Fuel Cells Julie Vincent J. Florida, Darlyn L. Tabaag, Stella Sofia I. Sabate EECE Department, MSU-IIT julievincentflorida@gmail.com darlynnylrad@rocketmail.

com yonex_sss@yahoo.com.ph

1.

Introduction

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that contains two electrodes (an anode and cathode) and an electrolyte; it uses a chemical reaction to produce electricity much like a battery. However, unlike a battery, a fuel cell never "goes dead" and never needs recharging. It will continue to produce power as long as it has a constant supply of fuel and oxygen. Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide. 1. History

The history of fuel cell began with Sir William Grove in 1839. In 1932, Francis Bacon developed the first successful FC. He used hydrogen, oxygen, an alkaline electrolyte, and nickel electrodes. In 1952, Bacon and a co-worker produced a 5-kW fuel cell system. The large boost in fuel cell technology came from NASA. In the late 1950's, NASA needed a compact way to generate electricity for space missions. Nuclear was too dangerous, batteries too heavy and solar power too cumbersome. The answer was fuel cells. NASA went on to fund 200 research contracts for fuel cell technology. The first commercial use of a fuel cell was during Project Gemini and it was known as the "Grubb-Niedrach fuel cell". Both the alkaline and polymer electrolyte fuel cells have demonstrated their capabilities in the Apollo, Gemini and Space Shuttle manned space vehicle programs. The major efforts are presently focused on developing stationary power units and power systems for transportation applications, i.e. electric vehicles. There are presently five major fuel cell types: alkaline fuel cells (AFC), molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC), and solid fuel cell (SOFC) [1]. III. Operation/Process A fuel cell is a device that uses a fuel and oxygen to create electricity by an electrochemical process. A single fuel cell consists of : 1.) Electrodes a.) anode -negative side of the fuel cell -conducts the electrons that are freed from the hydrogen molecules so they can be used in an external circuit -channels etched into the anode disperse the hydrogen gas equally over the surface of the catalyst. b.) cathode - positive side of the fuel cell -conducts the electrons back from the external circuit to the catalyst, where they can recombine with the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water -contains channels that distribute

the oxygen to the surface of the catalyst 2.) Catalyst -speeds up the reaction of oxygen and hydrogen -usually made of platinum powder very thinly coated onto carbon paper or cloth -rough and porous so the maximum surface area of the platinum can be exposed to the hydrogen or oxygen 3.) Electrolyte -a substance that conducts charged ions from one electrode to the other in a fuel cell, battery, or electrolyzer

Fig 1. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Steps: 1.) A fuel (such as hydrogen) is fed to the anode where a catalyst separates hydrogen's negatively charged electrons from positively charged ions (protons). 2.) The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte to the positively charged cathode; they must travel around it via an electrical circuit to reach the other side of the cell. This movement of electrons is an electrical current. 3.) At the cathode, oxygen combines with electrons and, in some cases, with species such as protons or water, resulting in water or hydroxide ions, respectively. 4.) For polymer electrolyte membrane and phosphoric acid fuel cells, protons move through the electrolyte to the cathode to combine with oxygen and electrons, producing water and heat. 5.) For alkaline, molten carbonate, and solid oxide fuel cells, negative ions travel through the electrolyte to the anode where they combine with hydrogen to generate water and electrons. Table 1.1 Data for different types of fuel cell [2] Fuel cell type Mobile ion

Operating temperature Applications and notes Alkaline (AFC) OH 50 200C Used in space vehicles, e.g. Apollo, Shuttle. Proton exchange membrane (PEMFC) H+ 30 100C Vehicles and mobile applications, and for lower power CHP systems Direct methanol (DMFC) H+

20 90C Suitable for portable electronic systems of low power, running for long times Phosphoric acid (PAFC) H+ 220C Large numbers of 200-kW CHP systems in use. Molten carbonate (MCFC) CO32 650C Suitable for medium- to large-scale CHP systems, up to MW capacity Solid oxide (SOFC) O2 500 1000C Suitable for all sizes of CHP systems, 2kW to multi-MW.

While there are different fuel cell types, all fuel cells work similarly:

A fuel (such as hydrogen) is fed to the anode where a catalyst separates hydrogen's negatively charged electrons from positively charged ions (protons). At the cathode, oxygen combines with electrons and, in some cases, with species such as protons or water, resulting in water or hydroxide ions, respectively. For polymer electrolyte membrane and phosphoric acid fuel cells, protons move through the electrolyte to the cathode to combine with oxygen and electrons, producing water and heat. For alkaline, molten carbonate, and solid oxide fuel cells, negative ions travel through the electrolyte to the anode where they combine with hydrogen to generate water and electrons. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte to the positively charged cathode; they must travel around it via an electrical circuit to reach the other side of the cell. This movement of electrons is an electrical current.

IV. Applications As a result of the inherent size flexibility of fuel cells, the technology may be used in applications with a broad range of power needs. Fuel cell applications may be classified as being either mobile or stationary applications. The mobile applications primarily include transportation systems and portable electronic equipment while stationary applications primarily include combined heat and power systems for both residential and commercial needs. In the following, fuel cell applications for transportation, portable electronic equipment, and combined heat and power systems are addressed. 5.1 Transportation Applications In a mobile applications particularly transportation, fuel cell s are widely used in cars/ buses/ forklifts or material handling equipment/trains and planes. Fuel cells are highly effective which reduces the emissions of CO2 (even if the hydrogen is produced from fossil fuel). Because the fuel cell system is so much quieter than a diesel engine, it basically reduces noise pollution as well. The military is especially interested in this application because of the low noise, low thermal signature and ability to attain high altitude. 5.2 Portable Electronic Equipment In addition to large-scale power production, miniature fuel cells could replace batteries that power consumer electronic products such as cellular telephones, portable computers, and video cameras. Small fuel cells could be used to power telecommunications satellites, replacing or augmenting solar panels. Micro-machined fuel cells could provide power to computer chips. Finally, minute fuel cells could safely produce power for biological applications, such as hearing aids and pacemakers [4]. 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. 5.3 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. Since fuel cells operate silently, they reduce noise pollution as well as air pollution and when the fuel cell is sited near the point of use, its waste heat can be captured for beneficial purposes (cogeneration). 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. Such systems would be used to provide primary or backup power for telecom switch nodes, cell towers,

and other electronic systems that would benefit from on-site, direct DC power supply. 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 [5].

1.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

A fuel cell is leagues and leagues less complicated than a conventional gas or diesel engine. It is not subject to high temperatures, corrosion or any of the structural weaknesses found in other engines. It will, in theory, continue to operate indefinitely, without complication, as long as it has a fuel source. It runs quietly, and its sole tailpipe emission is water vapor.

Disadvantages

Conceptually, replacing the current oil-based infrastructure with hydrogen would cost billions, maybe trillions, of dollars. Although abundant in the universe, hydrogen is fairly rare in our atmosphere, meaning that it has to be extracted (for example through electrolysis) and currently, the process is cost prohibitive and inefficient. Its production at energy plants creates excessive carbon dioxide. When it burns, a hydrogen flame is virtually invisible; coupled with the gass propensity for escaping, in small amounts, almost any tank, there are concerns about explosions. On the plus side, hydrogen is so light it typically is dispersed in the air very quickly. On-board storage is a major issue; a hydrogen tank would currently be too large for a car. It is a very flammable gas (think of the Hindenburg), which further adds to the on-board storage problems.

References [1] Fuel Cell. Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell, June 10, 2011 [June 12, 2011]. [2] J. Larminie and A. Dicks, 2nd ed. England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2003, p. 15. [3] Fuel Cells. Internet:http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/fuelcells/basics.html?m=1&, Nov. 19, 2011 [June 12, 2011]. [4] www.nfcrc.uci.edu/journal/article/fcarticleE.htm, National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California [5] EG&G Services Parsons, Inc., Science Applications International Corporation, Fuel Cell Handbook Fifth Edition, National Energy Technology Laboratory, October 2000