Customers will purchase the fuel cell system from a local gas company, who will install it, a fairly simple process says Matsushita. While fuel cell technology takes many different forms, in this case, the cogeneration home fuel cell hooks up to the city’s natural gas lines, extracting hydrogen from the gas in a fuel-processing device. The stream of hydrogen is combined with oxygen through a series of polyelectrolyte membranes, a process that creates electricity, heat, and water. The home fuel cell produces between 500 watts and a 1 kilowatt of electricity and captures the heat to warm a tank of water, used for showers, dishes etc. First hydrogen fuel cell for the home — Plenty Magazine
Where does Japan get their natural gas? Seems like the economics of natural gas could make this look foolish instead of wise.
It's more efficient than a NG power plant because you get the cogeneration as well. I don't know how many NG plants the Japanese have, but if they've got 'em then this would be more efficient, esp if it's a SOFC. Sounds like it's some kinda PEM instead. The article didn't seem to go into the gory details (though I just skimmed it). Fuel cells make a lot of sense for stationary power generation. SOFCs can be fed all sorts of stuff and produce power and the efficiecy is better than a microturbine. I'd like to see SOFCs installed at landfill gas power stations for that reason. Other, similar, uses would include anerobic digesters on farms, feed lots, and at breweries (in fact, Sierra Nevada is already doing just that). Water treatment facilities could also take advantage of them. Sounds like this system doesn't really make sense because the ROI is met right as the system needs to be replaced. However, with economies of scale, that ROI period should get shorter. On the otherhand, NG prices are only headed in one direction... More on SOFCs
Ah, I bit misleading as usual. Until this is available to purchase, it isn't the "first" of anything. Home Fuel Cell devices have been announced as being available "next year" for many years now. This is like saying that the Chevy Volt is the first range-extending EV. It *will* be if/when it comes to market and if/when nobody else beats them to market and if/when it becomes what is promised.
According to Oil &Gas Journal, Japan had about 1.4 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven natural gas reserves as of January 2006. Despite limited natural gas resources, Japan is an important natural gas consumer and imports virtually all of its natural gas from other countries. Lacking international pipeline connections, all of Japan’s imports come in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Japan began importing LNG from Alaska in 1969, making it one of the first countries to pioneer LNG trade. Today, Japan is the largest importer of LNG in the world. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Japan/NaturalGas.html
Thanks for the info. It's a very good thing to use any fuel as efficiently as possible as Tripp states. It's not a very wise thing to continue dependence on overseas natural gas. Japan does have a history of making wise decisions for the country (and some blunders), so hopefully they will figure how to minimize Natural Gas needs.
yes, they've made some horrific blunders. The early 20th century comes to mind... biogas on a limited scale, but that'll never satisfy even a modest fraction of the demand (current, that is).
