Renewable Energy Sources

Topic: H2 World and Fuel Cells

Speaker:
Date:
Lehrstuhl Elektrische Netze und Alternative Elektroenergiequellen

Dr.-Ing. M. Heuer
25.04.2013

Structure
Energy Sources
Energy problems
Solutions

Hydrogen Production and Storage

Fuel Cells
History
Functional principle
Fuel cell types
PEMFC in detail
H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources
Renewable energies
Solar power (photovoltaics, solar heat)
Wind
Biomass
Water
Geothermal power
Gravity power
Tidal range
Source: Lena-Pres., March 2007

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources
Fossil
Coal (hard coal, lignite coal)
Natural gas
Oil
Nuclear power
other
Source:www.nrec.eu

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources
world energy demand will grow about 60%
energy demand can only be satisfied by oil for a short time

Source: yalibnan.com

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources

Oil peak around 2037, U.S. Global Survey (USGS)

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources
Kyoto protocol (12/1997)
Climate change caused by fossil fuel burning

Image created by Robert A. Rohde / Global Warming Art

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Energy Sources

Carbon Dioxide & Temperature Past 410,000 Years

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Source: EPICA dataset

Energy Sources
Distribution of electricity production in 2020 (Germany)

Source: bee-ev.de
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Energy Sources

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Energy Sources

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

For future energy system solutions hydrogen and fuel
cells could be reliable technologies.
Important objectives are:
Greenhouse gas emission reduction
Clean Air (eliminates NOx, SOx, CO, particulates)
Energy Diversification

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

Hydrogen - Properties
Simple atom: 1 proton, 1 electron
Deposited molecularly in clean form
Most frequently element in the universe, but often
chemical bounded
Uncoloured and odorless gas
Flammable
Important chemical raw material

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

Hydrogen - Production
Excess from chemical processes
Electrolysis (renewable energy sources)
H2O + Energy H2 + O2
Steam Reforming (natural gas)
CH4 + H2O CO + 3H2
CO + H2O CO2 + H2
Biomass gasification

Biological processes (bacteria, plants)

other

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

PV
Solar thermal power plants

train

Marine energy
Geoth. energy

Inland navigation
Civil navigation
Traffic

Wind onshore

Technical potencials
to generate hydrogen
from renewables

Wind offshore

Fuel
consumption
(Transport
2002)1)

min

max

CGH2

min
Hydraulic
power)

max

LH2

H2 World and Fuel Cells

1) Source:IEA-statistics

2001-

2002
2) Exploitable in EU

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

Calorific value per kg
125

100

MJ/kg

75

50

25

lignite coil hard coil propane

butane

natural
gas

H2 World and Fuel Cells

petrol

diesel fuel hydrogen

17

Hydrogen Production and Storage

40

Calorific value per liter

MJ/l

30

20

10

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

Specific energy density of fuel (without container) in Wh/kg

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

Source: www.dwv-info.de

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Hydrogen Production and Storage

More than 200 hydrogen stations worldwide
production based on electrolysis and reforming of natural gas

Source: www.dwv-info.de
H2 World and Fuel Cells

Unterschleiheim (near Munich)

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Fuel Cells - History

1838 priniciple of the fuel cell founded by Christian
Friedrich Schnbein
1839 first fuel cells constructed by Sir Wilhelm Grove
Composed of two platinum electrodes and sulphuric acid

Less developments in the early 20th century

Unsolvable material problems
Lack of describtion
of the chemical processes

Source:
FZ Jlich

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Fuel Cells - History

Renaissance in the Apollo program (started 1961)
First mobile applications in the 90th (NECAR,
buses,..)

Source: wikipedia.org

Source: wikipedia.org

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Fuel Cells - Functional principle

Separated partial reaction of hydrogen and oxygen
Cold burning
Electron mitigation used as electrical energy
Power plant
Thermal
Energy

Chemical
Energy

Mechanical
Energy
FC = 1 T

Fuel Cell

H2 World and Fuel Cells

S
H

C = 1

Tmin
Tmax

Electrical
Energy

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Fuel Cells - Functional principle

Load

Reaction:
aA+bB+NcC+dD+N

e-

Fuel

e-

Air/Oxygen

Nernst-Equation:

Ucell

RT a A a aBb ...
=U +
ln

nF aCc aDd...

U0
R
F
n
a

Ions

~ reversible cell voltage

~ general gas constant
~ Faraday constant
~ number of electrons
~ activity of the species

Unconsumed
Fuel, products
Anode

H2 World and Fuel Cells

Unconsumed
air/oxygen,
products

Electrolyt
Cathode

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Fuel Cells - Types

Operation
temperature

Electrolyte

Fuel

Oxidant

Alkaline Fuel Cell (AFC)

50-90C

Lime potash
(30% KOH)

Hydrogen

Oxygen

Polymer Electrolyte
Membrane Fuel Cell
(PEMFC)

60-90C

Solid polymer Hydrogen,

synthesis gas,
methanol

Oxygen/
Air

Phosphor Acid Fuel Cell

(PAFC)

200C

Phosphor
Acid

Hydrogen,
synthesis gas

Air

Molten Carbonite Fuel

Cell (MCFC)

650C

Calcium
carbonate

Hydrogen,
methane

Air

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

(SOFC)

850-1000C

Zirconium
oxide

Hydrogen,
methane, coal
gas

Air

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Fuel Cells - Types

Ballard: ca. 1kWel-PEMFC

Source: www.dwv-info.de
H2 World and Fuel Cells

SMART-FuelCell: ca. 1kWel DMFC

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Fuel Cells - Types

ONSI: 200kWel-PAFC
Source: www.dwv-info.de

Sulzer-HEXIS: 1kWel-SOFC
H2 World and Fuel Cells

Source:
www.hexis.com
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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

PEMFC Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Typ: low temperature fuel cell

Electrolyte: polymer membrane
Operation temperatur: 60-90C
Fuel: hydrogen
Oxidant: oxygen (air)
Open circuit voltage: about 1,0V (oxidant: air)
Advantage
high power density (1000W/kg)
Disadvantages
CO sensibility
humidification of the membrane

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Hydrogen
Anode: H22H++2eCathode: 2H++ O2+2e-H2O Load
Total reaction: H2 + O2 H2O
Efficiency:
50-68% (single cell),
load-dependent

Electrolyte
Electrodes and
catalyst
Bipolar plate

Water vapour
(unconsumed air)

Oxygen
or air

H+: protons
e- : electrons
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Anode

Cathode

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Electrode

Double layer
Phase interface between
electrode and electrolyte
Charges stored
Parallel plate type capacitor
(Helmholtz model)
CD depends on:
Electrolyt concentration
Surface properties
Type of electrode

0 R
CD =
d
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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Electrode

Triple phase boundary

layer

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Nafion: Perflourinated sulfonted membrane
Conductive for hydrogen ions
(depends on humidification)
Non-conductive for oxygen and hydrogen
Porous polymer electrolyte
membrane

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

G
U0 = R
= 1,23V
zF

Ucell = U0 +

RT
ln
z F

1
pH2 pO2 2

pH O
2

I ~ Activation overpotential
II ~ Ohmic losses
III ~ Concentration overpotential

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Static measurements
1,0

U in V

U in V

1,0

0,8

0,8

0,6
0,6
0,0

100mbar
300mbar

J in A/cm

0,4

0,0

H2 World and Fuel Cells

40C
50C
60C

J in A/cm

0,4

40

Fuel Cells - PEMFC

4

20

3,75

15

I in A

U in V

I in A

U in V

Dynamic measurements

3,5

10

40C
60C

40C
50C
3,25
0

t in s

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

5
0,25

t in s
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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Single cells combined to
a stack (series connection)
Differentiation in size of
active surface

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Voltage = 1 * 1,0V

Voltage = 4 * 1,0V

monopolar

Negative electrode
positive electrode

separator

bipolar

bipolar separating plate (composite material)

Negative electrode
separator
positive electrode

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

PEMFC-Stack produced by SGL

Anode: hydrogen
Cathode: air
14 single cells
Max. 80A at 7,5V
150cm active surface

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

High temperature PEMFC

New concept to minimize the disadvantage
Temperatures at about 160C
Membran consists of PBI (Polybenzimidazol)
and phosphoric acid as electrolyt
Lower CO sensitivity
No humidification necessary

Source: ZBT Duisburg

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Fuel Cells - PEMFC

Transport mechanism via short time

connections with water molecules
Humidification necessary

Transport mechanism via short time

connections with phosphoric acid
molecules
Source: ZBT
No Humidification
Duisburg

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Thus we live, thus we live, thus we live all days long.

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