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FUEL
CELLS - Desktop Study
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| Contents: | 1.
Basic
principles 2. Characteristics 3. Fuel cell types 4. Fuel cell efficiency 5. Our choice of fuel cell |
High efficiency
Fuel cell efficiency is not limited by the Carnot cycle. Its operation is a one step process to generate electricity, instead of conventional power generators, which have several steps for electricity production, each step containing a certain amount of energy loss. Therefore fuel cells are expected to attain performance reliability near 85%, while practical values up to 40% are demonstrated.
Small size
Fuel cell size enables them to be located close to the load, which can reduce energy losses & cost associated with transmission and distribution equipment.
Also, cells located close to the utility enables them to use easily heat as co-generation.
High reliability
Due to their modular unit and absence of electromechanical rotating mass, fuel cells are more reliable than any other form of power generation. Furthermore their modular construction should facilitate repair when they are scheduled for maintenance or are forced out of service by a technical difficulty, consequently the reserve margin capacity can be reduced while maintaining a constant level of the system reliability.
Fast load response capability
As the electricity is generated by chemical reaction, fuel cells are able to respond very fast to load change. Dynamic respond time, when a load increases from 1 to 100%, is of the order of 4s. Also they are able to operate efficiently at part load, as the efficiency remains constant above 30% of full load.
Long life
Long life expectancy of tens of thousand hours of operation at full load.
Capacity variation
Compared to batteries, fuel cells are not subject to the discharge voltage drop and the associated increase in internal resistance, which reduces a battery power system capacity.
Environmentally friendly
Fuel cells are very quiet and generate negligible emissions of NOx and
SOx. They do not contain any hazardous or toxic materials and the high value of electrode component (platinum) makes them a cost effective to recover.
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Enquiries and comments to pvhydrogen@strath.ac.uk Energy Systems Research Unit University of Strathclyde Glasgow |