1. SAGE Energy solutions
May 21, 2013
Fuel Cell Challenge
Fuel Flexible
Portable Reformer for LPG Fuel Cells
M. Kai Mayeda, Sungtak Kim, Erdem Sasmaz, Jochen Lauterbach
University of South Carolina
Smartstate Center for Strategic Approaches to the Generation of Electricity
May 2013

2. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Team
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20+ years catalysis research
High throughput catalyst exploration,
discovery, and design
System optimization and prototype
development
Production scale up

3. May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
UAV Market
$9B/yr spent on batterypowered drones in the US
Fuel Cell Challenge
Teal Group Corporation, 2012
http://www.marketresearchmedia.com/

4. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Fuel Cell Power
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Stalker
Payload: 3 lb
Flight Time: 2+ hrs
Altitude: up to 15,000 ft
Propulsion: electric/battery
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Stalker eXtended Endurance (Stalker XE)
Payload: 2 lb
Flight Time: 8+ hrs
Altitude: up to 15,000 ft
Propulsion: electric/fuel cell

5. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
What is the problem?
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No LPG supply chain
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JP-8 is the NATO fuel of choice
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Reformer cannot use water, hydrogen, electricity, or any
additional chemicals
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Compact (dorm-room sized refrigerator)
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No desulfurization (up to 3000 ppm)
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5 wt% minimum conversion

6. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions

7. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Pre-Fuel Cell Challenge
Carrier gas
Gas product 0.3 gLPG/hr

8. Fuel Cell Challenge
WHSV (h-1)
10
20
40
80
Catalyst – JP8 flow
1.5g – 0.31ml/min
0.75g – 0.31ml/min
0.37g – 0.31ml/min
0.185g – 0.31mi/min
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25%
kg C2-C4 out / kg JP-8 in (%)
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Space Velocity testing
Reaction T: 450oC
Catalyst: Pt-Gd/ZSM-5
No Carrier gas
20%
15%
WHSV=10
WHSV=20
10%
WHSV=40
5%
WHSV=80
0%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Time on Stream (hr)
 Product yield increased and catalyst deactivation rate decreased
with decreasing WHSV

9. kg C2-C4 out / kg JP-8 in
15%
w/helium
Minimal carrier gas influence
10%
w/o helium
5%
0%
0
kg C2-C4 out / kg JP-8 in
Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Simplify and Recycle
1
2
3
45%
4
5
6
7
Time on Stream (hr)
8
9
10
Average LPG
yield for 7h
Average LPG
production
rate (g/hr)
JP-8
recycling
34.5% (±1.7)
2.4
JP-8
14.2% (±0.7)
2.0
40%
35%
recycle
30%
25%
20%
15%
single pass
10%
5%
0%
0
1
2
3
4
5
Time on Stream (hr)
6
7

10. SAGE Energy solutions
Post-Fuel Cell Challenge
Carrier gas
Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
Peltier cooler
JP-8 recycle
Gas product, 18 gLPG/hr
60x increase!

11. SAGE Energy solutions
Portable Reformer
0.3 gLPG/hr
Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
Buy Sma
do
Visit www.sm
18 gLPG/hr

12. Diesel
or
Kerosene
• Silent power
generation
• High fuel
efficiency
Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Expanding our Market
• 1 kW ~ 0.3
gal/hr
• Fuel flexibility
Buy SmartDraw!- purchased copies print this
document without a watermark .
Visit www.smartdraw.com or call 1-800-768-3729.

13. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Business Plan: Near Term
TM
sageenergy.biz

14. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Business Plan: Long term
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Defense contractors as collaborators/partners
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Full demonstrations for 3rd party investment
Customer-driven prototype design
Additional funding and guidance

15. 
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0.3 to 18 gLPG/hr
Simplify system design
15% to 40% conversion
Alpha prototype construction
 Peltier cooler
 Stepper motors
 Tube furnace
 No carrier gas
Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Milestones
Alpha Prototype
• Construction and
testing
• Define customer
needs
System Design
• Catalyst screening
• Process optimization
• Scale-up
Production
Marketing
• Meet with
Customers
Funding
• Define the exit
• SBIR/STTR
strategy
• Venture capitalist
• SC Launch


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
Established LLC
Written business plan
Developed website
Identified potential investors

16. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Acknowledgements

17. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
END

18. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
Supporting Slides
SAGE Energy solutions

19. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Potential Market
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$2.1B/yr spent on power sources (mainly batteries)1
$9B/yr spent on battery-powered drones in the US2
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2005-2010: US approved $380M of drone exports
Canada & Australia to spend $1B and $3B per annum3
Sulfurized fuel for cooking
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Military: expensive to make specialized jet fuel burners
SBIR solicitation A13-045, February 20134
Developing countries use dirty fuels for cooking:5
703 TWh of energy used from oil
75% of non-OECD residents burn dirty biowaste or charcoal

20. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Market Strategy: Sales
Projected revenue
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•
Unit sales
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Production - $10,000/unit
Sale $40,000/unit
Estimated to sell hundreds
of units per year
$ 10 M
$8M
$6M
$4M
$2M
$0
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
Annual service contracts
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Technical servicing
Catalyst replacement
Profits in excess of $5M

21. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Market Pains
What’s wrong with batteries?
• 0.1-0.3 kJ/cm3 energy density
(LPG = 26 kJ/cm3)
• 1-5 hrs recharge
• Sulfurized fuel cooking consequences
• respiratory problems and asthma
• acidification of local environments
• Absent infrastructure
• costly or inconsistent supply
• enormous capital costs to build
•

22. Fuel Cell Challenge
May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Representative competitor
 Precision Combustion, Inc.
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Autothermal reforming
Partial oxidation
Catalytic cracking
All require additional chemical inputs
All produce H2 (0.008 kJ/cm3, 1 atm)
 Industrial refinery and LPG
extraction
Cheap and efficient, but immobile

23. May 21, 2013
SAGE Energy solutions
Applications
LPG SOFC Stalker XE
Large market size:
Liquid
Fuel
M1 tanks
LPG
Fuel Cell Challenge
Cougar
Humvee
• Military operations
• Small drones
• Cooking Appliances
• Portable energy
• Portable power
• Sea expeditions
• RVs