MAKING BASIC FUEL

CELL
OCTOBER -16-2020

ASHIM JOSHI

INTERN RESEARCH ASSISTANT

TURBINE TESTING LAB

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ASHIMJOSHI.COM.NP
 OBJECTIVES

• TO DEMONSTRATE THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY ELECTROLYSIS

• TO DEMONSTRATE THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY BY REVERSE ELECTROLYSIS
 PRINCIPLE

• WHEN ELECTRICITY IS PASSED THROUGH Wikimedia.org

A FLUID, IONIC COMPOUNDS GET

DECOMPOSED INTO THEIR ELEMENTS (IN
OUR CADE FLUID IS WATER AND
DECOMPOSED TO HYDROGEN AND
OXYGEN)
• GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY USING
REVERSE ELECTROLYSIS
Half cell reactions:

Anode half reaction :

Cathode half reaction :

At anode hydrogen splits into proton and electron, the electrons travel through external
circuit creating an electrical current and combines with positive hydrogen ion and oxygen
at cathode forming water.
 FUEL CELL THERMODYNAMICS
Enthalpies, entropies and Gibbs free energy of H2/O2 fuel cell reaction in (kJ/mol.K) and the resulting
theoretical cell potential at 25°C.

=- i

ii

iii

L. Khotseng, “Fuel Cell Thermodynamics,” Thermodynamics and Energy Engineering, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.5772/intechopen.90141.
 DIRECTION OF REACTION

• IF E IS GREATER THAN ZERO, THEN ∆G° IS LESS THAN ZERO THE REACTION IS
SPONTANEOUS AND WILL PROCEED FORWARD IF CONNECTED TO A CIRCUIT,
CURRENT CAN BE GENERATED

• • IF E IS LESS THAN ZERO, THEN ∆G° IS GREATER THAN ZERO THE REACTION
WON’T PROCEED SPONTANEOUSLY
 FUEL CELL EFFICIENCY

ASSUMING THAT ALL OF THE GIBBS FREE ENERGY CAN BE CONVERTED INTO ELECTRICAL
ENERGY (THE REACTION IS REVERSIBLE), THE MAXIMUM THEORETICAL EFFICIENCY OF A
FUEL CELL IS :

M. Pavelka and F. Maršík, “Detailed thermodynamic analysis of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell efficiency,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 38, no.
17, pp. 7102–7113, Jun. 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.03.149.
 LOSSES
DUE TO THERMODYNAMIC AND ELECTROCHEMICAL LOSSES, THE EXPECTED FUEL EFFICIENCY IS NOT
ACHIEVED .

• ACTIVATION OVERPOTENTIAL IS RELATED TO THE CHARGE TRANSFER PROCESSES OCCURRING

DURING THE ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS ON ELECTRODE SURFACES. THE LOSSES ARE CAUSED
BY THE SLOWNESS OF THE REACTIONS TAKING PLACE ON THE SURFACE OF THE ELECTRODES

• OHMIC OVERPOTENTIAL IS RELATED TO THE RESISTANCE OF ELECTROLYTE

• CONCENTRATION OVERPOTENTIAL OCCURS DUE TO A DECREASE IN THE CONCENTRATION OF THE

REACTANTS AT THE ELECTRODE-ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE, REDUCES TERMINAL VOLTAGE
SIGNIFICANTLY

THEREFORE,

Fuelcellstore.com

A. Kalathil, A. Raghavan, and B. Kandasubramanian, “Polymer Fuel Cell Based on Polybenzimidazole Membrane: A Review,” Polymer-Plastics Technology and Materials, vol. 58, no. 5,
pp. 465–497, Mar. 2019, doi: 10.1080/03602559.2018.1482919.
 MASS PRODUCED
FARADAY’S FIRST LAW OF ELECTROLYSIS STATES THAT THE CHEMICAL DEPOSITION DUE TO THE
FLOW OF CURRENT THROUGH AN ELECTROLYTE IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE QUANTITY OF
ELECTRICITY (COULOMBS) PASSED THROUGH IT.
I.E. MASS OF CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION:

IN OUR CASE:
 NERNST EQUATION

USING THE NERNST EQUATION, CELL POTENTIAL CAN BE DETERMINED, FOR OUR
CASE MAXIMUM CELL POTENTIAL
(= 1.18V

BUT DUE TO LOSSES WE USUALLY GET POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IN THE RANGE OF

AROUND
0.6V -1 V
 TESTING AND OBSERVATION

• BEAKER
• 9 V BATTERY 6F22
• BATTERY CLIPS
• CARBON ELECTRODES
• VOLTMETER
Rapid drop in
cell potential
 CONCLUSION
• SIMPLE WORKING FUEL CELL CAN BE MADE AT HOME WITH BASIC EQUIPMENT
• PERFORMANCE OF FUEL CELL CAN BE DESCRIBED BY THE THERMODYNAMIC
PROPERTIES
• FUEL CELL GIVES POTENTIAL IN THE RANGE OF 0.6V -1 V THAT’S WHY FUEL CELL
STACKS ARE MADE
• EFFICIENCY OF FUEL CELL CAN BE INCREASED BY DECREASING OPERATING
TEMPERATURE
• AND WITH CHOICE OF SUITABLE ELECTRODES AND CATALYST LIKE PLATINUM
Thank You!
THANK YOU