HOME FUEL CELL

PRESENTED BY-SAMPURNANAND MISHRA

What is a fuel cell?
• A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into
electricity through a chemical reaction of positively charged hydrogen ions
with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.
• Fuel cells can produce electricity continuously for as long as these inputs
are supplied.
Fig. A block
diagram of a
fuel cell
• They are made up of three adjacent segments:
(1) Anode,
(2) Electrolyte,
(3) Cathode.
• Two chemical reactions occur at the interfaces of the three different
segments.
• The net result of the two reactions is that fuel is consumed, water or
carbon dioxide is created, and an electric current is created, which can be
used to power electrical devices, normally referred to as the load
The most important design features in a fuel cell are:

• The electrolyte substance usually defines the type of fuel cell.

• The fuel that is used. The most common fuel is hydrogen.
• The anode catalyst breaks down the fuel into electrons and ions. The
anode catalyst is usually made up of very fine platinum powder.
• The cathode catalyst turns the ions into the waste chemicals like water or
carbon dioxide. The cathode catalyst is often made up of nickel but it can
also be a nanomaterial-based catalyst.
How fuel cell works?
A typical fuel cell produces a voltage from 0.6 V to 0.7 V at full rated
load. Voltage decreases as current increases, due to several factors:
• Activation loss
• Ohmic loss (voltage drop due to resistance of the cell components and
interconnections)
• Mass transport loss (depletion of reactants at catalyst sites under high
loads, causing rapid loss of voltage)
• To deliver the desired amount of energy, the fuel cells can be combined in
(1) Series to yield higher voltage,
(2) Parallel to allow a higher current to be supplied.
• Such a design is called a fuel cell stack. The cell surface area can also be
increased, to allow higher current from each cell.
• Within the stack, reactant gases must be distributed uniformly over each
of the cells to maximize the power output.
Efficiency of fuel cell:

• In the case of fuel cells, useful output energy is measured in electrical

energy produced by the system. Input energy is the energy stored in the
fuel.
• The typical internal combustion engine of a car is about 25% energy
efficient.
• In combined heat and power (CHP) systems, the heat produced by the fuel
cell is captured and put to use, increasing the efficiency of the system to up
to 85–90%.
Applications of Fuel Cell:

• Power Generation
• Cogeneration
• Portable power systems
• Providing power for base stations or cell sites
And many others.
HOME FUEL CELL
• A home fuel cell is a residential-scaled energy system based on fuel cell
technology. It’s one of the available technologies for micro combined heat
and power (microCHP) or microgeneration.
• A home fuel cell increases efficiency by simultaneously generating power
and heat from one unit to be used on-site within a home, thus eliminating
heat loss and transmission loss.
Hydrogen Supply:
First off, you will need a supply of Hydrogen to fuel your Fuel Cell.

Depending on your goal, you can get this in several different ways:
(1) Delivered hydrogen (e.g. tube trailers, cylinders, etc),
(2) On-site generated (e.g. electrolyzer)
(3) Reformed.
Hydrogen Storage:

• Once you have your hydrogen, you often will want to store it.
• How much hydrogen you want to store will depend on how much power
you need (and the hydrogen consumption rate at that power) and how
long you need that power.
Specifics of Fuel Cell:
• High initial capital costs – As of December 2012, Panasonic and Tokyo Gas
Co., Ltd. sold about 21,000 PEM Ene-Farm units in Japan for a price of
$22,600 before installation.
• Startup time – PEMFC fuel cell mCHP operates at low temperature (50 to
100 °C) and needs high purity hydrogen, it is prone to contamination,
changes are made to operate at higher temperatures and improvements
on the fuel reformer. SOFC fuel cell mCHP operates at a high temperature
(500 to 1,000 °CP) and can handle different energy sources well but the
high temperature requires expensive materials to handle the temperature,
changes are made to operate at a lower temperature. Because of the
higher temperature, SOFC in general has a longer start-up time.
• Lifetime – Around 60,000 hours. For PEM fuel cell units, which shut down
at night, this equates to an estimated lifetime of between ten and fifteen
years.
Uses:
• Most home fuel cells fit either inside a mechanical room or outside a home
or business, and can be discreetly sited to fit within a building's design.
The system operates like a furnace, water heater, and electricity
provider—all in one compact unit.
• Deploying the system's heat energy efficiently to a home or business' hot
water applications displaces the electricity or gas otherwise burned to
create that heat, which further reduces overall energy bills.
• Since it is in general not possible for a fuel cell to produce at all times
exactly the needed amount of both electricity and heat, home fuel cells are
typically not standalone installations. Instead they may rely on the grid
when the electricity production is above or below what is needed.
Additionally, a home fuel cell may be combined with a traditional furnace
that produces only heat.
Type of usage:
• Integrated with Grid
• Off-Grid
Connecting to your home:

• The connection can be done with grid-tie or off grid standalone system.
• The Grid-tie systems are more expensive as compared to off-grid system.
Installation:
• Built to fit in either an interior mechanical room or outside—running
quietly in the background 24/7.
• Connected to the utility grid through the home's main service panel and
using net metering, the home fuel cells easily integrate with existing
electrical and hydronic systems and are compliant with utility
interconnection requirements.
• In the event of grid interruption the system automatically switches to
operate in a grid-independent mode to provide continuous backup power
for dedicated circuits in the home while the grid is down.
• It can also be modified to run off-the-grid, if desired.
Fig. Types of installations
Cost:
• Most home fuel cells are comparable to residential solar energy
photovoltaic systems on a dollar per watt-installed basis.
• Some natural gas driven home fuel cells can generate eight times more
energy per year than the same size solar installation, even in the best solar
locations.
Environmental Impact:
• Home fuel cell generates electricity and heat that are both used on site,
theoretical efficiency approaches 100%.
• The optimum efficiency of home fuels cell has caused some countries such
as Germany to economically support their installation as part of a policy
reacting to climate change.
Incentives:
• In the home fuel cells are eligible for substantial incentives and rebates at
both the state and federal levels as a part of renewable energy policy.
• In addition, home fuel cells receive net metering credit in many service
areas for any excess electricity generated, but not used, by putting it back
on the utility grid.
• The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE)
provides comprehensive information on state, local, utility, and federal
incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
• In California in particular, utilities charge higher per kWh rates as energy
consumption rises above established baselines – with the top tier set at
the highest rates to discourage consumption at those levels. Home fuel
cells reduce customer exposure to the top tier rates, saving homeowners
as much as 45% in reduced annual energy costs.
Current installations:
• Twenty companies have installed Bloom Energy fuel cells in their
buildings, including Google, eBay, and FedEx. The eBay CEO said to 60
Minutes, that they have saved $100,000 in electricity bills in the 9 months
they have been installed.
• Oregon-based Clear Edge Power has installations of its 5 kW system at the
home of Jackie Autry, Bay Area Wealth Manager Bruce Raabe and VC
investor Gary Dillabough.
• Update – ClearEdge Power went out of business in 2014 and no longer
supports any of the 5kW units in the field.
• Delta-ee consultants stated in 2013 that with 64% of global sales the fuel
cell micro-combined heat and power passed the conventional systems in
sales in 2012.
Market Status:
• Home fuel cells is a new market and represents a fundamental shift in the
sourcing of energy.
• An individual home fuel cell system installed in a US home becomes a part
of the bigger picture of U.S. energy independence
• An ultimate benefit of home fuel cells will be to eventually create
networks of micro-CHP systems distributed throughout communities and
business parks.
• Putting a home fuel cell system into homes has the potential to get people
off-the-grid, play a significant role in energy efficiency, and reduce US
dependence on foreign energy imports.
!! Thank You !!