The 150 W Hymera PEM fuel cell generator was launched last year by BOC, a member of The Linde Group. The units are already being used in a range of off-grid applications such as construction and railway maintenance – and increasingly in lighting projects.
‘With products like Hymera and the new cylinder, BOC is making the hydrogen economy a reality,’ says Stewart Dow, Packaged Energy Manager at BOC. ‘Hymera is already being used in commercially viable applications for the rail, construction and security industries.’
David Isherwood, Hire & Technical Director of White Light Ltd, one of the UK’s largest live event lighting companies, has been offering the Hymera fuel cell generator to customers over the last year.
‘We have been using a number of Hymera fuel cell power generators built into a self-contained off-grid lighting system,’ says Isherwood. ‘It is easy to set up and operate, and the units have performed very well.’
The new cylinder could keep a modern laptop powered for almost a week of continuous usage. It features an integrated valve regulator, with the output pressure controllable from 0 to 10 bar (145 psi).
When full, the cylinder weighs just over 10 kg and contains 2 m3 of hydrogen. When converted to electricity via a fuel cell at 50% efficiency, this generates just under 3 kWh of electrical energy.