Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells have high-power density, rapid startup, and low-temperature operation (around 80 to 120 C), and so are ideal for use in applications such as energy transport and battery replacement. The electrolyte used is a proton conducting polymer. This is typically a perfluorinated polymer, though other hydrocarbon-based membranes are under development in an attempt to reduce cost or to enable operation at temperatures approaching 200 C. The catalytically active layer sits adjacent to the membrane, supported on a PTFE treated carbon paper, which acts as current collector and gas diffusion layer. For operation on pure hydrogen, platinum is the most active catalyst, but alloys of platinum and ruthenium are used when higher levels of carbon monoxide are present (CO is a poison in all low temperature fuel cells). (more…)
Fuel cells are typically classified according to type of electrolyte. While many varieties of fuel cells have been demonstrated ...
The fuel cell can trace its roots back to the 1800s when a Welsh-born, Oxford-educated barrister, Sir William Robert Grove, realize ...
Transport applications tend to demand rapid start-up and instant dynamic response from fuel cell systems, so a high-temperature ...
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity, heat and water to produce. ...
Alkaline fuel cell, often known as the Bacon fuel cell following the British inventor’ name. It has become the most created fue ...
