Beginning with the underlying concepts, the discussion explores fuel cell thermodynamics, kinetics, transport, and modeling before moving into the application side with guidance on system types and design, performance, costs. Sediment microbial fuel cell with the goal of generating the greatest cell potential. Since fuel cells are expected to have a high energy generating efficiency, a large amount of research is being conducted in this area. Apr 22, 2016 fuel cell fundamentals provides a thorough introduction to the principles and practicalities behind fuel cell technology. Pdf in the new era with advanced technologies, fuel cell has been widely used as source of power both for portable and stationary. Geni utilised synthetic redox mediators combined with escherichia coli. Among the fuel cell types, direct methanol fuel cell dmfc is the most feasible candidate to liion batteries as the power source for portable applications in the. There are four primary types of fuel cells that are used for stationary combined heat and power chp applications. Polymer electrolyte membrane pem, direct methanol, alkaline, phosphoric acid, molten carbonate, solid oxide, and microbial, among others. Scientists and inventors have designed many different types and sizes of fuel cells in the search for greater efficiency, and the technical details of each kind vary. Practical application limits of fuel cells and batteries for zero emission vessels.
An introduction to fuel cells and hydrogen technology by brian cook, heliocentris vancouver, canada whereas the 19th century was the century of the steam engine and the 20th century was the century of the internal combustion engine, it is likely that the 21st century will be the century of the fuel cell. Comparative study of three types of microbial fuel cell. Jul 01, 2005 three different generations geni, ii and iii of microbial fuel cell mfc, distinguished by their historical development and mechanisms of electron transfer, were compared. Pafcs are also less powerful than other fuel cells, typically large and heavy. May 07, 2016 types of fuel cells, hydrogen fuel cell, advantages, applications slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Alkali fuel cells operate on compressed hydrogen and oxygen. A bulk micromachining process is used to fabricate the fuel cells, and the prototype has an active proton exchange membrane area of 1 cm2. Some of these types of fuel cells are discussed in this subsection. A single fuel cell produces approximately 1 volt or less barely enough electricity for even the smallest applications. At present, five fuelcell types are potentially appropriate for fuelcell rail, including 1 solid oxide sofc, 2 molten carbonate mcfc, 3 phosphoric acid pafc, 4 proton exchange membrane pemfc, and 5 alkaline afc. A fuel cell resembles a battery in many respects, but it can supply electrical energy over a much longer period of time. Fuel cell handbook seventh edition national energy technology. Practical application limits of fuel cells and batteries for. The evolution of the pem stationary fuel cell in the us.
Two chemical reactions occur at the interfaces of the three different segments. A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity. The fuel cells like pem, sofc and pafc are generally employed for small power systems. Microbial fuel cells are very promising as renewable energy sources. At present there are several different fuel cell types. The simultaneous utilization of electricity and heat from an energy conversion system is. What distinguishes these fuel cells from others is pemfcs ability to operate at cooler temperatures relative to other types of fuel cells, between 80 to 200 degrees fahrenheit.
Microbial fuel cells mfcs are bioelectrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy present in organic or inorganic. Molten carbonate fuel cells are hightemperature fuel cells that offer significant cost reductions over phosphoric acid fuel cells. Seventh edition fuel cell handbook technical report osti. After a general description of the fuel cell base structure the six most important fuel cell technologies polymeric electrolyte membrane fuel cells pemfc, direct methanol fuel cells dmfc. Fuel cell, any of a class of devices that convert the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electricity by electrochemical reactions. Fuel cells are also used as primary or backup sources of electricity in many remote areas. In contrast, the genii exemplar utilised the natural mediating properties of sulphatesulphide with the sulphate reducing species desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells pemfcs use a polymer membrane for its electrolyte and a precious metal, typically platinum, for its catalyst. A single fuel cell produces approximately 1 volt or less barely. An interdisciplinary investigation of several types of fuel cell technologies was performed, including. Discusses the basic workings of fuel cells and their system components, main fuel cell types, their characteristics, and their development status, as well as a discussion of potential fuel cell applications.
The net result of the two reactions is that fuel is consumed. Pdf comparative study of different fuel cell technologies. Operate the fuel cell with valves and blowers, that are not provided by horizon for the specified fuel cell and controller. Fuel cells are already commercially available, albeit at high cost, for applications such as.
Since the electrolyte is a solid, the cells do not have to be constructed in the platelike configuration typical of other fuel cell types. Fuel cells are classified primarily by the kind of electrolyte they employ. Performance of several types of fuel cells and factor. The record for an individual fuel cell staying operational is 8 years. May 16, 20 after a general description of the fuel cell base structure the six most important fuel cell technologies polymeric electrolyte membrane fuel cells pemfc, direct methanol fuel cells dmfc. These cells are also known as proton exchange membrane fuel cells or pemfcs. In this section, the five most important types of fuel cells are discussed. Since then, fuel cell research has continued unabated and fuel cells have been used successfully in a wide variety of applications. Cathode plays an important role in this type because in the neutral ph medium, there exists a poor oxidationreduction reaction 6. Fuel cells are unique in terms of the variety of their potential applications. Cells wich use hydrocarbons directly as fuel around 150 c have low efficiency and current density, thus have been restricted to research investigations.
Various types of fuel cells differ primarily by the electrolyte and catalytic electrode used. Practical application limits of fuel cells and batteries. At present there are several different fuel cell types at various stages of development around the world, and for each fuel cell type there are several designs being pursued by differing industrial players. Figure 41 various proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks 4. Chapter fuel cell expected outcomes types of fuel cells, energy density of fuel cells, factors affecting the performance of. Types and applications 381 cheng s, liu h, logan be 2006a increased performance of single chamber microbial fuel cells using an improved cathode structure. These contaminants include sulfur and carbon compounds, and residual liquid fuels depending on the type of fuel cell that can deactivate the fuel cell catahydrogen fuel cell engines and related technologies. Each has its own strengths and challenges, and some are better suited for certain applications. The book addresses characterization techniques and operating conditions of microbial fuel cells, as well as the usefulness of various types of anode and cathode materials. In general, the performances of acid cells are much lower than that of alkaline cells, due to the poorer performances of the air electrode, probably because of the increased stability of formed perroxides in. Selection for a particular application depends on criteria such as cost, efficiency, weight, fuel storage, and so forth.
Types of fuel cellstheir components and characteristics. The choice of gasflow arrangement depends on the type of fuel cell, the application, and other. Two different microorganisms are used as biocatalysts in the. The five main types of fuel cells, as defined by their electrolyte are proton exchange membrane fuel cells, alkaline fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells and solid oxide fuel cells. The main applications are likely to be in stationary power generation, transportation, and battery replacement. The low and high temperature fuel cell both are potential enough to be utilized in this area of application. One of the reason is that water is produced at the cathode and consumed at the anode, which lead to a water drag issue. Department of energy office of fossil energy national energy technology laboratory p. Types of fuel cells are commonly identified by the composition of their electrolyte, which could be either phosphoric acid, an alkaline solution, a molten carbonate, a solid metal oxide, or a solid polymer membrane. Phosphoric acid fuel cell pafc polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell pemfc alkaline fuel cell afc molten carbonate fuel cell mcfc solid oxide fuel cell sofc different types of fuel cell. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells pefc or proton exchange membrane fuel cells pemfc, phosphoric acid fuel cells pafc, mol. Depending on the type of electrolyte, fuel cells can be divided into four types. Nernst equation for reactant species at equilibrium is. In fact, even the small amount of co2 in the air can dramatically affect cell performance and durability due to carbonate formation.
If hydrogen is the fuel, electricity, water, and heat are the only products. Box 880 morgantown, west virginia 265070880 november 2004. Types of fuel cells department of chemical engineering and. This can make it difficult for those new to the field to identify the issues associated with fuel cell development. There are many types of fuel cells, but they all consist of an anode, a cathode, and. Fuel cell definition, working, types, and applications. The oxygen reduction reaction orr at the cathode surface has a slow reaction kinetics. Operating the fuel cell and controller that is not in the setup andor specified in the user manual provide for the specific product. Despite working similarly, there exist many varieties of fuel cells. Fuel cells require relatively pure fuel, free of specific contaminants. Activities have reduced the amount of platinum needed by more than a factor of five, doubled fuel cell durability, and reduced the cost of automotive fuel cells by more than 50% since 2006 and more than 30% since 2008. The pem fuel cell, under consideration by vehicle manufacturers around the world as an alternative to the internal combustion engine, will be used to illustrate the science and technology of fuel cells. Seventh edition fuel cell handbook technical report.
In addition to electricity generation, microbial fuel cells can be used for wastewater treatment, desalination and biofuel production. If it can be made to work, that would be a big step forward in the automotive area where the storage or generation of hydrogen is one of the big obstacles for the introduction of fuel cells. The cell he demonstrated was very simple, probably resembling this. The power produced by a fuel cell depends on several factors, including the fuel cell type, size, temperature at which it operates, and pressure at which gases are supplied. At present, five fuel cell types are potentially appropriate for fuel cell rail, including 1 solid oxide sofc, 2 molten carbonate mcfc, 3 phosphoric acid pafc, 4 proton exchange membrane pemfc, and 5 alkaline afc. Types of fuel cells department of chemical engineering. Alcohol fuels and impure hydrogen containning co and co2 produced by reforming hydrocarbons have been used by various compagnies. A key challenge for this fuel cell type is that it is susceptible to poisoning by carbon dioxide co2. Electrolysis setup by application of a voltage across the two electrodes, hydrogen and oxygen could. May 18, 2008 molten carbonate fuel cells employ a molten carbonate salt mixture electrolyte which is suspended in a porous chemically inert lithium aluminum oxide ceramic matrix. A lecture on cellular respiration is also necessary in understanding how electricity is generated by microorganisms.
An introduction to fuel cell technology and economics pdf. The environmental science can study the relationship of water quality to fuel cell performance. An additional problem is that at lower temperatures, the reformation gas requires purification for carbon monoxide co, which poisons the catalyst. The methanol fuel cell has high energy density because of the fuel it uses. Further, the paper looks to introduce both the technical and economic issues facing the introduction of this technology. A chemistry class can use the fuel cell oxidation and reduction reactions as part of the redox reaction in cellular respiration. But building inexpensive, efficient, reliable fuel cells is a far more complicated business.
This section describes the fuel cell, the different types of fuel cells available, and their. Typical reactants used in a fuel cell are hydrogen on the anode side and oxygen on the. An overview of fuel cells currently under development. However, the initial cost for fcv is higher than that for ice be used. Types of fuel cells fuel cell designation electrolyte temperature c cell efficiency load partial load type of application alkaline fuel cell afc aqueous koh 60. In real pem fuel cell, there shall be pt catalyst at the cathode to increase reaction kinetics, which increase the expense. While the majority of microbial fuel cell mfc research has focused on the performance and characteristics of laboratory reactors, benthic microbial fuel cells bmfcs, or those that rely on a potential gradient at a sedimentwater interface, have played a significant sometimes understated role in. Different types of hydrogen fuel cells phosphoric acid fuel cells. Pdf a comparative study between the seven types of fuel cells. Alternative sources of energy an introduction to fuel cells. Alkaline cells with liquid electrolytes can be run in a recirculating mode, which allows for electrolyte.
They generally use a solution of potassium hydroxide chemically, koh in water as their electrolyte. This classification determines the kind of electrochemical reactions that take place in the. Fuel cell definition, working, types, and applications of. A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel often.
With various types of fuel cell technologies available, it vehicles. Types history of the technology the fuel cell concept was first demonstrated by william r. Alkaline fuel cell low temperature aqueous alkaline electrolyte cells have the advantage of being able to start up easily from cold, and operate usually at 6080. The fuel cells have found the major applications in power generation because of its higher efficiency. Thus, the different types of fuel cells and the working of an alkaline fuel cell are briefly discussed in this article along with some applications of these electrochemical cells.
All of them are extremely expensive, with the more costcompetitive running about 1520 times the cost of a. Efficiency is about 70 percent, and operating temperature is 150 to 200 degrees c, about 300 to 400 degrees f. The basic workings of a fuel cell may not be difficult to illustrate. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device similar to a battery, but differing from the latter in that it is designed for continuous replenishment of the reactants consumed. The elec trolyte in stationary power plants could be phosphoric acid, molten carbonates, or solid metal oxides. Operating the fuel cell and controller that is not in the setup andor specified in the. An introduction to fuel cell technology and economics. This is because a fuel cell is continuously supplied with fuel and air or oxygen from an external source, whereas a battery contains only. The other reason there is methanol crossing the pem film to cathode. Fundamentals and applications wiley online library. Nov 05, 2015 there are many different types of fuel cells, based on the catalyst used. Provides an overview of fuel cell technology and research projects.
1141 474 631 529 140 331 262 265 926 1520 722 143 1793 666 702 462 959 1001 377 1449 1200 1392 1141 599 895 1050 1212 1465 340 391 340