Green Space: DTE and collaborators to conduct fuel cell and efficiency research

DTE Energy has teamed up with Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Ltd. and Detroit's NextEnergy on a three-part, three-year $5 million research project that aims to augment its electrical grid system with fuel cells and to more efficiently utilize energy sources already connected to that grid.

A vital component of this research involves examining a Rolls-Royce solid oxidized fuel cell at NextEnergy's platform testing grid. Under close examination is the "inverter," the part that transforms DC electricity generated by the fuel cell into AC power that can be transmitted through DTE's grid. Testing is important because the inverter is often the most expensive part of the project.

The fuel cell has the potential to generate 1,000 kilowatts of electricity. DTE's goal is to use them as mini-power plants interspersed throughout the grid, bringing the generation of power closer to its customers.

The environmental upside is that a fuel cell is nearly twice as efficient as a power plant when it comes to energy conversion.

The second part of the research project is a study to be conducted by DTE.  Its goal is to identify existing customers --like hospitals and manufacturing facilities-- that have back-up power generation abilities. DTE is exploring the possibility of purchasing power from these companies.

"We would like to make use of these assets, use of that generation during peak periods," says Hauker Asgeirsson, the study's project manager.

Both of these initiatives have the potential to ensure that DTE does not have to build another traditional power plant. "For us, that is the most important part of the project," says Asgeirsson.

The third part of the research involves the concept of electrical islanding. DTE wants to be able to divide its huge grid into three parts during a blackout or other system disturbance.

$2.5 million of the project's funding came from the United States Department of Energy, and the remainder from project partners. Electrical Distribution Design Inc. from Virginia, another member of the project team, will design modeling software that will assess distribution possibilities.

All three parts of the project are underway and are expected to wrap up in 2009.

Sources: Hauker Asgeirsson and Scott Simon, DTE
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh