Specific power, fuel cell

Electric Power System Design For specific applications, fuel cells can be used to supply DC power distribution systems designed to feed DC drives such as motors or solenoids, controls, and other auxiliary system equipment. The goal of the commercial fuel cell power plant is to deliver usable AC power to an electrical distribution system. This goal is accomplished through a subsystem that has the capability to deliver the real power (watts) and reactive power (VARS) to a facility s internal power distribution system or to a utility s grid. The power conditioning... 

Every major automaker must be willing to subsidize the development and early deployment phase of new technology introduction, but fiscal responsibility requires that there be some promise of a positive return in the future. In the specific examples discussed here, Chrysler lost money on CNG, M85, E85, and BEVs, with no prospect of ever recouping those investments. This is a pattern that no manufacturer can afford to continue indefinitely. The lessons learned from this experience, however, can reap enormous economic benefits as DaimlerChrysler prepares to commercialize clean diesel, hybrid electric, and hydrogen powered fuel cell electric vehicles. 

NFPA 70 National Fire Protection Association 70 is also known as the National Electric Code (NEC). Revisions and addenda to the code have been developed that specifically address fuel cells. Article 690 - Solar Photovoltaic Systems has been targeted for revision to include fuel cells and alternate energy sources systems. This proposal is not expected to be approved since the technological and operational differences between fuel cells and photovoltaic systems are considerable. A new article. Article 692 deals with rules covering fuel cell systems for buildings or residential dwellings. This standard addresses the electrical interface between the fuel cell system and a building s electrical distribution panel. NFPA Article 705 - Interconnected Electrical Power Production Sources has also been revised to address fuel cell power sources. 

High-Power Fuel Cells for Satellites with Specific Missions... 

The derivation was also not specific to fuel cells and applies just as well to other electrochemical power sources, particularly primary and secondary batteries. For example, the reaction in the familiar alkali battery used in radios and other portable appliances can be expressed (Bockris, 1981) by the equation... 

In the case of a stationary fuel cell system, such as a CHP system, the specific harmful and greenhouse emissions of the different heating systems are compared in Table 14.5. In the case of conventional heating installations, the maximum limits can be the valid emission limit values as well as measured values. As seen from the table, in all cases, the quantity of CO2 emissions is about the same CO emissions are relatively high for fuel oil-powered fuel cell compact combined heat and power production installations (mostly determined by the reformer) SO2 emissions (sulfur content of the fuel oil) for fuel oil-powered low-temperature installations are relatively high, and for natural gas installations, all considered harmful emissions are lower. 

The DMFC is the most attractive type of fuel cell as a powerplant for electric vehicles and as a portable power source, because methanol is a liquid fuel with values for the specific energy and energy density being about equal to half those for liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline and diesel fuel). 

Enzymes are efficient catalysts for cathodic and anodic reactions relevant to fuel cell electrocatalysis in terms of overpotential, active site activity, and substrate/reaction specificity. This means that design constraints (e.g., fuel containment and anode-cathode separation) are relaxed, and very simple devices that may take up ambient fuel or oxidant from their environment are possible. While operation is generally confined to conditions close to ambient temperature, pressure, and pH, and power densities over about 10 mW cm are rarely achieved, enzyme fuel cells may be particularly useM in niche environments, for example scavenging trace H2 released into air, or sugar and O2 from blood. Thus, trace or unusual fuels become viable for energy production. 

Syngas cleanup system - low or high temperature and processes used to remove sulfur, nitrogen, particulates, and other compounds that may impact the suitability of the syngas for specific applications (i.e., turbine and fuel cell for electric power generation, hydrogen production, liquid fuel production, or chemical production). 

Fuel cells are also inherently flexible. Like batteries in a flashlight, the cells can be stacked to produce voltage levels that match specific power needs from a few watts for certain appliances to multiple megawatt power stations that can light a community. 

A detailed analysis published for fuel-cell drive systems by Schirrmeister et al. (2002) showed a specific cost breakdown of the added value of a fuel-cell drive system powered by methanol (a methanol reformer was a reasonable alternative at that time)... 

The greatest uncertainty today is the cost development of the electrochemical part of the system, the fuel-cell stack. Experts agree that it could be mass-produced at reasonable cost. The target-costing approach states that, in the long term, the specific costs of the fuel-cell stack must be in the order of 10/kWel (based on a 75kWel power for each of the two fuel-cell stacks). 

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