The document summarizes a new type of silent diesel generator being developed by Nordic Power Systems that uses a cool flame fuel cell. It operates at temperatures of 180-240°C using a solid acid fuel cell stack fueled by diesel, kerosene or bio oils. This overcomes issues with traditional PEM fuel cells like CO tolerance and water management. The technology was licensed from Caltech and SAFCell and a 1-2kW prototype stack is being developed. Potential markets include defense applications for powering battery-operated systems longer and civil markets once the technology is commercialized.

1. The first silent diesel generator
- the cool flame fuel cell generator
Dr. Dag Øvrebø
Technical Director
Nordic Power Systems AS

2. Mission
• NPS is bringing to the market a fuel cell
power generator running on conventional
hydrocarbon fuels
• Main attributes
– Silent
– Clean, virtually no CO, NOx or
particles
– Efficient (better than conventional
diesel generators)
– Fuel flexible (Kerosene, Diesel, bio
oils)
Concept design study of a 1 KW prototype

3. Technology – Our generator is based on two unique features
HT PEM
Cool Flame
Diesel/ fuel cell stack System output:
Reformer
Kerosene/ (180 – 240 C) Electicity + Heat
(Converting fuels (Convert Hydrogen
to hydrogen to electricity
reformat gas) and heat)
Bio oil

4. Visualised Diesel vaporisation in a pre-heated air using cool flame
ϑair = 140 ϑair = 220 ϑair = 300
°C °C
evaporationlength
saturationlength °C
20 200
20
15 150
15
C) B) A)
10 10
100
spray 5 50
5 spray
oil
nozzle oil nozzle
0 0
[cm] [ms]
air flow

5. Cool flame temperature is self regulating
Thermal ignition of
hydrocarbons
Cool flame temp

6. PEM fuel cells has been around a long time
PEM fuel cell battery charger developed by General Electric in 1960

8. Solid Acid proton conducting Fuel Cell membranes
Stable SAFCs (2004)
Boysen, Uda, Chisholm and Haile,
Science 303, 2004
• Established stable solid acid
electrolyte (CsH2PO4) as a stable
proton conductor
• Operates at 240 C
• First new proton conducting
material since 50 years

9. Nordic Power Systems enter into an exclusive agreement
with Caltech and SAFCell
• NPS has exclusive rights to IP on Solid
Acid fuel cell technology for use with
Diesel and Bio oils
• SAFCell to develop a 1,2 KW Solid Acid
stack specially suited for NPS’ APU

10. What does it takes for PEM fuel cells to become viable
-is increasing the temperature from 80 C to >180 C making
all the difference?
– Higher temperature operation
• Less parasitic losses associated with heat rejection
• More tolerant to CO (% instead of ppm), Sulphur,
ammonia etc.
– Proton conductivity is not dependent on moisture in
membrane
• Avoids complicated system for water management
• Allows atmospheric operation which gives higher
efficiency and less noise
• Significantly increased lifetime
New proton conducting membranes that have emerged in the
last 5 years are enabling development of robust commercial
fuel cell systems.

11. Market - defence
• Being silent and clean, a fuel cell APU share many of the features of batteries
– Hence cool flame fuel cell APU’s will have its own new market where it can
offer extended running time for battery operated systems
NPS will target specific defence applications as a market entry

12. Civil Markets

13. Contact:
Nordic Power Systems AS
Martin Lingesvei 15
1367 Snaroya, Norway
Dag Øvrebø, Technical Director, +4748269846
dag.ovrebo@nordicpowersystems.com