One of alternative energy's best hopes is the solid oxide fuel cell, a century-old invention that produces electricity directly from oxidizing fuel within a closed environment. Long used as power source in practically every NASA mission since the 1960's, the technology has never been widely used because the inherent high costs.
That is, until now.
Refractory Specialties Inc., a Sebring-based company that has a 40-year history of supplying insulation and other products for high-temperature manufacturing processes, has emerged as a solution to lowering the cost of making the cells, while increasing their quality. RSI has developed kiln products from an existing company line and a new coating that ensure very exact production of ceramic parts used in SOFCs, which in turn, should boost production of the high-efficiency energy source.
The company developed this new product line, Sinterlyte, with the help of a $400,000 grant from the Ohio Third Frontier initiative.
"To make the ceramic parts, you have to fire them at a very high temperatures � we're talking in excess of 1,300 degrees Celsius, and as high as 1,400 degrees," explains Suhas Patil, RSI's head of engineering. "We were able to take our T-Cast material that we already had and put a coating on it, which allows you to deal with these very high temperatures without contaminating the ceramic piece you're making. I tell people it's like baking cookies. We make the cookie tray. You don't want anything from the tray to ruin the cookie."
Sinteryte also allows for precise molding of the ceramic pieces, which is also important to the long-term dependability of SOFCs that normally operate at high temperatures while in use. RSI's advance means the fuel cells can finally be a financially viable alternative to fossil fuels.
The company had been working on Sinteryte prior to getting the Third Frontier grant in 2008, and brought it to market this year. Revenue projections for the line are expected to surpass $25 million within four years. That means expected growth for RSI as well, which currently has more than 100 employees at two sites, and services over 30 major and hundreds of smaller clients. SinterLyte's success could earn RSI a large share of the global market, including overseas clients like Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited in Australia to Wartsilla in Finland among others.
Source: Suhas Patil, Refractory Specialties Inc.
Writer: Dave Malaska