Power generation device technologies

Hertz, J.L. and Tuller, H.L. (2009) Mkrofabricated Power Generation Devices Design and Technology (eds A. Mitsos and E.I. Barton), Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, p. 45. 

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of the fuels directly into electrical energy, and are considered to be the key technology for power generation in stationary, automotive, portable and even microscale systems. Among all kinds of fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells have really exhibited the potential to replace current portable power sources and micropower sources in the market (Yao et al., 2006). 

Past experience shows that as the equipment needed for new technologies starts to be mass produced, its prices drop. The cost of wind power-generated electricity has already been reduced to one quarter of that of the first installations. An ultrathin-film solar collector manufacturer (Nanosolar) claims that it will soon market collectors at costs that are severalfold less expensive than today s PV prices. We do not know if that particular claim is correct or not, but we know that time is on our side. Therefore, it is realistic to expect that as markets expand, the costs of mass-produced renewable energy devices will also drop and the cost of transition to a solar-hydrogen economy over several decades will become not only affordable, but will also create jobs and an economic boom. We should remember that drastic changes can occur rapidly after all, a century ago electricity was a luxury that only 3% of the households had. The same will occur with renewable energy over the 21st century. 

Finally, fuel cells—the highly efficient electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy directly—may be used for distributed power generation or in some vehicles in the future. The most efficient and durable fuel cells use hydrogen as their fuel source. All of the technologies that will be discussed in... 

One application of microreactors that is likely to appear in commercial devices soon is in the generation of hydrogen for portable-power generation. The power needs of portable electronic devices increase every year. Advances in battery technology have not kept pace... 

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