Fuel cell | EPFL Graph Search

A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requiring a continuous source of fuel and oxygen (usually from air) to sustain the chemical reaction, whereas in a battery the chemical energy usually comes from substances that are already present in the battery. Fuel cells can produce electricity continuously for as long as fuel and oxygen are supplied. The first fuel cells were invented by Sir William Grove in 1838. The first commercial use of fuel cells came almost a century later following the invention of the hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell by Francis Thomas Bacon in 1932. The alkaline fuel cell, also known as the Bacon fuel cell after its inventor, has been used in NASA space programs since the mid-1960s to generate power for 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. They are also used to power fuel cell vehicles, including forklifts, automobiles, buses, trains, boats, motorcycles, and submarines. There are many types of fuel cells, but they all consist of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte that allows ions, often positively charged hydrogen ions (protons), to move between the two sides of the fuel cell. At the anode, a catalyst causes the fuel to undergo oxidation reactions that generate ions (often positively charged hydrogen ions) and electrons. The ions move from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. At the same time, electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, producing direct current electricity. At the cathode, another catalyst causes ions, electrons, and oxygen to react, forming water and possibly other products.

The Application of Fuel-Cell and Battery Technologies in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Dynamic Study

Jan Van Herle, Hossein Pourrahmani, Claire Marie Isabelle Bernier

The harmful impacts of fossil-fuel-based engines on the environment have resulted in the development of other alternatives for different types of vehicles. Currently, batteries and fuel cells are being used in the automotive industry, while promising progress in the maritime and aerospace sectors is foreseen. As a case study in the aerospace sector, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was considered. The goal and the novelty of this study are in its analysis of the possibility of providing 960 W of power for a UAV with a weight of 14 kg using a hybrid system of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery and proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The dynamic performance of the system was analyzed considering three different load profiles over time in an optimized condition. PEMFC was the main supplier of power, while the battery intervened when the power load was high for the PEMFC and the system demanded an immediate response to the changes in power load. Additionally, the impacts of the operating temperature and the C-rate of the battery were characterized by the state of the charge of the battery to better indicate the overall performance of the system.

MDPI2022

Optimization and dynamic responses of an integrated fuel cell and battery system for an 800 kW ferry: A case study

Jan Van Herle, Martin Daniel Gay, Hossein Pourrahmani

The recent targets by different countries to stop the sales or registrations of internal combustion engines (ICE) have led to the further development of battery and fuel cell technologies to provide power for different applications. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using an integrated Lithium-Ion battery and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as the prime mover for a case study of a 800 kW ferry with a total length of 50.8 m to transport 780 passengers for a distance of 24 km in 70 min. Accounting for five types of Lithium-Ion batteries and different numbers of PEMFCs, twenty-five scenarios are suggested based on a quasi-static model. To perform the optimization, the Performance Criterion of the Fuel cell-Battery integrated systems (PCFB) is introduced to include the effects of the sizes, weights, costs, hydrogen consumption, efficiency, and power in addition to the number of fuel cells and the battery capacity. Results indicate that the maximum PCFB value of 10.755 (1/kg(2)m(3)

) can be obtained once the overall size, weight, efficiency, hydrogen consumption, and cost of the system are 18 m(3), 11160 kg, 49.25%, 33.6 kg, and 119.58 k

ELSEVIER2022

The applications of Internet of Things in the automotive industry: A review of the batteries, fuel cells, and engines

Jan Van Herle, Hossein Pourrahmani

The current advances in the integration of devices through the internet of things (IoT) have encouraged researchers to focus on the applications of IoT in the automotive industry. Although different achievements in the in-vehicle network analysis and traffic management have been already reviewed, a comprehensive study to bring together the main applications of the IoT in the automotive industry is required. Internal combustion engines (ICEs) are established as the most common prime-mover for cars, however, with the depleting fossil-fuel resources, the interest in the usage of fuel cells and batteries has increased. In this regard, the main goal of the current study is to evaluate the application of IoT in batteries, fuel cells, and ICEs. This paper is also centralized on different types of IoT applications and combines them with empirical articles such as Random Location Detection, Vehicle Theft Prevention, Observation of vehicle performance, and industrial management of vehicles. As an output of this comprehensive review, different usages of the IoT in the automotive sector will be clarified. Also, this article can be considered as a basis for advancing the recent implementation of the IoT in the fuel cell, battery, and ICE domains.

ELSEVIER2022

Optimization and dynamic responses of an integrated fuel cell and battery system for an 800 kW ferry: A case study

Jan Van Herle, Martin Daniel Gay, Hossein Pourrahmani

) can be obtained once the overall size, weight, efficiency, hydrogen consumption, and cost of the system are 18 m(3), 11160 kg, 49.25%, 33.6 kg, and 119.58 k

ELSEVIER2022