Subject: Fuel Cell FAQ - a bit ragged, I did it off-line abd couldn't edit it.

From: Larry London <london@calypso-2>
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 1994 13:26:13 -0500

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From: Jim Mc Mullen <[email-masked]>
Newsgroups: sci.energy.hydrogen
Subject: Fuel Cell FAQ  - a bit ragged, I did it off-line abd couldn't edit it.
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 93 19:21:21 EST
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What is a fuel cell?

:A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly into electricity via a modified oxidation process. The process also produces heat, water and carbon dioxide depending upon the fuel used. Pernicious by-products such as nitrous oxides are kep
t to a minimum because of the low reaction temperatures (around 200-500 degrees C). Noisome sulfur oxides are not created since sulfur poisons the reaction and must be removed from the fuel before the reaction ever takes place.

Additionally, fuel cells create electricity at higher efficiencies than the mechanical systems since they have no moving parts. Some designs utilize support systems such as steam generators and pumps but these are not part of the intrinsic design. The ab
sence of moving parts also allows them to operate quietly. 

How does a fuel cell work?

Fuel cells operate in reverse of electrolysis. In a fuel cell hydrogen fuel and an oxidizer (oxygen) streams pass through separate porous metal plates separated an electrolyte bath. The plates have a single electrical connection to each other which is ou
tside of the electrolyte bath. 

The hydrogen plate operates as an anode converting the hyrogen molecules into hydrogen ions an electrons. The electrons flow along the wire connect to the cathode play and the ions migrate into the electrolyte bath. On the cathode side oxygen molecules a
re separated into oxygen atoms and migrate into the electrolyte bath where they combine with the hydrogen ions and anode electrons to create H20 (HOH for the purists) and heat.

Electricity can be captured from the anode/cathode circuit and put to useful work. Water and heat are expelled from the electrolyte bath as steam which can be utilized separately or recyled into the fuel and oxidizer streams. 

Please note: This is not a perpetual motion scheme. The steam forces the reactants through the electrodes thus expending not accumulating energy.

A little fuel cell history 

Researchers have been working on the basic scheme described above for over 150 years and how come up with many variations on fuel, electrodes and electrolytes. 

The first fuel cell constructed by Sir William Groves in 1839 used porous platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as the electrolyte bath. Later fuel cells such as those constructed by William White Jaques (who incidentally coined the term fuel cel
l) substituted phosphoric acid H2P2O4 in the electrolyte bath.

Significant fuel cell research was done in Germany during the 1920Us that laid the ground work for subsequent development of carbonate cycle and solid oxide fuel cells. (IUll explain these later).

Perhaps the most important fuel cell research of the 20th century is Dr. Francis T. Bacon (he is a direct descendent of the Francis Bacon) who developed - (drum rolls) the Bacon Cell. Dr. Bacon substituted an acid electrolyte with an alkali electrolyte (
potassium hydroxide - KOH). KOH performs as well as acid as an electrolyte and is not as corrosive on the electrodes. The Bacon design was chosen by NASA for the power supply Apollo mission and the STS shuttle orbiters.

Where can I get more information?

IUve put together a list of resources for the truly motivated. This list is not inclusive and if anyone comes across with more resources please share them with the rest of us.

Fuel Cell Manufacturers

International Fuel Cells - South Windsor, Connecticut. This company is a subsidiary of United Technologies of Hartford, Connecticut. They are the worldUs largest manufacturer of fuel cells. They made the fuel cells that flew on the Apollo missions and ri
de on the Shuttles. They market fuel cells under their own name and provide components for other manufacturers such as Toshiba in Japan and Ansoldo, s.p.a of Italy. A note of caution in approaching these people, I found them to be less than forthcoming. 
I recommend that if do want to contact them, go through their parent United Technologies. I donUt have UTUs phone number but its in area codes 203. (Note - for non-North Americans: all publicly listed phone numbers in North America (US and Canada) are pr
ovided by the phone companyUs directory assistance service which has the number 555-1212. Thus to find out United Technologies phone number dial 1 (North AmericaUs access code) 203-555-1212. When the call is answered the operator will ask you RWhat city?
S, answer Hartford, United Techologies. A computer will give you the number and repeat it for your convenience. Sorry, fax numbers are not yet part of the directory assistance service).

Energy Partners - West Palm Beach, Florida. Voice 1-407-688-500,
fax 1-407-688-9610. This company is doing some very interesting work in both fundamentals and applications. I think (repeat think) they provided the P(roton) E(mission) M(embrane) (PEMUs) for the Ballard Power System buses. (PEMS are a type of electrode 
consisting of platinum metal dispersed in a teflon substrate aka polymer electrodes). They have a working model of a hydrogen powered fuel cell car and will send you a photo and specs if you request it. EP is also working on graphite electrode fuel cells
 a real break through on the economic front.

Energy Research Corporation - Danbury, Connecticut. Voice 1-203-792-1460, fax 1-203-798-2945. ERC is a publicly traded corporation and is listed in the Small Capitalization section of NASDAQ. ERCUs focus is on carbonate cycle fuel cells. These use methan
e as a fuel and use molten sodium carbonate NACO3 as the electrolyte. They operate at higher temperatures than hydrogen only fuel cells and are intended for stationary power applications, typically in the range of a few hundred kilowatts up to 50 megawat
ts. They are focused to replace diesel and gas turbine supplementary systems. 

MC Power - This one is a real mystery. It is a joint venture between the American Gas (methane) Association and a Japanese company. Their focus is similar to ERCUs; MC stands for Molten Carbonate.
Try the AGAUs headquarters in Chicago for more information area code 312-555-1212.

Westinghouse Electric Corp - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania check directory assistance for information. WestinghouseUs focus is on Solid Oxide electrode fuel cells. The solid oxide is cubic ziconia (ZrO2). IUm not too familiar with this technology so IUll pass
 on explanations. These are intended to use coal and are focused in the 200 to 500 MW range replacing current coal fired turbine stations.

ThatUs all of the manufacturers that I could find. 

Associations

The Fuel Cell Association - Washington, D.C. Voice 1-301-681-3532, fax 1-301-681-4896. As the name implies, fuel cells are the main course. This is an international organization with corporate members from North American, Europe and South Africa.

Electric Power Research Institute - Palo Alto, California, Voice 1-415 (sorry I lost the phone numbers - try directory assistance). EPRI is focused on the entire electric power industry and fuel cells are a very minor side dish (at least for now). Howeve
r, they are doing some very exciting work in the Los Angeles Basin along with regional and state authorities on stationary fuel cell power plants. IUm not sure if they are involved in the hydrogen powered locomotive.

The National Hydrogen Association - Washington, D.C., voice 1-202-223-5547, fax 1-202-223-5537. An industry trade association and interested in all facets of the hydrogen industry including fuel cells. 

The American Hydrogen Association - Tempe, Arizona. Voice 1-602-921-0433, fax 1-602-967-66-1, bbs 1-602-894-8401 (8N1). Thanks, Rod Gallagher

Information from the U.S. Government

For US citizens I recommend contacting your member of Congress.
Prying information from the bureaucracy is a waste of time.

Books and libraries

This is a tough one. I had to scour the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts (via the inter-library loan system) for six books which on average were over 25 years old. One was published in 1959! IUm afraid there is a real dearth of information on fuel ce
lls out there. If anyone has more luck in obtaining information please post you results.