RALEIGH, NC – Microcell, a Raleigh-based company working on fuel cell applications, received a commitment from Progress Energy to the tune of $1 million.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy. Unlike batteries, which convert chemical energy stored within the battery, fuel cells theoretically continue to deliver electrical energy as long as fuel is supplied.

The heart of a fuel cell is an electrolyte (a substance that conducts ions) sandwiched between two layers of catalyst (a chemical substance that increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed). The Microcell fuel cell is a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) converted to the form of a microfiber. It differs from other fuel-cell designs (in that all the fuel cell components are extruded into a single microfiber) and shows promise for its potential to be mass-produced more efficiently than other designs.

Microcell was founded in 2000 and was initially funded by the Advanced Energy

Corporation.

www.microcellcorp.com

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