Voller Energy Group plc is the winner of the Power category of the IEE Innovation in Engineering Awards for their VE100 portable fuel cell system. The company is also the winner of the Environmental Innovation & Technology Category in the Hampshire Sustainable Business Awards - sponsored by Business Link. Voller Energy was a finalist in the Growth Company of the Year awards sponsored by the CBI. Voller Energy is a nominated finalist for the Best of British Awards 2007 for the Next Generation Award – for outstanding achievements in driving performance through investment in new talent. Voller Energy was a finalist in the 2006 Best of British Awards.
Voller company info
Voller Energy Group plc (LSE:VLR) is one of the world's first commercial developers and manufacturers of portable fuel cell systems for use as battery chargers and mobile generators – ideal for anyone who has a need for reliable and versatile remote power. The company was founded in 2002 by Stephen Voller and Mike Clarke.
Voller Energy's products are aimed at recharging the batteries used in cordless tools in the construction industry, generating power for the leisure industry and for use in military and commercial applications.
Voller’s initial target markets include construction, telecoms, leisure (boating, Recreational Vehicles and caravanning) and the military. Within these markets the benefits of using fuels cells, such as low noise, no toxic emissions and health and safety issues, are important drivers.
IP and Know-how
Voller has an extensice Patent family on the Emerald fuel cell system and has built considerbale know-how about fuel cell system design and integration since 2002.
Extensive IP developed to
ts granted 4 more applications
About Fuel Cells
Fuel cells work by converting the chemical energy in hydrogen to electrical energy. Hydrogen is combined with oxygen from the air across a special membrane.
The outputs from this reaction are electricity, heat and water - no toxic emissions are produced. To provide sufficient voltage for a useable electrical load, several membranes are assembled between plates and placed into a stack. Essentially, more plates mean more energy, so a larger stack of plates will produce a greater output.
In addition to this core technology, Voller has also created fuel cell control systems that allow integrated battery charging systems to operate at high efficiency. These systems involve close monitoring of all inputs and outputs, with software written by Voller Energy that controls the fuel cell system effectively.
Importantly, Voller's business is not dependent on the emergence of
a hydrogen infrastructure, which may take many years to develop. Voller
has developed low cost fuel processor technology which means that it
can extract the hydrogen found in fuels such as propane, LPG, diesel
and the military fuel JP-8. This supply of hydrogen from commonly available
fuels should ensure the early and widespread adoption of fuel cell technology.
London Stock Exchange Listing
In February 2005 Voller Energy listed on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and can be found with the symbol VLR. Voller Energy has a manufacturing facility in Basingstoke, United Kingdom.
The company has received two DTi Smart Awards from the UK Government and was named by Real Business magazine as one of the Top 50 companies to watch in 2005. Also during 2005 Voller Energy Group PLC was the winner of the Power category of the IEE Innovation in Engineering Awards for their VE100 portable fuel cell system. The company was also the winner of the Environmental Innovation & Technology Category in the Hampshire Sustainable Business Awards - sponsored by Business Link. Voller Energy was a finalist in the Growth Company of the Year awards sponsored by the CBI.Voller Energy is a NATO registered firm NCAGE, and is a registered supplier to the US Defense Procurement Agency (DPA).
A Vision of the Future
By Stephen Voller
"I started my career in IT over 20 years ago. Back then, no one imagined that we would have the incredible progress in computer technology that we have seen. The power in a laptop today is greater than a mainframe computer then. No one envisaged that technology such as PCs, mobile phones, email and the internet would be so much a part of our daily lives.
Like PCs, we know that portable fuel cells will get smaller, more powerful and less expensive. In 20 years time, I believe fuel cells will be everywhere.
A child born today will probably have a fuel cell powered car as their first car. Everyday appliances such as vacuum cleaners, that have the inconvenience of a power lead stretching across the carpet that you are cleaning, will have their own fuel cell power source. In 20 years time our children will go into science museums around the world and look in wonder at the primitive domestic appliances that had to be placed near a plug. The appliance of the future will be powered by independent fuel cell power sources.
The great advantage of this approach is to reduce global warming by reducing the demand for centrally produced electrical energy in the home or at work. Instead, little cartridges of fuel will power your device. You will buy these cartridges in the supermarket rather like you buy lighter fluid today. By using small convenient cartridges of fuel, an electrical device that you use every now and then will run quite happily without being connected to the grid. By applying this logic to millions of homes and businesses, we will help reduce the demand for electricity. Imagine that, if we could have 20% less power demand, we need 20% less central electrical generating capacity, and in turn produce much less green house gas emissions that cause climate change.
We owe it to our children, and our children's children to make this technology work.
When many people think about fuel cells they think about cars and buses. In truth it will be many years before these are viable. What is viable today are battery chargers and generators based on portable fuel cell technology. The fantastic thing is that our products produce the energy that we all need, and the only emission from the system is pure water.
But we are not about building systems that are just environmentally friendly. Fuel cell generators are quiet and in many ways more efficient than conventional generators."
World's First Hand-held
Portable Fuel Cell
In September 2003, Voller Energy Limited launched one of the world's first
hand-held portable fuel cell systems designed for commercial applications
using refillable metal hydride canisters as an energy source. The compact
system is a self-contained portable power source that delivers "mains" voltage
(110v & 230v) anywhere.
The system provides clean energy without harmful fumes or greenhouse gases (GHGs), the only exhaust being pure water. Obvious applications include the operation of electrical appliances in remote or sensitive areas, back-up and emergency power, and the recharging of batteries.
Governments and lobbyists are working on the development of a hydrogen infrastructure but it may be several years before this truly develops. In the meantime there are hydrocarbon-based fuels on the market which can be used to provide the hydrogen a fuel cell needs.
Voller Energy is one of the first companies in the world to combine reformers with fuel cell technology. Reformers extract hydrogen from complex hydrocarbons such as propane and LPG. The advantage of this approach is that fuel cells can then run on an accepted and reasonably priced fuel with an existing distribution infrastructure, without having to wait for the hydrogen infrastructure to fully emerge. This is particularly true in the target markets of leisure and construction.
Non-Polluting Portable Energy
Voller Energy uses hydrogen stored in metal hydride canisters. These canisters efficiently absorb hydrogen and, when heated, release it as required, at low pressures. Spare heat produced by the fuel cell is carefully utilised by the system to improve the delivery rate of the hydrogen.
The company has filed a number of patent applications on its technology
Company History in Brief
Statement of Purpose
We enable our customers to access clean, affordable, high performance power wherever they are, through the application of our core enabling technology in fuel cell systems.
We create value by:
- Penetrating early adopting markets for fuel cells
- Developing fuel processor technology to exploit existing fuel infrastructures
- Strengthening our IP and Know-how
Voller's fuel cell generator could revolutionise power systems on yachts. Not being connected to shore power is a constant challenge for skippers; with Voller, the challenge is significantly reduced. From now on people won't have to worry so much about their fridges, or watching TV, using a games console or powering navigation systems while under way. They can also use 240v equipment such as an electric kettle, a hair dryer for that smart party ashore, or even run a major appliance such as a washing machine . In short, with much of the power burden removed, life aboard is transformed for that all important crew member and sailing will become even more pleasurable
