&D Department
endowed with modern instruments to verify the reliability and output of the boilers. All the
models produced are CE marked. In 1993 the ICIM (Istituto di Certificazione Industriale
per la Meccanica) certified the Quality System of ICI CALDAIE S.p.A. according to Italian,
European and international standards UNI EN 29002 (IS0 9002); in June 2002 BVQI
(Bureau Veritas Quality Insurance) confers to ICI CALDAIE S.p.A. the ISO 9001/94
certification and in April 2004 the ISO 9001/00 certification. They own IP about a reforming
device used for a PEM FC based μ CHP system.”
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
ITALY
Politecnico di Milano is the largest Italian technical University, with about 39000 students
in 2012, 1150 PhD students, 1350 professors and assistant professors (www.polimi.it). The
Department of Energy (www.energia.polimi.it) research activities embrace all the range of
energy sciences and technologies, thanks to the work of over 250 people. In the
Department of Energy, the experimental and theoretical activities on polymeric electrolyte
membrane fuel cells and related components are carried out by the MRT Fuel Cell
Laboratory (www.MRTfuelcell.polimi.it). The laboratory started its activities in 2005, until
now its scientific production increased rapidly: 5 PhD, 35 master theses and 30 papers on
international journals were dedicated to the major issues of DMFC, PEMFC, HTPEMFC by
2014. The lab is today involved in several collaboration with universities, research centres
and industries in national and international research projects.
GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTER
GERMANY
The DLR-Institute of Technical Thermodynamics is active in the fields of renewable energy
research and technology development for efficient and low emission energy conversion
and utilisation. The division Electrochemical Energy Technology has long-term experience
in fuel cells (SOFC, PEFC; DMFC and AFC), production technologies e.g., plasma
technology, rolling and cold dry spraying techniques. The division also has extensive
experience in the characterisation of components of electrochemical energy converters
with electrochemical and physical methods as well as in the diagnostics of fuel cells.
Around 70 persons work in the electrochemical energy technology division, 15 persons in
the field of PEFC research and development. In addition numerous people work in the
analytic of components for electrochemical systems. The division Computational
Electrochemistry was founded in November 2012 and consists of 11 scientists and PhD
students. Its main activities are the development of electrochemical multiphysics models of
fuel cells (SOFC, PEFC, DMFC) and batteries (Li Intercalation, Li-Sulfur and Li-air).
JRC -JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE-
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BELGIQUE
Institute for Energy and Transport (IET) is part of the Directorate General Joint Research
Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. Its mission is to provide scientific and
technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of
community policies related to energy. Special emphasis is given to the security of energy
supply and sustainable and safe energy production. JRC supports EU actions by
executing its specific research programme in the fields of clean and sustainable energy
spanning both nuclear and non-nuclear domains. Typical activities encompass nuclear
safety in the enlarged EU; clean, efficient biomass combustion and gasification, and
harmonisation and validation of safety and performance assessment of fuel cell and
hydrogen technologies. The Institute concentrates on S&T reference systems for policy
support at European level, networking, especially in areas where integrated action at the
Community level in support to policies is needed, and finally on mobility of scientific skills.
It also performs contractual work co-financed by the indirect actions of the Framework
Programme (FP) and work for third parties as well as work at the direct request of
Commission Services.
SINTEF
NORWAY
Stiftelsen SINTEF is an independent research institution affiliated to the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology (NTNU). It is a multidisciplinary contract research
organization that performs research and development in technology. SINTEF has more
than 1800 employees, and a total turnover of almost 400 M€ in 2012. SINTEF Materials
and Chemistry is a division within the SINTEF Group with 500 employees, and around 30
associated professors, covering fundamental and industrial research related to materials
and processes. The department New Energy Solutions within the Section of Sustainable
Energy Technology has specialized in electrochemical energy conversion technologies.
The main focus is on research related to PEM fuel cells and electrolysis cells and
inorganic material chemistry
TU GRAZ
AUSTRIA
The laboratory for fuel cell research at the Institute of Chemical Engineering and
Environmental Technology of TU Graz looks back on many years of R&D experience in the
field of fuel cells and hydrogen production technologies. Since its establishment in 2001,
many national and international funded research projects were successfully conducted.
Between 2002 and 2009 the laboratory was operated as Christian-Doppler-Laboratory for
Fuel Cell Systems, supported by industrial partners and the Christian Doppler Society,
Vienna. The working group represents Austria in the Implementing Agreement on
Advanced Fuel Cells of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in the Annex “Polymer
Electrolyte Fuel Cells” and the Annex “Portable Fuel Cells”. In national projects in
cooperation with industry as well in international projects (e.g. KeePEMalive) the
laboratory gained expertise in the field of lifetime and degradation of PEMFCs. Within the
project SecondAct, the focus of research includes accelerated stress tests and detection
of local degradation phenomena.
© DLR-TT-ECE 2014
European Project
Second Act
Simulation, Statistics and Experiments Coupled to develop
Optimized and Durable µCHP systems using Accelerated Tests