Fuel Cell and the Marine & RV Auxiliary Power Market

World-wide development efforts to commercialize portable fuel cells have had limited success. Fuel cell products have struggled with cost-effectiveness, portability, reliability, operational requirements or fuel choice, thus limiting penetration into the portable energy market.  WATT Fuel Cell (WATT) has developed what it believes to be the most marketable and cost-effective solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology for portable and potentially small stationary applications.  WATT has partnered with Parker Hannifin (Parker) to integrate its next generation fuel cell technology into their combined heat and power (CHP) modular platform. This results in a quiet, reliable and cost effective alternative to generators with the added bonus of heating water which increases system efficiencies further.

WATT’s advanced tubular SOFC platform allows for wider operating tolerances which in turn permit the use of inexpensive, yet reliable supporting components to be integrated into the complete system.  This also makes vertical integration of WATT’s fuel cell system much simpler and effective compared to its competitors. WATT’s fuel cell systems are designed based on ease of manufacture, simplicity and cost. These parameters drive decisions on form factor, material choices, reforming chemistry and production processes.  WATT’s production focused designs provide competitive power densities and overall fuel efficiency for a POX based architecture.  A combined heat and power (CHP) system unit using WATT’s fuel cell technology will provide customers with new levels of fuel to energy conversion efficiency in the portable energy market creating more value to the customer and a shorter return on investment.  WATT’s partnership with Parker is expected to bring this fuel efficient and affordable CHP system to the RV and Marine markets and anticipates the market launch to commence in 2014.

WATT’s partnership with Parker offers leadership and support during cost reduction strategies and marketing as well as brand-name recognition to new customers.  Parker is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.   WATT is leading a new era for fuel cell technology focused on cost-optimization of manufacturing fuel cells and related products.