Munich/Puchheim, September 16, 2008. For the very first time in the world, TÜV SÜD has awarded its fuel cell seal of approval for a new module produced by Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH based on the standard DIN EN 62282-2. The TÜV SÜD octagon for fuel cells is given to systems meeting its special requirements in terms of safety and technical perfection. Now that the new liquid-cooled PM 200 module is certified, Proton Motor from Puchheim near Munich has also cleared a decisive hurdle along the road to series production. 

“The PM 200 stack was developed specially for series production and certified on the basis of standardised system components. In this way, we have made decisive progress not only with the fuel cells, but also on the system side”, commented Dr. Jürgen Kraft, Head of Development at Proton Motor. Certifying the stack has paved the way for reaching and maintaining a standard of quality that is just as high in series production as in production on manufacturing scale. Leak tests, pressure tests, freezing and thawing, these are only a few of the tests the new module had to pass.  “For most systems, it is freezing test in particular that is sure to finish them off”, says Tom Elliger of TÜV SÜD Industrie Service, “but the PM 200 passed all these tests.”

Armed with this award, the production of fuel cells can go ahead with the next steps along the road towards automated series production. In future it should be possible to produce several thousand modules a year. Fork-lift trucks, buses, municipal vehicles, uninterruptible power supply, for telecommunications systems for instance: These are just a few examples of the applications, in which the new PM 200 series will supply the energy needed. The module will be used in systems with a fuel cell output of between two and 20 kW and its particular features include increased power density, frost-proof storage and suitability for automated production.

Right from the start, the Puchheim company worked together with TÜV SÜD even at the stage of developing series production, which meant that the individual production processes were immediately subjected to stringent quality management requirements. For the commitment and technical know-how, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service has developed a seal of its own for certifications based on DIN EN 62282-2:2008-1. The technical requirements correspond to those of the international IEC 62282-2 standard. The PM 200 module is the very first product in the world to receive the TÜV SÜD octagon for a fuel cell module.

On August 29, 2008, Hamburg celebrated a world first: In the presence of Wolfgang Tiefensee, Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Hamburg’s senator Anja Hajduk named the FCS Alsterwasser, a passenger ship driven by fuel cells. The innovative hybrid fuel cell drive which lies at the heart of the new Alster steamship was produced by Proton Motor, experts in fuel cell and hybrid systems. The Zemship (Zero Emission Ship), based in Hamburg’s port, will transport up to 100 passengers at a time and will do so without producing any emissions.

The Zemships project is taking Proton Motor into totally new waters in fuel cell ship drive technology. To date, fuel cell systems for marine applications of this performance level have only been developed for submarines used by the military. This makes the Zemship the world’s first project resulting in a fuel cell-driven passenger ship. Proton Motor developed the 48-kW PM Basic A 50 maritime fuel cell system for the zero-emission drive and integrated two such systems, along with a lead gel battery, into the ship as a hybrid system. The systems were certified for maritime operations by Germanischer Lloyd. An intelligent energy management system coordinates the division of work between fuel cells and battery. Up to 50 kg of gaseous hydrogen is stored onboard in 350-bar pressurised tanks in order to provide sufficient fuel for around three days of use.

The European Union is funding the ship’s line operations on the Alster until 2010. The EU is investing a total of €2.4 million in the project. Now that the ship has gone into actual use, development staff aim to test the zero-emission drive in real operations and to analyse the technology for possible areas of improvements.

The project has received the support of eight other partners alongside Proton Motor. For example, Linde AG has built a hydrogen fuelling station in a side channel of the Alster where the ship can refuel. The project is being coordinated by the city of Hamburg and was launched in November 2006.