FUEL CELLS - Experimental Work

RESULTS

1. Measured power of a fuel cell

The experiment has been done with a 1 molar solution of potassium hydroxide and 10 ml of methanol fuel. The maximum power point has been found at 33 mW for a voltage of 0.2 V.

2. Measure the internal resistance of a fuel cell

The experiment has been done with a 1 molar solution of potassium hydroxide and 10 ml of methanol fuel. From the graph we recorded an internal resistance of 2.55 Ohms.

3. Investigate the effect of temperature

From this experiment we conclude that the reaction rate, measured by the current variation, is proportional to the temperature. As the temperature increases, the chemical reaction speed increases, leading to an increase of current.

4. Connect four fuel cells in parallel

Fuel cells have to be stacked to reach an acceptable power level. From this experiment we can see that fuel cells connected in parallel increase the maximum power point value but keep it at the same voltage.

5. Connect four fuel cells in series

Fuel cells have to be stacked to reach an acceptable power level. From this experiment we can see that fuel cells connected in series increase the maximum power point value and also increase its voltage.

6. Investigating the efficiency of a fuel cell

An experiment was carried out under different voltages. The total energy output from the fuel cell was recorded and the volume of hydrogen was measured. Results are shown below:

 

Voltage	0.65 V	0.7 V	0.75 V
Efficiency	25.40%	27.10%	31.20%

The efficiency is calculated to be between 25 and 30%, this is lower than the 70% predicted for an alkaline fuel cell. This is because the experiment has not been conducted at standard test conditions.

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