Our next step in advancing fuel cell technology

Fuel cells have come a long way since they were first successfully demonstrated in the early 19th century by Humphry Davy. They were first heavily used for outer space missions, including the Apollo 11 flight in 1969, which not only carried the first man to the moon but also three fuel cell stacks to power all the equipment in the space module.

Each decade since has seen fuel cells advance, as commercialization in a variety of applications accelerated. The new millennium also saw a resurgence of interest in fuel cell capabilities due to the increased concerns over carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of traditional energy production.

Cummins has long been at the forefront of low-carbon technologies with the goal of reducing emissions, and we have been researching fuel cells for more than 20 years. In addition to offering Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolyzer technology, we are also working on the next step towards clean, reliable power sources with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). 

Which industries are SOFCs most suitable for?

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are suitable for a variety of industries that may want to generate on-site power to achieve greater energy resiliency and lower emissions. These include commercial, industrial and institutional facilities (i.e., data centers, grocery stores and universities, etc.). SOFCs can also be centralized as fuel cell power plants where utilities sell the energy on to end customers as part of their power generation portfolio.

Why would a customer choose SOFCs over other technologies?

Generally, SOFCs are a more energy efficient option compared to traditional energy production sources and offer greater flexibility in the type of fuel that can be used. A number of fuel options include natural gas, propane, ammonia, hydrogen, hydrogen-blended gas and biogas. Even when using a carbon-based fuel like natural gas, SOFCs produce lower levels of carbon dioxide compared to traditional generators. This is due to the lack of combustion. Lack of moving parts also allow the fuel cell system to operate quieter with more reliability, making SOFCs a desirable power source for busy city centers.

Several fuel cells can be combined, or “stacked,” to achieve a high kW output from a single fuel cell module. A single fuel cell has the approximate thickness of a No. 2 pencil eraser (5mm) and produces a limited amount of power (a few watts). Because several fuel cell modules can be combined, their modular design provides increased flexibility for building generation capacity.

Beyond the efficiency and reliability advantages of fuel cells, a growing number of countries and regions are also offering incentives for businesses to invest in fuel cells. For instance, the U.S. has a long history of supporting energy infrastructure through U.S. tax code and offers the Federal Fuel Cell Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

What role do SOFCs play in the energy transition?

Cummins is using the SOFC technology as the basis for ongoing development work today. Within both the SOFC and PEM fuel cell space, Cummins is also working to leverage fuel cell technology for electrolysis to produce green fuels, like hydrogen, and synthetic fuels. These technologies are part of Cummins' broader energy production portfolio, including traditional combustion generators, electrolyzers, lithium-ion batteries and PEM fuel cells.

Currently, natural gas is the most suitable fuel to power fuel cells due to distribution infrastructure (well sites, processing plants and pipelines to move the gas) in place and the fact that it offers lower emissions than other fossil fuels, like oil and coal. As zero-carbon energy production advances, the goal is to fuel SOFCs using hydrogen or other zero-carbon fuels. When SOFCs run on zero-carbon fuels they become a zero-emissions power source.

Cummins continues to be a leader in the global energy transition through our participation in innovation conversations and leadership of a number of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. These initiatives align with the company’s larger environmental sustainability strategy, PLANET 2050. There are still more advancements to be made in the fuel cell space, and Cummins is forging ahead to unlock the full potential of solid oxide fuel cells.

Cummins Office Building

Cummins Inc.

Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.

Cummins Custompaks are being used for water management as Thailand struggles with its water crisis

CustomPak on site

Water crisis

Sixty Cummins Inc. CustomPaks are in service in Thailand as part of a critical water management plan aimed at easing the country’s water crisis – a crisis that has caused enormous economic and social damage and stirred conflict among communities.

Over the past several decades, Thailand has continually faced water problems caused by severe drought. Water reserves in dams and reservoirs are insufficient while water resources are often contaminated with toxins caused by urban communities and the industrial and agricultural sectors.

Severe flooding is a threat, too, at a time when the realities of climate change are hanging over the country.

As a result, the allocation of precious water resources, which must be shared among various stakeholders including new and existing industry, large and small agriculture, and cities and villages has become a flashpoint.

Kittithanapat Engineering Co. (KTP), has been involved in the water management system since 1996, working closely with authorities such as the Royal Irrigation Department, Department of Water Resources, Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and others.

CustomPaks on site

600 hp CustomPaks

To help KTP meet its often urgent requirements, Cummins DKSH (Thailand) has recently supplied 60 Australian-built CustomPaks – 45 powered by Cummins’ X15 engine rated at 600 hp, and 15 powered by the QSL9 rated at 325 hp. These fully self-contained powerpacks are emissions certified to Tier 3.

The CustomPaks are coupled to hydraulically-driven, large-volume submersible water pumps sourced by KTP from US company Moving Water Industries (MWI); KTP is the exclusive distributor in Thailand for these MWI Hydroflo pumps.

Prior to Cummins’ involvement, KTP was using another diesel engine brand but service support wasn’t up to the standard required.

Long-serving KTP engineer Kittisak Thanasoot says Cummins DKSH’s reputation for technical and aftersales support along with the reliability of the Cummins product were a key reason behind KTP’s decision to specify the CustomPaks for the Royal Irrigation Department.

The ability of Cummins DKSH to respond to short delivery times was also important.

“Supplying large quantities of high horsepower diesel engines for emergency situations such as flash flooding can be a challenge for KTP,” says Kittisak Thanasoot.

“Responding to the needs of the government agencies to manage such problems in a timely manner and with least impact on communities, KTP has found the answer in our partnership with Cummins DKSH.”

Power, pride and passion

Parked semi truck

The switch back to Cummins power has been beneficial for iconic New Zealand company Uhlenberg Haulage. It's all about whole-of-life costs.

Uhlenberg Haulage is closing in on 60 years in business, having been founded in 1966 by Mike and Carol Uhlenberg.

Based in Eltham, Taranaki, in New Zealand’s North Island, the operation is today owned and operated by their sons Chris, Daryl and Tony Uhlenberg.

Describing the Uhlenbergs as “old school family truckies”, Daryl talks about the company’s time-honored journey with a definite tone of pride, especially the work of his parents in laying the foundations for what is today an iconic fleet in its own right.

Cummins Inc. made its debut in the Uhlenberg fleet in 1971 with an NH250 powering a second-hand Kenworth K923 used in logging. A second Kenworth, a new W924 with a Cummins NTC335, followed soon after hauling an LPG tanker.

The Uhlenberg operation today comprises 40 prime movers and a variety of trailing gear to cater for the myriad of a jobs the fleet is involved in.

A number of Peterbilts feature in the fleet although Kenworth is now the brand of choice with six new units to be delivered over the next 12 months to cater for business growth.

Cummins’ X15 Euro 5 engine rated at 550 or 600 hp is the preferred power specification, with 18 red engines currently in the fleet.

Uhlenberg family in front of truck

Whole-of-life support

“The switch to Cummins has been a very good experience for us. We have nothing but praise for the Cummins organization,” says Daryl.

“The whole-of-life picture is the key thing for us and we’ve got that nailed with the support we get from Cummins – parts availability, scheduled maintenance, life expectancy and in-frame rebuilds.

“So the red engines turn up, we run them to life, which is 900,000 to 1.2 million kilometers, and then Cummins does an in-frame overhaul in a timely manner. If there’s an issue, parts and support are close by.

“The support we get from Cummins Palmerston North is fantastic, second to none.”

Daryl recently looked under a Kenworth that was in the workshop for a service and was surprised to see no oil leaking from the one-million-kilometer X15. “I remember when I was a fitter we had to wear a raincoat when working under a truck,” he jokes.

Fuel agnostic

Acknowledging that the push to decarbonize is now “very real”, Daryl likes the idea of Cummins’ fuel agnostic concept where one base internal combustion engine, optimized to run on diesel, can also be customized to run on ultra-low and zero-carbon fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen.

“My father was a pioneer of linehaul trucking in New Zealand and he always embraced new technology. He was never scared of it,” he says.

“I tend to be a little more cautious but I can see where a 500 hp natural gas or hydrogen engine would work for us in short haul applications,” he admits. “We’re certainly willing to look closely at these alternative fuel technologies when suitable infrastructure is in place.”

Redirecting to
cummins.com

The information you are looking for is on
cummins.com

We are launching that site for you now.

Thank you.