Distributed Energy Resources: DER Basics - Fuel Cells fuel cells. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion devicethat converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat. http://www.eren.doe.gov/der/fuel_cells.html
Extractions: Search The first working fuel cell was produced by Sir William Grove in 1842. The technology advanced slowly over the years but took a giant leap in the 1960's when General Electric produced the first practical fuel cell application when it provided onboard electrical power for the Gemini and Apollo space capsules. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat. It is very much like a battery that can be recharged while you are drawing power from it. Instead of recharging using electricity, however, a fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes, an anode and a cathode, separated by an electrolyte. Power is produced electrochemically by the passing of ions (charged particles) formed at one end of the electrodes with the aid of catalyst, through the electrolyte. The current produced can be utilized for electricity.
Extractions: The U.S. Department of Energy requests that no alterations be made without permission in any reproduction of this report. Technology for Improving Energy Efficiency While Reducing Environmental Emissions The natural gas fuel cell (NGFC) energy system is a simple, reliable way to improve natural gas utilization and efficiency. This technology converts natural gas into electricity to provide a quiet, clean, and highly efficient on-site electric generating system and thermal energy source that can reduce facility energy service costs by 20% to 40% over conventional energy service. The NGFC utilizes an alternative cogeneration technology for improving natural gas utilization and efficiency. It is an environmentally friendly fossil-fueled energy generator with cleaner emissions than the ambient air in some cities. NGFCs can serve effectively as an on-site energy supply to meet needs for base-load electricity, heat, and hot water, while local electric and natural gas utilities provide for energy demand beyond the NGFC capacity. This Federal Technology Alert About the Technology Federal Sector Potential Application Technology Performance ... Contacts Fig. 1. An NGFC System Installed at the Pittsburgh International Airport
IEA Advanced Fuel Cells Implementing Agreement This International energy Agency program advances the understanding of contracting parties in the field of advanced fuel cells. Participating countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA. http://www.ieafuelcell.com/
Hydrogen Fuel Cells fuel cells can promote energy diversity and a transition to renewable energy sources.Hydrogen the most abundant element on Earth can be used directly. http://www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/hydrogen.htm
Extractions: In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes sandwiched around an electrolyte. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water and heat. A fuel cell produces electricity. The fuel cell is similar to a battery. It produces electricity using chemicals . The chemicals are usually very simple, often just hydrogen and oxygen. In this case the hydrogen is the "fuel" that the fuel cell uses to make electricity. Another very important difference is that fuel cells do not run down like batteries. As long as the fuel and oxygen is supplied to the cell it will keep producing electricty for ever. The oxygen needed by a fuel cell is usually simply obtained from air.
H-tec Hydrogen Energy Systems Manufacturers of fuel cells and solar hydrogen systems for education and demonstration. Many PDF files describing the company and its products. German based, site in English. http://www.h-tec.com/
Technology Review Fuel Cells Vs. The Grid fuel cells, which electrochemically wring energy out of hydrogen, are as quiet, cleanand mechanically simple as a battery but as easy to refuel as an internal http://www.techreview.com/articles/freedman0102.asp
Extractions: For an electric-power generating station, Mohegan-2 cuts a singularly unimpressive figure. There are no cooling towers raking the sky, no forest of transmission towers, no vast turbines, no giant paddles revolving in mighty rivers. Basically, it looks like a very tall dumpster. But when it is installed as a backup generator at the Connecticut casino Mohegan Sun, after which it is named, the gently humming Mohegan-2 will turn in a performance that any conventional generating plant would be hard pressed to match: it will derive energy from fuel without burning it, turning out 200 kilowatts of electricity, usable heat, and water of a purity that no mountain spring could match while only producing a modest amount of carbon dioxide. Most impressive of all, over time it very well may be able to do all this almost as cheaply asand more reliably thanconventional power plants. Not that an upcoming hydrogen dynasty is by any means a sure thing. Besides a host of technical kinks that remain to be ironed out, there are also infrastructure challenges, such as how to make pure hydrogen available to consumers and where to get fuel cells serviced. There are even fundamental questions about the market potential of fuel cellsnamely, will the public be willing to dump familiar technologies in favor of fuel cells that are likely to carry a price premium? Many experts believe it will. After years of really intense research, we dont see any roadblocks that we dont know how to get around to converting our energy systems to fuel cells on a large scale, says Kenneth Stroh, who heads fuel cell research efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. We still have improvements to make, but if we can get them this will be a game-changing event.
Extractions: Fuel Supply, global warming and local pollution levels in large cities are major issues. Growth in the demand for energy will ensure the introduction of the hydrogen economy in the next 100 years. However the precise time scale is uncertain because so much depends on peoples actions. The problem for those of us in fuel cells is to chart a safe passage through these uncertainties and right now (2002) that passage is to develop the static power market. What are Fuel Cells Fuel Cells are devices which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. The process is reversible so that you can convert gas into electricity or electricity into gas and water. The latter is used to provide artificial environments in spacecraft, whilst the former is used in the breathalyser - yes a fuel cell voltage measures the alcohol strength in your breath. Fuel cells are not new. What is new is that we now have the materials and technology to make them cheaply.
Energy Web Directory -- Hydrogen And Fuel Cells Hydrogenics Corporation; HyGen Industries; Hydogen fuel Cell Investor; HyWeb Hydrogen fuel cell energy information; International fuel cells LLC fuel Cell http://www.energy.ca.gov/links/hydrogen.html
Extractions: Organizations, groups, companies or individuals in our links pages are for information only and are not an endorsement by the State of California or the California Energy Commission and its management or staff. For more information, please see our legal page . Please inform us of any incorrect links, or if you would like to be considered for addition to the Index, send e-mail to boba@energy.ca.gov
Home Page Research in fuel cells and sustainable energy systems at the led by Dr. Andrew Dicks, University of Queensland, Australia. http://www.freewebz.com/andrewd
Extractions: Andrew Dicks B.Sc., D.I.S., Ph.D. (Loughborough) , C.Chem., F.R.S.C. Senior Research Fellow in Fuel Cells Office: Room 317, Chemical Engineering Building School of Engineering the Centre for Microscopy and Materials and the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Useful links to fuel cell sites Fuel Cells 2000 (general information on all aspects of fuel cells); (for update on companies and investments); Fuel Cell Today (for comprehensive updates). Links to Australian Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Sustainable Energy sites Queensland Government RETINA - Renewable Energy Industry Network Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. (developers of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems). Research Interests New and renewable energy technologies, sustainable and alternative energy systems; stationary power generation, co-generation and distributed power generation technologies; all fuel cell types, particularly SOFC, MCFC, PEM (SPFC), small-scale and micro-fuel cells. The use of fuel cells in transportation and mobile application; hydrogen generation, storage and transport, and hydrocarbon fuel processing.
Distributed Energy Resources Guide: Equipment - Fuel Cells first practical fuel cells were developed for the US space program in the 1960s.The space program required an efficient, reliable, and compact energy source http://www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/equipment/fuel_cells/fuel_cells.html
Extractions: California Home DER Home Background ... Stirling Engines Fuel Cells Energy Storage / UPS Photovoltaic Systems Wind Systems Hybrid Systems ... DER Links DER Equipment Fuel Cells Applications Performance Cost Future Development ... Vendors While the concept of fuel cells has been around for more than 100 years, the first practical fuel cells were developed for the U.S. space program in the 1960s. The space program required an efficient, reliable, and compact energy source for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, and the fuel cell was a good fit. Today, NASA continues its reliance on fuel cells to power space shuttle vehicles. Because of technology improvements in recent years and significant investment by auto companies, utilities, NASA , and the military, fuel cells are now expected to have applications for distributed power generation within the next few years.
EyeforFuelCells - The Business Of Fuel Cells fuelCell energy, Inc., received the congratulations of Secretary of energy SpencerAbraham list for the fuel Cell Summit Excellence in fuel cells has just http://www.eyeforfuelcells.com/
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Program About fuel cells, fuel cell technology research, market opportunities, fuel cell energy for isolated communities, and related topics. From Desert Research Institute (Nevada, U.S.). http://www.dri.edu/Projects/Energy/
Fuel Cells - Fuel Cell Technology Showcase Society of Automotive Engineers site on fuel cells and fuel cell technology including research, news, and information on hydrogen fuel cell energy, and PEM fuel cell vehicles. http://fuelcells.sae.org/
Extractions: Alternate Refrigerants The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) is known globally as a leading source for automotive technology. SAE has developed the Fuel Cell Technology Showcase as a resource for the latest books, standards, articles, events and more with relation to fuel cell energy and fuel cell vehicles. About Fuel Cells History of Fuel Cells How Fuel Cells work Types of Fuel Cells Fuel Cell Spotlight 2003 Alternative Fuels Technology Collection on CD-ROM Fuel Cell Power for Transportation 2002 - CDROM Version Books Fuel Cell Technology Handbook Fuel Cell Power for Transportation 2002 Fuel Cell Vehicles-Technology, Market, and Policy Issues More books on Fuel Cells Standards J2600 - Compressed Hydrogen Surface Vehicle Refuelling Connection Devices J2578 - Recommended Practice for General Fuel Cell Vehicle Safety J2574 - Fuel Cell Vehicle Technology The Fuel Cells Standards Committee is committed to establishing standards and test procedures for fuel cell powered vehicles.
Extractions: Ovonic Regenerative Fuel Cells are electrochemical devices that include two electrodes, an anode, and a cathode. Between the two electrodes is a solid or liquid electrolyte that allows ions to pass through, but prevents electrons from passing through. Hydrogen, which enters the anode, and oxygen, which enters the cathode, are converted into electrical energy and water as a byproduct. The principal differences between PEM fuel cells and Ovonic Regenerative Fuel Cells technology lie in the costs of materials required to make each, the processes by which they operate and in operating temperature ranges. PEM fuel cells require platinum in the electrodes and a costly proton exchange membrane. The Ovonic Regenerative Fuel Cell by contrast promises to require no costly precious metal in its electrodes and no membrane. Additionally, a PEM fuel cell's operating temperature is in the narrow 60°C to 80°C range while the Ovonic Regenerative Fuel Cell is able to operate anywhere within the range of about -20°C to
Third Orbit Power Systems, Inc. Develops power systems based on fuel cells, renewable and hydrogen energy. They also provide products as diverse as electric vehicles and educational fuel cells and technical and economic research and analysis. http://www.thirdorbitpower.com
Extractions: Fuel cells are new devices used to produce electrical power. After 160 years of development, they are becoming commercially available and are beginning to receive a large amount of public attention. This web site will provide a brief introduction into fuel cells, and describe what they are, what they can do, why they're important, what their commercial implications are, and what Third Orbit Power Systems is doing with fuel cells. Because fuel cells produce power without combustion, they are considerably more efficient than their internal combustion engine counterparts. Gasoline engines in automobiles are approximately 13 to 25 percent efficient. Amazingly, 75 to 87 percent of the gasoline you purchase does not participate in moving your automobile. A fuel cell attached to an electric motor can be in excess of 40 percent efficient, and fuel cells that can be used in automobiles and other vehicles are being produced with efficiencies of 45 to 58 percent. What can fuel cells do?
Allied Business Intelligence - Fuel Cells And Energy Market Research market research AFC global market analysis FCS MFC AFC DGN FCM PFC Global Portablefuel Cell Market Forecast and Analysis fuel cells and energy study research http://www.alliedworld.com/servlets/CatalogView?category=CA01
EBZ - Main Page Developing small natural gas driven combined heat and power units (CHP) based on planar high temperature fuel cells (SOFC) scaled for stationary decentralized energy supply in the range of 1 to 20Â kW electrical power. German site in English. http://www.ebz-dresden.de/en
HydrogenSource - Technology A fuel processing system converts hydrocarbon or other organic fuels to hydrogen of composition and purity suitable for fuel cell operation. The fuels include petroleum derived liquids, such as naphtha and gasoline, petroleum derived gases, such as methane and propane, and other fuel such as methanol and ethanol. http://www.hydrogensource.com/technology.html
Extractions: What is a fuel processing system? A fuel processing system converts hydrocarbon or other organic fuels to hydrogen of composition and purity suitable for fuel cell operation. The fuels include petroleum derived liquids, such as naphtha and gasoline, petroleum derived gases, such as methane and propane, and other fuel such as methanol and ethanol. The product hydrogen gas must be supplied at temperature, humidity and purity level determined by the type of fuel cell using the hydrogen. The conversion process is carried out in a fuel processing train. The "train" is a series of chemical reactors which sequentially effect changes to the fuel to bring it to fuel cell requirements. One of the most critical steps in the process train is the step to remove sulfur from the source fuel. Reducing the fuel sulfur content to very low levels, parts per billion, makes the subsequent processing steps easier and insures high product purity. The second step in the train is the primary conversion step. Here the source fuel is broken down and a product is produced which is primarily hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The composition at this point depends on the primary process. It may be catalytic steam reforming, autothermal reforming, partial oxidation or other processes. When reforming is used steam is supplied to the reactor to enhance the quantity of hydrogen produced. Partial oxidation requires no steam but produces less hydrogen per unit of fuel than the reforming processes.