Installation Plan of a Fuel Cell Microgrid System Optimized by Maximizing Power Generation Efficiency

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin’ya Obara ◽  
Itaru Tanno
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Generation Efficiency ◽  
Partial Load ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Cooperation System

If energy-supplying microgrids can be arranged to operate with maximal efficiency, this will have a significant influence on the generation efficiency of the grid and will reduce greenhouse gas production. A means of optimizing the microgrid needs to be developed. Moreover, microgrids that use proton exchange membrane-type fuel cells (PEM-FCs) may significantly reduce the environmental impact when compared with traditional power plants. The amount of power supplied to the grid divided by the heating value of the fuel is defined as the system generation efficiency. The authors find that when a set of PEM-FCs and a natural gas reformer are connected to the microgrid in an urban area, the annual generation efficiency of the system slightly exceeds 20%. When a PEM-FC follows the electricity demand pattern of a house, it operates at a partial load most of the time, resulting in a low efficiency of the microgrid. A method of improving the generation efficiency of a fuel cell microgrid is proposed, where a supply system of power and heat with a high energy efficiency are constructed. In this paper, a method of installing two or more microgrids is proposed (known as the partition cooperation system). The grids can be connected in an urban area to maximize generation efficiency. Numerical analysis shows that the system proposed in this paper (which has an annual generation efficiency of 24.6–27.6%) has a higher generation efficiency than conventional PEM-FC systems (central generating systems have annual generation efficiencies of 20.6–24.8%).

The development of a highly durable Fe-N-C electrocatalyst with favorable CNT structures for the oxygen reduction in PEMFCs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Shuiyun Shen ◽  
Ziwen Ren ◽  
Silei Xiang ◽  
Shiqu Chen ◽  
Zehao Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Metal Organic Framework ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Rotating Disk Electrode ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Pt Catalyst ◽  
Highly Active

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a crucial route for energy saving, emission reduction and the development of new energy vehicles because of its high power density, high energy density as well as the low operating temperature which corresponds to fast starting and power matching. However, the rare and expensive Pt resource greatly hinders the mass production of fuel cell, and the development of highly active and durable non-precious metal catalysts toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the cathode is considered to be the ultimate solution. In this article, a highly active and durable Fe-N-C catalyst was facilely derived from metal organic framework materials (MOFs), and a favorable structure of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were formed, which accounts for a desired good durability. The as-optimized catalyst has a half-wave potential of 0.84V for the ORR, which is comparable to that of commercial Pt/C. More attractively, it has good stabilities both in rotating disk electrode and single cell tests, which provides a large practical application potential in the replacement of Pt catalyst as the ORR electrocatalyst in fuel cells.

scholarly journals Electrochemical Performance Improvement of the Catalyst of the Methanol Micro-Fuel Cell Using Carbon Nanotubes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Kazemi Nasrabadi ◽  
Amir Ebrahimi-Moghadam ◽  
Mohammad Hosein Ahmadi ◽  
Ravinder Kumar ◽  
Narjes Nabipour
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Oxidation Reaction ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Methanol Oxidation Reaction

Due to low working temperature, high energy density and low pollution, proton exchange fuel cells have been investigated under different operating conditions in different applications. Using platinum catalysts in methanol fuel cells leads to increasing the cost of this kind of fuel cell which is considered as a barrier to the commercialism of this technology. For this reason, a lot of efforts have been made to reduce the loading of the catalyst required on different supports. In this study, carbon black (CB) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been used as catalyst supports of the fuel cell as well as using the double-metal combination of platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) as anode electrode catalyst and platinum (Pt) as cathode electrode catalyst. The performance of these two types of electro-catalyst in the oxidation reaction of methanol has been compared based on electrochemical tests. Results showed that the carbon nanotubes increase the performance of the micro-fuel cell by 37% at maximum power density, compared to the carbon black. Based on thee-electrode tests of chronoamperometry and voltammetry, it was found that the oxidation onset potential of methanol for CNT has been around 20% less than CB, leading to the kinetic improvement of the oxidation reaction. The current density of methanol oxidation reaction increased up to 62% in CNT sample compared to CB supported one, therefore the active electrochemical surface area of the catalyst has been increased up to 90% by using CNT compared to CB which shows the significant rise of the electrocatalytic activity in CNT supported catalyst. Moreover, the resistance of the CNT supported sample to poisonous intermediate species has been found 3% more than CB supported one. According to the chronoamperometry test results, it was concluded that the performance and sustainability of the CNT electro-catalyst show remarkable improvement compared to CB electro-catalyst in the long term.

Comparative Analysis of Conventional and Fuel Cell-Based Gas Turbine Power Plants

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Gadalla ◽  
Nabil Al Aid
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Power Cycles ◽  
Technical Management ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Gas Turbine Power Plant

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a complete comparative, energy and 2nd low analyses between different types of fuel cells integrated with a gas turbine power plant. Different levels of modeling for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and the integrated systems are to be presented. The overall system performance is analyzed by employing individual models and further applying energy and exergetic analyses for different configurations of gas turbine power cycles. The study includes applying different proposed methods and techniques to enhance the overall efficiency of the integrated cycle. After performing the complete technical management of the complete system, a comparative study between conventional and PEMFC and SOFC cycles is investigated to highlight the corresponding advantages and disadvantages of each system. The following systems are tested and evaluated: (a) Conventional Gas Turbine System with a combustion Chamber (b) Integrated SOFC Stack into a Gas Turbine System (c) The Proposed Integrated System with both SOFC and PEMFC.

scholarly journals Electrochemical Performance Improvement of the Catalyst of the Methanol Micro-Fuel Cell Using Carbon Nanotubes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habib Forootan Fard ◽  
Mohammad Kazemi nasrabadi ◽  
Amir Ebrahimi-Moghadam ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi ◽  
Ely Salwana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Oxidation Reaction ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Methanol Oxidation Reaction

Due to low working temperature, high energy density and low pollution, proton exchange fuel cells have been investigated under different operating conditions in different applications. Using platinum catalyst in methanol fuel cell leads to increasing the cost of this kind of fuel cells which is considered as a barrier to commercialism of this technology. For this reason, a lot of efforts have been made to reduce the loading of the catalyst required on different supports. In this study, carbon black (CB) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been used as catalyst supports of the fuel cell as well as using the double-metal combination of platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) as anode electrode catalyst and platinum (Pt) as cathode electrode catalyst. The performance of these two types of the electro-catalyst in oxidation reaction of methanol has been compared based on electrochemical tests. Results showed that the carbon nanotubes increase the performance of the micro-fuel cell by 37% at maximum power density, compared to the carbon black. Based on thee-electrode tests of chronoamperometry and voltammetry, it was found that oxidation onset potential of methanol for CNT has been around 20% less than CB, leading to the kinetic improvement of the oxidation reaction. In addition, the active electrochemical surface area of catalyst has been increased up to 90% by using CNT compared to CB which shows the significant rise of the electrocatalytic activity in CNT supported catalyst with 62% increase in current density of methanol oxidation reaction respect to CB supported one. Moreover, the resistance of CNT supported sample to poisonous intermediate species has been found 3% more than CB supported one. According to the chronoamperometry test results, it was concluded that the performance and sustainability of NCT electro-catalyst shows remarkable improvement compared to CB electro-catalyst in long term.

Use of Glass-Fabric/Epoxy End Plates in High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell to Reduce Startup Time

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Seok Kim ◽  
Jeong-Bin Park ◽  
Yun-Mi Kim ◽  
Nam-Il Kim ◽  
Hee-Young Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Glass Fiber ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Epoxy Composite ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Startup Time ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The end plates of fuel cell assemblies are used to support the inner stacks, reduce the contact pressure, and provide sealing between membrane-electrode assemblies. They therefore require sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the tightening pressure. The end plates must be stiff enough to resist large deformations, be light enough to ensure a high energy density, have stable electrochemical properties, and provide adequate electrical insulation. In the past, end plates were made from metals such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel alloys. However, due to large thermal losses and excessive weight, alternative materials are now being considered. This paper focuses on replacing the conventional stainless steel end plates of a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell by those made of a glass-fiber/epoxy composite to decrease the startup time. To achieve this goal, following steps were performed. First, glass-fiber/epoxy composite specimens were fabricated to measure their mechanical properties. Then, a finite element analysis was performed using the measured material properties to confirm that the composite end plates could withstand the load conditions and to estimate the startup time. Finally, glass-fiber/epoxy composite end plates were fabricated, assembled, and tested to compare the startup time and generated voltage with the values obtained using stainless steel end plates.

Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. C. Sequeira ◽  
L. Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
Fuel Cell Stack

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have many advantages among the various types of fuel cells, such as high energy density, low temperature operation, near-zero pollution, and quick starting. Thereby, PEMFCs have been considered as the most promising alternative power sources in the transportation and stationary fields. Among the components of PEMFCs, the bipolar plates are the most representative regarding cost and volume, however, they have relevant functions on the fuel cell stack. There are about 500 bipolar plates in a PEMFC for a typical passenger car and, thus, the commercialization of the fuel cell technology becomes quite challenging. Important key aspects for a successful fuel cell stack are the design and the manufacturing process of the bipolar plate. For efficient mass production, the cycle time of the process is even more important than the material costs. It is, therefore, very important that the used material is appropriate for a fast manufacturing process. Recent developments are overcoming these issues, leading to improvements on the overall fuel cell performance and durability.

scholarly journals Feasible analysis of pulsating heat pipe applied to proton exchange membrane fuel cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 248 ◽  
pp. 01050
Author(s):  
Fumin Shang ◽  
Kangzhe Yang ◽  
Chaoyue Liu ◽  
Qingjing Yang ◽  
Jianhong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pulsating Heat Pipe ◽  
Thermal Management System ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has the advantages of high energy efficiency, clean, pollution-free, fast start-up and noise-free, but its thermal management problems still restrict the development and practical application of PEMFC. This paper analyzes the important influence of heat management on the working performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell, and summarizes the structure principle and effect evaluation of thermal management system using heat pipe under the premise of simply summarizing the shortcomings of the thermal management system using conventional cooling method. By expounding the working principle and characteristics of pulsating heat pipe, and from the perspective of PEMFC internal structure and technology, the feasibility of applying pulsating heat pipe to PEMFC thermal management system is analyzed, with a view to developing pulsating heat pipe-type PEMFC thermal management technology with compact structure and excellent performance.

Regenerative PEM Fuel Cell Systems for Low Earth Orbit Satellites

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Savin ◽  
Dacong Weng ◽  
Tim Rehg
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Space Applications

Abstract Thanks to recent considerable progress in proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology, fuel cells and electrolyzers are on the verge of widespread commercialization. When a fuel cell and an electrolyzer are combined, a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system is formed. By using an auxiliary power supply, such as solar power, for recharging, an RFC provides a complete power system for niche markets such as low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. The thermodynamics of RFC systems are presented, and design tradeoffs are investigated: a unitized system, where the fuel cell and the electrolyzer are combined into a single electrochemical device, is compared to a discrete system, where the fuel cell and the electrolyzer are discrete components. The analyses show that the RFC is well suited for LEO space applications, due to an appropriate charge/discharge cycle, and represents a high-energy-density, high-efficiency power solution.

Installation Plan of a Fuel Cell Cogeneration System

2014 ◽  
pp. 103-135
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Water Electrolysis ◽  
Cell Network ◽  
System A ◽  
Partial Load ◽  
Exhaust Heat ◽  
Cogeneration System ◽  
Cell Energy ◽  
Residential Cogeneration

This chapter consists of two sections, ‘Installation Plan of a Fuel Cell Microgrid System Optimized by Maximizing Power Generation Efficiency’ and ‘Fuel Cell Network with Water Electrolysis for Improving Partial Load Efficiency of a Residential Cogeneration System.’ A microgrid that use PEFC may significantly reduce the environmental impact when compared with traditional power plants. The 1st section investigates what occurs when a set of PEFCs and a natural gas reformer are connected to the microgrid in an urban area. In the 2nd section, a fuel cell energy network which connects hydrogen and oxygen gas pipes, electric power lines and exhaust heat output lines of the PEFC cogeneration for individual houses is analyzed.

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