1.0                Introduction

There are many drivers that are changing the energy market around the world.  These include: concerns for the environment, resources, climate changes, stability, and of course power and influence, to summarise. The drivers for the individual energy needs have more complex issues attached.  Additionally, the pivotal role the large corporations play can often be instrumental to how quickly we change.  However, before it is possible to change we must first adapt and utilise available fuels that will allow us to evolve from the heavy reliance with fossil fuels.  It is not just the renewable technologies and advances in their development that need investment but the technologies that can be transitional from fossil fuel power to clean power.  

It is the development of fuel cells that can be flexible enough to accommodate both carbon based fuels, directly or otherwise, and hydrogen, a clean and most abundant of properties.  However, this is no new technology that has seen the influx of investment but one from the century before last.  The realisation of the potential is irrespective but what they offer towards sustainability. 

Fuel cells provide a means to produce higher efficient energy conversions, with lower carbon dioxide emissions and no other harmful emissions, providing the opportunity to locate the systems locally.  Moreover, can use the variety of fuels, including hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, and biofuels.  The versatility of fuel cells has in terms of its size proved to be to an advantage during the initial development for the NASA space program of the sixties.  Consequently, can be applied in practically all areas where power is needed such as in portable appliances, distributed power and heat generation (in residences CHP for example), industrial CHP applications, and as a central power producer.  What’s more, as a much cleaner and higher efficient power source in vehicle applications.

2.0                Objectives

This project will focus on fuel cells with a bias towards the opportunity of Combined Heat and Power applications.  This will entail:

• Fuels available
• Requirements of the fuels
• Fuel cell applications
• Fuel cell characteristics
• Investigation of parameters on the cell performance
• Heat and Power from fuel cells
• Realising the potential of heat and power cell systems

The main objectives will provide a route for assessing fuel cells, and in part, allow for an assessment on combined heat and power cells and draw comparison to a traditional arrangement in terms of production and cost.

3.0          Review

3.1                Fuel Cells

Fuel cell can ideally be fuelled by hydrogen to give clean, efficient power.  However, over coming obstacles mainly involving safety and storage are necessary.  In the interim fuel cells will benefit from the ability to utilise natural gas, methanol, and other hydrocarbons. 

The fuel cells are known by the electrolyte that they use, whilst they are categorised by the operating temperatures.  Low grade heat cell, or cell with a low operating temperatures, are developed as ideal power generators but need some sort of fuel reforming and conditioning pre-use.  This has a role in the transport industry and will continue to gain investment from this area as well as small-scale power.  Whilst, the higher efficiency from utilising the heat of the medium and high temperature cells will be developed for stationary applications.  The medium grade heat allows for use in hot water systems and high grade heat for both use in water and space heating, with the advantage of no reforming required at high temperature operation.

The success of fuel cells will depend on the commercial availability, as the initial costs and maintenance of the cells will decrease with development, time, and experience.  At present the possible path for fuel cells is through small and medium scale community and commercial generation and transportation including marine applications.

3.2                CHP

Combined Heat and Power systems allow the production of useful heat and electricity from the same source to be utilised.  Thus, increasing the overall efficiency through recovery of the heat rejected from the inefficient energy conversion of producing electricity.  This is no new concept, with the use of CHP systems well known if under promoted.  However, government promotion of the technology has been successful in developing this technology and is currently increasing targets for installation.  This has been a trend in other countries including: Denmark, Finland and Holland. 

The growth of cogeneration technologies has barriers to overcome but also has some incentives.  The role that CHP currently holds is advantageous in some circumstances but not in others.  Barriers involving, privatisation of the electricity market, the introduction of the climate change levy, delays and difficulties in complex authorisation and licensing procedures.  However, the incentives to utilise CHP systems are; increased environmental awareness within government, industry and the public, an increasing awareness of benefits from money and energy savings, older systems requiring replacement allow an instance for capital investment, better control and management systems are more attainable. 

The introduction of fuel cells, in this area, when commercially available will also have to overcome barriers and utilise the available incentives.  Although at this time the common practice of fuel cell cogeneration is still in the initial stages through trials and research development, it has the potential to become a key producer of energy in this form.

4.0                Strategy

The approach to the project is to divide the relevant areas of the project with all the group members after the initial exploration of fuel cells and main areas, and then collaborate findings and focus as a group.  This was done in three stages throughout the project, reviewing between each stage.

Stage One – Individually

• Initial investigation into fuel cells

• Status of fuel cells in respect to
• Hydrogen and other fuels
• Combined Heat and Power
• Electrical application including potables
• Market trends and extent

Stage Two – As a Group

• Experimental work on available cell
• The effect of the surroundings and fuels
• Understanding first hand of fuel cells working

Stage Three – As a Group

• Comparisons of CHP
• Comparison of two main fuel cells types
• Comparison with a traditional CHP system

• Web page
• Collaborate with ideas of content and area of personal interest where possible
• Combine efforts and ideas on layouts and design of web page to incorporate a united opinion, thus, a group perspective.

• Presentation
• Again, combine efforts and ideas in order to gain a rounded knowledge of presentation as well as giving a group position

5.0          Work Schedule

6.0                 Deliverables

• Show, through experimental work on a fuel cell, that the environmental surroundings effect performance
• Assess the position of CHP fuel cells through:
• A comparison between two CHP fuel cells
• A comparison with a traditional CHP system

7.0                 Contribution

The primary contribution of the project is to give an insight into fuel cell and in particular to CHP applications through comparison of relevant cells and with a traditional method.  Thus, showing the status of the cells at present and providing a means to assess fuel cells in the area of cogeneration.  Secondary, the project will contribute by allowing a means to see the effects of the surroundings on cell performance through the experimental work collated, although only an appreciation due to test conditions.

8.0                 References

Included in the relevant links page