The Bloom Energy Server (commonly referred to as the Bloom Box) is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) made by Bloom Energy, of Sunnyvale, California, that uses liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons (such as gasoline, diesel or propane[1] produced from fossil or bio sources) to generate electricity on the site where it will be used; Bloom Energy representatives assert that it is at least as efficient as a traditional large-scale coal power station.[2][3] According to the company, a single cell (one 100 × 100 mm metal alloy plate between two ceramic layers) generates 25 watts.[4]
The Bloom Energy Server uses thin white ceramic plates (100 × 100 mm)[5] which are claimed to be made from "beach sand" but are, according to Bloom's patent description, scandia stabilized zirconia (ScSZ), a well-known solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte material. Each ceramic plate is coated with a green nickel oxide-based ink on one side (anode) and another black (probably Lanthanum strontium manganite) ink on the other side (cathode)[6], which are the most common solid oxide fuel cell electrode materials that have been developed since 1973[7]. According to the San Jose Mercury News, "Bloom's secret technology apparently lies in the proprietary green ink that acts as the anode and the black ink that acts as the cathode--" but in fact these materials are widely known in the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Wired reports that the secret ingredient may be yttria-stabilized zirconia based upon a 2006 patent filing (7,572,530) that was granted to Bloom in 2009; but this material is also one of the most common electrolyte materials in the field.[8] US US20080261099 , which is assigned to Bloom Energy Corporation, says that the "electrolyte includes yttria stabilized zirconia and a scandia stabilized zirconia, such as a scandia ceria stabilized zirconia". ScSZ has a higher conductivity than YSZ at lower temperatures which provides greater efficiency and higher reliability when used as an electrolyte in SOFC applications. Scandia is scandium oxide (Sc3O2) which is a transition metal oxide that is sold between US$1400 to US$2000 per kilogram in 99.9% form. Current annual world wide production of scandium is less than 2000 kilogram. Most of the 5000 kilogram used annually is sourced from limited former Soviet era stockpiles.
To save money, the Bloom Energy Server uses inexpensive metal alloy plates for electric conductance between the two ceramic fast ion conductor plates. In competing lower temperature fuel cells, platinum is required at the cathode.[6]
SOME INTRO
What is an Energy Server?
Built with our patented solid oxide fuel cell technology, Bloom's Energy Server™ is a new class of distributed power generator, producing clean, reliable, affordable electricity at the customer site.
Fuel cells are devices that convert fuel into electricity through a clean electro-chemical process rather than dirty combustion. They are like batteries except that they always run. Our particular type of fuel cell technology is different than legacy "hydrogen" fuel cells in four main ways:
- Low cost materials – our cells use a common sand-like powder instead of preciousmetals like platinum or corrosive materials like acids.
- High electrical efficiency – we can convert fuel into electricity at nearly twice therate of some legacy technologies
- Fuel flexibility – our systems are capable of using either renewable or fossil fuels
- Reversible – our technology is capable of both energy generation and storage
Each Bloom Energy Server provides 100kW of power, enough to meet the baseload needs of 100 average homes or a small office building... day and night, in roughly the footprint of a standard parking space. For more power simply add more energy servers.
BENEFIT
Bloom Energy delivers Better Electrons Service™
All electrons are not created equal. Only Bloom Energy delivers electrons that are clean and reliable and affordable… all at the same time… and just for you. That makes them better electrons.
Bloom's Energy Servers™ help you to
- Lower your energy costs and eliminate volatility
- Save the environment and save money
- Improve your energy security and reliability
- Start small and "pay as you grow"
- Get access to power quickly
Bloom Energy now offers customers a choice, giving customers options to effectively manage their energy needs.
Bloom Electrons℠ Service
The Bloom Electrons service is designed to let customers purchase only the electricity they consume. Customers can experience the benefits of clean, reliable affordable energy on their own terms without any upfront costs.
Equipment Purchase
Customers who want to maximize their return on investment can purchase and install Bloom Energy Servers at their facilities and capture all of the economic benefits of producing their own power for significantly less than the price of electricity purchased from the grid.
Our simple, modular, building-block architecture is easy to install and easy to buy.
Bloom manages and maintains the system 24/7/365. All you see are the benefits from better electrons.
Those two blocks can power the average high-consumption American home -- one block can power the average European home. At least that's the claim being made by K.R. Sridhar, founder of Bloom Energy, on 60 Minutes last night. The original technology comes from an oxygen generator meant for a scrapped NASA Mars program that's been converted, with the help of an estimated $400 million in private funding, into a fuel cell. Bloom's design feeds oxygen into one side of a cell while fuel (natural gas, bio gas from landfill waste, solar, etc) is supplied to the other side to provide the chemical reaction required for power. The cells themselves are inexpensive ceramic disks painted with a secret green "ink" on one side and a black "ink" on the other. The disks are separated by a cheap metal alloy, instead of more precious metals like platinum, and stacked into a cube of varying capabilities -- a stack of 64 can power a small business like Starbucks.
Now get this, skeptics: there are already several corporate customers using refrigerator-sized Bloom Boxes. The corporate-sized cells cost $700,000 to $800,000 and are installed at 20 customers you've already heard of including FedEx and Wal-mart -- Google was first to this green energy party, using its Bloom Boxes to power a data center for the last 18 months. Ebay has installed its boxes on the front lawn of its San Jose location. It estimates to receive almost 15% of its energy needs from Bloom, saving about $100,000 since installing its five boxes 9 months ago -- an estimate we assume doesn't factor in the millions Ebay paid for the boxes themselves. Bloom makes about one box a day at the moment and believes that within 5 to 10 years it can drive down the cost to about $3,000 to make it suitable for home use. Sounds awfully aggressive to us. Nevertheless, Bloom Energy will go public with details on Wednesday -- until then, check the 60 Minutes sneak peek after the cmbreak.
see more at http://www.bloomenergy.com
Interesting, so far we heard about Green Technology, but seldom people could explain much details on Green Tech. I am writing an article for the basic of Renewable Energy Technologies, I hope this could help the beginner to understand more about Green Tech before they could go further your article.
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