Navy tests first reversible clean energy fuel cell | Alternative Energy | Forums

Wonder if this will make it to the consumer market at some point

Boeing has announced that, after 16 months of development, it has delivered a "reversible" fuel cell for the U.S. Navy that stores energy from renewable sources and generates zero-emissions electricity.

The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system, which can generate 50 kilowatts (KW) of power, is the largest of its kind and can use electricity from wind or solar power to generate hydrogen gas, which it then compresses and stores.

The SOFC system after being installed at the Navy Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center in Port Hueneme, Calif.
When power is required, the system operates as a solid oxide fuel cell, consuming the stored hydrogen to produce electricity.

The SOFC system can scale to provide up to 400KW of power. It is being tested as part of a micro power grid at the Navy's Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC) at Port Hueneme, Calif., .

"This fuel cell solution is an exciting new technology providing our customers with a flexible, affordable and environmentally progressive option for energy storage and power generation," Lance Towers, director of Boeing's Advanced Technology Programs, said in a statement.

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