Fuel Cell Fundamentals

At constant pressure and tanperature (usual conditions of an electrochemical reaction), the change in the Gibbs free energy for a reaction, AG (J/mole) is 

From the first law of thermodynamics, assuming the fuel cell is operated reversibly, 

assuming reversible operation of the fuel cell, 

The change in Gibbs free energy of reaction (J/mole) is referenced to the amount of fuel. The electrical work (J) in an open system operated continuously over a given time period. At, where reactants (mole/s) are added and products removed to maintain the electrical potential are given for hydrogen-oxygen reaction by 

The average rate of work generation during the time interval, At, is the power (J/s). 

---

Yamamoto, Solid oxide fuel cells fundamental aspects and prospects, Electrochim. Acta 45, 2423-2435 (2000). 

Vielstich W, Gasteiger HA, Lamm A. 2003. Handbook of Fuel Cells—Fundamentals, Technology and Applications. New York Wiley. 

Peppley BA, Amphlett JC, Mann RE. 2003. In Vielstich W, Lamm A, Gasteiger HA, eds. Handbook of Fuel Cells— Fundamentals Technology and Applications. Volume 3 Fuel Cells and Technology. Chichester Wiley. 

S. C. Singhal and K. Kendall, High Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Fundamentals, Design, and Application, 2003 Elsevier, ISBN 1856173879. 

Vielstich, W., Lamm, A., and Gateiger, H.A., Handbook of Fuel Cells, Fundamentals, Technology and Applications, Vols. 1M, Wiley, West Sussex, 2003. 

G. Sandstede, E.J. Cairns, V.S. Bagotsky and K. Wiesener, History of low temperature fuel cells, in Handbook of Fuel Cells — Fundamentals, Technology and Applications, W. Vielstich, H. A. Gasteiger and A. Lamm, Eds., Wiley, New York, 2003 pp. 173-174. 

D. Thompsett. Pt alloys as oxygen reduction catalysts. In Handbook of fuel cells Fundamentals, technology and applications. Vol. 3 Fuel cell technology and applications, ed. W. Vielstich, H. A. Gasteiger, and A. Lamm, 467 (2003). New York John Wiley Sons. 

R. O Hayre, S. W. Cha, W. Colella, and F. B. Prinz. Fuel cell fundamentals. New York John Wiley Sons (2006). 

W. Vielstich, A. Lamm, and H. Gasteiger, eds. Handbook of fuel cells Fundamentals, technology, applications. Weinheim, Germany VCH-Wiley, 2003. 

Khaleel, M. A. Selman, J. R. In High-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells-Fundamentals, Design and Applications-, Singhal, S. C., Kendall, K., Eds. Elsevier Ltd. Oxford, U.K., 2003 p 293. 

Zagal, J.H. (2003) in Handbook of Fuel Cells - Fundamental, Technology and... 

---