Washington Beat

Government-industry team runs auto-sized fuel-cell engine

Fuel-cell research under the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) initiative is coming up with promising results. For the first time, a proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell system fueled by hydrogen produced more than 50 kW of electrical power without an air compressor. That's enough power to propel a lightweight mid-size car. Eliminating the need for a compressor greatly simplifies the system, and lowering the auxiliary power requirements increases energy efficiency. The system weighs 300 lbs and takes up about nine cu ft of space. It can fit under a car hood. "This is a major milestone toward high-mileage, non-polluting electric vehicles," claims a PNGV official. The Department of Energy worked with Ford Motor Co. and International Fuel Cells on the project. Ford Research Laboratory in Dearborn, MI, will put the system through dynamic testing to measure performance under a simulated typical driving cycle.

Advances reported in technology for on-board hydrogen extractor

Widespread use of fuel-cell vehicles would re-quire a convenient method for hydrogen refueling. An expensive option is the building of stationary fuel processing sites. PNGV-supported research has taken a giant stride toward a cheaper solution: fuel processing aboard the vehicle. Arthur D. Little engineers in Cambridge, MA, successfully demonstrated an innovative fuel-cell system, generating electricity using multiple fuels, including gasoline, ethanol, methanol, and natural gas. Re-searchers integrated a fuel cell of the proton exchange membrane variety with a flexible fuel processor rated at an automotive-scale 50 kW. Speculates a jubilant Department of Energy official: "The ability to produce the hydrogen on board, combined with the ability to use the existing gasoline infrastructure, could solve the current range and refueling problems of electric vehicles." The agency awarded Arthur D. Little and Plug Power L.L.C. of Latham, NY, a $15-million, cost-shared contract to work together to further develop the technology.

Fresh design standards sought for double-hull tankers

Nearly all vessels used to transport oil must have double hulls by 2020. Unfortunately, some double-hull tankers being launched are much more vulnerable to oil spills than others. So concludes a probabilistic outflow analysis by a committee of the National Re-search Council. The panel urges the U.S. Coast Guard to quickly take the lead in developing new standards for double hulls. Before long, it warns, tanker fleets could abound with ships of inferior design. More than half of the double-hull tankers of less than 160,000 deadweight tons that have entered service since enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 have no center bulkhead partition in the cargo tank. The committee calls that arrangement a "potentially problematic design," even though it conforms with existing regulations of the International Maritime Organization and major classification studies. In forming new design standards, performance-based criteria should be used, the panel suggests. Thus, naval architects would have more leeway for novel solutions as problems arise.

NASA revives idea of harvesting solar power from space

Has the time come to think seriously again about putting solar collectors in outer space in order to channel more of the sun's energy to earth? Yes, contends John Mankins, manager of Advanced Concepts Studies in NASA's Office of Space Flight. He told a House Science subcommittee that major technological strides have been made since the 1970s when a government study crushed the idea. Back then the project envisioned teams of astronauts building 60 orbiting platforms three miles long and six miles wide. The study estimated the cost at a quarter of a trillion dollars. NASA scientists now think a much cheaper concept is doable.

New testing hardware, software aims to cut engineering time

Automatic test equipment (ATE) must perform an increasingly diverse array of testing functions. A big reason is the dramatic growth in multimedia, communication, and wireless personal computing applications. Major ATE manufacturers displayed their latest answers to the demand at the International Test Conference in Washington, DC. Credence Systems Corp., Fremont, CA, announced a new radio frequency test system compatible with its Duo test family. The Duo RF provides a single-insertion test of new mobile communications devices, including digital cellular, PCS, digital cordless, GPS, RFID, and wireless LAN. Also at the conference, Teradyne, Inc., Boston, introduced VX test simulation software for validating test development far in advance of completed designs. Relates Craig Force, manager of the Design and Test Technology Group at Texas Instruments, "Even in the beta stage, the VX product line allowed us to identify several designs and test related issues before fabrication of our pilot device." Several Teradyne customers say test simulation has become critical for training new test engineers.