ZBT to develop new fuel cell industry

In Duisburg / Germany the R&D institute ZBT recently has opened its new technical centre for production technologies and application tests. With this new infrastructure ZBT enlarges its development offers for the fuel cell industry with the goal of building technical brides to the market. The Minister of Economy, small and medium enterprises and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Christa Thoben said: "The center brings together the skills needed to introduce on the market for battery components fuel, and complete systems.”

Fuel cell stacks and systems can only be manufactured with high reproducibility by automated, highly precise manufacturing processes. The complete process cycle from incoming components, material inspection, automated flexible manufacturing up to quality control and documentation is necessary.

The new technical centre for Test-, Application- and Assembly (TAZ) at ZBT is projected as forum for the development and trial run of production technologies as one focus. Second focus is the test of components and fuel cells systems under simulated environments. The approval and certification of fuel cell products is necessary but complex, companies need knowledge and technical infrastructure for realizing the different tests. ZBT now offers both, testing facilities and support in the certification process together with certified bodies.

The state of North-Rhine-Westfalia and the European Union invested about 6 Mio € for the new building and technical installations. Including the existing building which was opened in 2003 ZBT now has about 1.000 m2 laboratory areas for R&D e.g. in the field of fuel cell development and fuel processing. For the development and demonstration of production technologies 660 m2 have been equipped with most modern machine technologies. Another 500 m2 will be used for the application oriented testing of components and systems.

The six years young ZBT is one of the largest German research institutes within the field of fuel cell technology. Approximately 70 employees work in application oriented projects for the establishment of fuel cell technology in the markets with focus on auxiliary power units and decentralized power generation. The goal is to bring existing skills, both in the development of fuel cells in the field of production, storage and transport of hydrogen.

Fuel cell technology

The key word "Fuel Cell Technology" has gained acceptance as a general term for a technology area which, in the broadest sense, deals primarily with fuel cells, but also with the comprehensive peripheral issues of the fuel cell. The first step consists of providing fuel gas (generally hydrogen) either through electrolysis processes or by transforming hydrocarbons. In addition, behind the fuel cell stack the available energy (electrical power and heat) must be adapted so as to suit the consumer.

ZBT's technology portfolio reaches from the material development to the building of stacks, from the gas preparation of hydrocarbons up to characterization of components and the set up of fuel cell systems for most different applications. ZBT always follows the aim to develop the individual elements as part of a total system: