Potential Applications of Fuel Cells

The overall goal is not only to develop projections of PGM availability and cost, but also to identify and quantify the industry and market drivers influencing these parameters. On the demand side, we will break down the demand between existing markets and the potential applications of fuel cells. We will identify underlying trends in the industrial/ chemical and lifestyle markets with attention to growth of demand and potential for substitution of alternative materials. In the fuel cell markets, the... 

In the following, an overview of fuel cell technology is given according to each of these categories, followed by a brief review of key potential applications of fuel cells. 

In many potential applications of fuel cells the competition is quite varied. In this case it is not - the rival technology is clearly the rechargeable battery. The best performing rechargeable battery is the Lithium-ion cell. If a DMFC can offer significant improvement on this, then serious impact on a huge market can be assured. 

Chapter 3 presents an overview of fuel cell technology, potential applications of fuel cell technology, current research and development in fuel cells, key technology players in fuel cells, and provides directions for fuel cell research. 

Another important potential application for fuel cells is in transportation (qv). Buses and cars powered by fuel cells or fuel cell—battery hybrids are being developed in North America and in Europe to meet zero-emission legislation introduced in California. The most promising type of fuel cell for this application is the SPFC, which uses platinum-on-carbon electrodes attached to a solid polymeric electrolyte. 

For many potential applications a fuel cell system must be capable of surviving and operating in extreme conditions. Presence of water in the membrane and fuel cell requires special attention to fuel cell stack and system design to allow system survival and start-up in extremely cold conditions. Most automotive systems have already demonstrated this capability. 

One potential application for fuel cells is as an alternative power source for automobiles. However, as the Chemistry and Technology feature at the end of this chapter explains, scientists must resolve some fundamental challenges before fuel cells power the cars we drive. 

As outlined in Section 6.2, there are many potential applications for fuel cells. Some of these are specialized and therefore do not command large markets, e.g., spacecraft, submarine traction. Prospective mass markets fall into four broad categories, as follows. 

The influence of the fluorine groups helps to react at the ortho-positions of the benzene ring. The materials were investigated for a potential application in fuel cells. 

Another need for deep desulfurization is for potential application in fuel cell. Gasoline is the ideal fuel for fuel cell because of its high-energy density, ready availability, safety, and ease in storage. However, to avoid poisoning of the catalyst for the water-gas shift reaction and that in the electrode of the fuel cell, the sulfur concentration should be preferably below 0.1 ppmw. To reduce the sulfur content of diesel from 500 ppmw to this level, an estimate showed that the HDS reactor size needed to be increased by a factor of 7 (Whitehurst et al., 1998). Another estimate showed that in order to reduce the sulfur level in diesel from 300 to less than 10 ppm, the HDS reactor volume needed to be increased by a factor of about 15 at 600 psi, or by a factor of 5 at 1,000 psi (Parkinson, 2001 Avidan and Cullen, 2001). 

Zaheed, L. and Jachuck, R.J.J. (2005). Performance of a square, ca-oss-corrugated, polymer film, compact, heat-exchanger with potential application in fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 140, pp. 304—310. 

The interest in terrestrial applications of fuel cells is driven primarily by their potential for high efficiency and very low environmental impact (virtually no acid gas or solid emissions). 

The following properties of the membranes relevant for their potential application in fuel cells have been determined and compared among the different membranes involved in this study, including the benchmark membrane... 

Powering vehicles is an important application of fuel cells. In such engines the operating conditions change frequently, and current research shows that fuel cells for automobiles have a much shorter lifetime than fuel cells in applications with stationary working conditions. Such fuel cells can encounter many potentially destructive conditions, such as feed starvation and low relative humidity (RH). 

The book is intended for people who have heard about fuel cells but ignore the detailed potential and applications of fuel cells, and wish to obtain the information they need (as engineers in civil, industrial, and military jobs, R D people of diverse profile, investors, decision makers in government, industry, trade, and all levels of administration, journalists, school and university teachers, students, and hobby scientists). It is also intended for people in industry and research who in their professional work are concerned with different special aspects of the... 

Lao.5Sro.5Co03 is a magnetic oxide that has potential applications in fuel cells and ionic conductivity. The cation structure of this material can be determined by... 

Abstract The scope of this chapter is to give a brief introduction about fuel cells, types of applications in fuel cell technology, characteristics of fuel cells, potential applications in fuel cell technology, and current research and development and key technology players in fuel cells. 

Especially because of their rapid response due to low-temperature operation, high-power density, and the fact that they are clean, application of fuel cells to automobiles has strong potential [5, 6]. When used in automobiles, air instead of oxygen and hydrogen-rich gas from methanol instead of hydrogen m be used. 

Jin, C., Taniguchi, I. (2007) Electrocatalytic activity of silver modified gold film for glucose oxidation and its potential application to fuel cells. Materials Letters, 61, 2365-2367. 

Yan, X. Wang, Y. He, G. Hu, Z. Wu, X. Du, L., Hydroxide exchange composite membrane based on soluble quatemized polyetherimide for potential applications in fuel cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2013, 38(19), 7964-7972. 

Sodium terbium borate is used in solid-state devices. The oxide has potential application as an activator for green phosphors used in color TV tubes. It can be used with Zr02 as a crystal stabilizer of fuel cells which operate at elevated temperature. Few other uses have been found. 

Titanium dioxide supported gold catalysts exhibit excellent activity for CO oxidation even at temperatures as low as 90 K [1]. The key is the high dispersion of the nanostructured gold particles over the semiconducting Ti02 support. The potential applications of ambient temperature CO oxidation catalysts include air purifier, gas sensor and fuel cell [2]. This work investigates the effects of ozone pretreatment on the performance of Au/Ti02 for CO oxidation. 

Proton, that is, H+ ion, conductors are of importance as potential electrolytes in fuel cells. There are a number of hydroxides, zeolites, and other hydrated materials that conduct hydrogen ions, but these are not usually stable at moderate temperatures, when water or hydroxyl tends to be lost, and so have only limited applicability. 

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