Seven Presentations on Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Technology Highlight 12th Small Fuel Cells Conference

(I-Newswire) March 22, 2010 - BOSTON, MA – March 22, 2010 - The Knowledge Foundation’s 12th Small Fuel Cells conference, to be held next month in Cambridge, MA from April 12-13, 2010, will be highlighted by seven cutting-edge presentations on direct methanol fuel cell technology. Benefits of direct methanol fuel cell technology include high energy density, ease and safety of fuel transport, regulatory acceptance, quick start times, and instant refueling.

1. Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, will deliver the opening presentation on commercializing direct methanol fuel cells for mobile, hybrid and off-grid applications. SFC Smart Fuel Cell has shipped more than 15,000 commercial products in the past five years, and Dr. Podesser will provide insight into the growing number of commercial and defense applications for fuel cells.

2. Dr. Hyuk Chang, Vice President SAIT at Samsung Electronics, will discuss the power performance and reliability of a 25W direct methanol fuel cell for soldier power application including technical data on the high power density fuel cell stack.

3. Dr. Tsali Cross, Vice President of Engineering at Neah Power Systems, will reveal a new approach to direct methanol fuel cell design that uses a porous silicon, catalyst-supporting electrode structure and liquid fuel, electrolyte, and oxidant enabling power densities of 180mW/cm2.

4. Dr. Ravindra Datta, Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, will discuss the factors and characteristics required for the design and optimal performance of a passive DMFC that can effectively compete with rapidly improving Li-ion batteries as well as WPI’s efforts toward development of such a DMFC.

5. Dr. Christopher Hebling, Head of the Energy Technology Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, will share research being done to reduce the complexity and size of the DMFC system as well as to enhance the system energy density. This has resulted in a state-of-the-art planar vapor-fed DMFC with fully passive operation at both the anode and cathode.

6. Madeleine Odgaard, CEO of IRD Fuel Cells LLC, will reveal a unique DMFC membrane electrode assembly that features high catalyst utilization and high performance which is targeted at the personal electronics, portable power, uninterruptible power supply, and military application markets.

7. Jim Prueitt, Vice President of Engineering at MTI MicroFuel Cells, will discuss MTI’s novel approach to DMFC system design that enables high power density, high fuel efficiency, low degradation, and high performance capability over a broad range of environmental conditions while using neat methanol as a fuel.

The annual Small Fuel Cells conference is the primary source of information for end users, developers and manufacturers of portable fuel cell powered devices and is organized by the Knowledge Foundation.

About Knowledge Foundation:
The Knowledge Foundation integrates scientific ingenuity and real-world applications by fostering collaborative research at the rapidly changing intersection of science and business. Known for providing members of its Technology Commercialization Alliance with direct and unbiased state-of-the-art scientific information, the Knowledge Foundation is uniquely qualified to provide wider exposure for important developments in the emerging fields of biological/chemical detection technology, nanotechnology and alternative energy.

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