INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KANPUR

FUEL CELL
Presented by :
Ram Kishor Singh
M.Tech (Manufacturing)
Mechanical Department
Roll No. 18205011
Email: ramk@iitk.ac.in 1
 CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• WORKING PRINCIPLE
• TYPICAL RANGE
• ADVANTAGES OF FUEL CELLS
• DISADVANTAGES OF FUEL CELLS
• TYPICAL MATERIALS
• INSTALLATION EXAMPLES
• BASICS OF DESIGN METHOD
• REFERENCES

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 INTRODUCTION

• Fuel cell is a device that takes fuel as input and produces electricity as output.
• Converts chemical energy of raw materials into electrical energy.

General concept of a H2-O2 fuel cell

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 WORKING PRINCIPLE
• Fuel cell consists of electrodes, electrolyte & catalyst to facilitate the
electrochemical redox reaction.
• The pressurized hydrogen gas (H2) entering the fuel cell on the anode side.
• This gas is forced through the catalyst by the pressure. When an H2 molecule comes
in contact with the platinum on the catalyst, it splits into two H+ ions and two
electrons (e-).
• The electrons are conducted through the anode, where they make their way through
the external circuit (doing useful work such as turning a motor) and return to the
cathode side of the fuel cell.
• Meanwhile, on the cathode side of the fuel cell, oxygen gas (O2) is being forced
through the catalyst, where it forms two oxygen atoms.
• Each of these atoms has a strong negative charge.
• This negative charge attracts the two H+ ions through the membrane, where they
combine with an oxygen atom and two of the electrons from the external circuit to
form a water molecule (H2O).
• This reaction in a single fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts.
• To get this voltage up to a reasonable level, many separate fuel cells must be
combined to form a fuel-cell stack. 4
1. The fuel (direct H2 or reformed H2) undergoes oxidation at anode and
releases electrons.
2. These electrons flow through the external circuit to the cathode.
3. At cathode, oxidant (O2 from air) gets reduced.
4. The electrons produce electricity while passing through the external
circuit.

Fuel cell energy exchange

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 FUEL CELL STACK
Large number of these cells are stacked together in series to make a battery called as
fuel cell battery or fuel battery.

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TYPICAL RANGE

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 ADVANTAGES OF FUEL CELLS

• High efficiency of energy conversion (approaching 70%) from chemical energy to

electrical energy.
• Low noise pollution & low thermal pollution.
• Hydrogen-Oxygen fuel cells produce drinking water of potable quality.
• Fuel cell performance is independent of power plant size.
• Mechanically ideal – no moving parts , good reliability, long lasting systems
• Fast start up time for low temperature system.
• The demand for variations in power & energy densities is easily met as required
• Increased efficiency with the cogeneration of heat with high-temperature systems
• Designing is modular, therefore the parts are exchangeable.
• Ability to use low-cost fuels with high temperature systems.

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 DISADVANTAGES OF FUEL CELLS

• High initial cost.

• Estimated, but not accurately known, lifetimes of the cells.
• Large weight and volume of gas—fuel storage systems.
• It is difficult to handle pure hydrogen. Lack of infrastructure for distributing
hydrogen.
• If hydrocarbon is the energy source in fuel cell then it emits carbon dioxide and no
longer a green source.
• High price of clean hydrogen (presently not competitive).
• Electrode degradation and the need of nearly complete carbon dioxide removal
from the hydrogen fuels and the air in existing versions of the alkaline cells.

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 TYPICAL MATERIALS
Anode Material: Electrolyte Material:
Barium Zirconate
Iridium-Tantalum coated Titanium Anodes
Calcia Stabilized Zirconia
Lanthanum Nickel Aluminum Alloy Cerium Oxide, Calcium doped
Nickel Cobalt Oxide Nanopowder Nanopowder
Nickel Oxide Cerium Zirconium Oxide Nanopowder
Tin Oxide Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Paste
Lithium Carbonate
Platinum coated Niobium Anodes

Cathode Material: Catalyst Material:

Iridium Black
Calcium Doped Lanthanum Chromite
Palladium Black
Cerium Oxide Rhodium on Alumina
Lanthanum Calcium Manganite (LCM) Platinum Cobalt on Carbon
Manganese Cobalt Oxide Spinel Powder Platinum Ruthenium on
Lithium Manganese Nickel Oxide Spinel, Powder Graphitized Carbon

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Sputtering Targets:
Barium Cerium Yttrium Zirconate Sputtering Target
Barium Zirconate Sputtering Target
Lanthanum Manganate Sputtering Target
Lanthanum Strontium Manganese Oxide Sputtering Target
Yttria Doped Ceria Sputtering Target

Current Collectors:
Copper Foam Support Materials:
Copper Wire Calcium Silicate
Gold Paste Carbon Fiber
Gold Wires Graphene
Nickel Foam Silicon Carbide
Silver Wire Tungsten Carbide

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 INSTALLATION EXAMPLES

• The first commercial use of fuel cell was in NASA space program to generate
power for satellites and space capsules.
• They are used to power fuel cell vehicles including automobiles, aero planes, boats
and submarines.
• Transportation: 50 fuel cell buses are currently in use in North and South America,
Europe, Asia and Australia
• Stationary Power Stations
• Telecommunications
• In total there are over 100 fuel cell buses deployed around the world today. Most
buses are produced by UTC Power, Toyota, Ballard, Hydrogenics, and Proton
Motor.

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 UTC Fuel Cells:
5kW fuel cell
power plants for
backup power for
telecommunication
s towers, power for
small businesses,
and residential use.

UTC Fuel Cells: 200kW of electricity and 900,000 BTUs of

usable heat. This system provides clean, reliable power at
locations including a New York City police station, a major
postal facility in Alaska, a credit-card processing system
facility in Nebraska, and a science center in Japan.
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 Casio: World's smallest fuel cell for use in
laptop PC. The polymer electrolyte fuel can
power a typical laptop computer for eight to 16
hours.

Samsung Electronics: laptop PC fuel cell using 100cc of methanol solution,

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enabling continuous usage for more than 10 hours without recharging.
Mercedes-Benz: Citaro fuel cell bus on the
streets of London. Engine supplied by Ballard.

European Fuel Cell Bus Project, which saw 30

fuel cell buses operating on the roads of Europe
over the past two years.

Toyota: The FCHV-

BUS2 is a large, low-
floor, fuel-cell hybrid
bus.

Since its exhaust is free

of NOx (nitrogen
oxides) and PM
(particulate matter), it
can help improve air
quality in urban areas.
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BASICS OF DESIGN METHOD

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 A good cell design is a prerequisite of stack development.
 Modelling (FEM, CFD) are helpful tools to enhance cell and stack performance.
 Flowfield selection strongly influences performance, condensate removal capability
and pressure drop.
 Smaller channel/rib dimensions regularly enhance performance.
 Rib width should be in the range of 0.5 to 1 mm.
 Channel width should be in the range of 0.4–0.6 mm (0.5mm rib width) resp. 0.7 to
1.2mm (1 mm rib width).
 Media distribution channels should have low pressure drop compared to cell pressure
drop.
 Endplate design should allow equal compression set.

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• Fuel Cell Stack Design Issues (I)
• Avoid Scaling Effects by equal
flow distribution
• Achieve Dense Packaging of Cells
• Minimize Transport Losses for
Fuel and Air
• Avoid or minimize Shunt Currents
• Minimize iR losses in current
collectors
• Avoid leaks – fuel loss
• Ease of Fabrication (Design for
manufacture)
• Material Compatibility
• Light Weight
• Fuel Cell Stack Design Issues (II)
• Uniform distribution of reactants
inside each cell
• Uniform distribution of reactants to
each cell
• Uniform or desired temperature
distribution in each cell
• Minimal resistive losses
• good electrical contacts
• selection of materials
• Account for thermal expansion
• No crossover or overboard leaks
• Minimum pressure drop (reactant
gases and coolant)
• No water accumulation pockets
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 REFERENCES

• Electrochemical Engineering ,First Edition, Thomas F. Fuller and John N ,Harb.

• https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103102015/3
• https://nptel.ac.in/courses/108103009/35
• http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Nov03/Fuelcell.institute.deb.html
• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/electrol.html
• http://www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2011/WCE2011_pp2009-2014.pdf
• Fuel cell stack components and design Low temperature PEMFC Joachim Scholta,
Alexander Kabza
• Cornell researchers to kick start fuel cell development
• Fuel cell technologies office
• hydrogenandfuelcells.energy.gov
• https://www.americanelements.com/fuel-cell-materials.html
• https://www.fuelcellstore.com

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THANK YOU

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