Fuel cells, engines, and hydrogen : an exergy approach / Frederick J. Barclay.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barclay, Frederick J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fuel cells.

Hydrogen as fuel.

Physical Description:

xii, 188 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Chichester, England ; Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, [2006]

Summary:

Fuel cell technology is the most exciting and legitimate alternative source of power currently available to us as world resources of non-renewable fuel continue to be depleted. No other power generating technology holds the same benefits that fuel cells offer, including high reliability and efficiency, negligible environmental impact, and security of supply. Fuel cells run on hydrogen - the simplest and most plentiful gas in the universe - although they can also run on carbon monoxide, methane, or even coal. Their applications are diverse, from powering automobiles, buildings and portable electronics, to converting methane gas from wastewater plants and landfills into electricity.

Fuel Cells, Engines and Hydrogen is a controversial text that challenges the accepted industry parameters for measuring fuel cell performance and efficiency. Based on his inter-disciplinary experience in the fields of power, nuclear power, and desalination, the author contends that the development potential of the fuel cell is related to the quantity fuel chemical exergy, which, like electrical potential, is a quantitative measure of work done. The fuel cell community currently characterises these devices in terms of the enthalpy of combustion (calorific value) - however the author argues a correct, qualitatively different and fourfold larger characterisation is via the fuel chemical exergy, in units of work, and not energy. He asserts that the distortion introduced by this accepted perspective needs to be corrected before relatively efficient fuel cells, integrated with comparatively low performing gas turbines, reach the market.

Fuel Cells, Engines and Hydrogen features a foreword by Dr Gerry Agnew, Executive VP Engineering of Rolls Royce Fuel Cells Systems Ltd. It is essential reading for all engineers involved with fuel cells and/or the manufacture of hydrogen from natural gas, as well as academics in related disciplines such as thermodynamics, physical chemistry, materials, physics, mechanical and chemical engineering.

Contents:

Introduction, and Commentary on Matters Affecting all Chapters 1

1 Altered Perspectives 29

1.1 Power Storage 30

1.2 Circulators 31

1.3 Incompleteness 31

1.4 The Hydrogen Mine 32

1.5 Coal Gasification 33

1.6 SOFCs 34

1.7 MCFCs 35

1.8 The PEFC 37

1.9 Engines 38

2 Regenerative Fuel Cells or Redox Flow Batteries 41

2.1 Introduction to the Regenesys System 41

2.2 History and Patents 43

2.3 Regenesys Technologies Ltd; Power Storage 44

2.4 Elementary Chemistry 44

2.5 Modus Operandi of Regenesys 46

2.6 Some Construction Details 48

2.7 Ion and Electron Transfer 48

2.8 Power Storage Applications 49

2.9 Initial Operating Experience 49

2.10 Electrical Equipment 50

3 Irreversible Thermodynamics 53

3.1 Cells and Electrolysers with and without Circulators 53

3.2 Irreversibility - An Introduction via Joule's Experiment 54

3.3 PEFC Irreversibility 56

3.4 Bacon's Fuel Cell; Avoidance of Irreversibility 58

3.5 Fuel Cell Engineering 58

3.6 Irreversibility in Calculation Routes 58

3.7 Juggling with Irreversibilities 59

3.8 Air-Breathing Fuel Cells - Irreversibilities 60

3.9 Liquid Electrolytes at the Electrode, 'Ice' Films, Marangoni Forces and Diffusion Irreversibilities 62

3.10 Overvoltage - An Electrical Irreversibility 63

3.11 Biconductor Layers at the Electrode/Electrolyte Interface 64

3.12 IR Drop 65

4 Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) 67

4.1.1 The SOFC 67

4.1.2 Electrolytes 69

4.1.3 Electrolyte Thickness 69

4.1.4 Cell Performance 69

4.1.5 Competitive Cells 70

4.1.6 Oxygen Ion Concentration 70

4.1.7 Unused Fuel 71

4.1.8 SOFC Internal Process 71

4.1.9 SOFC Preheating for Start-Up 72

4.1.10 SOFC Manoeuvrability 72

4.1.11 Direct Hydrocarbon Oxidation 73

4.2 Siemens Westinghouse 74

4.2.1 Siemens - SOFC Integration with Gas Turbines 75

4.3 Rolls-Royce 76

4.4 NGK Insulators 78

4.5 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMTL) 78

4.6 Imperial College London and Ceres Power Ltd 79

4.7 Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Australia 80

4.8 Forschungs Zentrum Julich (FZJ) 81

4.9 Global Thermoelectric 82

4.10 Allied Signal 82

4.11 Acumentrics 83

4.12 Adelan 84

4.13 Sulzer Hexis 84

4.14 ECN/INDEC Petten, the Netherlands 84

5 Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs) 91

5.1 Introduction to the MCFC 91

5.1.1 MCFCs of FCE and MTU 92

5.1.2 Detailed Fuel Cell Description 96

5.1.3 Matrix Initiation 96

5.1.4 Matrix and Cathode Deterioration 96

5.1.5 Performance of Complete Cells 97

5.1.6 Bipolar Plates 97

5.1.7 Stacks 97

5.1.8 Gas Turbine Integration with an MCFC 98

5.1.9 Nickel Oxide Deposition at the Cathode at High Pressure 100

5.1.10 Nickel Behaviour, Short-Circuiting 100

5.1.11 MCFC Integration with Coal Gasification 100

5.2 MCFC Status 101

6 Polymer Electrolyte and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells 103

6.1.1 Ballard Power Systems 103

6.1.2 Ballard History 104

6.1.3 Ballard Status 105

6.1.4 Ballard Stacks 105

6.1.5 Flexible Graphite and Ballard 105

6.1.6 Ballard MEAs 108

6.1.7 Nafion and Alternatives 109

6.1.8 Alternative Flow Plate Materials Used by Competitors 110

6.1.9 Ballard Operating Experience 111

6.2 Electrocatalysis in the SPFC 112

6.3 Cathode Voltage Losses in the PEFC 113

6.4 The PEFC Hydrogen Economy in Iceland 114

6.5 Fuel Supply 114

6.6 DMFCs 114

6.7 Tokyo Gas Company, Desulphuriser 117

7 Fuel Cell Economics and Prognosis 119

7.2 Fuel Cell Economics - Selected Summaries 120

7.3 Non-Fuel-Cell Motor Vehicle Economics 121

7.4 Price Waterhouse Fuel Cell Industry Survey 122

Appendix A Equilibrium Thermodynamics of Perfect Fuel Cells 125

A.1 Thermodynamic Preamble to the Fuel Cell Equilibrium Diagram 126

A.2 Utilisation of Equilibrium Diagram for Calculation of Chemical Exergy 136

A.3 Chemical Exergy of Methane and Related High-Efficiency Hydrogen Production 150

A.4 Elaboration of Figures A.4 and A.5, the Equilibrium Methane Oxidation Routes 165

A.5 Practical Power Production for the Future 166

Appendix B Patent Search Examples 171.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [177]-184) and index.

ISBN:

0470019042

OCLC:

62896474

Publisher Number:

9780470019047