TheBloom Boxis the latest energy miracle that sounds too salutary to be true : Debuting with awide - eyed segmenton 60 Minutes , it promises to be sporty , cheap and backyard - friendly , the solution to our vim problems . What is it ?
The fondness of the boxful is a fuel cell . Though Bloom Energy ’s CEO K.R. Sridhar — a former NASA scientist — says it ’s a new form of fuel mobile phone . And though it ’s cleaner than any combustion engine out there , it still relies on fossil fuel and biofuels — not just H , like some other form of fuel cells do . Nevertheless , the kinsfolk at Bloom are doing something that could help make reduced emissions a realness for big businesses first , and then later , for homes .
To get a good grip on why we should give care about this thing , let ’s first look at the basics of fuel cellular phone engineering science .
Fuel Cell Basics
Like a battery , afuel cellis an electrochemical mobile phone , basically stand for it descend electrical energy from chemical reaction . Sandwiched between two electrode — an anode and a cathode — is an ion - conducting material called an electrolyte . Fuel flows in one side , over the anode . An oxidant flows into the other side , over the cathode . What happens , very basically , is that the fuel and the oxidant react , like alien locking optic across a elbow room . The metaphorical light that take flight from that meeting are existent electrons , which feed into the fuel cell ’s racing circuit . Bingo , electrical energy . As with any molecular chemical reaction , the recombination of mote produces some waste as well — like water or carbon copy dioxide . So while it ’s cleaner , there ’s decidedly a byproduct .
To be clear , a fuel cellular phone ’s not like a battery ; it ’s like a power plant . Once it exchange fuel to energy , it sends that push out the door . And as such , it requires some peripheral way to physically storing the fuel ingredients , and some way to capture bring on electricity — such as a bombardment .
There are aseveral different kinds of fuel cells — unsurprisingly , since they were invented in the 1830s . broadly , they are categorized base on what their electrolyte is made out of , but sometimes they ’re referred to by their fuel and oxidant , which varies too . You ’re probably most familiar with “ hydrogen fuel cells , ” like for auto and small electronics . These are in factproton rally tissue layer fuel cells , which happen to habituate atomic number 1 as a fuel and O as an oxidant . ( The PEM fuel cubicle is what is specifically diagrammed above . )
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Bloom Energy ’s Energy Servers are ofthe firm oxide varietyof fuel cell . There ’s two mode to do up an SOFC : Atubular design , which you’re able to see above , or a planar plan , which is what Bloom utilize , as you’re able to see below , since it tolerate them to be stacked into very bully corner .
Asolid oxide fuelcell ismade out of all solid nation textile — that is , every major constituent is made out of ceramic - like stuff . Bloom Energy claims their fuel jail cell are made out of “ guts ” broil into ceramic squares , and that ’s just what an SOFC is . The exact material isa slightly secret sauceas are the black and gullible “ ink ” that cake the ceramic plates . Bloom ’s got apretty nice minuscule Flash animationshowing the basic process .
The major thing about an SOFC versus other fuel cells is that the material composition means they can be given crazy hot — up to 1800ºF , says the US Department of Energy — and have to , since the ceramic cloth do n’t become combat-ready until they reach a certain temperature . Only at this temperature can they do the chemical reactions with the fuel and oxidizer we talk about above . The problem with the in high spirits operating temperatures is that traditionally it has lead to gamey maintenance cost . You know , stuff breaks down . The goal for this technology is to have an “ uptime ” of 99.99 % , as cited bycited by Scott Samuelsen , who ’s the director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California - Irvine . Bloom ’s own trial at Googlecites a 98 % uptime .
The type of fuel jail cell you hear more about — the “ methanol ” one that can already power laptop — do their business at a much depressed temperature . Toshiba has one that typically run at 120º to 200ºF. Though Bloom ’s is obviously not a technical school that could be a laptop computer ’s power reservoir , the Bloom Box ’s higher operating temperature is a big advantage over “ legacy ” fuel cell engineering . Bloom Energy VP of Marketing and Products Stu Aaron secern me it afford them “ fuel flexibility . ” They can use biogases from land waste or dodo fuel like propane — so far in demos it ’s been an even split between biogases and natural gas — whereas low - temp fuel cellular telephone require H in a much purer state that has to essentially be refined or extracted via chemical process .
While some other SOFCs use the hot exhaust fumes generated by the chemical reaction kind of like a cogen — a means of becharm oestrus emitted by a magnate generator , so that it too can be converted to electricity — Bloom ’s Energy Servers simply recycle the heat within the cell , since the temperature generated by the reaction is almost precisely the heating plant needed for the reaction to happen . The rated efficiency spec for their current get-up-and-go server is greater than 50 % , compare to around 10 % to 15 % for solar ( though University of Delaware - led research worker did late strike aworld ’s book of 42.8 % for solar ) .
Again , to be open , the energy generated is n’t emission - free : These servers return a small amount of CO2 when commute natural gas or bio - accelerator pedal . It is less than what would get released if the same fuel was combusted , however . Customers can pick which of the two kinds of fuel they ’d like to employ ; the trade off is between “ optimizing for cost or carbon reduction , ” reckon on the caller ’s priorities , says Aaron .
Electricity In Bloom
Right now , the only boxwood that Bloom is betray is a100 - kW - hour energy waiter , which youcan chink out there . within are thousands of solid oxide fuel cell — each one able to power a scant bulb . The cells are arranged in smokestack , which are aggregated into module , and so on , with a coarse fuel input . right on now , they ’re just for corporation — like Google and Coca - Cola — and run about $ 700,000 to $ 800,000 each . The finish ’s to get them down to three one thousand , where they ’d be suitable for home enjoyment . That may still sound expensive , but they pay for themselves in 3 - 5 years , says Aaron , with an vigor cost of 8 - 9 cents per kW 60 minutes vs. the 13 - 14 centime it typically costs in California . ( Itsaved eBay $ 100,000on their power handbill . )
But cost is where the real scepticism issue forth in . Fuel cells are n’t a fetish applied science . They work . They produce vigor . What analyst , and others , are wonderingis whether Bloom ’s really cracked the secret to making them punk , at least some Clarence Day . The critic that CBS trot out on 60 Minutes , Green Tech Media ’s Michael Kanellos , says that while there ’s a 20 pct chance we ’ll have a fuel cell corner in our cellar in 10 year , but “ it ’s going to say GE . ” Which is fine with me , actually , because that stand for another time of year of 30 Rock joke .
Still something you wanna know ? Send interrogation about fuel cell , terrorist cells or Boom Bloxherewith “ Giz Explains ” in the subject billet .
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