Download Fuel Cells

Fuel Cells
By:
Rishab Pohane
Pranav Subramanian
Aayush Verma
What is a fuel cell?
● “Electrochemical energy conversion device”
● Converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, heat,
and water
● Similar to batteries, but never die
o “Gas battery”
How does it work?
● Convert chemical energy into
electrical energy
● Fuel cells combine the chemicals
hydrogen and oxygen to generate
electricity (water is also produced)
● The hydrogen is usually in the form of
a fuel while the oxygen is taken from
the air
● Use electrical energy to do
mechanical work
● Provide DC voltage to electrical
appliances
http://americanhistory.si.edu/fuelcells/images/fc_ani.gif
Different Types of Fuel Cells
● Depends on electrolyte that is used.
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Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)
Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
Alkaline fuel cell (AFC)
Phosphoric acid (PAFC)
Molten carbonate (MCFC)
Different Types of Fuel Cells
Applications
● Best used where both heat and power are needed
● Provide electricity and drinking water for the astronauts
● Car engine
Toyota Mirai
Mars Flyer
Advantages
● Clean energy (no pollution)
● Relatively simple maintenance
o No moving parts
● Very long operating times
● Tolerant of varied temperatures
● Can be placed nearly anywhere
● Higher efficiency than oil or gasoline
Comparisons
Car Type
Chemical
Energy =>
Electrical
Energy (%
efficient)
Electrical
Energy =>
Mechanical
Work(%
efficient)
Other
Operations (%
efficient)
Overall
Efficiency (%)
Pure Hydrogen
Fuel Cell
80
80
-
64
Gasoline
Powered
35
42
-
15
Battery
Powered
72
40
90
30 (can be 65)
Disadvantages
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Pure hydrogen works best but gas needs to be enriched
Large size and weight
Expensive
Not very durable
Hard to maintain hydration
Infrastructure not available
Roadblocks
● Complex chemical process
o Some fuel cells require the molecules traveling through the membrane
to have full purity
o Some fuel cells require pumps
● Energy company opposition
● Not economically viable yet
o Not efficient enough to replace conventional methods of generating
power
Expenses
● $55/kWh
Generating Cost
● $500B to create hydrogen infrastructure
● $4.50 per GGe from natural gas
● $6-11per GGe from renewable energy
Target Market
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Automobiles
Factories
Cities
Space programs
Fuel cell used by
NASA’s Space
Shuttle Orbiter
Future
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America’s oil dependence will continually increase
Already 1 Billion spent on fuel cell research
Fuel cell cost has dropped by 50 percent since 2006
7.2 M investment plan
2015 - Fuel cell cars
Countries using Fuel Cells
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY
●
Australia
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Brazil
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Canada
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China
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European Commission
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France
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Germany
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India
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Italy
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Japan
●
Korea
Payback Period
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3 years
Relatively large initial cost
Consumer price for electricity cut using fuel cells
More power generated than fossil fuel plant
Why are fuel cells not common?
● Building fuel cells is not difficult BUT...
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Inexpensive
Efficient
Reliable
.. that’s difficult
Fun Fact
Elon Musk says cars running on fuel cells are “extremely
silly”
Sources Cited
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http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/fuel_cells_power.html
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell.htm
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/about-fuel-cells/benefits
http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/12974/title/fuel-cells-forclean-generation-and-short-payback.aspx
● http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/01/fuel-cell-economics-vs-batteries/
● http://www.economist.com/topics/fuel-cells