Delphi Corp. (Troy, MI), a partner in the US Department of Energy’s advanced fuel cell development program, has reported that it has exceeded the power density level required to meet the $400 per kilowatt cost goal for fuel cells. Meeting the cost target is essential if fuel cells are to expand beyond their current niche markets into widespread commercial use.
At $400 per kilowatt – nearly one-tenth the cost of power-generating fuel cells currently sold on the market – fuel cells would compete with traditional gas turbine and diesel electricity generators, and become viable power suppliers for the transportation sector. The Energy Department has set 2010 as the timeframe for the low-cost fuel cells to be sufficiently developed for commercial markets.
The latest Delphi fuel cell tests were relatively small compared to the units envisioned for future commercial sales, but they demonstrated that the necessary power density levels are technologically possible. The test cells produced an initial power density of 575 mW/cm² at 0.7 V nominal in full-size stacks, bettering the Energy Department’s target of 500 mW/cm².
