Emona Instruments has been appointed the Australian distributor of the Berlin based manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell teaching and research equipment, Heliocentris.
Heliocentris, established in 1995, is the recognized world leader in hydrogen fuel cells for education and R & D markets having sold more than 35,000 fuel cells worldwide. Heliocentris offers more than 50 products divided into 8 product lines. A particular strength of Heliocentris is the comprehensive curriculum and course materials provided which allow quick and easy integration of fuel cell technology into existing courses or for integration into R & D projects.
Heliocentris use metal hydride canisters to power their hydrogen fuel cells. These are a very safe way of storing hydrogen in solid form and make the units independent of the hydrogen supply and safe to operate anywhere, i.e. laboratories, lesson theatres and perfect for mobile applications. Metal hydride canisters can store up to 940 litres of hydrogen, but the pressure hardly exceeds 15 bar, 50 times lower than conventional pressurized bottles.
The main products in the Heliocentris range include demonstration systems such as the “Professional” and the “Instructor”. The “Professional” is great entry level unit for demonstrating all aspects of a single cell fuel cell. It includes an electrolyser for hydrogen generation and comes complete with 4 comprehensive lesson volumes covering 25 experiments. The “Instructor” is ideal as a 2nd or 3rd undergraduate year system with a range of auxilliary components that allows students to learn about integrating fuel cells into a system.
Finally, the “Nexa Integration Kit” is a system for electrical engineering students working to integrate a hydrogen fuel cell stack into a variety of applications investigate how the stack interacts with auzilliary components. It is very popular for building into a hydrogen fuel cell powered motor vehicles in alternative energy projects and competitions, as well as commercial applications including stationary power supply systems, back-up power generators and other portable products. The Nexa Power Module is licensed exclusively to Heliocentris for the education sector by Ballard Power Systems, the world’s first volume producer of proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology.