Future Prospects and Commercialization of Fuel Cells

Future prospects and commercialization of fuel cells

Jayati Bhambhani and Devesha Trivedi

6thsemester, B tech Chemical Engineering

School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University

INTRODUCTION:

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts a fuel source into electricity. Fuel cells are receiving an increasing level of attention for both small and large scale applications due their great potential to generate clean, reliable and highly efficient power. Four types of fuel cells are currently receiving the most development attention: proton exchange membrane fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells. This abstract summarizes the current economicstatus of fuel cell technologies in the market and ways to enhance its commercialization.

PROSPECTIVE:

Fuel cells provide efficiencies of electrical power supply in the range of 35 to 55%, with low levels of pollutant emission. Fuel cells can in principle be built in a wide range of power ratings, from a few mW to several MW, and can be used in a wide variety of applications, from miniaturised portable power (effectively substituting the battery in portable electronic devices) through transport (as a zero-emission propulsion system) to power generation in a variety of sizes (from domestic combined heat and power systems, through to full size power stations and quad- generation). They offer advantages of weight compared with batteries, and instantaneous refuelling, similar to combustion engines.Also, fuel cells aiding the conservation of non-renewable energy resources make it a viable option as a source of power generation in the future.

CONSTRAINTS:

Despite the growth in R&D and technological development in fuel cell technologies in recent years, considerable technical and economic barriers remain before mainstream commercialization of the technology, particularly in the transportation market. Key technical and economic challenges remain in the cost of materials for the fuel cell stack; hydrogen transport, storage capacity and cost; access to hydrogen fuelling infrastructure; and performance requirements.

APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION:

The key areas upon which the paper focuses are:

Nanotechnology and Fuel Cells:

Nanotechnology is providing increased durability to fuel cells and is making its costs competitive with traditional sources of power generation.  Fuel cell technology development coupled with integration of nanotechnology will provide the fuel cell market with greater reliability, durability, and power, at a lower cost along with the advantages of lower emissions and fuel saving.

Storage and Transportation of Hydrogen:

After many years of successful use, steel hydrogen tanks show no sign of corrosion or degradation of any kind, as hydrogen is not caustic or toxic. Moreover recently, storage tanks have been reinforced with composite carbon fibers, making them ten times stronger than steel, greatly enhancing the safety with which gaseous hydrogen can be handled. Storage of liquid hydrogen in large pressurized tanks and then transportation by ship, barge, train or truck is the conventional way of hydrogen transportation, but lately the idea of using pipelines to deliver hydrogen, while taking into account the safety issues surrounding it, is gaining momentum.