November 8th, 2005

Evaluator S test stations delivered to Major Automaker
FuelCon recently delivered an Evaluator S50 and an Evaluator S100 test station to one of the largest car manufacturers. While the S50 is designed to test PEM stacks and systems up to 50kW electrical power, the S100 station is capable of testing PEM stacks but up to 100kW electrical power.

This equipment was specifically designed to test PEM stacks under simulated environmental conditions including temperatures down to -40°C/0°F and up to 80°C/176°F. This capability is critical for investigating freeze start behavior and to qualify fuel cell engines for automotive use. Furthermore, the control system of these stations allows the integration of typical car development tools which emulate standard driving cycles (real traffic behavior) as well as the simulated load demand by sub-system components using FuelCon's HIL (Hardware-in-the-loop) technology.

Other state-of-the-art features include wide span, highly dynamic backpressure controls as well as a cooling loop system which allows the simulation of a wide variety of engine, car or environmental conditions.

FuelCon was able to secure this order due to its corporate reputation as an independent supplier of test and diagnostic solutions for the fuel cell industry. As these stations will be used to evaluate the automotive propulsion application of fuel cells, it is testament that the general development of fuel cell engines continues to progress.