Researchers at Colorado School of Mines took delivery of the world’s first Geothermic Fuel Cell (GFC) on Aug. 5, 2013.
Designed and built by Delphi, headquartered in Rochester, NY, for IEP Technology, of Parker, Colo., the GFC will efficiently generate 4.5 kW of electricity from natural gas fuel.
Its real value lies in the heat that it liberates while generating this electricity -- scientists and engineers seek to harness this heat to recover unconventional oil. This electricity comes as a useful and valuable byproduct of the oil-recovery process.
In partnership with IEP Technology and Delphi, students, engineers, and faculty will characterize the thermal and electrical performance of the geothermic fuel cell at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center laboratory on the Mines campus.
The solid-oxide fuel cells packaged within the GFC operate at high temperature (nearly 750 ºC) to convert natural gas into electricity and heat. When implemented, clusters of GFCs will be placed into the earth within oil shale formations for oil recovery. GFCs present a potentially transformative technology for accessing the world’s vast oil-shale reserves, which are estimated at 4.8 trillion barrels worldwide, in an environmentally responsible manner.
“This privately funded research and development project leverages the past investments in infrastructure made by Colorado School of Mines and federal agencies in the Colorado Fuel Cell Center. Such university-industrial partnerships are common at Mines, and create unique learning experiences for both our students and faculty, while answering important questions facing our industrial partners in bringing such technologies to market,” said Dr. Neal Sullivan, Mines associate professor of mechanical engineering.
To learn more about geothermic fuel cells, visit the IEP Technologies website: http://www.iepm.com/
Learn more about the Colorado Fuel Cell Center at www.coloradofuelcellcenter.org.
