Fuel Cells
Fuel Cell Membrane - 55 watts at 700C (10cm X10cm)
General Information
GLE has a plain English type of description of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) at its Fuel Cell Page: GLE Fuel Cell Page .
For the more technically inclined the University of McMaster has an in depth description of the SOFC. The paper describes some problems the SOFC design had to overcome, which Global accomplished. SOFC Info - McMaster University (Adobe Required)
In the summer of 1997, Global signed an agreement with a premier European Research company, licensing the best European SOFC Technology. Participants in the agreement include Forschungszentrum Juelich, one of Germany's largest research organizations; Risoe National Laboratory and Haldor Topsoe, a major specialty ceramics and catalyst manufacturer, both from Denmark; ECN, the Netherlands national research laboratory, and Rolls Royce from the UK.Global improved the designs and solved some of the major hurdles holding the SOFC back from a commercially viable application. Europe's Best FC Technology
In November of 1998 Global announced the break through of a compressive gasket to replace the glass seals, and on April 8th of 1999 Global announced a major increase in the power outputs at lower temps. This reduction in temperature allowed the use of common metals such as stainless steel to be used in the design:
Global's SOFC Report to the Electrochemical Society (Adobe pdf file)
Click on the Canada Newswire logo for all of Global's News Releases.