FuelCells

PresentedBy:
TaylorMorton
ChrisIrvine

Overview

Notselfcontained
Reactantsentercell
Productsleavecell
Usecombustiontoproduceelectricity
Etransferred
throughexternal
circuit

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Source:http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/propulsion/jet/combustion.gif

PEM
(ProtonExchangeMembrane)

A.K.A.HydrogenFuelCell
Operatingtemp.=80C
Requireselectrocatalyst
Electrodes
Platinumbased
Graphite
Sulfonatedperfluroethylene

PEMcontinued

Anode:2H2(g)>4H+(aq)+4e

Cathode:O2(g)+4H+(aq)+4e>
2H2O(g)

Overall:2H2(g)+O2(g)>2H2O(g)
Process

2H2absorbed

2efromeachH2travelexternally

O2receivesH+

H20formed

2H+hydrateandmigrate
O2absorbse

Source:http://physics.nist.gov/MajResFac/NIF/Images/FuelCellBasic.gif

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Efficiency
NoPollutants
Otherenvironmentalimpact
HowisH2obtained?

Viability
PEM=75%
Coalfired=40%
PetroleuminICE=25%

MicrobialFuelCells
Usingmicroorganismstogenerate
energy

Whatitis!
Converts chemical energy to
electrical energy by the catalytic
reaction of microorganisms
Exact same principle as a voltaic
cell, only using the respiration of
bacteria to generate electricity

Mediated
MethyleneBlue,thionine,orhumicacid
Mediatoractsaselectrolyte
Facilitatesetransferfrommicrobialcellstothe
electrode
Mediatorisnecessarybecausemostmicrobes
areelectrochemicallyinactive

Itsjustscience
mediatorcrossestheoutermembrane
Acceptsethatwouldnormallybetakenup
byO2
eladenmediatorexitscellandtransportse
toanode
afteredeposition,mediatorreturnsto
originaloxidizedstate

Mediatorless:S.putrefaciens
Electrochemically
activebacteriausually
havecytochromes(or
otherredoxenzyme)
intheirouter
membranesthatcan
transfere
earecarrieddirectly
totheanode

C12H22O11 + 13H2O --->

+
12CO2 + 48H + 48e
Thebiofilmisattached
totheanode
Anaerobicconditions
forcebacteriato
respireanaerobically
(duh)

Nowwhat?
WasteWaterPlants
Powerstationsbasedonplants/algae