ReliOn has come a long way since its days at SIRTI. The Spokane-based designer and developer of fuel cell systems has grown tremendously since its tenure as Avista Labs in the SIRTI incubator.
ReliOn creates modular hydrogen fuel cells, which produce energy through electrochemical reactions using hydrogen and oxygen. These fuel cells can generate anywhere from 500 Watts to 12kW to provide backup power to the commercial market, and are able to run on standard industrial grade hydrogen. The only by-products of these fuel cells are heat and water, making them environmentally friendly and applicable in many backup power situations.
The company’s fuel cells have been on the market since 2003 and are making a name for themselves. ReliOn currently offers two commercial products: the T-1000® and the T-2000™. The T-1000® provides up to 1,200 Watts of power, while the T-2000™ ranges up to 2,000 Watts in a single chassis and can provide up to 12kW by combining multiple chasses. Both products are based on a simple, modular arrangement of the membranes, a patented feature which ReliOn calls Modular Cartridge Technology®. Should one of the cartridges fail, the entire device will not go down, unlike more complex fuel cell architectures. ReliOn products are designed specifically for communications backup power applications within the government, telecommunications and utility sectors. With more than 850kW of product in the field, ReliOn’s customers have proven the fuel cell products to be just as reliable as the name implies.
ReliOn says that none of this could be possible without the support received while with SIRTI. Sandra Saathoff, Director of Marketing Communication, puts it, “SIRTI provided lab and office space and some initial funding. Without both of those, it would have been much more difficult for this fledgling company to grow.”
The company currently holds 26 U.S. patents covering more than 1350 claims, with more patents pending. As fossil fuels and traditional battery power become less attractive options, ReliOn is well positioned to offer an alternative with positive benefits across the board.
