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Fuel Cells: Done By: Arvind S

This document provides an overview of different types of fuel cells, including their basic components and chemical reactions. It discusses alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, proton exchange membrane (PEM), and solid oxide fuel cells. For each type, it describes the electrolyte material, operating temperatures, electrode reactions, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. Overall, the document serves to introduce the different fuel cell technologies and how they generate electricity through electrochemical reactions using hydrogen and oxygen.

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Joy
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94 views

Fuel Cells: Done By: Arvind S

This document provides an overview of different types of fuel cells, including their basic components and chemical reactions. It discusses alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, proton exchange membrane (PEM), and solid oxide fuel cells. For each type, it describes the electrolyte material, operating temperatures, electrode reactions, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. Overall, the document serves to introduce the different fuel cell technologies and how they generate electricity through electrochemical reactions using hydrogen and oxygen.

Uploaded by

Joy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FUEL CELLS

DONE BY:
ARVIND S

AN INTRODUCTION TO FUEL CELLS


A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a

chemical reaction.
Each fuel cell has two electrodes, namely the anode(+) and
the cathode(-), and an electrolyte.
Hydrogen is the main component but they also need oxygen,
which is supplied by oxidants. They cause very little
pollution as its by-product, in most cases, is just water.
Each fuel cell produces a small amount of DC current(An
average emf of 1.66V) but when stacked together, they can
produce a large potential difference.

How fuel cells work:


There are many kinds of fuel cells but in general hydrogen enters at
the anode where it loses electrons and becomes ions. It combines with
oxygen at the cathode producing water, and generating DC current.

Types of fuel cells:


They can be broadly classified as:
Alkali
Molten carbonate
Phosphoric
PEM
Solid oxide

Alkali fuel cells:


They work on compressed hydrogen and

oxygen in presence of KOH(conc.) as the


electrolyte.
The cell reactions are :
AT ANODE: 2H + 4OH 4HO + 4
The electrons flow through the circuit and reach the
cathode.
AT CATHODE:O + 2HO + 4 4OH
Overall reaction: 2H + O 2HO

This is a typical alkaline


fuel cell where the
hydrogen is oxidized and
electrons flow through
the load and combine
with oxygen in presence
of water to form
hydroxyl ions, which
flows back to form
water.

Advantages and Disadvantages:


Advantages:
Their efficiency can reach up to 70%
They cause very little pollution. Hence they are
environment friendly.
They also produce potable water as a by-product.
Disadvantages:
They require very pure hydrogen. Its not always
possible to get very pure hydrogen and thus some
impurities interfere in the cell reaction.
They also require pure platinum electrodes, making
them costly.

Applications of alkaline fuel cells


They have been chosen to power space shuttles as

they can be engineered to produce good efficiencies.


They also produce water which can be used as a
coolant and also for drinking.
NASA has been employing these fuel cells, including
the Apollo missions as well.

Molten Carbonate fuel


cells
The molten salt conducts
carbonate ions from the cathode
to the anode. At the anode,
hydrogen reacts with the ions to
produce water, carbon dioxide,
and electrons. The electrons
travel through an external circuit
and return to the cathode.
There, oxygen from air and
carbon dioxide recycled from the
anode react with the electrons
to form CO3 ions that replenish
the electrolyte and transfer
current through the fuel cell.

In these types the electrolyte is a carbonate salt. They are

operated at temperatures >650C


The anode is made up of Ni and the cathode is made of
NiO.
The reactions are:
Anode: 2H + 2CO 2HO + 2CO + 4
Cathode: O + 2CO + 4 2CO
Overall reaction:2H + O 2HO

Advantages and disadvantages:


Advantages:
They operate at high temperatures which makes their
reaction quotient high and thus fast.
CO poisoning can be reduced.
They can also operate on a variety of fuels as they can be
extracted by a reformer(internally or externally).
Disadvantages:
Liquid electrolytes are to be used instead of solid
electrolytes.
Carbon dioxide has to be injected for the reaction to proceed.
There are cases where the metallic parts gets corroded due
to the high temperatures involved.

Applications :
Since these fuel cells operate at high

temperatures they can be used in stationary


power plants.
They can also be employed to power space
shuttles.

Phosphoric acid fuel cell


Phosphoric acid fuel cells use
phosphoric acid as the
electrolyte. Hydrogen atoms
are oxidized(anode) and the
electrons flow through the
external circuit and
recombines the the cathode to
form water.

It operates at a range of 100 to 200 C.


Some noble metal catalyst has to be used,

like Pt.
The cell reactions are:
Anode: 2H 4H + 4
Cathode : O + 4H + 4 2HO
Overall Reaction: 2H + O 2HO

Advantages and disadvantages:


Advantages:
Commercially available.
Lenient to fuels.
Uses heat for co-generation.
Disadvantages:
Can get corroded easily due to the strong acidic conditions.
Expensive catalyst
Limited service life.

Applications
They have been used in generators to

produce output in the range of 100 to 400 kW.


They have also made their way into the
automotive industry to run buses and other
public transport.

Proton Exchange Membrane(PEM)


In this type of fuel
cell, a polymer
membrane selective
to Hydrogen ions is
used.
The ionized hydrogen
diffuses through and
the electrons return
from the external
circuit. There it
combines with
oxygen forming
water.

The reactions are:

Anode: 2H 4H + 4
Cathode: O + 4H + 4 2HO
Overall reaction: 2H + O 2HO
Each individual fuel cell of this type produces about 1.3V
emf.

Advantages and disadvantages:


Advantages:
Compact design
Longer operating life
Functions at lower temperatures.
Disadvantages:
Costly
Pure hydrogen required
Complex heat and water management.

Applications:
The applications of these are :
Usage in automobiles
Medium and large scale portable power
generation.
Small scale portable power generation.

Solid oxide fuel cell:


These use a hard
ceramic electrolyte, i.e.
zirconium
oxide and calcium
oxide. At the high
operating
temperatures, oxygen
ions travel through the
lattice and oxidize the
fuel at the anode. The
electrons travel through
the external circuit to
the cathode.

The reactions occurring are:

Anode: 2H + 2O HO + 2
Cathode: O + 2 2O
Overall reaction: 2H + O 2HO
They operate at 1000C and the fuel can directly
oxidized.

Advantages and disadvantages:


Advantages:
Lenient to fuels.
No reformer needed.
Can take in natural gas directly
60% efficiency.
Disadvantages:
High temperature
Oxidation issues
Lower specific power.

Applications:
Medium to large scale power generation
They can be used as auxiliary power units for

automobiles.
Portable power generation and biogas
conversion
Used in the production of synthetic fuel
production.

Benefits of using
Fuel Cells
Low-to-Zero Emissions
High Efficiency
Fuel Flexibility

Lightweight and Long Lasting


A fuel cell operating on pure hydrogen emits zero

emissions at the source.


Some stationary fuel cells use natural gas or
hydrocarbons as a hydrogen feedstock, but even these
systems produce far fewer emissions.

High Efficiency
Because fuel cells create energy

electrochemically, and do not burn fuel, they


are fundamentally more efficient than
combustion systems.
Fuel cell systems today achieve 40-50 percent
fuel-to-electricity efficiency using hydrocarbon
fuels such as natural gas.

Fuel Flexibility
Most fuel cells run on hydrogen and all will continue to

generate power as long as fuel is supplied. The source


of the hydrogen does not matter in most fuel cells.

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