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Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

Hydrogen: The Reality

- Hydrogen is the lightest of all gases - Its physical properties are incompatible with the requirements of the energy market (Low energy density)

CV = 13MJ/ m3 & = 0.019 kg/m3 at STP

Production, packaging, storage, transfer and delivery of the gas.

- All key components of a hydrogen economy- So energy intensive that alternatives should be

considered.

Relative Energy Consumption

• A hydrogen economy will involve transport by road• H2 or methane stored at 200 bar, delivered in a 40 ton tanker• These tanks can be emptied to only 42 bar to accommodate the 40 bar pressure systems of the receiver

(such pressure cascades are standard practice)• Thus, pressurised gas carriers deliver only 80% of their freight, while 20% of the load remains in the tanks and returned to the gas plant.

Relative Energy Consumption

• At 200 bar pressure: 3.2 tons of methane, but only 320 kg of H2 can be delivered by a 40 ton

tanker.• A direct consequence of the low density of H2 +

the weight of the 200 bar PRESSURE VESSEL and many safety installations.• Allowing for future %wt improvements in GH2

storage to provide 500kg, over 39 tons of dead weight have to be moved on the road to deliver 400kg of H2.

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0,5

9,57,0

4,8

1,4 0,4

1,21,53,7

7,4

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4

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Energy / Volume

kWhdm3

kWhkg[ ]

Gasoline

LNG-160oC

LH2

-250oCCGH2

700 bar(Composite)

CGH2

200 bar

(Steel)LNG: Liquefied Natural GasLH2: Liquefied Hydrogen

CGH2: Compressed Gaseous Hydrogen

Energy / Weight

6

8

Energy Density of Tank Systems for Passenger Cars.

© Imperial College London

What are the issues for hydrogen in fuel cells?

• Fuel cells – what, how, why and when?

• ‘Markets’ for fuel cells

• Hydrogen for stationary fuel cells

• Hydrogen for transport fuel cells

• The International Perspective

• The future?

Fuel Cells

• Fuel cell is an electrical cell, which unlike a battery can be fed with a continous supply of fuel so that electrical power production can be sustained indefinitely.

• Several different fuel cell types, all work on the same principle: converting hydrogen directly into electrical energy and heat through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen:

energy22 222 OHOH

energy22 222 OHOH

Fuel Cell Operation

• A fuel cell consists of an electrolyte sandwiched between two thin electrodes (a porous anode and cathode).

• Hydrogen, is fed to the anode where a catalyst separates dissociates into charged electrons, e-, and positively charged ions (protons), H+.

• Electrons at anode side of cell can’t pass through electrolyte to positively charged cathode; must travel to it via an electrical circuit (electrical current).

• Protons move through the electrolyte to the cathode and combine with oxygen and electrons, producing water and heat.

Fuel Cell Operation

H+

H+

e-

O2

load

e-

H2

depleted H2

Depleted O2 + H2O

+-anode: H2 → 2H+ + 2e- cathode: 2H+ + 2e- +1/2O2 → H2O

electrolyte

Fuel Cell Stacks

• A single fuel cell produces enough electricity for only the smallest applications [a single PEM fuel cell produces around 0.7V and 0.2A direct current (d.c.)]

• Typically combined in series into a fuel cell stack. A typical stack may consist of hundreds of fuel cells.

A fuel cell is a device that electrochemically oxidises a fuel, creating a flow of electrons

5kW stack (1993)

Evolution of Ballard Fuel Cell stacks

50kW stack (1999)

Air + WaterHydrogen ( H2 )

Air (O2)

Cell Components Single Cell Stack with End Platesand Connections

Cooling/Bipolar Element with Gas/Water Channels

Proton ExchangeMembrane (PEM)

PEM

CatalystElectrode

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Schematic

Hydrogen Rich Fuel

• Fuel cells can also run on conventional hydrogen rich fossil fuels.

• This requires a reformer to extract the hydrogen from the fuel.

• A common fuel reformer (or fuel processor) is a steam reformer.

CO2H2O (l)

heat

hydrogen rich fuel hydrogen to fuel cell

reformer

Steam Reformer: Methanol

• As methanol comes into contact with the catalyst it splits forming carbon monoxide and hydrogen:

23 2HCOOHCH 23 2HCOOHCH

• High temperatures of reformer causes water vapour to decompose into oxygen and hydrogen, with oxygen combining with the CO to form CO2.

222 2

1OHOH 222 2

1OHOH 2222 2

1COHCOOH 2222 2

1COHCOOH

INVERTERHYDROGEN

RICH GASFUEL INPUT

HEATRECOVERY

FUEL PROCESSING PREHEATINGHEAT FOR

COGENERATION

FUELCELL

STACK

FUEL PROCESSOR

OXYGEN (AIR)

AC POWEROUTPUT

DC POWEROUTPUT

WATER

Fuel cell system components usually include a fuel processor

Though significant barriers exist, fuel cells are emerging in applications

• Other technologies already establish and perform the functions we want.

• Energy markets are frequently conservative (slow to change).

• Fuel cell costs are high, performance low

(like many new technologies)• But fuel cells are becoming available:

– PAFC systems are already installed in many areas– PEM systems are becoming available– The first FCVs are leased to customers– Hundreds of fuel cells are in test and demonstration

worldwide

The stationary fuel cell system is complex and expensive if it includes fuel processing

Powerconditioning

Fuelprocessing

Fuel cell

Thermalmanagement

Alstom/Ballard250kW system

Conventional Fuel

• A practical near future fuel source for automotive fuel cells are hydrogen-rich fuels.

• such as methanol, natural gas, petrol, or gasified coal used in combination with a reformer.

PEM fuel cell and reformer

fuel tank

2 d.c. motors

fuel

H2O + heat

H2

d.c. power

airair

As is the transport fuel cell system:Daimler NeCar 3 Methanol Fuel Cell Prototype

Methanol Tank

Gas Cleaning

Cooling

Water Tank

Fuel Cells + Air Supply

Electrical System

Reformer +Catalytic Burner

Hydrogen simplifies this:Inside Daimler’s Necar 4

LH2

Tank

FuelCells

ElectricMotor

The fuel cell ‘fleet’ is now mostly hydrogen fuelled

DaimlerChrysler

Toyota

GM/Opel

IrisBus

MAN

Ford

FC system using H2 (GM Data)

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PERCENT LOAD

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G-DI: Gasoline Direct InjectionHSDI: High-speed Direct Injection

FC system using MeOH

(estimate)

FC system using gasoline(estimate)

On-board system efficiency and response are other reasons for on-board hydrogen

What about the future?

• In the very long term, electricity and hydrogen are likely to become complementary energy vectors of choice.

• Hydrogen and the fuel cell are complementary, and each enables the other.

• The transition to the ‘long term’ is unclear, but the ubiquitous interest in fuel cells and hydrogen suggests it may be underway.