• HYDEROGEN FUEL AND FUEL CELLS
  • TYPES OF FUEL CELLS

UNIT 3 – RESOURCES AND ITS UTILIZATION – PART 19

HYDROGEN FUEL AND FUEL CELLS

Hydrogen is universally accepted as a best preferred alternative to fossil fuels because of its cleaner nature with no greenhouse emissions and being projected as a potential energy carrier of the future.

The richest source of hydrogen is water. The fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas, coal and biomass are also used as major sources for hydrogen. It is Renewable Energy Resource, environmentally safe, and can be directly utilized for different types of fuel cells, in Portable Electronics, Power Plants and in specially designed internal combustion engines.

The Hydrogen and Oxygen are the main fuel and oxidant for most of the fuel cells.

FUEL CELL

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device which converts the hydrogen and oxygen into water with electricity production. The current that produced in a fuel cell is DC (direct current). Hydrogen based fuel cells are the most common.

TYPES OF FUEL CELLS

There are different types of fuel cells, and their applications range from powering a laptop computer (few watts) to Utility Power Plants (few megawatts). The different types of fuel cells based on their operating type and the type of electrolyte they use include

  • POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL (PEMFC) is a low-temperature fuel cell being developed for transportation and other portable applications
  • PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL (PAFC)- operates at 200 °C and is suited for stationary applications.
  • MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL (MCFC)
  • SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL (SOFC)
  • ALKALINE FUEL CELL (AFC)
  • MICROBIAL FUEL CELL (MFC) – The fuel cell that generates electricity with the help of microbes is known as microbial fuel cell or MFC.

The biochemical energy produced during metabolism of organic substrates is converted to electric energy.

BENEFITS OF FUEL CELLS

  1. Direct energy conversion
  2. High electricity generation potential
  3. Less pollution
  4. Scalability
  5. Carbon sequestration
  6. Reduced dependence on imports of oil

 

 

Fuel-cell R&D in India

 

In India, development of fuel cells is primarily supported by the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources). Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd is involved in the development of PAFCs and plans to develop a 50-kW stack. TERI has in the past demonstrated the use of digester gas (biogas) for generating electricity from a 2.5-kW PAFC stack imported from ERC (Energy Research Corporation). Work on an MCFC stack is underway at TERI and the Central Electrochemical Research Institute. Work on developing a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) is underway at IISc (Indian Institute of Science). In addition, research on SOFC is being done at IISc and CGCRI (Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute). Research and development on metal hydride storage is ongoing at BHU.

 

WAY FORWARD

Conclusion – The high efficiency and the lack of emissions Make hydrogen as an alternate fuel and as a fuel in Fuel cells.

 

The Emerging Hydrogen Production Technologies may provide low-cost clean hydrogen in the future for automobiles and power generations and provide a sustainable energy source for the future.

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