DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program: Fuel Cells. Fuel cells have the potential to replace the internal combustion engine in vehicles and to provide power in stationary and portable power applications because they are energy-efficient, clean, and fuel-flexible. For transportation applications, DOE is focusing on direct hydrogen fuel cells, in which on-board storage of hydrogen is supplied by a hydrogen generation, delivery, and fueling infrastructure. For distributed generation fuel cell applications, the program focuses on near-term fuel cell systems running on natural gas or liquid petroleum gas and recognizes the longer term potential for systems running on renewable/alternate fuels. This DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program activity is focused on the conversion of hydrogen to electrical or thermal power and the use of hydrogen to power vehicles via polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, for auxiliary power units on vehicles, or for stationary applications.
PEM Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells Basic Research. Summary: Space Applications of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. Summary: Space Applications of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells For decades, NASA has relied upon hydrogen gas as rocket fuel to deliver crew and cargo to space. With the Centaur, Apollo and space shuttle vehicles, NASA has developed extensive experience in the safe and effective handling of hydrogen. For example, the rocket engines of each shuttle flight burn about 500,000 gallons of cold liquid hydrogen with another 239,000 gallons depleted by storage boil off and transfer operations. Experts at Glenn Research Center, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Stennis Space Center and White Sands Test Facility are proficient with hydrogen propellant transportation, storage, system design, training, safety standards, hazard analysis, testing, vehicle demonstration, technology transfer and outreach.
With the recent focus on human missions to the moon and eventually Mars, hydrogen will continue to be innovatively stored, measured, processed and employed. Fuel cell. Demonstration model of a direct-methanol fuel cell. The actual fuel cell stack is the layered cube shape in the center of the image Scheme of a proton-conducting fuel cell The first fuel cells were invented in 1838. The first commercial use of fuel cells came more than a century later in NASA space programs to generate power for probes, satellites and space capsules. Since then, fuel cells have been used in many other applications. Fuel cells are used for primary and backup power for commercial, industrial and residential buildings and in remote or inaccessible areas. There are many types of fuel cells, but they all consist of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte that allows charges to move between the two sides of the fuel cell. The fuel cell market is growing, and Pike Research has estimated that the stationary fuel cell market will reach 50 GW by 2020.[3] History[edit] Sketch of William Grove's 1839 fuel cell The first references to hydrogen fuel cells appeared in 1838.
SOFC[edit] Fuel Cells. Fuel Cells Information, Fuel Cells Facts, Fuel Cells Technology. According to many experts, we may soon find ourselves using fuel cells to generate electrical power for all sorts of devices we use every day. A fuel cell is a device that uses a source of fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidant to create electricity from an electrochemical process. Much like the batteries that are found under the hoods of automobiles or in flashlights, a fuel cell converts chemical energy to electrical energy. All fuel cells have the same basic configuration; an electrolyte and two electrodes. But there are different types of fuel cells, based mainly on what kind of electrolyte they use. Many combinations of fuel and oxidant are also possible. The fuel could be diesel or methanol, while air, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide may serve as oxidants.
Most fuel cells in use today, however, use hydrogen and oxygen as the chemicals. Fuel cells have three main applications: transportation, portable uses, and stationary installations. The biggest hurdle for fuel cells today is cost. Fuel Cells 2000.