Armenian-Spanish Collaboration

[crimson]

Fuel Cell Today, UK

March 16 2004

Armenian-Spanish Collaboration on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology

16 March 2004

Author: INASMET - Press Release

Provider: Fuel Cell Today

Under the auspices of the Strategic Plan for Materials and Energy

being carried out by the Spanish INASMET, the Armenian Institute of

Chemistry & Physics of the National Academy of Sciences has signed a

joint working agreement on order to make progress in one of the

future energy sources such as fuel cells based on using hydrogen.

This alternative energy source to fossil fuels (petroleum and its

derivatives) has, amongst other advantages, that of being

non-contaminant, given that the only by-product is water due to the

combustion of hydrogen. Energy user sectors such as automotive one

and aeronautic are the most likely beneficiaries of this alternative

energy.

On the occasion of the signing of the joint co-operation contract and

in order to continue work started in 1999 between both bodies,

professor S. Kharatyan, the sub-director of the Armenian Institute,

accompanied by researcher, doctor A. Sargyan, have visited Inasmet

Technological Centre.

The agreement involves the development of SHS (Self-propagating

High-temperature Synthesis) technology that has relevant applications

in the industrial sector (energy and metallurgy), in obtaining

enhanced-specification materials at competitive prices. The technical

team at INASMET already has ten years of experience in this

speciality and applications widely accepted industrially have been

obtained, such as powders for special coatings or high-specification

porous materials.

One aspect of the new agreement - more directly related to hydrogen

energy - will be the development of new production methods for metal

hydrides as raw material for fuel cells, given that they are an

efficient form of “storing” hydrogen through SHS technology.

The Armenian Institute of Chemistry & Physics, founded in 1975, is

developing new lines of technological research, initiated in Moscow,

amongst the advantages of which are those involving simplicity,

rapidity and low energy consumption throughout the whole process.

In 1999 the first steps were taken for the joint enterprise between

INASMET and the Armenian institution in order to obtain cermets,

materials composed of ceramic and metal for applications in extreme

operating conditions. The first relevant steps in that two different

research teams and professionals from two distinct cultures have come

together and, apart from overcoming language barriers, the Armenians

in particular have had to go through work permit procedures under

very difficult conditions. With the signing of this agreement, many

of these difficulties have been overcome and there are very positive

expectations for both partners for advancement in these technologies.