TOPIC: PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL

MEHMET AKYOL 0717584 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICALELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

CONTENTS.
Basic Elements in a PEMFC

How PEM Fuel Cell Works

How PEM FC SYSTEM works

PEM FUEL CELL Applications

The Current PEM Market

What is Fuel Cell shortly?

A Fuel Cell is an electrochemical device that

combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its by-product.

What is Fuel Cell?

It operates similarly to a battery, but it does not

run down nor does it require recharging As long as fuel is supplied, a Fuel Cell will produce both energy and heat At below, This is the basic equation for PEM fuel cell

History of PEM Fuel Cell

PEM technology was invented at General Electric
1960 through the work of Thomas Grubb and Leonard Niedrach. GE developed a small fuel cell for a program with the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Ships (Electronics Division) and mid-1960s the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The unit was fueled by hydrogen generated by mixing water and lithium hydride. GE developed PEM water electrolysis technologymid-1970s for undersea life support, leading to the US Navy Oxygen Generating Plant. 1980s The British Royal Navy adopted this technology in early 1980s for their submarine fleet. 1990s Los Alamos National Lab and Texas A&M University

Different Types of Fuel Cell

PAFC - uses phosphoric acid as the electrolyte.

(Phosphoric Acid) (MCFC) uses high-temperature compounds of salt (like sodium or magnesium) carbonates (chemically, CO3) as the electrolyte. (Molten Carbonate) (AFC) operates on compressed hydrogen and oxygen. They generally use a solution of potassium hydroxide (chemically, KOH) in water as their electrolyte. (Alkali) (PEM) works with a polymer electrolyte in the form of a thin, permeable sheet. (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane )

What is PEM Fuel Cell?

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane FC: - consists of

an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode (negative electrode) and a cathode (positive electrode). Description: a thin, solid, organic compound, typically the consistency of plastic wrap and about as thick as 2 to 7 sheets of paper. This membrane functions as an electrolyte: allows the solution to conduct electricity . Concept: PEM fuel cells work with a polymer electrolyte in the form of a thin, permeable sheet and allow hydrogen protons to pass through but prohibit the passage of electrons and heavier

How does a PEM Fuel Cell work?

A PEM Fuel Cell consists of two catalyst coated

electrodes surrounding an electrolyte. One electrode is an anode and the other is a cathode. The process begins when Hydrogen molecules enter the anode. The catalyst coating separates hydrogens negatively charged electrons from the positively charged protons. The electrolyte allows the protons to pass through to the cathode, but not the electrons.

How does a PEM Fuel Cell work?

Instead the electrons are directed through an

external circuit which creates electrical current.

While the electrons pass through the external

circuit, oxygen molecules pass through the cathode.

There the oxygen and the protons combine with

the electrons after they have passed through the external circuit.

How does a PEM Fuel Cell work?

When the oxygen and the protons combine with

the electrons it produces water and heat.

Individual fuel cells can then be placed in a series

to form a fuel cell stack.

The stack can be used in a system to power a

vehicle or to provide stationary power to a building.

Basic Structure of PEM Fuel Cell

Components of PEM Fuel Cell

Electrolyte: Anode: Cathode:

Catalyst:
Gas Diffisuion layer: Bipolar plates:

Electrolyte
This specially treated material, which looks

something like ordinary kitchen plastic wrap, only conducts positively charged ions. In PEMFC, the electrolyte acts as a separating layer that separates proton and electron. It acts as a barrier for other gases and electrons to enter the compartments of fuel cell. Electrolyte is polymer membrane in PEM Fuel Cell.

Anode
It is the medium through which the electric current

leaves or enters. It can be a solid or electrolytic solution or even a gas. Anode is the place where oxidation occurs. It conducts the electrons that are freed from the hydrogen molecules so that they can be used in an external circuit. It has channels etched into it that disperse the hydrogen gas equally over the surface of the catalyst.

Cathode
Cathode conducts the electrons back from the

external circuit to the catalyst, where they can recombine with the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water Cathode is the place where reduction occurs. it has channels etched into it that distribute the oxygen to the surface of the catalyst.

Catalyst
It is the chemical used to increase the rate of

reaction by decreasing the energy of activation. This can be recovered chemically unchanged after the reaction. It is usually made of platinum powder very thinly coated onto carbon paper or cloth. The catalyst is rough and porous so that the maximum surface area of the platinum can be exposed to the hydrogen or oxygen. The platinum-coated side of the catalyst faces the PEM.

Reactions in the Catalyst

+HEAT

Gas Diffisuion layer

A layer between the catalyst layer and bipolar

plates is called a gas diffusion layer, electrode substrate, or diffusor/current collector.

It provides a pathway for reactant gases from the

flow field channels to the catalyst layer, allowing them access to the entire active area. It electrically connects the catalyst layer to the bipolar plate, allowing the electrons to complete the electrical circuit

It provides a pathway for product water from the catalyst layer to the flow field channels.

Bipolar plates
Bipolar plates are no require in single fuel cell

systems. But its major mission is distirubiting the oxygen that comes from air and hyrogen that comes as a fuel, equally.

Fuel Cell Stack

Electrical Spec. For Fuel Cell

Theoretically the maximum voltage that this

reaction can generate is 1.2V. However, in practice the cell usually generates about 0.5V to 0.8 V and about 0.6W cm-2 of power.

Electrical Spec. For Fuel Cell

PEM Fuel Cell from Real Life

Disadvantages of PEM Fuel Cell

System Size:

The size and weight of current fuel cell systems must be reduced to attain market acceptance, especially with automobiles.

Cost and Maintenance Cost

Disadvantages of PEM Fuel Cell

Durability and Reliability Produce Direct Current

Advantages of PEM Fuel Cell

Efficiency:

The gasoline engine in a conventional car is less than 20% efficient in converting the chemical energy in gasoline into power. Additionally when the heat comes off of the fuel cell system it can be captured for beneficial purposes. This is called Cogeneration.

Advantages of PEM Fuel Cell

Environmental Benefits:

Fuels cells can reduce air pollution today and offer the possibility of eliminating pollution in the future. No noise, No air pollution, No vibration.
Alternative for Batteries

Applications of PEM Fuel Cell

Stationary Power Residential Power Transportation Landfills and Waste Water Treatment

Example
Max Power 68kW Voltage 250-450kW H2 Tank Storage type Compressed Hydrogen Pressure 35MPa Motor Output 45/65kW(Rating/Max) Battery Type Nickel-hydrogen Output 15/20kW (rating/max) Capacity 1.4kWh

Mehmet AKYOL 0717584