Fuel Cell Demonstrator types

Fuel Cells are taken up in Section 1, which begins with a brief overview of fuel cell fundamentals and a synopsis of each of the major fuel cell types. It then provides a review of lEA government work as it relates to each fuel cell type, including R D efforts directed as specific fuel cell types a review of programs undertaking basic fuel cell R D and, the section concludes with a review of fuel cell demonstrations for transportation and stationary applications. 

Stationary Fuel Cell Demonstration Project. In order to estimate the efficiency and identify the problems of commercialization of stationary PEFC, this project operates 31 stationary fuel cells in various sites such as residential areas, heavy traffic areas, and seaside areas. It will also evaluate various fuel types (i.e. natural gas, LP Gas and kerosene). The budget allocations for 2002-2003 total 1.8 billion the 2003 allocation is 1.3 billion. 

The Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC), summarized in Fig. 4-13, is a program set up by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in March 2003. In this program, hydrogen refueling facilities with different types of fuel and production methods will be tested. Vehicles from five automakers are taking part in this project, including Toyota s FCHV and fuel cell bus. 

Figure 7-2. Foil type micro fuel cell demonstrator...

This type of fuel cell is unlikely to be used for high power generation, but is included as it is the simplest type of fuel cell to manufacture, and it shows how the alkaline electrolyte can be the basis of very simple fuel cells. It has been used in a number of successful fuel cell demonstrators, and older books on fuel cells (Williams, 1966) give this type of cell a great deal of coverage. 

Early expectations of very low emissions and relatively high efficiencies have been met in power plants with each type of fuel cell. Fuel flexibility has been demonstrated using natural gas, propane, landfill gas, anaerobic digester gas, military logistic fuels, and coal gas, greatly expanding market opportunities. Transportation markets worldwide have shown remarkable interest in fuel cells nearly every major vehicle manufacturer in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East is supporting development. 

For this type of fuel cell, a number of reports studying anode MPLs have been published. Neergat and Shukla [124] used a hydrophobic MPL on the cathode (carbon black and PTFE) and a hydrophilic MPL on the anode (carbon black and Nafion) (see Section 4.3.2). Different types of carbon particles were used (Vulcan XC-72, acetylene black, and Ketjenblack) and it was concluded that Ketjenblack was the carbon that showed the best performance when it was used on both the anode and cathode MPLs with 10 wt% Nafion and 10 wt% PTFE, respectively. A similar design was also used by Ren et al. [173] in a passive DMFC. Improvement of the DMFC performance by using a hydrophilic MPL, as discussed previously, was also demonstrated by Lindermeir et al. [125]. They compared both hydrophilic and hydrophobic MPLs for the anode DL, and it was observed that the former improves the mass transport of the MEA. 

Research on SOFCs started in 1990 for CHP applications and in 1992, PEM activities started to focus on CHP, traction and portable applications. Both types of systems are being actively pursued along with early demonstrations. Additionally, the use of fuel cells and bio-gas or biohydrogen is being evaluated. 

Fuel cells. Topics include both SOFC and PEM type fuel cells. Also R D for DMFC has been investigated. Emphasis was given to solving problems related to fulfilling the market requirements of the Sulzer Hexis SOFC. The main goal is to increase both reliability, lifetime, and the power conversion rate, while reducing costs. Considerable efforts were also invested in the development and demonstration of the PEM. Outcomes of this work include a 60 kW stack for cars demonstrated successfully in 2002 in the VW Bora and recently in a much improved car. The 1 kW-unit "Power Pac" is a standalone unit its PEM-stack has been demonstrated in various applications like boats and small cars (SAM). 

Although natural gas feedstock currently is preferred by some demonstration plants, alternative fuels, such as light distillates, coal gas. and fuel-grade methanol may be used. Methanol can be steam reformed at relatively low temperatures and. for this reason, can be adapted to smaller, transportable fuel-cell power plants of the type desired for certain military and commercial gear. 

After thirty years of basic research, it was demonstrated that SOFCs potentially have many significant advantages over traditional generators of electricity and other types of fuel cells. These advantages are essentially related to the high operating temperature and to the solid state of the cell components, mainly the electrolyte. They can be summarized as follows ... 

Direct methanol fuel cell is actually a PEM fuel cell that uses methanol as fuel. Zinc/air fuel cell by definition is not a fuel cell (or at best it is a semifuel cell). Each type of fuel cells has different chemistry, operates at different temperatures and is at a different stage of development. Most of the development and demonstration to date has been with the PEM fuel cells. 

In this chapter, we focus on the MCFC with internal reforming. After a brief technical introduction of this type of fuel cell, a model is presented that describes the interaction of the reforming reaction and the electrochemical oxidation reaction inside the MCFC with a set of only two ordinary differential equations (ODE) and some algebraic equations (AE). A diagram is introduced which allows the simulation results to be displayed in an easily interpretable way. Finally, the usefulness of the model and its accompanying diagram are demonstrated in several applications. 

The redox properties of ceria-zirconia mixed oxides are interesting, because these materials find applications as electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells, supports for catalysts for H2 production, and components in three-way automobile exhaust conversion catalysts. The group of Kaspar and Fornasiero (Montini et al., 2004, 2005) used TPR/TPO-Raman spectroscopy to identify the structural features of more easily reducible zirconia-ceria oxides and the best method for their preparation by suitable treatments. TPR/TPO experiments and Raman spectra recorded during redox cycles demonstrated that a pyrochlore-type cation ordering in Ce2Zr2Og facilitates low temperature reduction. 

Despite the intense activity [iii-x] of developing alkaline fuel cells on an industrial scale for vehicular and space applications, until a year ago none of the several types of fuel cells had reached the cost targets of systems for non-military or non-space applications. Practically all the commercially-marketed systems are mainly demonstrative. 

Synthesis of pure hydrogen peroxide using solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) could eliminate the need to separate the product from liquid electrolytes (basic or acidic). Designs of the (SPE) fuel cell type of reactor could be investigated for such a process. Tatapudi and Fenton [71, 80] demonstrated the basic feasibility of this process (with or without concurrent anodic ozone evolution). However, new cathode materials and... 

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