A look at design and application of fuel cell systems

Abstract

Over the past few years, the direct conversion of chemical into electrical energy via fuel cells has been at the center of attention of electrochemical research and technology development. This is due not only to the complexity of fuel cell reactions and the general awareness of the technological potential of fuel cells but is also a result of society's strive towards developing environmentally-friendly power generation. In the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen for example, the only chemical product is water. The fuel cell, initially developed in the sixties as an on-board power supply unit for spacecraft, has now found new applications in powering submarines, in decentralized power supply systems, in portable charging docks for small electronics and in sensor technology. In the quest for a highly efficient, emission-free drive system, the development of mobile automotive fuel cell units is proving to be quite promising. Fuel cell technology constitutes a highly varied field which extends from available fuels and their processing, through the fundamentals of electrochemical processes, especially electro-catalysis, right to the numerous new concepts in systems technology for complete fuel cell aggregates including the control of gas, water and heat management. Many publications now appear annually in this field. The number of patent applications, especially from the industrial sector, has also risen over the past ten years. However, this paper is related to the design and application of fuel cell systems. Key words: Design, fuel, cell systems, power generation.