Small fuel cells hydrogen storage

The advantages of small fuel cells often depend on the method used for the supply of fuel. Currently small fuel cell systems predominantly use some form of hydrogen storage. It is anticipated, however, that in the future, small systems will also utilize proeessed forms of common fuels (e.g., methanol, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas) as weU as unprocessed methanol. 

Defining hydrogen fuel quality specifications is a high priority for the Roadmap. Such specifications must be quantified at the vehicle-station interface and must consider how the presence of small amounts of contaminants affects the performance and durability of fuel cell and balance of plant material compatibility of onboard and stationary hydrogen storage systems and the operation and maintenance of hydrogen production, purification, and delivery systems. Most importantly, fuel quality specification must consider... 

Fuel cell APUs will likely have to operate on gasoline, and for trucks preferably on diesel fuel, in order to match the infrastructure available, and preferably to be able to share on-board storage tanks with the main engine. The small amount of fuel involved in fueling APUs would likely not justify the establishment of a specialized infrastructure (e g. a hydrogen infrastructure) for APUs alone. Similarly, fuel cell APUs should be water self-sufficient, as the need to carry water for the APU would be a major inconvenience to the operator, and would require additional space and associated equipment. 

German fuel cell and hydrogen storage industry is the market leader in Europe with a number of small and large companies. 

For a mobile application, the water required for thermal control and hydrogen reaction is provided by condensed water from the hydrogen fuel cell. Only a small reservoir of water is required for startup, makeup, and surge demand. Thus, the required water does not significantly affect the volumetric and gravimetric energy storage densities. 

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