PTGTV is pleased to announce the selection of the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center for its innovative, educational television series, Pulse on America. The Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center will be featured in a segment on Fuel Cell Projects and Renewable Fuels in the Special Report Series. The featured segment is will address “Fuel Cells & Alternative Energy and the need to Engineer a Future We Can Live With – Now.”
“ Fuel Cells & Alternative Energy and the need to Engineer a Future We Can Live With – Now. ”
Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center (CGFCC) aims to combine the necessary elements of science, engineering and society to make fuel cells a feasible energy conversion technology for a “sustainable civilization.” The Center’s focal point is to be a leader in fuel cell research and engineering so that Connecticut will be the primary global venue for the fuel cell industry as well as providing fuel cell education, development and deployment.
Fuel cells convert energy from fuel directly into electrical energy. A fuel cell operates on a continuous basis as long as fuel and oxidant are supplied, unlike batteries that slowly lose their energy or discharge. Hydrogen is frequently used as the fuel so that the products of the fuel cell are only electricity, water and heat. Fuel cells are a highly efficient, clean, and reliable alternative to conventional electrical generators. When fossil fuel usage is being replaced by renewable energy sources, hydrogen will be used as an energy storage medium with fuel cells being the preferred means for generating electricity. The integration of fuel cells with environmental control devices (air conditioner, heat pump, hot water, emergency power) for a building will provide a significant cost reduction.
CGFCC began in 2001 as a partnership between the UCONN School of Engineering, Connecticut Innovations Inc., and Connecticut industry. With a new dedicated (16,000 square foot) building, dedicated chaired faculty positions, staff and state-of-the-art facilities, the Center is quickly becoming a leader in research, development, and commercial deployment of fuel cell engineering and technology. The CGFCC team already consists of over 40 faculty, 60 students, and over 35 industrial and government partners actively involved at the Center.
CGFCC plans on fulfilling its mission through cutting edge research and educating students. By providing a broad range of services that includes systems-to-science pure and applied research in fuel cell design and manufacturing, development, materials, fuels and reforming, and integration the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center is positioned to develop solutions that assist in bridging the gap between the science and technology of fuel cells and the fuel cell systems needed by our society.
For more information, see www.ctfuelcell.uconn.edu.
