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Medis Receives Broad U.S. Fuel Cell Patent

Medis Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:MDTL) has received approval from the United States Patent Office covering a system and a method for refilling a fuel cell with fuel and electrolyte. The patent is issued to its subsidiary, More Energy Ltd., and consists of 117 Claims. In the Medis invention, the fuel cell is able to be refilled in a matter of seconds by a movable fuel container which simultaneously injects fresh fuel and extracts the spent fuel. The same system can also be used to replace the fuel cell’s electrolyte. The invention embodies a totally different approach than the refueling cartridge used in traditional direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), which continuously sits in the fuel cell dripping methanol into the fuel cell system. The patented Medis refueling method obviates the need for the fuel cartridge to sit in the system as a constant part of the system, saving size, weight, complexity and cost. “This patent covers a very important element in our fuel cell technology,” said Robert K. Lifton, Chairman and CEO of Medis Technologies Ltd. “Our current Power Pack product to charge portable electronic devices, planned to be in retail outlets starting in the last quarter of this year, is a […]

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Southwest Windpower Raises $8 Million

Southwest Windpower, a producer of small wind generators, announced completion of an $8 million Series-B equity investment led by RockPort Capital Partners. CTTV Investments LLC, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures and existing shareholder Altira Technology Fund IV LP of Denver also participated in the financing. This funding follows two years of solid growth by Southwest Windpower, as sales of small wind generators have increased 50 percent per year for the past two years. The capital will support SWWP’s efforts to launch a new, lower cost, residential wind technology later this year. It is anticipated that this new technology will make it significantly cheaper – by up to 60 percent – to produce wind energy on a residential scale. Said Hap Ellis, general partner of RockPort Capital Partners, “We believe Southwest Windpower’s new technology will make inexpensive wind power available to consumers throughout the country and will revolutionize the distributed generation marketplace.” Website: http://www.windenergy.com     

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Magnetek, VRB Power Systems Unveil Alternative Energy Storage System

Magnetek, Inc. (NYSE:MAG), a leading developer of power conversion, alternative energy and utility grid management systems, and VRB Power Systems Inc. (TSX VENTURE:VRB), a leading producer of energy storage systems, announced the unveiling of a “revolutionary” 5kW Energy Storage System (ESS). Co-developed by Magnetek and VRB Power, the 5kW ESS is an alternative to traditional lead-acid battery backup systems. The ESS system provides cost effective, reliable, environmentally friendly, virtually maintenance-free backup power for wireless cell sites and other telecommunications systems. Based on VRB Power’s patented Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (“VRB-ESS”), the system is available in 5KW or 10KW configurations. The system is comprised of an electrolyte storage tank containing a vanadium-based electrolyte supplied to a regenerative cell stack that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. A chemical reaction in the flow-cell stacks creates a current that is collected by electrodes and made available to an external circuit. This reaction is reversible allowing recharging of the DC power modules. Virtually maintenance-free, it affords substantially lower cost of ownership than lead-acid battery-based systems and provides unprecedented security-of-supply to meet the energy needs of critical telecommunications facilities. The system’s small footprint is suitable for cell sites where space is limited. According […]

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