A Paper prasentation on

FUEL CELL

Presented by: krishnasai Mechanical Engg H.T. No: 08k41A0307 Email :[email protected] Warangal.

Abstract
A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains

within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained. Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished[1] a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system. Many combinations of fuel and oxidant are possible. A hydrogen cell uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.[2] The principle of the fuel cell had been demonstrated by Sir William Grove in 1839, and other investigators had experimented with various forms of fuel cell. The first practical fuel cell was developed by Francis Thomas Bacon in 1959.

Fuel cell design

A fuel cell works by catalysis, separating the component electrons and protons of the reactant fuel, and forcing the electrons to travel through a circuit, hence converting them to electrical power. The catalyst typically comprises a platinum group metal or alloy. Another catalytic process puts the electrons back in, combining them with the protons and oxidant to form waste products (typically simple compounds like water and carbon dioxide). A typical fuel cell produces a voltage from 0.6 V to 0.7 V at full rated load. Voltage decreases as current increases, due to several factors:

Activation loss Ohmic loss (voltage drop due to resistance of the cell components and interconnects) Mass transport loss (depletion of reactants at catalyst sites under high loads, causing rapid loss of voltage)[3]

To deliver the desired amount of energy, the fuel cells can be combined in series and parallel circuits, where series yield higher voltage, and parallel allows a stronger current to be drawn. Such a design is called a fuel cell stack. Further, the cell surface area can be increased, to allow stronger current from each cell.

Proton exchange fuel cells

In the archetypal hydrogenoxygen proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) design, a proton-conducting polymer membrane, (the electrolyte), separates the anode and cathode sides. This was called a "solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell" (SPEFC) in the early 1970s, before the proton exchange mechanism was well-understood. (Notice that "polymer electrolyte membrane" and "proton exchange mechanism" result in the same acronym.) On the anode side, hydrogen diffuses to the anode catalyst where it later dissociates into protons and electrons. These protons often react with oxidants causing them to become what is commonly referred to as multi-facilitated proton membranes (MFPM). The protons are conducted through the membrane to the cathode, but the electrons are forced to travel in an external circuit (supplying power) because the membrane is electrically insulating. On the cathode catalyst, oxygen molecules react with the electrons (which have traveled through the external circuit) and protons to form water in this example, the only waste product, either liquid or vapor. In addition to this pure hydrogen type, there are hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cells, including diesel, methanol (see: direct-methanol fuel cells and indirect methanol fuel cells) and chemical hydrides. The waste products with these types of fuel are carbon dioxide and water.

Construction of a high temperature PEMFC: Bipolar plate as electrode with in-milled gas channel structure, fabricated from conductive plastics (enhanced with carbon nanotubes for more conductivity); Porous carbon papers; reactive layer, usually on the polymer membrane applied; polymer membrane.

Condensation of water produced by a PEMFC on the air channel wall. The gold wire around the cell ensures the collection of electric current.[4] The materials used in fuel cells differ by type. In a typical membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the electrodebipolar plates are usually made of metal, nickel or carbon nanotubes, and are coated with a catalyst (like platinum, nano iron powders or palladium) for higher efficiency. Carbon paper separates them from the electrolyte. The electrolyte could be ceramic or a membrane.

Types of fuel cells

Qualified Electrolyte Power (W) Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g.potassium hydroxide) Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., potassium Working Temperature (C) Cost Status per Watt

Fuel Cell Name

Electrical efficiency

Metal hydride fuel cell

above -20 (50% Ppeak @ 0C) Commercial/Research

Electrogalvanic fuel cell

under 40

Commercial/Research

hydroxide) Direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC)

Polymer membrane (ionomer) to 50 W under 40 Commercial/Research

Aqueous alkaline Zinc-air battery solution (e.g., potassium hydroxide) Polymer membrane or humic acid under 40 Research under 40 Mass production

Microbial fuel cell

Upflow microbial fuel cell (UMFC) Polymer membrane (monomer) Aqueous alkaline solution (e.g., sodium hydroxide) 70 Commercial under 50 Commercial/Research under 40

Regenerativ e fuel cell

Direct borohydride fuel cell

Aqueous alkaline Alkaline fuel cell solution (e.g., potassium hydroxide) 10 kW to 100 kW under 80

Cell: 60 70% System: 62% Cell: 20 100 kW to 1 MW 90120 30% System: 1020% Cell: 50 60% System: 2540% Commercial/Research Commercial/Research Commercial/Research

Direct methanol fuel cell

Polymer membrane (ionomer)

Reformed methanol fuel cell

Polymer membrane (ionomer)

5 W to 100 kW

(Reformer)250 300 (PBI)125200

Directethanol fuel cell Direct formic acid fuel cell

Polymer membrane (ionomer) Polymer membrane (ionomer) Polymer

up to 140 mW/cm

above 25 ? 90120

Research

25+

Research

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell

membrane (ionomer) (e.g., Nafion or Polybenzimidazol e fiber) 100 W to 500 kW

(Nafion)50 120 (PBI)125220

Cell: 50 70% System: 3050% Commercial/Research

Liquid electrolytes with RFC Redox redox shuttle & polymer membrane (Ionomer) Cell: Phosphoric acid fuel cell Molten phosphoric acid (H3PO4) 55% up to 10 MW 150-200 40% Co-Gen: 90% Molten alkaline Molten carbonate fuel cell carbonate (e.g., sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3) Tubular solid oxide fuel cell (TSOFC) Protonic ceramic fuel cell Direct O2--conducting ceramic oxide (e.g., zirconium dioxide, ZrO2) up to 100 MW 850-1100 100 MW 600-650 h $4 per watt System: Commercial/Researc $4.50 1 kW to 10 MW Research

Cell: 55% System: 47% Commercial/Research

Cell: 60 65% System: 5560% Commercial/Research

H+-conducting ceramic oxide

700

Research

Several different

700-850

Cell: Commercial/Research

carbon fuel cell

80% System: 70% O2--conducting ceramic oxide (e.g., zirconium dioxide, ZrO2 Lanthanum Nickel Oxide La2XO4,X= Ni,Co, Cu.) up to 100 MW 850-1100 Cell: 60 65% System: 5560% Commercial/Research

Planar Solid oxide fuel cell

Fuel cell efficiency

The efficiency of a fuel cell is dependent on the amount of power drawn from it. Drawing more power means drawing more current, which increases the losses in the fuel cell. As a general rule, the more power (current) drawn, the lower the efficiency. Most losses manifest themselves as a voltage drop in the cell, so the efficiency of a cell is almost proportional to its voltage. For this reason, it is common to show graphs of voltage versus current (so-called polarization curves) for fuel cells. A typical cell running at 0.7 V has an efficiency of about 50%, meaning that 50% of the energy content of the hydrogen is converted into electrical energy; the remaining 50% will be converted into heat. (Depending on the fuel cell system design, some fuel might leave the system unreacted, constituting an additional loss.) For a hydrogen cell operating at standard conditions with no reactant leaks, the efficiency is equal to the cell voltage divided by 1.48 V, based on the enthalpy, or heating value, of the reaction. For the same cell, the second law efficiency is equal to cell voltage divided by 1.23 V. (This voltage varies with fuel used, and quality and temperature of the cell.) The difference between these

numbers represents the difference between the reaction's enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. This difference always appears as heat, along with any losses in electrical conversion efficiency. Fuel cells do not operate on a thermal cycle. As such, they are not constrained, as combustion engines are, in the same way by thermodynamic limits, such as Carnot cycle efficiency. At times this is misrepresented by saying that fuel cells are exempt from the laws of thermodynamics, because most people think of thermodynamics in terms of combustion processes (enthalpy of formation). The laws of thermodynamics also hold for chemical processes (Gibbs free energy) like fuel cells, but the maximum theoretical efficiency is higher (83% efficient at 298K [16]) than the Otto cycle thermal efficiency (60% for compression ratio of 10 and specific heat ratio of 1.4). Comparing limits imposed by thermodynamics is not a good predictor of practically achievable efficiencies. Also, if propulsion is the goal, electrical output of the fuel cell has to still be converted into mechanical power with the corresponding inefficiency. In reference to the exemption claim, the correct claim is that the "limitations imposed by the second law of thermodynamics on the operation of fuel cells are much less severe than the limitations imposed on conventional energy conversion systems".[17] Consequently, they can have very high efficiencies in converting chemical energy to electrical energy, especially when they are operated at low power density, and using pure hydrogen and oxygen as reactants

In practice
For a fuel cell operating on air (rather than bottled oxygen), losses due to the air supply system must also be taken into account. This refers to the pressurization of the air and dehumidifying it. This reduces the efficiency significantly and brings it near to that of a compression ignition engine. Furthermore fuel cell efficiency decreases as load increases. The tank-to-wheel efficiency of a fuel cell vehicle is about 45% at low loads and shows average values of about 36% when a driving cycle like the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) is used as test procedure.[18] The comparable NEDC value for a Diesel vehicle is 22%. In 2008 Honda released a car with fuel stack claiming a 60% tank-to-wheel efficiency [19].

It is also important to take losses due to fuel production, transportation, and storage into account. Fuel cell vehicles running on compressed hydrogen may have a power-plant-to-wheel efficiency of 22% if the hydrogen is stored as high-pressure gas, and 17% if it is stored as liquid hydrogen.[20] In addition to the production losses, over 70% of US' electricity used for hydrogen production comes from thermal power, which only has an efficiency of 33% to 48%, resulting in a net increase in carbon dioxide production by using hydrogen in vehicles[citation needed]. Fuel cells cannot store energy like a battery, but in some applications, such as stand-alone power plants based on discontinuous sources such as solar or wind power, they are combined with electrolyzers and storage systems to form an energy storage system. The overall efficiency (electricity to hydrogen and back to electricity) of such plants (known as round-trip efficiency) is between 30 and 50%, depending on conditions.[21] While a much cheaper lead-acid battery might return about 90%, the electrolyzer/fuel cell system can store indefinite quantities of hydrogen, and is therefore better suited for long-term storage. Solid-oxide fuel cells produce exothermic heat from the recombination of the oxygen and hydrogen. The ceramic can run as hot as 800 degrees Celsius. This heat can be captured and used to heat water in a micro combined heat and power (m-CHP) application. When the heat is captured, total efficiency can reach 80-90% at the unit, but does not consider production and distribution losses. CHP units are being developed today for the European home market.

Conclusion:
It is a non-polluting clean fuel since the only combustion product is water. It would be ideal if it could be manufactured by electrolysis of water