Fuel Cell System Designs

Figure 3 shows the cost of each of the four systems at four different production volumes. The reformer/fuel cell system designed for peak power at... 

H.K. Geyer et. al. GCtool for Fuel Cells System Design and Analysis User Documentation , Argonne National Laboratory, 1998, Report ANL-98/8. 

The ASM may also provide air for other purposes in accordance with the fuel cell system design. For example, it will provide the combustion air for the reformer whose temperature is typically a few hundred degrees Celsius (natural gas reformer around 900°C and methanol reformer around 250°C). The ASM may also supply air for the preferential reactor to lower the CO... 

Li, M., Brouwer, )., Rao, A.D., and Samuelsen, G.S. (2011) Application of a detailed dimensional solid oxide fuel cell model in integrated gasification fuel cell system design and analysis. J. Power Sources, 196 (14), 5903-5912. 

In October 2008, Proton Motor and Karmann presented a compact commercial car which contains the triple-hybrid fuel cell system designed by Proton Motor [9]. Target groups for this vehicle are municipalities and other fleet operators. 

Substitution of currently used perfluorosidfonic acid (PFSA) ionomers and ionomer membranes (e.g., Nafion ) by novel materials with substantially improved proton conductivity at low relative humidity (RH), which would ehminate the need for fuUy humidified reactants and thereby significantly simplify fuel cell system design [2, 4, 5]. 

The design of the fuel cell system really begins with the Voice of the Customer (VOC). For fuel cell systems, there can be many potential customers the end user, the OEM, or an intermediate service provider. In any case, by the voice of the customer is meant that quality expectation taken directly from the customer, properly evaluated, and deployed within the product development process. One such technique for doing this is the well-known Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process which, if properly used, enables the VOC to be deployed all the way to the factory floor. Without knowing and agreeing on the key customer requirements upfront, the fuel cell system design process cannot be successfully completed. 

Determination of the minimum steam to carbon ratio that will inhibit carbon deposition is of interest to the fuel cell system designer. The interested reader is referred to references (4), (5), and (6). 

In this section, we consider two different applications (i) a methanol-based reformer and fuel cell system, and (ii) an ammonia-based reactor and fuel cell system. Design issues for both systems are considered for generating 100 W of power. 

The photograph of this system in Figure 4.29 allows these various parts of the system to be seen. It is a very clearly laid out system, which illustrates many points of good PEM fuel cell system design practice. 

An alternative to a free electrolyte, which circulates as in Figure 5.3, is for each cell in the stack to have its own, separate electrolyte that is held in a matrix material between the electrodes. Such a system is shown in Figure 5.4. The KOH solution is held in a matrix material, which is usually asbestos. This material has excellent porosity, strength, and corrosion resistance, although, of course, its safety problems would be a difficulty for a fuel cell system designed for use by members of the public. 

Xue, D. and Z. Dong. Optimal fuel cell system design considering functional performance and production costs. Journal of Power Sources 76 69-80,1998. 

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