Tag Archives: Geothermic Fuel Cell

Technology

IEP Technology Proves Viability of Geothermic Fuel Cell™ for Oil & Gas Production

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IEP Technology’s full feature geothermic fuel cell prototype built by Delphi Automotive is successfully tested at Colorado School of Mines’ Colorado Fuel Cell Center. This is the second milestone IEP TEchnology has made on schedule.

Denver, CO, November 22, 2013 — Researchers and oil company representatives from around the world recently toured the first full-featured Geothermic Fuel Cell™ (GFC), a new innovation that can produce greater efficiency in extracting oil from shale.

IEP Technology and Delphi Automotive are working collaboratively to develop this innovation and have executed a Memorandum of Understanding under which Delphi Automotive expects to integrate solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology into GFCs.

The unit was shown in October during the 33rd Oil Shale Symposium presented by the Colorado School of Mines and the Colorado Fuel Cell Center (CFCC). Initial testing led by Dr. Neal Sullivan, Ph.D., an associate professor at Colorado School of Mines and director of the CFCC, proved that the GFC can be operated at the high temperatures needed to heat oil shale formations to produce oil in situ or in place.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all involved. It’s a true collaboration between IEP Technology (IEPT), Delphi and the CFCC to test the full-feature GFC prototype. We are bridging theory to industrial use in an exciting new way at our lab,” said Sullivan.

The multi-stack, full-featured GFC module follows successful testing of a single stack GFC in April 2013. This is the second major technology milestone IEPT has met with relative ease.

“We could not be happier to meet this second milestone with such success in proving our multi-stack, full-featured GFC module. Our next major step will be to couple and test multiple modules in the lab in preparation for our in-ground, pre-field testing at a location on Colorado School of Mines property,” said Mark Wall, IEPT’s Manager of Projects.

IEPT selected Delphi’s SOFC as the most advanced and production-viable stack available today. Delphi’s SOFC converts chemical energy in conventional fuels directly into useful electrical power and heat without combustion, resulting in minimal emissions. Electric heaters have been used to extract oil from shale in situ, but IEPT’s concept has the potential to be much more efficient and does not require a dedicated electrical power plant.

Delphi has designed SOFCs and completed development projects to generate electric power for commercial vehicle auxiliary units, stationary and military applications. Delphi is committed to applying its SOFC technology to green energy applications such as the GFC, and brings years of automotive component manufacturing and system integration experience to support IEPT in developing its technology for oil shale production applications.

“Beyond the application of extracting oil from shale, we have always envisioned multiple uses for the GFCs such as fresh water production from brackish underground aquifers and landfill pyrolysis in addition to the in situ production of unconventional hydrocarbons,” said Al Forbes, IEPT’s president and CEO. “Delphi’s ability to engineer and adapt its existing SOFC technology to GFC applications, manufacture on a volume basis and distribute globally will go a long way in making this a reality.”

The in-ground testing of the full-feature GFC modules scheduled for 2014 on Colorado School of Mines property will include the in situ installation and operation of multiple GFC modules. It will also test all related equipment for fuel conditioning and supply and power management for the green electrical power produced as a byproduct of the GFC applications.

About IEP Technology
IEP Technology (IEPT) is the owner of the patented, breakthrough in-situ Geothermic Fuel Cell™(GFC™) system. GFCs create heat for use in the recovery of unconventional hydrocarbons while producing additional energy to be sold back into the market as clean, baseload electricity. IEPT is currently focused on the economic and environmentally responsible recovery of oil shale and oil sands. The company holds exclusive rights to broad, patented GFC technologies in the U.S. and Canada, and has strategic partnerships with Uintah Resources, Inc., Delphi Corporation and Colorado School of Mines. Learn more about the company and its technology at Iepm.com or IEPTechnologyInc.com.

About the Colorado Fuel Cell Center at Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines, www.mines.edu, is a uniquely focused public research university dedicated to preparing exceptional students to solve today’s most pressing energy and environmental challenges. Founded in 1874, the institution was established to serve the needs of the local mining industry. Today, Mines has an international reputation for excellence in engineering education and the applied sciences with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the earth’s resources.

About Delphi Automotive Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH) is a leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive, commercial vehicle and other market segments. Operating major technical centers, manufacturing sites and customer support facilities in 30 countries, Delphi delivers real-world innovations that make products smarter and safer as well as more powerful and efficient. Connect to innovation at www.delphi.com.

Contact:
Cindy Jennings
IEP Technology
11479 S. Pine Dr.
Parker, CO 80134
+1 303-792-0055
cindy@volitionstrategies.com
http://www.IEPTechnologyInc.com

Technology

Geothermic Fuel Cell™ Prototype Moves IEP One Step Closer to Commercialization

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Independent Energy Partners, Inc. (IEP) with partner Delphi Corporation successfully tested an initial single stack geothermic fuel cell™ (GFC) prototype, keeping IEP on track for field testing and initial oil production at a test site by mid 2015.

Denver, CO, May 17, 2013 — Independent Energy Partners, Inc. successfully tested an initial single stack geothermic fuel cell™ (GFC) prototype, keeping them on track for field testing and initial oil production at a test site by mid 2015. The fuel cells will be used to heat underground oil shale formations in situ or in place. Testing confirms the fuel cells will be able to generate the high temperatures needed to extract both liquid and gas hydrocarbons from the oil shale while simultaneously generating clean electricity.

“This is a huge milestone for us as it confirms the concept and sets us nicely on the path toward full-scale prototype and field testing without any unexpected delays,” said Al Forbes, IEP’s President and CEO. “The Delphi team’s deep experience in solid oxide fuel cells certainly helped us meet this milestone confidently.”

IEP has put more than ten years into patenting, designing and developing the geothermic fuel cell technology using the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to help refine the concept and Delphi Corporation’s solid oxide fuel cell expertise to develop, build and test the GFC prototype.

Delphi Corporation was chosen to build the GFCs because of their expertise in solid oxide fuel cell technology and manufacturing capabilities. The partnership is already paying off with this successful first-round prototype passing both internal testing at Delphi and additional outside testing at the Colorado School of Mines Colorado Fuel Cell Center in preparation for the large-scale stack testing later this year.

“It’s exciting—especially in new clean technologies—to have such a successful first prototype,” said Dan Hennessy, chief engineer, Advanced Engineering, Delphi Powertrain Systems. “Our team is already working on assembling the next prototype and anticipating similar success when we test it later this year.”

Geothermic Fuel Cells will expedite nature’s underground heating process to turn kerogen into a producible, usable oil product. Current technologies require either surface mining and crushing the shale or using large amounts of coal-fired electricity to power heating rods inserted in a formation. IEP’s technology becomes self-fueling after brief start-up period. The natural byproduct of the fuel cell is heat, which heats the kerogen in the formation to a vapor that can be transported and collected above ground. Most of the electricity produced by the fuel cells is available as a clean, base load energy source for local utilities.

With US oil shale reserves estimated at more than 1.5 trillion barrels of oil that are not currently viable to recover, IEP’s technology stands to open huge energy reserves in the United States and abroad. The GFCs have many additional applications, including a growing interest in their use in landfill pyrolysis to both reduce landfill mass and create clean, base load energy for municipalities.

Field-testing is scheduled for early to mid 2015.

About Independent Energy Partners:
Independent Energy Partners (IEP) is a clean technology and resource company based in Denver, Colorado focused on the economic and environmentally responsible recovery of unconventional hydrocarbon resources utilizing its patented, breakthrough in-situ Geothermic Fuel Cell™(GFC™) system. IEP was founded in 1991 and has been involved in the development of more than 15 energy projects employing a wide range of technologies. The company holds exclusive rights to broad, patented GFC processes and technology in the U.S. and Canada as well as its own oil shale resources containing more than 2.0 billion barrels of oil. Patenting and technological development has been underway since 2004 and has been vetted by the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. IEP holds strategic partnerships with Total Petroleum, Uintah Resources, Inc., Delphi Corporation and Colorado School of Mines. Learn more about the compan y and its technology at www.iepm.com.

About Delphi:
Delphi is a leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive, commercial vehicle and other market segments. Operating major technical centers, manufacturing sites and customer support facilities in 32 countries, Delphi delivers real-world innovations that make products smarter and safer as well as more powerful and efficient. Connect to innovation at www.delphi.com.

Contact:
Cindy Jennings
Independent Energy Partners, Inc.
TEC Building
11479 S. Pine Dr.
Parker, CO 80134
+1 303-792-0055
cindy@volitionstrategies.com
http://www.IEPM.com