| 1986 |
|
February |
MERIT
was founded in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo with a capital of 75 million
yen to promote research and development activities on hydrogen
energy, as the first Japanese company working in collaboration
with a university. |
|
April |
The
Center for the Development of Metal Hydrides was established
to develop a project for comprehensive hydrogen energy supply
(CHES). |
|
April |
The
Center for the Development of Separation Technologies was
established to promote bioreactors and advanced technologies
for extracting the critical gas and separating membranes (The
chief of the center: Mitsuho Hirata, a professor emeritus of
Tokyo Metropolitan University and the chairman of the
committee for separation technology). |
| 1987-1990 |
|
1987 |
February |
MERIT
successfully developed the world's largest system using metal
hydride to store nighttime electricity (50 MW / hour), and
installed the system in the study hall of Kogakuin University
at Hachioji as an air conditioning and heating
device. |
|
April |
MERIT
set to work on the collaborative research on Industrial
evaluation on a heat regenerating pump driven with electric
power stored during the nighttime with Tokyo Electric
Power Company. |
|
October |
In
cooperation with the State of Hawaii and the Pacific
International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR),
MERIT set about developing the CHES Project. |
|
1988 |
April |
As a
three-year project on developing technology for alternative
energy to petroleum, MERIT set about the collaborative
research on The development of highly efficient systems for
heat sources through new thermodynamic cycles with Japan
Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd. (subsidized by the Agency of
Industrial Science and Technology at the Ministry of
International Trade and Industry). |
| 1989 |
November |
The research on the hydrogen energy system for
linear motor vehicles was commissioned by the Railway
Technical Research Institute. |
| 1990 |
April |
The
Educational Center for Advanced Science, Technology, and
Information was founded to launch an educational business that
provides scientific and technical knowledge to R & D
managers in enterprises via computers. |
|
April |
MERIT
participated in the three-year study of Technology for
transporting alternative energy to petroleum, on which the
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
commissioned the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan
to conduct a research. |
|
July |
The
research on Energy conversion systems by adopting metal
hydrides were commissioned by NTT Building Technology
Institute Co., Ltd. |
| 1991 |
April |
As a
four-year project on developing technology for alternative
energy to petroleum, MERIT set about the collaborative
research on The development of a steady hydrogen supply
system based on hydrogen storage by adopting metal
hydrides with Benkan Corporation (subsidized by the Agency
of Industrial Science and Technology at the Ministry of
International Trade and Industry). |
|
November |
Under
the guidance of the Osaka Industrial and Technical Research
Institute (a part of the Agency of Industrial Science and
Technology at the Ministry of International Trade and
Industry), MERIT set to work on developing a catalyst-burning
machine for hydrogen. |
|
1992-1999 |
| 1992 |
July |
The
research on Physical properties and applications of metal
hydrides was commissioned by E.D. Engineering Co.,
Ltd. |
|
October |
The
Shinriki New Energy Inc., founded by the New Energy and
Material Research Institute at the Nankai University in China,
and MERIT agreed in establishing a company for collaborative
research and development in nickel hydrogen
cells. |
| 1993 |
January |
The
General Research Institute for Colored Metals in China and
MERIT agreed upon collaborative research and development in
metal hydride technologies. |
| 1994 |
January |
MERIT
participated in the project field of Technology for
hydrogen transport and storage by adopting metal hydrides.
The entire project was the International Clean Energy System
for Hydrogen Use (WE-NET) promoted by the Agency of Industrial
Science and Technology at the Ministry of International Trade
and Industry. |
| 1995 |
March |
MERIT
successfully developed a system for the steady hydrogen supply
based on hydrogen storage by adopting metal
hydrides. |
|
April |
The
general agency contract regarding the sale of MERIT's
proprietary technologies were concluded with NTT Leasing Co.,
Ltd. |
|
April |
MERIT
set to work on The development of technology for the use of
crude hydrogen by adopting fluorinated metal hydrides (a
four-year project on developing technology for alternative
energy to petroleum subsidized by the Agency of Industrial
Science and Technology at the Ministry of International Trade
and Industry). |
|
November |
The
head office was moved to Shinjuku, Tokyo. |
| 1996 |
March |
Its
capital was increased to 295 million yen. |
|
April |
The
contract of business partnership regarding the sale of
technologies was concluded with Mitsui & Co.,
Ltd. |
|
June |
MERIT
was launched on the collaborative development of high-powered
secondary cells by adopting AB2 fluorinated metal
hydrides. |
| 1997 |
February |
Technical transfers related to fluorinated metal
hydride production for nickel hydrogen cells were implemented
to Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd. |
|
July |
MERIT
received a grant for The development of secondary nickel
and hydrogen cells for automobiles from the Fuji Public
Trust Fund for New Businesses. |
| 1998 |
April |
The
research on a heat exchanger for a regeneration system for
housing was commissioned. |
|
September |
The
research on technology for generating hydrophile property
through fluorination of stainless steel surfaces was
commissioned. |
| 1999 |
June |
The
research on Applications of fluorinated metal hydrides to
nickel hydrogen cells was commissioned by the Japan
Science and Technology Corporation. |
|
July |
MERIT
conducted the research on The development of a high-powered
heat exchanger for metal hydrides for the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) implemented by the Japan Small and
Medium Enterprise Corporation. |
| 2000 |
March |
The
research on the development and demonstration of
fundamental technology for the practical use of fuel cells
was commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO). |
|
2001
|
May |
The research on the
development and demonstration of basic technology for the
practical use of sodium borohydride
was funded by the Japan Science and Technology
Organization (JST). |
|
2002 |
December |
The NEDO project on the
hydrogen storage and generation by sodium borohydride was
started under the collaborative project with 6
industialfarms and 2
universities. |
|
2004 |
June |
Developement of Direct Borohydride
Fuel Cell (DBFC) is started as the TLO -joint project with
several industrial farms and Kogakuiin University (KUCEL)
under the NEDO funding. |
|
2005
2005
2007 |
February
April
June |
A prototype model of 300W DBFC was
developed during the 3 yearsfTLO|NEDO project
PEMFC named "SuperPEM" ranging from
50W to 1kW was developed that is based on the catalytic
hydrolysis of sodium
borohydride,
An international project for the
production & regeneration of sodium borohydride was
initiated.
|
|
|
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