News | October 16, 2000

Metallic Power takes fuel cell technology into new frontier

Metallic Power takes fuel cell technology into new frontier
By Cathy Swirbul

Contents
Tiny pellets help create electricity
The power of zinc
Putting that power to work
Removing commercialization roadblocks

If things go as Jeff Colborn plans, golf course managers will maintain greens with commercial mowers that are so quiet, they can be cut in the early morning without waking nearby residents. Colborn also envisions outdoor power equipment that recycles and reuses its fuel—tiny zinc pellets. Sound far-fetched?

Companies like lawn mower manufacturing giant Toro and Briggs & Straton, one of the largest producers of air-cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, don't think so. In fact, these and several other companies are investing considerable time and money to help develop the chief product of Colborn's company—the zinc/air fuel cell.

Colborn, an MIT graduate with an entrepreneurial bent, knows he has a winning business idea with the zinc/air fuel cell. He launched Metallic Power of Carlsbad, CA in 1995 on that certainty. Fuels cells have caught the eye of energy investors. Some analysts predict a billion-dollar market by 2005.

The fuel cell concept has existed since the early 1800s, but interest has renewed in recent years because of new electronic controls, a better understanding of viable fuels, government research grants and stricter environmental regulations. The zinc/air fuel cell is one product being developed in this promising industry.

Tiny pellets help create electricity(Return to Contents)
The zinc/air fuel cell generates electricity when it combines zinc with oxygen in the presence of an electrolyte, such as the potassium hydroxide used in Metallic Power's cell. The chemical reaction also produces zinc oxide, a non-toxic white powder used in sun block.

In the separate recycling unit, this zinc oxide turns back into fresh zinc fuel using electricity, and the oxygen releases into the air. It is a closed-loop system—with nothing to add, discard or waste.

According to Colborn, the zinc and electrolyte can be reused indefinitely. The fuel cell is quiet, emission-free and provides continuous power. It can be refueled simply by changing the fuel cartridge.

The power of zinc(Return to Contents)
Unlike most other fuel cell technologies currently being explored, Colborn said, the zinc/air fuel cell doesn't require high pressure, high temperature, or fuel reformers, and it uses one of Earth's most abundant elements for fuel.

Zinc differs from hydrogen, the more commonly used fuel for fuel cells, in that it is nonflammable and possesses up to eight times the energy density. The zinc/air fuel cell can produce the same power as the hydrogen PEM fuel cell being developed for vehicle applications, at one-tenth the cost, Colborn said.

Zinc fuel has up to 10 times the energy per pound and per volume when measured against traditional lead-acid batteries. Compared to gasoline engines, the fuel cell has up to three times the energy efficiency, and can be used indoors.

Putting that power to work(Return to Contents)
Currently, Metallic Power focuses on the development of a portable power source, containing a zinc/air fuel cell that will deliver 2 kW of continuous power and 4 kW of peak power. Aug. 15, the company made great strides toward that goal when it successfully used the zinc/air fuel cell to provide 1 kWh of energy to power a lighting system.

The event also marked a significant milestone for investors, who include Nth Power Technologies, Arete Corporation, Minnesota Power and Hydro-Quebec Capitech. Corporate investment in Metallic Power amounts to about US$8.5 million. Also, the company has received US$1.5 million in research and development funds from the United States government, the state of California and local governments.

Initially, the product will be used to provide power for emergency home backup, job-site portable power, camping, recreation and the military. These are market niches that can afford higher prices per kW and are more likely to generate near-term profits, Colborn said.

Eventually, the applications will be expanded to include: backup power for businesses and telecommunications; auxiliary power for long-haul trucks, boats and RVs; power for non-road electric vehicles such as forklifts, utility carts and turf equipment; and finally, to on-road electric vehicles.

In addition to Toro and Briggs & Stratton, the following organizations are partnering with Metallic Power:

  • Textron, manufacturer of Cushman and E-Z-Go small utility vehicles, to increase availability and decrease downtime;
  • The U.S. Army, testing prototypes for silently powering electronic equipment in forward military positions;
  • The South Coast Air Quality Management District, supporting clean-air technology demonstration;
  • The California Energy Commission, supporting demonstration of clean-air transportation technology; and
  • The U.S. Department of Transportation, supporting advanced transportation technology development.

    Removing commercialization roadblocks(Return to Contents)
    Metallic Power, Colborn said, faces several challenges on the road to commercialization. These include minimizing the volume of electrolyte that must be pumped in and out of the fuel cell, and maximizing the reliability and efficiency of the recycling hardware while minimizing overall cost.

    One challenge Metallic Power recently overcame was developing a low-cost, high-power, durable air cathode. A patent is pending on the company's new air cathode.

    However, Colborn remains confident Metallic Power will overcome these challenges. In fact, he expects the company to conduct a beta test in 2001 and a product launch in 2002. The next few years promise great strides in fuel cell commercialization, most analysts contend, and Colborn intends to be part of that.

    For detailed product information, contact Susan Connell, marketing communications manager, at info@metallicpower.com. Also, visit www.metallicpower.com.

    About the author: Cathy Swirbul specializes in writing for the hydro-electric industry, as well as for business-to business and business-to-consumer Web sites. She can be reached at cswirbul@unicom.net.


    Metallic Power's CEO builds future on zinc

    Hydrogen fuel cells have garnered the attention of researchers and investors alike in recent years, but a technological cousin, the zinc/air fuel cell, may hold as much promise as a clean power source. Metallic Power, based in Carlsbad, CA is one of the cutting-edge developers of this new technology. Jeff Colborn, PhD., founder and CEO, offers an inside look at how his company developed and where zinc/air fuel cells may be headed.

    Q. How and when did Metallic Power begin?

    A. My interest in developing a quick-charging, safe and quiet recyclable energy source evolved from my academic and professional background in fusion and electromechanical systems. (Colborn conducted research in those areas at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.) As a result of that interest, Metallic Power began in 1995, with our first government R&D contracts for the development of a portable power source and a long-term project to develop a zinc/air powered on-road vehicle.

    By 1996, R&D operations began in earnest when the company grew to three employees and moved out of our original 75-square-foot office to a 1,500-square-foot facility in Chula Vista, CA. That year, we demonstrated the prototype zinc-pellet-powered portable power source and filed our first patent. Dr. Stuart Smedley, a leading zinc/air expert, joined us the following year bringing extensive experience with his background as a SRI researcher and electrochemistry professor.

    Once we demonstrated the viability of the technology, the momentum increased and we were on our way. At that point, we focused on establishing strategic partnerships with companies and organizations that could benefit from our developments. By 1998, we surpassed $1 million in combined revenue and contract backlog and demonstrated the world's first zinc-pellet-powered, zero-emission vehicle.

    Q. What were the significant challenges the company faced in getting started and how were they overcome?

    A. We knew that continued achievements would require more talented people, space, and capital equipment, and the funding to pay for them. The next steps involved moving to larger facilities in Carlsbad, CA and $2 million in venture funding from Nth Power and Arete, two venture capital firms specializing in energy technologies. Prior to the VC investments, we had received initial grant and project funding from the California Energy Commission, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, CALSTART/the U.S. Department of Transportation, the City of Chula Vista, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the U.S. Army.

    From a scientific standpoint, our challenges have involved developing breakthrough technologies including the cathode, the anode, the cartridge refueling system and the regeneration unit. The remaining challenge is to combine all these technological advances into a single product, which is a far less daunting challenge than fully developing the core technology.

    Q. What is your company doing differently from your competitors who also are developing zinc/air fuel cells?

    A. Most zinc/air fuel cells under development function as mechanically rechargeable batteries. They do not use zinc pellets in a re-circulating electrolyte, but rather, embed zinc into a substrate or package it as a solid zinc anode. This can present difficulties with current density and heat dissipation, which can affect operating life. As such, some systems of this sort can be difficult to scale up or down, and system lifetime can be an issue. Some systems under development are feasible only for computer or cell phone applications; others are feasible only for very large fleet applications. In either case, the regeneration process is more complex.

    The Metallic Power system uses sealed refueling cartridges—with only one cartridge required for a multi-cell system. Our system is simple and robust, with few components—a fuel-cell stack, a pump, an air blower, and the fuel cartridge. Each of these items can be easily scaled up or down, and our regeneration process is equally simple, allowing the user to refuel instantly with a change of cartridge.

    Q. Why aren't more fuel cell developers using zinc as their fuel?

    Hydrogen fuel cell development has simply been around for a much longer time, so there has been a lot of time and effort invested to date. Even given that, we feel the Metallic Power system will beat a number of these products to market, and will very likely be in a more favorable position from a cost-per-kW standpoint. In addition, the zinc fuel cell is a regenerative fuel cell—this is a major difference. So it does not directly consume fossil fuels such as a hydrogen fuel cell running on reformed fuels or a direct methanol fuel cell. Therefore, it is better suited for backup power and peak shaving, and less suited for base-load power than a fuel cell running directly on fossil fuels. Our technology is complementary to the grid. It does not replace the grid as the primary energy source for stationary power.

    Q. Where is Metallic Power headed in the long term?

    A. Our objective is to offer the first commercially viable fuel cell on the market with a fuel the user can easily recycle at their home or business. We plan to launch our first product in 2002, likely in a portable power configuration. Other application configurations will follow.