https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4018158 Intelec 2006 International Telecommunications Energy Conference Providence, RI September 10-14, 2006

1. SM
Metal Hydride Fuel Cells,y
A New and Practical Approach for
Backup and Emergency Power Applications
Kevin Fok
Manager of Marketing
Ovonic Fuel Cell Companyp y
Rochester Hills, MI, USA
kfok@ovonic.com 248.293.7038
Intelec 2006
I t ti l T l i ti E C fInternational Telecommunications Energy Conference
Providence, RI
September 10-14, 2006

2. Overview
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1. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
2 Ovonic Fuel Cell Company2. Ovonic Fuel Cell Company
3. Metal Hydride Fuel Cell Technology
4 R t D l t P4. Recent Development Progress

3. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
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• Energy Conversion Devices Inc develops• Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., develops,
commercializes, and manages a portfolio of
revolutionary technologies and products withrevolutionary technologies and products with
applications for:
Energ generation–Energy generation
–Energy storage
I f ti t–Information systems
• More than 350 U.S. patents and 800 foreign
patents issued

4. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
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5. Ovonic Technologies
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6. Ovonic Metal Hydrides
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Interstitial metal hydride alloy
• Metal hydrides work like a sponge by bonding hydrogen
atoms to a metal alloy
• Safe, compact, low pressure hydrogen storage medium

7. Metal Hydrides in
Commercial Products
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• Commercial products with• Commercial products with
metal hydride materials
are availableare available
– NiMH consumer batteries
Solid Hydrogen canisters– Solid Hydrogen canisters
– Hybrid vehicle batteries

8. Ovonic Fuel Cell Company
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• Ovonic Fuel Cell Company• Ovonic Fuel Cell Company
– Subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
– Based in Rochester Hills MI USA– Based in Rochester Hills, MI, USA
• Mission statement
To pro ide al e to Energ Con ersion De ices Inc– To provide value to Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
by commercializing the Ovonic Metal Hydride Fuel
Cell Technologygy

9. Ovonic Facilities
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Raw Materials Preparation
Fuel Cell Assembly
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Electrode Fabrication
y
Fuel Cell Test Stations
Systems Integration

10. Metal Hydride Fuel Cells for
Extended Backup Power
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p
• Customer value proposition for extended backup power• Customer value proposition for extended backup power
– Operational success of PEM fuel cell-based UPS (Uninterruptible
Power Supply) systems demonstrated
I h tl hi h t i i f l l– Inherently high cost remains an issue for large-scale
commercialization
• Need to provide an economical solution for extendedp
backup power
• Metal hydride fuel cells provide
– Unique performance advantages
– New capabilities
– A practical, economical approach for UPS/emergency powerp , pp g y p

11. Ovonic Metal Hydride Fuel Cell
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• Uses Ovonic metal hydride
Hydrogen
Electrode
Air
ElectrodeUses Ovonic metal hydride
materials in anode:
– Stores hydrogen in stack
Rechargeable chemically
AirHydrogen
– Rechargeable chemically
and/or electrically
• Uses alkaline electrolyte
Commonly used in inexpensive– Commonly used in inexpensive
batteries
• Uses Ovonic metal oxide
materials in cathode
Metal Hydride
Catalysts
Metal Oxide
Catalysts
materials in cathode
– Rechargeable chemically
and/or electrically
Electrolyte

12. Metal Hydride Fuel Cell
Operational Modes
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p
M d H d El d Ai El dMode Hydrogen Electrode Air Electrode
Fuel Cell 2 H2 + 4 OH- → 4 H2O + 4 e- O2 + 2 H2O + 4 e-→ 4 OH-Fuel Cell 2 H2 + 4 OH → 4 H2O + 4 e O2 + 2 H2O + 4 e → 4 OH
Chemical
H2 + 2 M → 2 MH O2 + 2 MO → 2 MO2
Charge*
H2 + 2 M → 2 MH O2 + 2 MO → 2 MO2
Battery
M + H O + e- → MH + OH- MO + 2 OH- → MO + H O + 2 e-
Charge*
M + H2O + e → MH + OH MO + 2 OH → MO2 + H2O + 2 e
Battery
MH + OH- → M + H O + e- MO + H O + 2 e- → MO + 2 OH-
Discharge*
MH + OH → M + H2O + e MO2 + H2O + 2 e → MO + 2 OH
* Not available with conventional fuel cells

13. Energy Storage Functionality
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• The Ovonic
Metal Hydride
Fuel Cell can 1 1
1.2
Fuel Cell can
store energy like
a battery 0 9
1.0
1.1 Charge Pulse
Discharge Pulse
oltage(V)
y
• Unique
capability 0.7
0.8
0.9
Open Circuit
Open CircuitCellVo
p y
• Game-changing
technology
Time (s)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
efm60_1g
gy

14. Instant Start Operation
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140
• Provides microsecond
startup time
inalPower
60
80
100
120
140
• Instant power generation
even at -20°C 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
%Nomi
0
20
40
60
• Capable of starting up
without hydrogen and
ti f l
Time (milliseconds)
EFM60-2Cell#3
er
120
140 30% peak current
50% peak current
100% peak current
operating for several
minutes %PeakPowe
20
40
60
80
100 100% peak current
Time (minutes)
0 5 10 15 20
%
0
20
efm60-1cell-fc70

15. Good Low Temperature
Performance
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• The Ovonic
Metal
oC
80
100
Hydride Fuel
Cell stack
werat60
40
60
can operate
below -20°C40 20 0 20 40 60 80
%Pow
0
20 Ovonic Fuel Cell
PEMFC
DMFC
Temperature (oC)
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

16. Low Cost Approach:
Materials
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• Low cost materials• Low cost materials
– Anode catalysts composed of common transition metals
– Cathode catalysts composed of non-noble metal oxidesy p
– Carbon and graphite powders
– PTFE binders
Pl i h d f– Plastic meshes and frames
– Nickel tabs and screens
• Metal hydride fuel cells use readily available and• Metal hydride fuel cells use readily available and
inherently low cost materials

17. Low Cost Approach:
Manufacturability
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• Designed for manufacturability using conventional equipment:Designed for manufacturability using conventional equipment:
– Roll mills
– Resistance welders
– Presses
– Injection molding
– Vibration welding
• An initial manufacturing analysis has been conducted:g y
– Fabrication and assembly flow charts
– Process time studies
– Direct labor estimates
– Capital cost estimates
• Main conclusions from analysis:
– Metal hydride fuel cells are highly manufacturable
– Conventional, automated equipment can be used
– Significant opportunities for low cost, high volume production

18. Low Cost Approach:
Bill of Materials and Systems Analysis
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y y
• Completed comprehensive bill of materials andCompleted comprehensive bill of materials and
systems analysis for fuel cell stack and system
targeting UPS/emergency power
– Schematic drawing
– Thermal management
– Water managementWater management
– Packaging
– Additional aspects
• Can fit into packaging envelope for a commercially
available PEM-based fuel cell UPS system
L t t ti l t l l ( 1 000 it )• Low cost potential even at low volumes (<1,000 units)

19. Metal Hydride Fuel Cell
Intellectual Property Portfolio
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p y
• Proactive IP portfolioProactive IP portfolio
strategy
• 55 issued U.S. patentsp
• 17 U.S. applications
• 133 foreign patents133 foreign patents
• 93 foreign applications

20. Development Progress:
Stack Development
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p
• New stacks designed forNew stacks designed for
manufacturability
• Designed new 60 cm2 stack
– Improved fit and alignment– Improved fit and alignment
– Improved fluid distribution
– Improved reproducibility
• Implemented faster stackImplemented faster stack
fabrication methods
– Provides 300-400% faster
fabrication rates
Left: 250 cm2 16-cell stack with
power capabilities up to 300 W
• Designed new 250 cm2 stack
• Working with plastics molder
Right: 60 cm2 16-cell stack with
power capabilities up to 75 W

21. Development Progress:
CFD Modeling
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g
• IncorporatedComparison Incorporated
Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD)
modeling into design
Comparison
modeling into design
process
• Used commercially
il bl Fl W kavailable FloWorks
software
• Enabled improvedp
stack performance
and stability

22. Development Progress:
Prototype Power Performance
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yp
Performance of 16-cell 60 cm2
Metal Hydride Fuel Cell Stacks
12
14
16
V]
80
100
P
Performance of Two 16-Cell
250 cm2
Metal Hydride Fuel Cell Stacks in Series
25
30
600
700
800
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Voltage[V
0
20
40
60
Power[W]
5
10
15
20
Voltage[V]
100
200
300
400
500
600
Power[W]
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Current [A]
0
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Current [A]
0
System B Test, 8-4-06
• Early prototypes at 150 mA/cm2 peak
• New stack results >200 mA/cm2 continuous
• Newest cell results >500 mA/cm2 continuous

23. Development Progress:
Prototype Life
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• Life of multicellLife Test for 4 Cell Stack • Life of multicell
stacks has
been increased20
25
Life Test for 4-Cell Stack
from 1,200
hours to over
ower(W)
10
15
2,500 hours
• Electrode life
t t d
P
0
5
tests exceed
5,000 hoursTime (hours)
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
0
4efm60-fc145b

24. Development Progress:
50 W Demo System
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• Developed 50 W systemp y
• Packaged fuel cell and balance of
plant
Enclosure– Enclosure
– Plumbing
– Control strategy
El i– Electronics
• System can operate with fuel tank
disconnected
– Hot swap capability
• Tested with UPS system
D t t d t i it• Demonstrated to visitors

25. Development Progress:
500 W System #1
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• 500 W System #1 with ten500 W System #1 with ten
60 cm2 metal hydride stacks
installed
• Standard 23” rack mount
enclosureenclosure
• First attempt at scaling up to
500 W on a systems level
500 W System #1 providing 534 W of net power
Test Results for MPSC Deliverable #4: 500 W System 1
20
25
30
(V)
400
500
600
Syste
5
10
15
20
SystemVoltage
100
200
300
400
emNetPower(W)
0
5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
System Current (A)
0
100
System Voltage
System Net Power

26. Development Progress:
500 W System #2
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• 500 W System #2 with two 250 cm2 stacks
installed
• Plumbing and wiring greatly simplified
• Volume reduced substantially even withoutVolume reduced substantially, even without
major efforts in packaging
• Standard 19” rack mount enclosure
Test Results for MPSC Deliverable #5: 500 W System 2
500 W System #2 providing 555 W of net power
Test Results for MPSC Deliverable #5: 500 W System 2
20
25
30
ge(V)
400
500
600
System
5
10
15
SystemVoltag
100
200
300
mNetPower(W)
System Voltage
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
System Current (A)
0
System Voltage
System Net Power

27. Development Progress:
Status
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• Scaled up fuel cell stacks over 400%p
– 60 cm2 to 250 cm2
• Scaled up fuel cell system one order of magnitude
50 W to 500 W– 50 W to 500 W
• Improved 500 W systems
– Simplified plumbing and wiringp p g g
– Reduced volume
• Increased life of multicell stacks
1 200 hours to 2 500 hours– 1,200 hours to 2,500 hours
• Accelerated and advanced business plan targeted
at UPS/emergency power

28. Summary
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• Metal hydride fuel cells provide• Metal hydride fuel cells provide
– Unique performance advantages
Intrinsic energy storage• Intrinsic energy storage
• Instant start
• Good low temperature performanceGood low temperature performance
– New capabilities for robust, extended run time
backup powerbackup power
– A practical approach to UPS/emergency power
• Low cost materials
• Manufacturable

29. Acknowledgements
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Ovonic Fuel Cell Company would like to thank
the Michigan Public Service Commissiong
(MPSC) for its support