Automotive Sweden is an independent non-profit organization. We spread knowledge of the Swedish automotive industry to national and international players to encourage co-operation and stimulate growth in the automotive industry.
AUTOMOTIVE SWEDEN
NEWSLETTER
PowerCell creates new opportunities
The underlying principle for fuel cells was discovered in 1838 by the German-Swiss chemist and scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein. Although first published in a scientific journal in 1843, it was not before 1959 that Francis Thomas Bacon succeeded in developing a functional fuel cell of 5 kW. The technology attracted the interest of NASA, which began using fuel cells to provide power during space voyages. The technology has been developed and fuel cells are approaching their wider introduction for everyday use.
The underlying principle for fuel cells was discovered in 1838 by the German-Swiss chemist and scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein. Although first published in a scientific journal in 1843, it was not before 1959 that Francis Thomas Bacon succeeded in developing a functional fuel cell of 5 kW. The technology attracted the interest of NASA, which began using fuel cells to provide power during space voyages. The technology has been developed and fuel cells are approaching their wider introduction for everyday use. A fuel cell converts chemical energy to electrical energy. The cell is filled with hydrogen, which is converted to electrical energy and water inside the cell. In simple terms, it's reverse hydrolysis.

PowerCell began operations in its current form in 2009. The company has 20 employees and is located in Gothenburg. It is currently in the middle of an intensive product development phase and has begun low-scale production and sales of fuel cell stacks (multiple cells combined to form a unit), also in Gothenburg. The company is owned by Volvo Technology Transfer, Fouriertransform, Ocas Venture and Midroc.

Magnus Henell has been CEO since 2010 and he describes how things are at the company today and where it's headed. We begin by talking about the potential for fuel cells, and saying that it's big is no exaggeration. Producing electricity in an efficient, emission-friendly manner is an attractive proposition. Providing APUs (Auxiliary Power Unit) for trucks, boats, and RVs etc. is a very exciting market. The fuel cell should also be of interest as an auxiliary power supply for electric cars to extend their range, and as a reserve supply for telecom facilities and suchlike. There is just one problem — hydrogen supply.

There is no established hydrogen distribution infrastructure, and what's more, many are dubious about adding yet another component to our cars. Powercell is therefore working on a reformer that is able to extract hydrogen from renewable fuels and fossil fuels. The company is currently focusing on diesel, but the reformer can also be adapted to handle biodiesel, gasoline, DME, ethanol and similar fuels. The reformer is built with an integrated a fuel cell system to form a unit that is run on conventional fuel and which supplies electricity. The unit is called Powerpac, and the company's ultimate objective is the truck market, where Powerpac can replace the engine idling used to maintain AC and other auxiliary functions. Higher efficiency and lower emissions are the result.
Magnus tells us that he can see many possibilities for the future but that today their focus is on selling fuel cell stacks to systems integrators, and powerpacks for vehicles with power levels between 1 and 6 kW. Hydrogen is seen by many to be tomorrow's energy medium, and the ability to use renewable energy sources to generate hydrogen opens up major areas of use.

 
Gothenburg, September 2011
Hans Nyman, Automotive Sweden

sep 20 2011
Dela Share!
Automotive Sweden
Box 111 19
404 23 Göteborg
Telefon. +46 (0)31 61 24 02
Fax. +46 (0)31 61 24 01
E-post. info@automotivesweden.se