A researcher testing new cell configurations.
Incubating Advanced Clean Energy Technologies
Franklin Fuel Cells, Inc. — a start-up company with 13 employees in 2006 — holds patents for a fuel cell technology that may soon dominate the fuel cell market. This exciting technology, developed at the University of Pennsylvania and now owned by Franklin Fuel Cells, Inc., allows a fuel cell to operate directly on a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels (natural gas, propane, diesel, gasoline, methanol, etc.), all without the need for a reformer.
This essentially leapfrogs conventional fuel cell technology, which can operate only on pure hydrogen and therefore requires a reformer to strip the hydrogen from the hydrocarbon fuels.
Inexpensive to install and operate, once commercialized this fuel cell will compete to replace conventional power options — including the incumbent technology, the diesel generator — particularly within markets such as auxiliary power units for idling trucks, boats, and planes, and as remote-location generators whose many uses include irrigation pump operation.
TRF led an investment group for Franklin Fuel Cell, Inc. that included EnerTech Capital and two other Pennsylvania regional sustainable energy funds. The total equity investment package of $3.25 million, including TRF’s $500,000 investment, is enabling Franklin Fuel Cell, Inc. to hire R&D specialists, improve the performance of the cell, streamline the manufacturing process and demonstrate its product’s commercial applications.