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    Fuel Cell

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    JohnNeilBibera
    A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction involving hydrogen and oxygen. The history of fuel cells dates back to 1801 when Davy demonstrated the principle, with significant milestones like Grove inventing the first fuel cell in 1839 and GE developing the proton exchange membrane fuel cell in 1950. There are several types of fuel cells that differ in their electrolyte and operating temperatures, including proton exchange membrane, alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, and solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel cells have advantages like high efficiency and low emissions but also disadvantages such as high costs. Applications include stationary power generation and portable electronics.

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    Fuel Cell

    Uploaded by

    JohnNeilBibera
    182 views14 pages
    A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction involving hydrogen and oxygen. The history of fuel cells dates back to 1801 when Davy demonstrated the principle, with significant milestones like Grove inventing the first fuel cell in 1839 and GE developing the proton exchange membrane fuel cell in 1950. There are several types of fuel cells that differ in their electrolyte and operating temperatures, including proton exchange membrane, alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, and solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel cells have advantages like high efficiency and low emissions but also disadvantages such as high costs. Applications include stationary power generation and portable electronics.

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    Fuel Cell research

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    A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction involving hydrogen and oxygen. The history of fuel cells dates back to 1801 when Davy demonstrated the principle, with significant milestones like Grove inventing the first fuel cell in 1839 and GE developing the proton exchange membrane fuel cell in 1950. There are several types of fuel cells that differ in their electrolyte and operating temperatures, including proton exchange membrane, alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, and solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel cells have advantages like high efficiency and low emissions but also disadvantages such as high costs. Applications include stationary power generation and portable electronics.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    182 views14 pages

    Fuel Cell

    Uploaded by

    JohnNeilBibera
    A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction involving hydrogen and oxygen. The history of fuel cells dates back to 1801 when Davy demonstrated the principle, with significant milestones like Grove inventing the first fuel cell in 1839 and GE developing the proton exchange membrane fuel cell in 1950. There are several types of fuel cells that differ in their electrolyte and operating temperatures, including proton exchange membrane, alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, and solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel cells have advantages like high efficiency and low emissions but also disadvantages such as high costs. Applications include stationary power generation and portable electronics.

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    What is fuel cell?

    A fuel cell is a device that generates


    electricity by a chemical reaction.

    Fuel Cell

    History:
    1801: Humphry Davy demonstrates the principle of
    what becomes the fuel cell
    1839: William Grove invents the gas battery, the first fuel cell
    1889: Charles Langer and Ludwig Mond develop
    Groves invention and name it fuel cell.
    1950: General Electric invents the proton exchange membrane fuel cell.
    1959: Francis Bacon demonstrates a 5kW alkaline fuel cell.

    History:
    1960: NASA first uses fuel cell in space
    mission.
    1970: The oil crisis prompts the development
    of alternative energy technologies including
    PAFC

    1980s: US Navy uses fuel cells in submarines.


    1990s: Large stationary fuel cells are
    developed for commercial and industrial
    location.
    2007: Fuel cell begin to be sold commercially
    as APU and for stationary backup power.

    2008: Honda begins leasing the FCX clarity


    fuel cell electric vehicle.

    Harnessing Hydrogen
    Steam reforming is a method for producing hydrogen,
    carbon monoxide, or other useful products from
    hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas. This is achieved in
    a processing device called a reformer which
    reacts steam at high temperature with the fossil fuel.
    CH4 + H2O CO + 3 H2
    CO + H2O CO2 + H2

    Harnessing Hydrogen
    In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a
    technique that uses a direct electric current (DC) to
    drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical
    reaction. Electrolysis is commercially highly important as
    a stage in the separation of elements from naturally
    occurring sources such as ores using an electrolytic cell.
    Collecting hydrogen generated as a waste product by
    some strains of algae and bacteria.
    2 NaCl + 2 H2O 2 NaOH + H2 + Cl2
    2 H2O(l) 2 H2(g) + O2(g)

    Proton Exchange Membrane


    Efficiency is about
    40% to 50%, and
    operating
    temperature is
    about 80C. Uses
    Hydrogen and
    Oxygen to produce
    electricity

    Direct-methanol Fuel Cells


    Subcategory of protonexchange fuel cells in
    which methanol is used as
    the fuel. Their main
    advantage is the ease of
    transport of methanol, an
    energy-dense yet
    reasonably stable liquid at
    all environmental
    conditions.

    Alkali Fuel Cell


    Alkali
    fuel
    cells
    operate
    on
    compressed hydrogen and oxygen.
    They generally use a solution of
    potassium hydroxide in water as their
    electrolyte. Efficiency is about 70 %,
    and operating temperature is 150 C
    to 200 C. Alkali cells were used in
    Apollo spacecraft to provide both
    electricity and drinking water. They
    require pure hydrogen fuel, however,
    and their platinum electrode catalysts
    are expensive. And like any container
    filled with liquid, they can leak.

    Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells


    Uses high-temperature
    compounds of salt carbonates
    as the electrolyte. Efficiency
    ranges from 60% to 80%, and
    operating
    temperature
    is
    about 650 C. Their nickel
    electrode-catalysts
    are
    inexpensive compared to the
    platinum used in other cells. But
    the high temperature also limits
    the materials and safe uses of
    MCFCsthey would probably
    be too hot for home use.

    Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells


    Uses phosphoric acid as the
    electrolyte. Efficiency ranges from
    40-80%,
    and
    operating
    temperature is between 150 C to
    200 C. PAFCs tolerate a carbon
    monoxide concentration of about
    1.5%, which broadens the choice
    of fuels they can use. If gasoline is
    used, the sulfur must be removed.
    Platinum electrode-catalysts are
    needed, and internal parts must
    be able to withstand the corrosive
    acid.

    Solid Oxide Fuel Cells


    Uses a hard, ceramic compound of
    metal oxide as electrolyte. Efficiency
    is about 60%, and operating
    temperatures are about 1,000 C. At
    such high temperatures a reformer is
    not required to extract hydrogen
    from the fuel, and waste heat can
    be recycled to make additional
    electricity. However, the high
    temperature limits applications of
    SOFC units and they tend to be
    rather large. While solid electrolytes
    cannot leak, they can crack.

    ADVANTAGES

    DISADVANTAGES

    Efficiency - Fuel cells are generally more


    efficient than combustion
    Simplicity - Fuel cells are essentially simple
    with few or no moving parts. High reliability
    may be attained with operational lifetimes
    exceeding 40,000 hours.
    Low emissions - Fuel cells running on direct
    hydrogen and air produce only water as
    the byproduct.
    Silence - The operation of fuel cell systems
    are very quiet with only a few moving parts
    if any.

    Flexibility - Modular installations can be


    used to match the load and increase
    reliability of the system.

    Cost - The principal


    disadvantages of fuel
    cells, however, are
    the relatively high cost
    of the fuel cell, and to
    a lesser extent the
    source of fuel.

    Application
    Combined Heat and Power Systems
    The primary stationary application of fuel cell technology is for the combined
    generation of electricity and heat, for buildings, industrial facilities or stand-by
    generators. Because the efficiency of fuel cell power systems is nearly unaffected by
    size, the initial stationary plant development has focused on the smaller, several
    hundred kW to low MW capacity plants. The plants are fuelled primarily with natural
    gas, and operation of complete, self-contained, stationary plants has been
    demonstrated using PEMFC, AFC, PAFC, MCFC, SOFC technology

    Portable Electronic Equipment


    fuel cells could replace batteries that power consumer electronic products such
    as cellular telephones, portable computers, and video cameras. Unlike transportation
    applications where fuel cells are competing with the internal combustion engines to
    indirectly produce a mechanical output, in portable electronic equipment fuel cells
    are in competition with devices such as batteries to produce an electrical output. As
    a result fuel cells can offer a viable alternative to batteries and several low power
    fuel cells are currently being manufactured for this application.

    LIST OF COMPANIES
    BallardPowerSystems - Burnaby, Canada
    fin
    FuelCellEnergy
    - Danbury, Connecticut, United States

    Hydrogenics Corporation - Mississauga, Canada


    PlugPower - Latham, New York, United States
    HyperSolar - Santa Barbara, CA
    Ceres Power - United Kingdom
    Ceramic Fuel Cells - Noble Park, Australia
    Proton Power Systems - Wallingford, Connecticut, US
    AFC Energy - Surrey, United Kingdom
    ITMPowerPLC - Sheffield, United Kingdom

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