From: Ad 

Well kewl.

This is something I have been advocating for ages....

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/684/

"Acumentrics manufactures 5000-watt solid oxide fuel cell systems
(SOFC) for power applications. They are also developing
combined-heat-and-power units (which are like boilers that produce
electricity) for the home market. In 2000 they acquired a novel fuel cell
technology. Since then, they have increased the output of a single fuel
cell tube from 1 watt to 60 watts. Today they have over 30 units working in
the field, including ones that power visitor’s centers at Exit Glacier
National Park in Alaska, and Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio.

One of their key innovations was making ceramic fuel cell technology
shatter resistant. It is shatter resistant because of its shape -- it is a
tube, not a thin sheet as most others have used --with a special
composition of layers that prevents them from flaking off. Solid oxide fuel
cells must handle temperature swings from 20 to 800§C. Many other solid
oxide fuel cells crack when they are cycled on and off, because of thermal
shock.

But what really makes Acumentrics different is that they aren't waiting
around for the mythical hydrogen economy. The fuel cells run on natural
gas, propane, ethanol, diesel, biogas, and biodiesel. While using
non-hydrogen fuel means that the cell will produce CO2, Acumentrics fuel
cells consume half as much fuel as a comparable small-engine generator, per
kW. So they produce the same amount of electricity, while consuming half as
much fuel, and producing half as much CO2."


But...does it work with wood?

I have asked numerous ppl I know about stuff like this for ages i.e. a dual
jacket wood burner i.e. the inner core "next to the metal" is a
ceramic like this & then outside that is the std water jacket to heat
the house & the water etc.

Looks like it's coming closer....

Adam

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