LECT.

2: INTRODUCTION TO
THE PRINCIPLE AND
OPERATION OF FUEL CELLS
Dr. Ali Mahmoud Ali Attia
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ali_Attia2 1
Contents
◦ Fuel cell and History
◦ Fuel Cell Market
◦ Fuel cell, Battery, Combustion engine.
◦ Fuel cell, solar cell, Battery
◦ Fuel cell work concept
◦ Components of Fuel cell
◦ Advantages & Disadvantages of Fuel cell
◦ Fuel Cell Applications
◦ Hydrogen Fuel
◦ Hydrogen Fuel properties and features
2
Fuel cell & History
◦ Fuel cell: is a device that changes the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity (Cambridge
Dictionary) or a device that continuously changes the chemical energy of a fuel (such as hydrogen)
and an oxidant directly into electrical energy (Merriam-Webster). First Known fuel cell was in 1922.
◦ Fuel cell was invented in 1839 by William Grove during the development of the internal combustion
engine who discovered the principle of the fuel cell. By utilizing four cells, each containing hydrogen
and oxygen, to produce electric power which was then used to split the water in the smaller upper cell
into hydrogen and oxygen.
◦ On 1960s fuel cell was practically used by NASA to power space
capsules and satellites during Gemini space program. The
alkaline fuel cell system that was chosen generated electricity and
produced drinking water for the astronauts.
◦ Nowadays, fuel cells are used as primary or secondary power
source for many facilities including industries, commercial
buildings, and residential buildings.
3
Fuel Cell Market
◦ The world market for fuel cell is expected to grow at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) about
18% during period of 2020 – 2028 due to (i) market growth huge investments in the development of
hydrogen infrastructure and production of hydrogen, (ii) the growing government and private
partnership in manufacture and infrastructure development, innovations in fuel cell technology,(iii)
technological development in cost reduction, and (iv) rising demand for power generation
◦ Transportation sector has accounted for more than half of the market share in 2018 and is expected
to continue its dominance in the coming years.
◦ Main leading Companies in Fuel Cell production:
◦ AFC ENERGY PLC ◦ CERES POWER HOLDINGS PLC ◦ PANASONIC CORPORATION
◦ AISIN SEIKI CO. LTD ◦ EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION ◦ PLUG POWER INC.
◦ BALLARD POWER ◦ FUEL CELL ENERGY, INC ◦ SFC ENERGY AG
SYSTEMS INC. ◦ GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY ◦ TOSHIBA CORPORATION
◦ BLOOM ENERGY (GE) ◦ TOYOTA MOTOR
CORPORATION ◦ HITACHI, LTD CORPORATION
◦ HYDROGENICS CORPORATION
4
Fuel cell, Battery, Combustion engine
◦ In conventional Combustion process hydrocarbons are oxidized providing combustion products heat:
2𝐻2 + 𝑂2 ⇌ 2𝐻2 𝑂 + 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 then heat is converted to mechanical energy that can be used to get
electricity or to do work. Combustion is associated with NOx formation. Why?
◦ Fuel cell is like battery in that it generates electricity from an electrochemical reaction, however, in fuel
cell there is an external supply of chemical energy and can run indefinitely, as long as it is supplied
with a source of hydrogen and a source of oxygen (usually air) without any moving parts.
◦ Here hydrogen fuel is oxidized electrochemically in a very efficient way than combustion process
forming water. Why?
◦ In fuel cell, electrons are released and flow through an external circuit as an electric current. Consider
two electrochemical half reactions:
1
𝐻2 ⇌ 2𝐻 + + 2𝑒 − & 𝑂2 + 2𝐻+ + 2𝑒 − ⇌ 𝐻2 𝑂
2
Battery is power and capacity integrated device with energy
storage and conversion capability. Fuel cells and combustion
engines have independent scaling of power and capacity.
5
Fuel cell, Battery, Combustion engine.
◦ Consider engine developing power of 100 kW, its combustion model requires input of 350 kW
gasoline chemical energy (about 31%), its battery model requires about 120 kW, while its fuel cell
model requires about 200 kW.
◦ Engine operating temperature plays great role in its efficiency and stability. Internal combustion
engines can operate at temperatures from -30°C to 110°C, and fuel cells about -20°C to 80°C, and
batteries should not be run hotter than 55°C. Higher temperatures shorten battery life and reduce
performance. For hot day of 40 °C, special large radiator is needed to keep fuel cell car at high
efficiency to withstand overheating and shortened lifetime as for Toyota Mirai.

300 Useful Power Power Loss

Fuel cell and battery cars are silent 200

with zero undesirable emissions of
100
NOx, SOx, and particulate.
0
ICE Battery Fuel Cell

http://www.catalyticengineering.com/keeping-your-cool-when-youre-a-battery-a-fuel-cell-or-an-engine/
6
7
Fuel cell, Solar cell, Battery
◦ Fuel cell, solar cell, and battery all produce DC electrical power by converting either chemical energy
(fuel cell, battery) or solar energy (solar cell). For analogy, consider water tank, all systems provide
electrical output of current density determined by the operating voltage (as water output flow depends
on water height on the tank).
◦ Fuel cell and solar cell like “open” thermodynamic systems that operate at a thermodynamic steady
state; i.e., constant operating voltage for continuous fuel supply (or photons) from an external source.
◦ Battery is analogous to closed thermodynamic systems that contain a finite and exhaustible internal
supply of chemical energy (reactants) (thus water is not replenished so output flow is reduced as
height is reduced) thus voltage generally decreases over time.

8
Fuel cell work concept
◦ Fuel cell is an inverse electrolysis where two electrodes are separated by electrolyte. Anode (negative
electrode of layered platinum) receives hydrogen, and cathode (positive electrode) collects oxygen.
Catalyst at the anode separates hydrogen into positively charged hydrogen ions and electrons. The
hydrogen is ionized and migrates across electrolyte to cathode compartment, where it combines with
oxygen. Thermodynamics limits the theoretical generated voltage from a single pair of electrodes to
about 1.2V, higher voltage can be obtained by stacking the cells.
◦ The oxygen received at cathode reacts with electrons
coming in from anode side and H+ ion to generate some
heat and water which is excreted out from the cell.
◦ Spatial separation is accomplished by employing an electrolyte.
An electrolyte is a material that allows ions (charged atoms) to
flow but not electrons. At minimum, fuel cell must possess two
electrodes, where two electrochemical half reactions occur:

9
Components of Fuel cell
◦ Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the heart of fuel cell, which includes membrane, catalyst
layers (anode and cathode), and gas diffusion layers (GDLs).
◦ Electrodes facilitates reaction between reactant (fuel or oxygen) and electrolyte without itself being
consumed or corroded. A biporous electrode allows liquid to penetrate the small pores and a gas
pressure is applied that drives the liquid out of the large pores. The electrolyte will tend to form a thin
wetting film over part of the internal surface of the electrode. The reactant gas, sparingly soluble in
the electrolyte, can diffuse through this film and reach the electrode surface, where a solid-liquid
reaction can occur. Electrode structure is designed to maximize the area of the wetted film.
◦ Electrolyte: is the proton exchange membrane (gas diffusion barrier) which conducts only positively
charged ions and blocks electrons (must be hydrated to function and remain stable). Electrolyte
prevent the direct chemical combustion by separating hydrogen fuel (H2) from the oxidant (O2). FCs
are usually classified in terms of applied electrolyte; as alkaline, Sulfuric Acid, Phosphoric acid etc.
◦ Catalyst: is a special material (as platinum nanoparticles) that facilitates reaction of H2 and O2.
◦ Interconnects or bipolar plates link up individual fuel cells in a fuel cell stack. Bipolar plates serve
to keep oxidant and fuel gases separate from one another.
10
Fuel cell stack

11
https://www.ballard.com/ 12
Advantages & Disadvantages of Fuel cell
◦ Advantages:
◦ Availability of reactants; Hydrogen and oxygen
◦ Environmentally friend with low-to-zero emissions.
◦ It does not cause pollution.
◦ Energy security
◦ Quite operation with no moving parts
◦ High efficiency energy con version to electricity
◦ Renewable form of energy and Biodegradable
◦ Disadvantages:
◦ Expansive production and infrastructure cost for filling stations and safety concerns
◦ It is difficult to store in addition to hydrogen storage problems.
◦ It’s highly flammable.
◦ It cannot hold more fuel at a single time.
13
Fuel Cell Applications
◦ Warehouse logistics as to power clean trucks, forklifts, pallet jacks, and more.
◦ Global distribution for long-haul trucking and local distribution as done by Hyundai & Toyota
◦ Buses for public transportation in major cities as Chicago, Vancouver, London, and Beijing
◦ Trains as appeared in Germany, and will be in Britain, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and USA.
◦ Personal vehicles as developed by 9 nine auto manufacturers [hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles-
HFCEVs] as Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, Hyundai Nexo, etc..
◦ Planes as examined for many projects like Pathfinder and Helios prototypes in aerospace.
◦ Power Backup as part of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems in hospitals and data centers
◦ Mobile power generation as developed by NASA to provide power for rockets and shuttles in space.
◦ Unmanned arial vehicles (UAVS) for rescue operations (i.e. drones)
◦ Boats and submarines for personal and military applications.
14
Features of fuel Cell powered cars & Buses
◦ There is almost zero pollution reduction is key
◦ Fuel cell plus methanol reformer
◦ Overall car efficiency
◦ Potential electricity production is ≈80% specially for pure hydrogen then more than 80% electrical
energy converted to mechanical energy. Thus, overall efficiency of fuel cell powered vehicle> 64%
◦ Gasoline: 20-32%
◦ Battery: 70%
◦ Fuel cell: 40-60%

15
https://www.toyota.co.uk/world-of-toyota/environment/fuel-cell-vehicle

16
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032120309321
17
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544220320624

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123877109000102
18
https://environmental-conscience.com/hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars-pros-cons/#Top_10_Hydrogen_Cars_Pros_Cons_%E2%80%93_Summary_List

Hydrogen Car Pros Hydrogen Car Cons

Greener compared to conventional cars High purchase price

Use of renewable resources High depreciation

Efficient power Charging issues
No noise pollution Lack of infrastructure
Short fueling time Limited selection of cars
Long range Technology not mature yet
Absence of fumes Large investments for R&D necessary

No air pollution Hydrogen fuel is quite expensive

Less greenhouse gas emissions Safety issues
Suitable alternative for commuting Not entirely green yet
19
Hydrogen features
• Current efforts are paid to replace high-carbon with low-carbon hydrogen in different applications;
and to expand hydrogen use to new applications by reducing hydrogen costs as low as possible.
• The current hydrogen is produced from natural gas and coal with significant CO2 emissions.
• Clean energy progress for hydrogen can be tracked using three main indicators:
• Use low-carbon hydrogen production rather than conventional hydrogen in existing applications.
• Apply in new sectors (as transport and industrial applications) to widespread the use of clean-
energy.
• scale-up, cost reductions and improvements (in efficiency, lifetime and process integration) of
cross-cutting technologies as electrolysers, fuel cells and hydrogen production.
• Even hydrogen powered vehicles are increased quickly they still account for just 0.5% of new low-
carbon vehicles sales.
• In addition to transport, domestic and industrial heating are sectors that could raise low-carbon
hydrogen demand for decarbonization purposes. Existing infrastructure (such as gas grids) could be
used to enable demand increases.
20
Hydrogen features
• The usual features of hydrogen fuel include:
• It is very light gas so it doesn't exist naturally on earth; therefore, it must be prepared as it is the
most abundant element.
• It burns with oxygen releasing large amounts of energy due to its high energy contents by weight.
• It has wide range of flammability from concentration of 4 to 75% of air by volume
• As gas, its volumetric density can be drastically lowered by converting it to liquid hydrogen.
Property Hydrogen Methane Methanol Ethanol Propane Gasoline
Molecular Weight (g/mol) 2.016 16.043 32.040 46.063 44.100 ~107.000
Density (kg/m3 at 20°C and 1 atm) 0.08375 0.6682 791 789 1.865 751
Normal Boiling point (°C) -252.8 -161.5 64.5 78.5 -42.1 27 - 225
Flash Point (°C) < -253 -188 11 13 -104 -43
Flammability Limits in Air (Volume %) 4.0 - 75.0 5.0 - 15.0 6.7 - 36.0 3.3 - 19 2.1 - 10.1 1.0 - 7.6
CO2 Production per Energy Unit 0 1.00 1.50 N/A N/A 1.80
Auto-ignition Temperature in Air (°C) 585 540 385 423 490 230 - 480
Higher Heating Value (MJ/kg) 142.0 55.5 22.9 29.8 50.2 47.3
Lower Heating Value (MJ/kg) 120.0 50.0 20.1 27.0 46.3 44.0
21
Hydrogen features
• Hydrogen is considered as the future fuel due to
• Can provide potential energy to different sectors; industry, residences, transportation, and mobile.
• Can be produced from different sources
• It is completely renewable.
• The most abundant and cleanest precursor for hydrogen is water.
• Can be stored in many forms, from gas to liquid to solid.
• Can be produced from, and converted to, electricity with high efficiencies.
• It is an attractive solution for remote communities that cannot access electricity through the grid.
• One of the fundamental attractions of hydrogen is its environmental advantage over fossil fuels,
however, hydrogen is only as clean as the technologies used to produce it. The production of
hydrogen can be pollutant-free if it is produced by one of three methods:
• Electrolysis using electricity derived solely from renewable energy sources or nuclear power.
• Steam reforming of fossil fuels combined with new carbon capture and storage technologies.
• Thermochemical or biological techniques based on renewable biomass.
22
Hydrogen features
• Safety Aspects of Hydrogen as a Fuel include
• tendency to escape through small openings more easily than any fuel (3 times faster than NG).
• disperses much more quickly due to its high diffusivity
• hydrogen has the lowest explosive energy per unit of stored fuel.
• Designers of hydrogen systems consider:
• Leak prevention through thorough testing of tanks and equipment.
• Installing more than one valve.
• Designing equipment for shocks, vibrations, and wide temperature ranges.
• Adding hydrogen sensors or leak detectors.
• Ignition prevention by eliminating sources of electrical sparks.
• Designing fuel cell supply lines that are physically separated from other equipment.

23
24
THANK YOUR

Waiting your questions

25