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A PAPER PRESENTATION ON

CONTENTS:

1. ABSTRACT
2. INTRODUCTION
3. FUELCELL DEFINITION
4. WORKING OF A FUEL CELL
5. TYPES OF FUELCELLS
6. FUELCELL BENEFITS
7. FUELCELL IN AUTOMOBILES
8. CONCLUSION

Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
Email: help@matlabcodes.com
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.com
More Papers and Presentations available on above site
The fuels utilized by a fuel cell to
generate electricity are hydrogen
ABSTRACT and oxygen. Hydrogen, the most
abundant element on Earth, is
Electricity is no
rarely found in its pure form. Most
more a luxury but it has become a
fuel cell systems employ a
necessary in today’s life. An
component called a reformer to
increase in share of global energy
extract hydrogen from hydrogen
needs is expected to be met by
rich fossil fuels. The by-products
renewable in the years ahead.
of this process are carbon dioxide,
Renewables have an enormous
less than half the amount generated
potential to meet the growing
by traditional electricity generation
energy requirements of the
methods, and trace amounts of
increasing population of the
nitrous oxide. The hydrogen purity
developing world. Fuel cells is one
requirement and the need for
of them, provide a range of critical
reforming are dependent on the
benefits that no other single power
type of fuel cell stack employed.
generating technology can match.
This paper describes the main In order to provide an example of
characteristics of fuel cells like the electrochemical process that
environment friendliness, high occurs in a fuel cell, the following
efficiency, high reliability, and describes the chemical reactions in
modularity. Principle of operation a typical proton exchange
of typical fuelcell is explained membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Once
clearly. Besides explaining about the fuel has been reformed into
different types of fuelcells and hydrogen, the fuel cell combines
benefits in detail, this paper also oxygen, from the surrounding
describes application of fuel cells atmosphere, and hydrogen to
to automobiles. generate electricity and water. The
hydrogen is fed into the anode side
of the cell where it encounters a
INRODUCTION catalyst. The catalyst strips the
negatively charged electrons from
The easiest way to the hydrogen, which are then
understand fuel cells is to think of routed out of the cell through an
them as a cousin to the ordinary external circuit (i.e. light bulb,
battery. Both produce electricity house, motor, etc…). The
through electrochemical reactions. The hydrogen ions (H+) travel through
difference lies in a fuel cell's ability to the electrolyte contained in the fuel
constantly produce electricity as long cell until they reach the cathode.
as it has a source of fuel where a Once at the cathode, the hydrogen
battery needs to be recharged. ion (H+), the electron that traveled
Consequently, since a fuel cell does through the external circuit and the
not store energy internally, fuel cells oxygen molecule join together. The
will not "run down" like a battery. Fuel by-products of the electrochemical
cells directly convert the fuel into reaction that occurs in a fuel cell
electricity where a battery has to are electricity, water vapor and
replenish its electricity from an heat. Theoretically, the water vapor
external source. can be recycled to produce
additional hydrogen. The waste
heat can be utilized for heating
water, space heating and cooling.
The direct conversion of fuel into
electricity allows fuel cells to
achieve substantially higher
efficiencies than combustion,
which is limited by Carnot’s Law
of Thermodynamics. Fuel cells
achieve efficiencies of 35% to 90%
depending on whether the waste
heat is employed. These
efficiencies are about 2 to 3 times
higher than a combustion engine
which converts fuel to heat, then
into mechanical energy and finally The hydrogen ions pass through
into electricity. the membrane (the center part of a
PEM fuel cell) and, again with the
The final major component of a help of a platinum catalyst,
fuel cell system is the power combine with oxygen and electrons
conditioning equipment. This piece on the cathode side producing
converts the low-voltage DC power water. The electrons, which cannot
produced by a fuel cell into high pass through the membrane, flow
voltage AC power, which most from the anode to the cathode
household appliances operate on. through an external circuit
Many fuel cell power conditioning containing an electric load which
units employ batteries to handle consumes the power generated by
peak demand loads that are beyond the cell. The overall
the fuel cell system's peak output. electrochemical process of a fuel
This can occur when multiple cell is called "reverse hydrolysis,"
appliances are started at once. The or the opposite of hydrolyzing
power-conditioning unit also water to form hydrogen and
controls the electricity's frequency oxygen.
and maintains the harmonics to an
acceptable level.
WORKING OF FUEL CELL
Through a
single electrochemical process, a
fuel cell produces electricity,
water, and heat using fuel and
oxygen in the air. Water is the only
emission when hydrogen is the
fuel. As hydrogen flows into the
fuel cell on the anode side (see
Fuel Cell Mode figure below),
platinum catalyst facilitates the
separation of the hydrogen gas into
electrons and protons (hydrogen
ions) in a proton exchange
membrane or PEM fuel cell.
The fuel cell can trace its roots
back to the 1800's. Sir William
A reversible fuel cell can Robert Grove developed first fuel
accomplish "hydrolysis" through cell by the principle that if
the supply of electricity to the cell electrolysis, using electricity, could
and a supply of water to the split water into hydrogen and
cathode (see Electrolyzer Cell oxygen then the opposite would
Mode also be true. Combining hydrogen
and oxygen, with the correct
figure above). Only certain fuel
method, would produce electricity.
cell types are reversible, that is, can
To test his reasoning, He built a
also accomplish the
device that would combine
electrochemistry associated with
hydrogen and oxygen to produce
both the production of electricity
electricity, the world's first gas
from fuel and oxidant and the
battery later renamed the fuel cell.
production of fuel and oxidant
His invention was a success, and
from water when supplied with
Grove's work advanced the
electricity.
understanding of the idea of
The conservation of energy and
Reversible fuel cell concept is one reversibility. Interest in Grove's
that incorporates a reversible fuel "gas battery" diminished as the
cell that can accomplish both dawn of cheap fossil fuels
hydrolysis and reverse hydrolysis approached and the soon to be
in the same cell. This allows one to discovered steam engine captivated
consider the completely renewable the present day society.
production of electricity by using a
renewable energy supply (e.g., • Fuel cell at NASA
solar, wind) to produce hydrogen Fast-forwarding to the 1960's, a
and oxygen from water which can new government agency was about
subsequently be used to produce to undertake the first step in
electricity through the same fuel maturing fuel cell technology. The
cell from the fuel and oxidant National Aeronautics and Space
produced previously. Administration (NASA) were
developing the mission critical
• History of fuel cell
systems for the first prolonged
manned flight into space. Once in
space, the orbiter needed a source
of electricity. Batteries were ruled
out due to the size, weight and
toxicity necessary to support a
mission of eight days in space.
Photovoltaics were not practical, at
the time, due to the size and weight
of the solar panels necessary. The
once obscure fuel cell became the
technological solution to NASA's
dilemma of how to provide power
for extended missions to space.
The earlier problems of cost and
fuel supplies that plagued fuel cells
became irrelevant as the spacecraft of Thermodynamics, and then into
was already carrying liquid mechanical energy, which provides
hydrogen and oxygen. An motion or drives a turbine to
additional benefit of fuel cells over produce energy. The additional
other technology was that the steps involved in combustion
astronauts could consume the fuel generation allow energy to escape
cell's water by-product. On the as heat, friction and conversion
early missions powered by fuel losses, resulting in lower overall
cells, there were problems with the efficiencies.
subsequent mission the fuel cells • Low emissions
became increasingly reliable and • When hydrogen is the fuel; water,
today NASA's space shuttle relies heat and electricity are the by-
on fuel cells for electricity and products of the electrochemical
drinking water once in orbit. reaction in a fuel cell generating
electricity, instead of carbon
dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur
oxides and particulate matter
inherent to fossil fuel combustion.
When fossil fuels are reformed into
hydrogen, emissions of carbon
• FUEL CELL BENEFITS dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur
oxides and other pollutants are a
1. Environmental Benefits fraction of those produced through
2. Engineering Benefits the combustion of the same amount
of fuel.
3. Domestic Energy Security • Reduction in Environmental
Damage Inherent to Extractive
4. Independence from the power Industries
grid Fuel cells avoid the environmental
damage associated with the
5. Fuel cells Vs Traditional
extraction of fossil fuels from the
batteries
Earth when the hydrogen is
produced from renewable sources.
Fuel If a hydrogen spill occurred, it
Cell Environmental Benefits would evaporate instantly, because
• High fuel efficiencies hydrogen is lighter than air, leaving
• By converting fuel directly into only water behind. This dramatic
energy through an electrochemical departure from the legacy that oil
reaction, fuel cells extract more drilling, transportation, refining and
power out of the same quantity of waste products have left on the
fuel when compared to traditional Earth.
combustion. This direct process
results in a reduced amount of fuel Fuel Cell Engineering Benefits
being consumed and greater • Fuel Flexibility
efficiencies, 30% to 90%, • Fuel cells are capable of operating
depending on the fuel cell system on hydrogen, or hydrogen reformed
and if the surplus heat is utilized. from any of the common fossil fuels
Combustion-based energy available today.
generation first converts the fuel • High Power Densities
into heat, limited by Carnot’s Law
• The amount of power a fuel cell can The hydrogen fuel utilized in fuel
generate within a given volume is cells can be domestically produced
usually given in kWh/liter. These through coal gasification, reformed
numbers continue to rise as from natural gas, produced through
manufacturers continue research the electrolysis of water or
and development on their respective renewable sources such as
products. Photovoltaics or wind. A domestic
energy supply reduces our foreign
trade debt and decreases our
dependence on foreign fuel
• Low Operating temperature and supplies that are mainly located in
pressure politically unstable regions of the
• Fuel cells operate at 80o C to over
World. The rapid consumption of
1,000o C, depending on the type of fossil fuels that modern society
fuel cell. These numbers might requires for its standard of living is
seem high, but the temperature exhausting a finite resource. The
inside your vehicle's internal supply of hydrogen, the most
combustion engine can reach over abundant element in the Universe,
2,300o C. is unlimited. By beginning the
• Site Flexibility
transition to a Hydrogen Economy,
• Fuel cells, with their inherently society can avoid the turbulent
quiet operation, zero to minimal conversion based on a shortage of
emissions and reduced permitting oil while creating domestic energy
requirements, can be located in a security and inventing a huge
variety of areas, both residential and industry.
commercial, inside and outside.
• Cogeneration Capability Independence from the Power Grid
• When the waste heat from the fuel A residential fuel cell system
cell's electrochemical reaction is allows people to become
captured, it can be utilized for independent of the brown outs,
water, space heating and cooling. power failures and voltage
With Cogeneration capabilities, the irregularities that are commonplace
efficiencies achieved by a fuel cell when connected to the utility grid.
system approach 90% Any one of these common power
• Quick Response To Load Variations disruptions can damage sensitive
• To receive additional energy from a computer systems, electronic
fuel cell, more fuel is introduced equipment and the quality of life
into the system. Fuel cell load people desire to have. Reliable
response is analogous to depressing energy in areas that are subjected
the gas pedal in your vehicle, more to weather related power outages.
fuel more power. Fuel Cells vs. Traditional Batteries
• Engineering simplicities
Fuel cells offer a reduction in
• Fuel cells do not contain any
weight and come in a compact
moving parts. The lack of
package for the same amount of
movement allows for a simpler
available energy when compared to
design, higher reliability's, quite
batteries. To increase the power in
operation and a system that is less
a fuel cell, more fuel is introduced
likely to fail.
into the system. To increase the
Domestic Energy Security
power of a battery, more batteries
have to be added increasing the
cost, weight and complexity of the mining equipment, banks, schools,
system. A fuel cell never "runs hospitals, sophisticated
down", it continues to produce manufacturing, entertainment
electricity as long as fuel is present. complexes, communication
When a battery "runs down" it has centers, navigation equipment,
to undergo a lengthy, inconvenient airports, road signs, defense
recharge time to replace the spent installations, hotels, urban transit
electricity. Depending on where the buses, heavy-duty trucks, personal
electricity vehicles and remote sites requiring
power. Fuel cell technology
encompasses many different
specific technologies all based on
originates, pollution, costs and
the same principal o f generating
efficiency problems are transferred
electricity through electrochemical
from the battery location to the
reactions.
central generating plant.
Types of Fuel Cell
Polymer Pho
• FUEL CELLS TO Molte
Electroly sph
TRANSFORM EVERY DAY n Solid
te oric
LIFE Carbo Oxide
Membra Aci
nate
ne (PEM) d
Th
Pho Alkali Yttria
e forthcoming Hydrogen Economy Ion
spho Carbo Stabiliz
is on the horizon and approaching Electr Exchange
ric nates ed
faster than most people realize. olyte Membran
Aci Mixtur Zirconi
Imagine such a future. Reduced e
d e a
anthropogenic effects of air
pollution from fossil fuel Opera
combustion. Cell phones and ting
80 200 650 1,000
laptops whose battery life is Temp.
measured in days instead of hours. °C
Vehicles operating silently and Charg
emitting harmless water vapor. e
H+ H+ CO3= O=
Individual homes generating their Carrie
electricity and heat independent r
from the utility grid. It might sound Imm
unrealistic, but fuel cells and fuel Electr obili Immob
cell technology are making the olyte Solid zed ilized Solid
Hydrogen Economy a reality. Fuel State Liqu Liquid
cells will supply the energy that a id
global society requires to support Gra
the growing number of people who Cell Carbon or phit Stainle
Cerami
are demanding a higher quality of Hard Metal e ss
c
life. ware Based Bas Steel
ed
Fuel cells and hydrogen will Cataly Plati Perovsk
provide power for sensitive Platinum Nickel
st num ites
electronic equipment, computer Cogen Low
centers, credit card processing eratio None Qua High High
centers, jails, cellular towers, n Heat lity
%
Fuel
40-
Cell <40 50-60 50-60
45
Effici
ency
the stringent air quality standards
being considered all over the
TYPES OF FUEL CELLS: United States and the ones already
enacted by California, Delaware,
New York and Massachusetts. The
demand for low emission cars
mandated by the fore mentioned
states is estimated to be between 4
and 5 million vehicles a year.
The development of fuel cells
• Fuel Cell Technological Forecast: designed for stationary applications
is accelerating as utility companies
As displayed by the chart above,
move forward into the era of
the characteristics of each type of
distributed generation and
fuel cell differ in: operating
deregulation. Fuel cells, when used
temperature, available heat,
in distributed generation
tolerance to thermal cycling, power
applications, avoid the permitting
density, tolerance to fuel
costs and distribution losses
impurities, etc. Different
associated with a centralized
characteristics of the fuel cells
electricity generating station. At
determine which particular
the same time fuel cells have
technology is suitable for specific
achieved efficiencies up to 90%
applications. The transportation
when the waste heat is utilized for
industry has adopted the lower
heating/cooling or to drive a
temperature and fast start-up
conventional turbine. The
characteristics of the PEM fuel
increased efficiencies reduced
cell. The PEM fuel cell with its
permitting costs and the
high power density, temperature
elimination of transmission loss
tolerances and fast load response is
result in utilities becoming more
the ideal, environmentally friendly,
efficient and better able to serve
replacement for the familiar
the needs of their customers.
internal combustion engine. The
Currently, private industry and the
fuel cells with higher operating
federal government are involved in
temperature are the preeminent
the design and testing of stationary
choice for stationary applications.
fuel cells with a few companies in
Designed to run continuously,
commercial production of their
start-up times are inconsequential
design.
and the high-grade waste heat
provides for water heating and
space heating/cooling. APPLICATIONS OF FUEL CELLS
IN AUTOMOBILES
The maturity of fuel cell Fuel cell hybrid vehicle
technology varies amongst the replaces the heat engine and generator of
different types of fuel cells. The conventional hybrid electric vehicles with
fuel cells being developed for the a fuel reformer. Fuel cells are fast growing
transportation industry have had up to the 21st century’s answer to the
the highest level of research and international combustion engine. As
development. The entire auto automobiles guzzle a large amount of fuels
industry is racing to build and spew a variety of pollutants, the current
market the first fuel cell car to meet emphasis is on using fuel cells in
automobiles. International fuelcells have reformer and a fuel cell stack to drive the
developed PEM fuel cells for electric motor.
transportation.
In 1997 Ford and Daimler CONCLUSION
Benz initiated to produce commercial As our demand
fuelcell power cars. These were based on for electrical power grows, it becomes
alkaline, phosphoric acid and PEM (proton increasingly urgent to find new ways of
exchange membrane) fuelcell technology. meeting it both responsibly and safely.
They have operated in various applications Hydrogen age is definitely on the fast
at pressures ranging from 1to track. Once fuelcells find well-established
applications other than automobiles, their
8bar and fueled with hydrogen and variety impact could snowball. In the past, the
of geseous and liquid hydrocarbons. This limited factors of renewable energy have
have provided a deep experience based been the storage and transport of that
from which to assess the relative benefits energy. With the use of fuelcells and
of pressurized Vs ambient power plant hydrogen technology, electrical power
operation independent of fuel cell from renewable energy sources can be
technology. Drawing on this base and delivered where and when required,
cleanly, efficiently and sustainable.
analysis of transportation market
requirements for high efficiency, low REFERENCES:
weight, volume and cost and these 1. BERRY M. & MACDONALD A.,
requirements are met by low pressurized (2002) Energy through Hydrogen,
fuelcells. Helicentries
The fuelcell system in automobiles 2. COLELL H., Solar Hydrogen
consists of mainly of three parts these are Technology, Helicentris
1.Electric motor 2 .Fuel Cells 3. KOPPEL, T., (2001) Powering the
3.Methonal Reformer Future, John Wiley and Sons
4. LARMINIE J. & DICKS A., (2000)
The entire system was installed under the Fuel Cell Systems Explained, PHI
vechile floor without consuming passenger Publications
and cargo space .It is powered by liquid
hydrogen stored in cryogenic cylinder and

Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
Email: help@matlabcodes.com
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.c
om
More Papers and
Presentations available on
above site
used an electric drive .The car also uses
super capacitor or battery units to
regenerate recover the energy during
breaking
Fig: Fuel cell electric car uses the
combination of a compact methanol

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