DCH receives contract for 10 remote fuel cell power systems
VALENCIA, Calif., July 24, 2001 — DCH Technology, Inc., a manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-specific sensors and provider of hydrogen safety services, announced they have received a contract for 10 new-model DCH/Enable™ remote fuel cell power systems that will be used by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) to provide electricity on demand to air and water quality sampling equipment as well as communications equipment providing real-time data feedback.
The new 15 watt/12 volt DCH/Enable™ fuel cell power system is a next-generation design of the 12 watt Enable™ portable fuel cell the TNRCC has successfully used to power air and water quality monitors the past several months.
The new design brings to the market patent-pending internal fuel supply technology significantly improving PEM (hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane) fuel cell reliability, critical to unattended applications like remote field power. Weighing just two pounds and robustly packaged, the new DCH/Enable™ system will power both the sampling and communications equipment from two to three weeks (depending on load) using a 900-liter hydride fuel supply.
"This contract represents an important step forward for the TNRCC in its role of bringing clean energy solutions to the State of Texas," said TNRCC spokesperson Steve Spaw. "Both our portable DCH/Enable™ 12 watt fuel cell and mobile 3kW fuel cell system have performed to expectations, and we are happy to see the improvements that DCH is making to further increase system reliability."
Remote environmental sampling specialist IPS MeteoStar, with whom DCH signed an agreement last May to develop and market fuel cell powered field communications equipment, was instrumental in obtaining the award. The TNRCC will use a MeteoStar communications system — using either a modem, wireless web, or satellite up-link — to monitor critical contaminants and emissions as they occur. "The new portable DCH/Enable™ fuel cells gives us the freedom and flexibility to monitor just about any environmental parameter in just about any location without the trouble and expense of being tethered to the electrical and telephone grids," said David Vaello, MeteoStar spokesperson.
DCH CEO and President John Donohue said the Commission is quickly establishing themselves as a national leader in implementing clean energy solutions. "And our goal is to be there with them. This sale provides an opportunity to showcase our patent-pending fuel supply improvements operating under tough Texas conditions. It will speak volumes about the engineering and quality of our fuel cell products."