Tokuyama and Toyota Start Verification Tests in Japan for Stationary Fuel Cell Generator that Uses By-product Hydrogen
June 15 2020 - 12:48AM
JCN Newswire (English)
Tokuyama Corporation (Tokuyama) and Toyota Motor Corporation
(Toyota) announce that they have commenced verification tests,
using by-product hydrogen, of a stationary fuel cell generator (FC
generator) that makes use of the fuel cell system (FC system)
installed in the Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The FC
generator has been set up within the Tokuyama Factory grounds in
Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The tests are scheduled to
continue until the end of March 2022.
By using components from the Mirai FC system, such as the FC stack,
power control unit (PCU), and secondary battery, Toyota seeks to
produce a high-performance generator at a reasonable price.
Development on the FC generator was carried out jointly by Toyota
and Toyota Energy Solutions, Inc.
The newly introduced FC generator is based on the FC generator with
a rated output of 100 kilowatts that have undergone verification
tests since September 2019 at Toyota's Honsha Plant grounds in
Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The rated output has been changed to
50 kilowatts, and other enhancements have been made, such as
adjusting the component layout to improve maintenance.
Basic Specifications of FC Generator
Width x Depth x Height: 2.9 x 1.5 x 2.7 m
Weight: Approximately 3.5 tons
Main FC systems taken from the Mirai: FC stack, PCU, secondary
battery, air compressor
Rated output: 50 kW
Power generation efficiency (transmission end): Goal of 50 percent
or more
Rated voltage / number of phases / frequency: AC 210 V /
three-phase three-wire / 50/60 Hz
Fuel cell type: Solid polymer electrolyte
Hydrogen purity: Pure hydrogen (99.97 percent)
Start-up time: 40 seconds (time to reach rated output)
A feature of the new tests is the use of hydrogen generated as a
by-product in the manufacture of sodium hydroxide by Tokuyama,
using the chloralkali process as fuel for the FC generator.
Tokuyama will be responsible for the steady supply of by-product
hydrogen, and the electricity produced by the FC generator will be
supplied to the Tokuyama Factory at a rated output of 50
kilowatts.
Toyota will verify and evaluate aspects including energy
efficiency--the amount of electricity generated per unit of
hydrogen--the stability of the generated output, durability, ease
of maintenance of the generator, and the impact of salt-air damage
from the sea breezes. In addition, the tests will be used to
estimate the impact on power generation from the use of by-product
hydrogen, and the economics of this in comparison with purchasing
from an external source.
Moving forward, Tokuyama will consider a business model, which
contributes to the local community, as one of the leading Japanese
comprehensive chemical manufacturers with the capacity to supply
highly pure by-product hydrogen. In order to expand use of the FC
generator, Toyota will consider research and development, and
business models for improving the generator's product appeal,
through the expansion of the FC generator output lineup, and by
enhancing its energy efficiency and durability, making it more
compact, and reducing costs.
Through these tests, Tokuyama and Toyota will further advance
efforts aimed at the realization of a hydrogen society.
About Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that
introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first
mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in
Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today,
Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the
world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in
29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to
mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170
countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For
more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota Motor Corporation
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