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Hydrogen

The Fuel Cell Revolution

Rising to meet the energy
challenges of tomorrow
by Arvind Ravi

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I
t’s not every day you get to meet a world record holder. But sit powering electronic devices. Upon reaching the cathode, the ions
down with Stanford Mechanical Engineering Professor Fritz and electrons recombine to generate waste.
Prinz, and you’ll have a chance to do just that. Addressing The variety of possible fuel cells stems from the diversity of
a key component of the hydrogen economy, Prinz and his electronically insulating electrolyte materials and the assortment
team boast the world’s lowest operating temperature for a solid of fuels that may be used. In the case of the hydrogen fuel cell, H2
oxide fuel cell. is split into electrons and positive ions—in this case protons—
Although at first this might not seem like the type of record to
write home about, it actually represents a potentially significant Hydrogen Fuel Cell
change in the way our world will be powered. With efficiencies
twice that of the conventional gasoline combustion engines Water Out
that power cars today, fuel cells are becoming an increasingly
attractive solution to our perennial energy concerns. And
because the only waste produced is water, they are a positive
step toward an emissions-free energy future - something that
your children might appreciate. Building on technologies for the Hydrogen Oxygen
production and storage of hydrogen, Prinz’s findings represent In In
the final step of a conversion process that could not only power
your transportation, but even your home or office.

Inside a Fuel Cell

Despite being a hot topic of current research, fuel cells
themselves have actually been around for quite a while, even
predating the combustion engine. First created in 1843 by Welsh
researcher Sir William Grove, fuel cells rely on the separation of
fuel into positively charged ions and electrons. This chemical
separation and the ensuing recombination are catalyzed at two Energy
terminals known as the anode and cathode, respectively. Once Out
generated, the positive ions diffuse toward the cathode through
an electron-impermeable electrolyte layer (i.e., one that allows http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/images/IntHydrogen2.jpg

the transport of ions), while the electrons are forced to move The basic design of a hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is decomposed into protons
around an external wire that reaches the cathode. The motion and electrons, which recombine with oxygen to form water. Electrons from the
of these electrons in the external loop serves as the current for hydrogen molecules provide the electrical power that can be used to do work.

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Hydrogen which ultimately recombine with oxygen to form
water. The particular appeal of such fuel cells is that
they release only water into the environment rather
than harmful pollutants (e.g., sulfur dioxide from fossil
fuel combustion is a common source of acid rain). If combined
With efficiencies twice that of the
conventional gasoline combustion
engines that power cars today, fuel cells
are becoming an increasingly attractive
solution to our growing energy
concerns.
with technologies that use the electrolysis of water to produce
hydrogen, fuel cells could eliminate greenhouse gas emissions
altogether.
Unique Challenges, Novel Approaches
With all of these advantages over traditional conversion
devices, why aren’t fuel cells commercial? According to Prinz,
the problem has been largely one of materials, as they must
be extremely durable. “Fuel cells work in a relatively harsh
environment,” he explains. The first issue is one of temperature.
All fuel cells naturally produce heat, and so the electrolyte layer
must have good thermal integrity. In addition, one side of the
electrolyte is exposed to a strongly oxidizing environment - one
which is indiscriminately eager to gather electrons, not only from
the external wire circuit, but also from the electrolyte itself.
While some are daunted by the challenges of advancing fuel
cell technology, researchers like Prinz are only encouraged. “It’s
certainly intriguing from a technical perspective,” remarks Prinz.
“Fuel cells work in a relatively harsh
environment.” -Professor Fritz Prinz
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/aboutdist7/pubs/journals/nov_dec_2002/html/nov_dec_02/img/nov_dec_02_47_1.jpg
Hydrogen powered cars employing fuel cell technology are expected to be
competitive with the price of traditional automobiles by the year 2010. The
prototypes shown above can travel approximately 125 miles without a refuel-
ing, and reach top speeds of around 80 mph.
32 stanford scientific
In addition to investigating technologies that convert hydrogen to electric
power, Mechanical Engineering Professor Fritz Prinz is also looking into deriving
electric power from biological systems. Here he is shown standing with
research colleague Rainer Fasching (right) in the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory
at Stanford University as they examine materials that could be used to generate
“bioelectricity.”
Fortunately, advances in materials science and microfabrication
- the science of small-scale design - have paved the way for better
approaches. “Now we have materials and fabrication technology
that we didn’t have 20 or 30 years ago. That’s why I think there is
a new opportunity towards realizing fuel cells and making them
even more efficient than what they are now.” Capitalizing on the
same technology that has given rise to microprocessors and flat
panel displays, researchers like Prinz are making headway in an
area that could one day revolutionize power utilization.
The Goldilocks Problem
In exploiting these advances, researchers have tried to use
many different materials to make the electrolyte layers. Two
popular materials in current research are polymeric electrolyte
membranes (PEMs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). PEMs
tend to be relatively small and easy to manufacture, and able
operate best below 100 °C. Because fuel cell operation releases a
large amount of heat, some of the energy generated must be used
to cool PEM fuel cells, compromising their energy efficiency and
“As engineers, we not only look at
problems which are scientifically
interesting, but also problems that have
societal relevance.”
-Professor Fritz Prinz
making them less than ideal. In addition, PEMs must remain
humidified in order to retain ionic conductivity, and so care must
be taken to prevent them from drying out.
As a result of these concerns, Prinz’s team turned their
attention to SOFCs, which also have their limitations. Because
SOFCs have restricted ionic mobility at low temperatures, they
require significant heating to achieve usable power conversion.
Unfortunately, whereas the temperature requirement of PEMs is
too low, that of SOFCs is currently too high, requiring temperatures
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of around 1000 °C. This Fortunately, as the importance of alternative energy Hydrogen
temperature is highly technologies becomes more apparent, researchers
correlated to the thickness in these areas are finding increasing support from
of the electrolyte layer, so corporate interests that share their goal of sustainability.
a natural solution to this Prinz, for instance, is partly funded by Honda, which already has
issue is decreasing the a commercial hydrogen car, the Honda FCX. Although cars like
thickness of the membrane this one are prohibitively expensive for most (the FCX is priced
to achieve greater at a mere $1,000,000), the growing interest and investment in
conductivity at lower a hydrogen economy are leading to rapid progress on a variety
© Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd.
temperatures. of fronts – progress that within a few years may bring this very
A commercial 150 W fuel cell stack. With Prinz’s team has been technology to a garage or neighborhood near you. S
advances in lowering their operating
temperature, they may become the fuel cell
able to shrink the average
of choice. membrane thickness Educating Students About Fuel Cells
approximately 100-fold,
corresponding to approximately 100 atomic layers. These layers In addition to his pioneering research, Prinz has taken an
are so thin that they can function at 300-400 °C, much closer active role in fuel cell education, serving as coauthor of the
to real world conditions. Even at these lower temperatures, first student textbook in this field. Cowritten with two former
the SOFCs perform relatively well, with a power density of students Ryan O’Hayre and Suk-Won Cha in addition to
approximately 400 mW/cm2, or within 20% of the power density postdoctoral fellow Whitney Colella, “Fuel Cell Fundamentals”
of a conventional PEM cell. aims to provide advanced undergraduates and early graduate
In reducing the membranes to a record-breaking thickness, students a comprehensive background in fuel cell technology.
Prinz acknowledges the unique benefits of collaborating with other With over 100 problems, the textbook covers the relevant
leading research departments. “That is particularly an advantage scientific background necessary to understand fuel cell
at Stanford since we have such an outstanding fabrication facility function, but it also extends beyond these basics to issues of
here,” he says. environmental impact stemming from their use. Introduced
this year in Prinz’s Spring Quarter course, “Fuel Cell Science
Beyond the Laboratory Technology,” the book is already garnering attention from
While advances in operating temperatures for fuel cells are Prinz’s colleagues, some of whom are planning to incorporate
promising, they represent just one factor in the energy equation. it into their curricula as well. “There is a big need to educate
There are still questions on many fronts before we can realize a students in energy” remarks Prinz. With the introduction of
hydrogen economy. “Where does [the hydrogen] come from?” this textbook, he is taking a real step towards doing just that:
Printz points out. “How can we economically store and retrieve preparing students to rise to the scientific challenges of the
it?” The answers to these and other related issues surrounding future, and in particular, energy sustainability.
a hydrogen economy will require the continued dedication of
scientists and engineers.

Arvind Ravi is a senior majoring in Chemistry and

Mathematics. A long-time member and former
Editor-in-Chief for Stanford Scientific, he has enjoyed
watching the magazine’s presence grow at Stanford
and beyond.

To Learn More:

Prinz Group Homepage

http://me.stanford.edu/faculty/facultydir/prinz.html

Fuel Cell Fundamentals

by Ryan O’Hayre, Suk-Won Cha, Whitney Colella, and
Fritz Prinz.
-Student textbook on fuel cells introduced by
Professor Prinz

http://powerweb.grc.nasa.gov/pvsee/programs/images/cryo.jpg http://powerweb.grc.nasa.gov/pvsee/programs/images/cryo.jpg
Because of their high efficiencies, fuel cells are an attractive means of converting stored chemical energy into power. In the above artist’s conception, a solar array/
fuel cell power system for a NASA lunar observatory is shown. Such systems may provide more reliable long-term power than battery-based alternatives through
the fourteen-day lunar night.

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