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    1. Energy Efficiency

    IBM Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Increase Life of FuelCell Energy’s Fuel Cell Systems

    Nov. 29, 2023
    The procedure will create a data-based digital twin of the fuel cell and provide an understanding of various operating parameters affecting fuel cell degradation
    Image Source: FuelCell Energy
    65675630a8af3d001e8c3073 Fuelcell Energy

    IBM and FuelCell Energy have partnered to improve the performance of FuelCell Energy’s technology using Foundation Models, a form of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), thereby supporting their efforts for a global transition to zero-carbon renewable energy sources.

    “Our collaboration with IBM is an opportunity for FuelCell Energy to leverage emerging AI technology to improve our product performance for our customers and for IBM to extend its AI technology to the study of electrochemical catalytic processes,” said FuelCell Energy’s Chief Technology Officer, Tony Leo.

    IBM will study and help FuelCell Energy increase the life of its fuel cells through optimal control of operational parameters and their cost-effectiveness for customers under the collaboration.

    Using FuelCell Energy data, IBM will develop the Foundation Model to create device-level models, which will learn from the data and predict the technology's performance. 

    The procedure will not only create a data-based digital twin of the fuel cell, connecting various data sources, but also help provide an understanding of various operating parameters affecting the fuel cell's degradation for potential improvements.

    “We hope that IBM’s AI will help FuelCell Energy replace the traditional, time-intensive, and expensive accelerated life testing process when it comes to electrochemical energy production to quickly and efficiently propel forward the world’s transition to clean energy,” said Alessandro Curioni, VP IBM Research Europe and Africa and Director of IBM Research Europe, Zurich.

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.