Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells - How It Works

Fuel Cells
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…)

Oil Trading and Tanker Transportation

oil trading tanker
Tanker transportation and oil transport functions as an important link to facilitate the flow of oil and products from their limited sources of origin derived to its destination all over the world. This particular section of ocean shipping industry is the main component of the movement of seaborne cargo. Even though oil is transported through pipelines and tankers and tank wagons, these movements are relatively small and often restricted to national or in a few cases trough the intra-regional trades. The increment in oil demand came not only from the United States & Western Europe, however there is a rapid oil demand recovery in Japan, a country with no domestic oil reserves. (more…)

Social and Environmental Implications of the Direct Energy Use Patterns of Households

environmental implications energy households
Lack of access to cleaner energy and the negative outwardnesses associated with energy consumption tend to cycle of poverty for poor households in developing countries. Because the poor lack access to, and often can not to afford cleaner and higher quality fuels and electricity and are therefore dependent on poor and inefficient burning biofuels such as wood and dung. (more…)