Global Thermoelectric Inc. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), a leading developer of solid-oxide fuel cell products, announced that two prototype natural gas fuel cell systems have been delivered to the Toronto facility of Enbridge Inc. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) as previously scheduled. The company also announced that a single fuel cell membrane has recently surpassed one year of continuous testing.
The two prototype fuel cell systems were delivered to Enbridge in December 2002 and January 2003. The first system has been recently commissioned and is generating electricity for testing purposes. The second system is anticipated to start up within the next several weeks. The systems will be operated by Enbridge employees for up to six months.
Global is also continuing with its own in-house testing of three similar systems, which has already recorded 9,000 hours of testing since October 2002 and demonstrated a net ac electrical efficiency of nearly 28 percent. The findings will contribute to improving the performance of the next generation of prototype system, Aurora, which is expected to begin commissioning in the summer of 2003.
