Bloom Box fuel cell debut and details

Posted on February 24, 2010 | Category: Events, Informational, Resources

The Bloom Box, an invention from start-up Bloom Energy, saturated the media today. Bloom Energy has utilized over $400 million in venture funding to create a product that has the Department of Energy (DOE) and other energy stakeholders drooling. For the last 18 months, companies likes Google, eBay, and Wal-Mart have been the beta testers of the Bloom Box, creating efficient energy from burning methane, natural gas, and other combustibles. Here is a breakdown on the process.

The unveiling occurred at eBay’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, CA today with California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar (did I spell his name correctly , Google co-founder Larry Page, and retired General Colin Powell in attendance.

The fuel cell technology takes almost any fuel from ethanol to biomass and turns it into electricity. Bloom founder and CEO KR Ridhar claims that his energy server is twice as efficient as the current energy grid. Each fuel cell uses zirconium oxide (sand) shaped into a square wafer the size of a CD box. They are painted with the proprietary paint, which acts as a catalyst for the fuel. Each energy server reaches temperatures of approximately 1,000 degrees F.

The company touts that their Bloom Box creates 60% less carbon dioxide emissions than a coal fired power plant. Bloom boxes cost anywhere from $700k-$800k a piece. However, Bloom has said that with mass production the price could come down to around $3,000. A single unit would be enough to power a home or cluster of homes.