PRINCIPLES

OF
FUEL CELL ENERGY
DEG30013_TOPIC 5
 OBJECTIVES
• 5.1 Remember the principles of fuel cell
5.1.1 Define fuel cell
5.1.2 List types of fuel cells: a. Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEM) b. Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)
• 5.2 Understand Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEM)
5.2.1 Explain how Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEM) works
5.2.2 Give example of application for PEM fuel cells
5.2.3 Discuss the challenges for PEM fuel cells
• 5.3 Understand Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)
5.3.1 Explain how Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) works
5.3.2 Compare types of SOFC design: a. Energy Tubular SOFC Technology b. SOFC / Gas Turbine Hybrid
• 5.4 Understand the advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells technologies
5.4.1 Compare fuel cells technologies in terms of: a. Electrolyte b. Operating temperature c. System output
d. Electrical efficiency e. Application f. Advantages
• 5.5 Apply fuel cell in electricity supply
5.5.1 Sketch characteristic curve of a fuel cell
5.5.2 Describe a fuel cell electricity generation
5.5.3 Explain the parameters that influence the characteristic curve
• 5.6 Acquire the application of fuel cell system
5.6.1 Sketch fuel cell in Telecommunications Backup Power facilities
5.6.2 Acquire fuel cell in fuel cell car
5.1 : Principle Of Fuel Cell
• The fuel cell enables hydrogen and oxygen fuel to be
converted to electricity. A fuel cell is in principle a battery
where the active elements are not solids (such as the lead
in car battery) or liquids but gaseous.
• The principle of operation of the fuel cell is similar to
electrolysis but in reverse; gases such as hydrogen and
oxygen (or air) are pumped in and produce DC output.
• The only by products are water and there are virtually no
pollutants. There is some heat, but much less than in most
combustion-based generation systems, and there are no
moving parts.
5.1.1 Define fuel cell
• A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity
by a chemical reaction. Every fuel cell has two
electrodes called, respectively, the anode and
cathode.
• Every fuel cell also has an electrolyte, which
carries electrically charged particles from one
electrode to the other, and a catalyst, which speeds
the reactions at the electrodes.
• Hydrogen is the basic fuel, but fuel cells also require
oxygen.
One great appeal of fuel cells is that they generate electricity with very little
pollution–much of the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity
ultimately combine to form a harmless byproduct, namely water.
5.1.2 Types of fuel cell
5.2 PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS (PEM)
• (PEM) fuel cells work with a polymer electrolyte
in the form of a thin, permeable sheet.
• Efficiency is about 40 to 50 percent, and
operating temperature is about 80 degrees C
(about 175 degrees F).
• Cell outputs generally range from 50 to 250 kW.
• The solid, flexible electrolyte will not leak or
crack, and these cells operate at a low enough
temperature to make them suitable for homes
and cars.
• But their fuels must be purified, and a platinum
catalyst is used on both sides of the membrane,
raising costs.
5.2 Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEM)
 • Hydrogen atoms enter a fuel cell at the anode where a
5.2.1 How PEM works chemical reaction strips them of their electrons.
• The hydrogen atoms are now "ionized," and carry a
positive electrical charge. The negatively charged electrons
provide the current through wires to do work.
• Oxygen enters the fuel cell at the cathode and, in some
cell types , it there combines with electrons returning from
the electrical circuit and hydrogen ions that have traveled
through the electrolyte from the anode. In other cell types
the oxygen picks up electrons and then travels through the
electrolyte to the anode, where it combines with hydrogen
ions.
• The electrolyte plays a key role. It must permit only the
appropriate ions to pass between the anode and cathode.
If free electrons or other substances could travel through
the electrolyte, they would disrupt the chemical reaction.
• Whether they combine at anode or cathode, together
hydrogen and oxygen form water, which drains from the
cell. As long as a fuel cell is supplied with hydrogen and
oxygen, it will generate electricity.
5.2.1 How PEM works

The power output of one

membrane-electrode assembly
(MEA) is very low. To make fuel
cells a viable source of energy,
many MEA's are combined in
what is known as a fuel cell stack.
5.2.2 Application of PEM
5.2.3 Challenges for PEM
 5.3 SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL (SOFC)
• Solid Oxide fuel cells (SOFC) use a hard, ceramic compound of
metal (like calcium or zirconium) oxides (chemically, O2) as
electrolyte.
• Efficiency is about 60 percent, and operating temperatures are
about 1,000 degrees C (about 1,800 degrees F).
• Cells output is up to 100 kW.
• At such high temperatures a reformer is not required to extract
hydrogen from the fuel, and waste heat can be recycled to
make additional electricity.
• However, the high temperature limits applications of SOFC
units and they tend to be rather large. While solid electrolytes
cannot leak, they can crack.
• SOFCs are suitable for stationary applications as well as for
auxiliary power units (APUs) used in vehicles to power
electronics.
 5.3.1 How’s SOFC works
• SOFCs use a solid oxide electrolyte to conduct
negative oxygen ions from the cathode to the
anode.
• The electrochemical oxidation of the oxygen ions
with hydrogen or carbon monoxide thus occurs
on the anode side.
5.3.2 Compare types of SOFC
a. Energy Tubular SOFC Technology
5.3.2 Compare types of SOFC

b. SOFC / Gas Turbine Hybrid

5.4 Advantages & Disadvantages of Fuel Cells
5.4.1 Compare Fuel Cells
5.5 Fuel cell in electricity supply
5.5.2 Fuel cell electricity generation
The power plant consists of three components:
• Hydrogen Storage
• Fuel cell installations are typically fueled by a six-pack
of compressed hydrogen storage containers. These containers
each hold either 139 scf or 261 scf of hydrogen at a pressure of
2,400 psi and a weight of 137 lbs. They have the combined
capacity to power a fuel cell for 24–96 hours.
• Fuel Cell Stack
• A single fuel cell will not provide the required power for
most applications. Therefore, multiple fuel cells, referred to
as a stack, are linked together in a fuel cell power plant to
meet the required power demand.
• Battery / Capacitor
• Fuel cell power plants used for backup power typically
require a DC storage device to provide immediate power
while the fuel cell powers up. PEM fuel cells power up
quickly, but there is still a short period of time that
requires the use of a battery or capacitor to supply power
5.5.2 Fuel cell electricity generation

In 2012, the first year of the

implementation, the generation capacity
barely reached 3MW but it largely
increased to 109MW in 2013.
Korea has the largest fuel cell market for
power plants in the world
5.5.1 Characteristics curve of fuel cell
Combined fuel cell I-V and power density curve
• Fuel cell power density increases with increasing current
density, reaches a maximum, and then falls at still higher
current densities.
• Fuel cells are designed to operate at or below the power
density maximum.
• At current densities below the power density maximum,
voltage efficiency improves but power density falls.
• At current densities above the power density maximum,
both voltage efficiency and power density fall.
5.5.1 Characteristics curve of fuel cell
Different characterization techniques enable the quantitative comparison of every property
and part of the fuel cell stack. By characterizing the fuel cell properly, you can understand why
the fuel cell is performing well or poorly.

• Temperature
• The fuel cell temperature must be documented and maintained throughout the fuel
cell tests. At a minimum, the inlet and outlet temperatures should be monitored in
addition to the fuel cell stack itself. To determine how the fuel cell could be improved,
the temperatures across the fuel cell stack and in each cell should be monitored. Any
inconsistencies in temperature can alter the fuel cell performance.

• Pressure
• Gas pressures are typically monitored at the fuel inlets and outlets using pressure
transducers to determine the amount of pressure drop that occurred within the fuel
cell stack. Increasing the fuel cell pressure may improve cell performance, but the
system should be studied to determine how this will affect the other fuel cell
parameters and whether the system design is optimal for increased pressures.
5.5.3 Parameters that influence characteristics curve
• Flow Rate
• Flow rates can be monitored using mass flow controllers. The fuel cell performance can be studied
using by maintaining the same flow rate, and ramping the flow rates up or down and recording the
resulting fuel cell parameters.

• Compression Force
• For most bipolar fuel cell stack configurations, there is an optimal compression force that helps the
fuel cell achieve the best performance. Cells with low compression forces can suffer from increased
ohmic loss, while cells that have high compression forces can suffer from pressure or concentration
losses.

Conclusion
Fuel cell characterization techniques allow comparison of almost every characteristic of every part of the
fuel cell stack. Selecting the best characterization technique, or using a combination of them, will provide
you information about why the fuel cell is performing well or poorly. These techniques help discriminate
between activation, ohmic and concentration losses, fuel crossover, defective materials as well as many
other properties.
5.6.1 Fuel cell in remote traffic light
• Freedom Power Traffic Signal Platform (TSP)
• In the summer of 2017, Alexandria, Virginia, became the first East Coast city to use a hydrogen fuel
cell as a backup power source for traffic lights.
• According to the city government, the pilot was spurred by fuel cell technology’s cost savings,
reliability and reduced maintenance compared to traditional battery backup systems. City leaders
plan to expand the pilot to additional intersections in the coming years, as fuel cell costs continue to
decrease.
• Just like traffic signals ensure safe passage on roadways, signaling and switching equipment helps
keep train railways remain safe and efficient.
• Fuel cells help protect this vital infrastructure during grid outages by providing clean, resilient, and
efficient power for rail sensor equipment and railroad telecommunications networks.
5.6.2 Fuel cell car
• Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)
• As of 2017, about 6500 FCEVs have been leased or sold worldwide.
• Fuel cell electric vehicles feature an average range of 314 miles
between refuelings. They can be refueled in less than 5 minutes.
• The U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technology Program
states that, as of 2011, fuel cells achieved 53–59% efficiency at
one-quarter power and 42–53% vehicle efficiency at full power,
and a durability of over 120,000 km (75,000 mi) with less than 10%
degradation.