Fuel cells provide a clean source of power by converting chemical energy from fuels into electrical energy. They have two electrodes and an electrolyte in between that produces DC power. Fuel cells are classified based on their electrolyte type and operating temperature. Some key fuel cell types include proton exchange membrane fuel cells, alkaline fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel cells have applications in transportation, portable power devices, and stationary power generation due to their high efficiency and low emissions. However, fuel cells still face challenges related to cost, infrastructure, and durability that must be addressed for widespread commercialization.

1. FUEL Cell
TECHNOLOGY
SUPERVISOR MD. ATHAR EQBAL
PROF. MAJID JAMIL MD. EKRAMA ARSHAD
MOHD QUADEER FAHAD

2. CONTENTS
Introduction
Operation of fuel cell
Chemistry of fuel cell
How fuel cell works
Classification of fuel cell
Phosphoric acid fuel cell
Alkaline fuel cell
Proton exchange fuel cell
Molten carbonate fuel cell
Solid oxide fuel cell
Reference

3. INTRODUCTION
Fuel cell provides a clean source of power in comparison to
other sources like hydro, thermal, nuclear etc
It is known as cell because of some similarities with primary
cell.
It has two electrodes and an electrolyte between them
which produces dc power.
However, active materials are supplied from outside unlike
conventional cell.

4. A static device which converts the chemical energy of fuels
into electrical energy.
First crude fuel cell was developed in
1839
It was developed by welsh physicist William Grove
First commercial use of fuel cells was in NASA space
programs to generate power for probes, satellites and space
capsules

5. OPERATION OF FUEL CELL

6. Chemistry of a Fuel Cell
Anode side:
2H2  4H+ + 4e-
Cathode side:
O2 + 4H+ + 4e-  2H2O
Net reaction:
2H2 + O2  2H2O

7. Classification of fuel cell
Based on the type of electrolyte
 Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell
 Alkaline Fuel Cell
 Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
 Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell
 Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
Based on the types of the fuel and
oxidant
 Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell
 Ammonia-air fuel cell
 Hydrazine-oxygen fuel cell
 Hydrocarbon (gas) fuel cell
 Hydrocarbon (liquid) fuel cell

8. Based on the type of operating
temperature
 Low temperature fuel cell(below 150° C)
 Medium temperature fuel cell(150-250° C)
 High temperature fuel cell(250-800° C)
 Very high temperature fuel cell(800-1100° C)
Based on application
 Space application
 Vehicle propulsion
 Submarines
 Defense application
 Commercial application

9. Based on the chemical nature
of electrolyte
 Acidic electrolyte type
 Alkaline electrolyte type
 Neutral electrolyte type

10. Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell
It was developed in 1980s.
It consists of two electrodes of porous conducting
material (commonly nickel) to collect charge ,with
concentrated phosphoric acid filled between them
, to work as electrolyte.
Platinum catalyst is added to both electrode to
enhance the rate of the reaction.

11. At Anode:
At Cathode:

12. Alkaline fuel cell
It is the oldest fuel cell
It uses 40% aqueous KOH as electrolyte
The operating temperature is about 90°C
The fuel must be free from carbon dioxide
The presence of carbon dioxide in fuel results
in the formation of potassium carbonate which
increases resistance of cell
They were used in Apollo spacecraft to
provide both electricity and drinking water

13. At Cathode
At Anode

14. proton exchange membrane
fuel cell
A solid membrane of organic material like polystyrene sulphonic acid
is used as electrolyte
A finely divided platinum is deposited on each surface of the
membrane
It serves as an electrochemical catalyst and current collector
It retains only limited quantity of water
This fuel cell operates at 40-60°C

15. Molten carbonate fuel
cell
It uses carbonate of alkali metals in molten state as
electrolyte
This requires the cell operation above the melting
point(about 600-700°C) of the respective carbonates
Because of high temperature it does not need any catalyst

16. At Anode
At Cathode

17. SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL
It uses a hard, ceramic compound of metal (like
Ca ,Zr) oxides as electrolyte.
Operating temperature is about 600-1000°C
The anode is made of porous nickel and cathode
employs metal oxide like indium oxide
The high temperature limits applications of SOFC
units and they tend to be rather large.
Solid electrolytes cannot leak, but they can
crack.

18. At Anode:
And
At Cathode:

19. S. No. Fuel Cell Op. temp Fuel Efficiency
1 PEMFC 40-60°C H2 48-58%
2 AFC 90°C H2 64%
3 PAFC 150-200°C H2 42%
4 MCFC 600-700°C H2 and CO 50%
5 SOFC 600-1000°C H2 and CO 60-65%

20. classification of FUELs
Direct type
Introduced directly in the cell without any transformation
Examples are Pure Hydrogen,Hydazine(N2H4)
Indirect type
Introduced after reforming to a mixture of H2 and some other products
Examples are Ammonia,Methanol

21. COMMON FUELS
Hydrogen
Hydrazine
Ammonia
Hydrocarbon(gases)
Hydrocarbon(liquid)
Synthesis gases
Methanol

22. FUEL CELL SYSTEM
Fuel cell stack

23. Fuel processor
 The fuel processor converts fuel into a form usable by
the fuel cell
Current inverters and conditioners
DC to AC converter are used
Power conditioning includes controlling current flow
(amperes), voltage, frequency, and other characteristics
Heat recovery system
Excess energy can be used to produce steam or hot
water or to be converted to electricity via a gas turbine
or other technology

24. ENERGY FLOW DIAGRAM
FUEL
PROCESSOR
FUEL CELL
POWER
CONDITIONER
FUEL
HYDROGEN
FROM FUEL
DC
INPUT
AC
OUTPUT
OXYGEN FROM
AIR
WATER VAPOUR
AND HEAT

25. COST COMPARISON
S. No Name of source Cost per MW
(Rs)
Efficiency
(%)
1 Thermal 4.5 crore 35-40
2 Hydro 5.5 crore 80-90
3 Nuclear 5 crore 33-38
4 Solar 14 crore 15-18
5 Wind 4.5 crore 25-30
6 Fuel cell 20 crore 55

26. APPLICATION
Transport
Portable
Stationary

27. TRANSPORT
The fuel cell bus sector is showing year-on-year
growth, with more prototypes being unveiled
Successful deployments have taken place in
Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA
Forklift trucks and other goods handling vehicles such
as airport baggage trucks etc
Light duty vehicles (LDVs), such as cars and vans
Buses and trucks
Trains and trams
Ferries and smaller boat

29. PORTABLE
Portable fuel cells are those which are built into, or charge
up, products that are designed to be moved
These include military applications, auxiliary power
units, personal electronics, portable products
Portable fuel cells are being developed in a wide range of
sizes ranging from less than 5 W up to 20 KW.
Off-grid operation
Longer run-times compared with batteries
Rapid recharging
Significant weight reduction potential (for soldier-borne
military power)
Convenience, reliability, and lower operating costs also
apply

31. STATIONARY
Stationary fuel cells are units which provide electricity but are not
designed to be moved
These include combined heat and power (CHP), uninterruptible
power systems (UPS) and primary power units.
Residential CHP units have been deployed extensively in Japan
with more than 10,000 cumulative units by the end of 2010
 South Korea has also deployed CHP units for residential use

33. Application type portable stationary Transport
Definition Units that are built
into, or charge up,
products that are
designed to be
moved including
auxiliary power
units(APU)
Units that provide
electricity(and
sometimes heat)
but are not
designed to be
moved
Units that produced
propulsive power or
range extension to
a vehicle
Power range 5W to20KW O.5 KW to 400KW 1KW to 100KW
Technology PEMFC
DMFC
PEMFC PAFC
MCFC SOFC
PEMFC
DMFC
examples Non-motive APU
Military
applications(portabl
e soldier-borne
power)
Portable
products(torches,
battery chargers)
Large stationary
combined heat and
power(CHP)
Small stationary
micro-CHP
Uninterruptible
power sources(UPS)
Fuel cell electric
vehicles(FCEV)
Trucks and buses

35. LOSSES
Activation losses
These losses are caused by the slowness of the reaction taking
place on the surface of the electrodes.
Ohmic losses
The voltage drop due to the resistance to the flow of electrons
through the material of the electrodes.
This loss varies linearly with current density.
Concentration losses
Losses that result from the change in concentration of the
reactants at the surface of the electrodes as the fuel is used.
Fuel crossover losses
Losses that result from the waste of fuel passing through the
electrolyte and electron conduction through the electrolyte.

36. ADVANTAGES
It is eco-friendly, noiseless and has no rotating
part.
It is a decentralized plant.
Because of modular nature ,any voltage/current
level can be realized
High efficiency up to 55% as compared to
conventional which has 30%
No transmission and distribution losses
Wide choice of fuel for fuel cell
In addition to electric power, fuel cell plant also
supply hot water, space heat and steam
Requires less space

37. disadvantages
Cost to implement a fuel cell system exceeds
$4,000 per KW
Feasible way to produce, ship, and distribute
hydrogen
Lack of hydrogen infrastructure and life
span of fuel cell

38. Challenges
Cost
• Currently, the cost is in the $4,000+ range per KW(Rs 20
crore per MW)
• Fuel cells could become competitive if they reach an
installed cost of $1,500 or less per KW for stationary
application
• A competitive cost of the order of $60 - $100 per KW in
automobile sector would be acceptable
Durability and reliability
• The long-term performance and reliability of fuel cell
systems has not been significantly demonstrated to the
market

39. Infrastructure
• Fuel Infrastructure
If vehicles are hydrogen-based then an infrastructure
for producing, distributing, storing, delivering and
maintaining hydrogen fuel is important.
In the case of portable applications, the most likely fuel
is methanol-based which is sold in a cartridge-like
format.
• Human Resource Infrastructure
Service: This is a brand new technology so qualified
service and maintenance personnel will be needed.
Development: A critical need today is for qualified
technical personnel to assist in the development and
commercialization of these products.

40. System size
• The size and weight of current fuel cell systems must be
further reduced to meet the packaging requirements for
automobiles
Fuel Flexibility
Air, Thermal, and Water Management
Improved Heat Recovery Systems

41. PRESENT STATUS
Fuel cell industry began its road to commercialisation
in 2007
An 11.2 MW installation in Korea is the world’s largest
fuel cell power plant till today
In Germany more than 250 fuel cell micro-CHP system
have been installed under the callux programme
Commercial production of fuel cell scooters has started
in Taiwan in 2012
At the end of 2011, 215 hydrogen refuelling stations
was in operation worldwide. The stations are located in
Europe (85), North America (80), Asia Pacific (47) and
the Rest of the World (3).
In USA, at the end of 2011 Clear Edge has over 100
installations of its 5 kW ClearEdge5 HT PEMFC unit in
California

42. Hyundai ix35 FCEV, Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL
Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel cell buses
In May 2012, the world’s largest platinum producer
Anglo American Platinum launched a fuel cell powered
mine locomotive prototype.
Some of the agencies involved in development of fuel
cells in India are
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNES)
• Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)
• Indian Railways,
• Indian Institute of Science and Central Glass & Ceramic
Research Institute,
• Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI), Bharat Heavy
Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), and Reva Electric Car Company
At Vijayawada and Chennai hydrogen filling station are
established

43. REFEreNCE
• Khan, B.H., Non Conventional Energy Resources,,New Delhi: McGraw-
Hill Third Reprint 2008
• Kothari,D.P, Singhal K.C,Ranja,Rakesh,Renewable Energy
Sources and Emerging Technologies,New Delhi: PHI
Learning Private Limited Second Edition Nov 2011
• Nice,Karim and Strickland, Jonathan. "How Fuel Cells Work:
Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells". How Stuff Works,
accessed August 4, 2011
• http://openaccesslibrary.org/images/HAR224_Adesh_Shar
ma.pdf
• http://policy.rutgers.edu/ceeep/hydrogen/education/Ther
modynamicsFuelCells.pdf
• http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1713685/fct_review_
2012.pdf

44. http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/knowledge-
library.php
http://ezinearticles.com/?Disadvantage-of-Fuel-
Cells&id=1788240