Hydrogen Fuel Cells
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Transcript of Hydrogen Fuel Cells
HYDROGEN
FUEL CELLS
presentation by
Noah Donnenberg and Sean Bailey
HISTORY
1800s 1900s 2000s
HISTORY
1800s
1806: de Rivaz engine - first internal
combustion engine powered by a
mixture of hydrogen and oxygen
HISTORY
1800s
1820: Cecil engine - engine
powered purely by the
ignition of hydrogen and the
vacuum it produces
HISTORY
1800s
1839: first crude fuel cell -
William Grove and Christian
Friedrich Schönbein both
independently developed
HISTORY
1800s
1889: the word “fuel cell” -
Ludwig Mond and Carl
Langer coined the phrase
and attempted to build
HISTORY
1900s
1903: The Exploration of Cosmic Space by
Means of Reaction Devices - Konstantin
Tsiolkovsky posited that a spacecraft powered
by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen could
achieve earth orbit
HISTORY
1900s
1923: in the future, “great power stations where
during windy weather the surplus power will be
used for the electrolytic decomposition of water
into hydrogen and oxygen - J. B. S. Haldane,
Daedalus
HISTORY
1900s
1939: 5 kW stationary fuel
cell - developed by Francis
Thomas Bacon
HISTORY
1900s
1955: polystyrene ion-
exchange membrane used as
electrolyte - developed by W.
Thomas Grubb at GE
HISTORY
1900s
1959: 15 kW fuel cell tractor -
developed by harry Ihrig for Allis-
Chalmers, used potassium hydroxide
as electrolyte
HISTORY
1900s
1991: hydrogen fuel cell
automobile - developed by
Roger Billings
HISTORY
2000s
2010: compact hydrogen fuel cells used in
commercial applications - Doosan’s PureCell
System is a 400 kW cell used for over 20,000
hours in supermarkets, hospitals, data
centers, and other commercial applications
MECHANISM
• fuel cells use an input
- a hydrogen source -
to conduct electrons
across an electrolyte
MECHANISM
• electron sources include
• methane
• natural gas
• alcohols
MECHANISM
• comprised of a cathode and
anode on opposite sides
• the electrolyte lies in between
• electrolyte differentiates classes
of cell
EFFICIENCY
• fuel cells generate
• electrical current
• water
• heat
• nitrogen dioxide
EFFICIENCY
• in general, fuel cells are 40-60% efficient
• this can rise to up to 85% with heat reclamation
• to contrast, internal combustion engines operate
with 25-30% efficiency
CONTINUING USE
• forklifts
• transit buses
• metros
• limited automotive use
• spacecraft
• proton fuel cells
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPLICATIONS
• provide greater efficiency than competing fossil fuel
technologies
• still produce emissions, although less harmful
• a future in cleaner fuel cells