UK-based ACAL Energy attracted a lot of interest at the recent FC EXPO in Tokyo, when it unveiled a new, compact, low-cost fuel cell stack design with a rated power of 12 kW and a power density of over 1 kW per litre. The new design is six times smaller than the previous generation.

The design was shown as the company exhibited its FlowCath^® platinum-free fuel cell technology at the annual FC EXPO in Japan, the world’s largest exhibition and conference specialising in hydrogen and fuel cell technology.

ACAL Energy’s FlowCath technology is becoming well known for its approach to replacing the precious metal catalyst found in conventional fuel cells with a proprietary low-cost liquid catalyst. This inherently eliminates many of the causes of lost performance in both continuous operation and in auto cycling.

‘Asian markets, and Japan in particular, are important to us as we develop our commercialisation strategy,’ says Bob Longman, VP of Engineering at ACAL Energy. ‘Our compact 12 kW design clearly addresses the need for higher power fuel cell engines with reliability built in to the design.’

The ACAL Energy stand at the FC EXPO was jointly organised with Sumitomo Corporation, which is an investor in the company. The FlowCath technology has the potential to significantly reduce the future cost for vehicle OEMs, and system integrators planning to deploy fuel cells in mass markets.

ACAL Energy recently presented the handover of a FlowCath fuel cell system at Solvay Interox in Warrington, UK. This 3 kW unit – the first FlowCath system to be installed in a working application – is providing round-the-clock backup power for an effluent cleanup unit at the chemical plant.

Last year ACAL Energy received a £1 million investment by winning the Carbon Trust’s Polymer Fuel Cell Challenge, which aims to accelerate access to new markets for fuel cell products, such as hydrogen fuel cell cars.