Ener1 Inc. (Fort Lauderdale, FL), a developer of lithium batteries and fuel cells, announced that the company has filed a US patent application for a new method and apparatus that enables the rapid startup of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell in sub-zero temperatures without the use of external devices. Cold-start performance capabilities are crucial to the development of fuel cells for automotive applications.
Ener1 also announced that it has filed a US patent application for its alkaline fuel cell control system. This system features many of the same benefits as the company's PEM fuel cell integrated feedback control system. Potential applications for Ener1's alkaline fuel cell system include air and spacecraft, submarines and standby generators. Ener1 expects to complete its PEM fuel cell control system prototype by the first half of next year.
