p9040 Fuel Cell Demonstration Unit

P9040 – Cussons Technology – Fuel Cell Demonstrator Page 1 of 12
P9040
FUEL CELL
DEMONSTRATION UNIT
Issue 1
6-Jan-04
cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

—TECHNOLOGY Ltd— Phone +44 161 833 0036 email sales@cussons.co.uk

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 RECEIPT AND UNPACKING ...................................................................................... 4
2 HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS ........................................... 5
2.1 Manufacturers Liability. ....................................................................................... 5
2.2 Safety. ................................................................................................................. 6
2.2.1 Electrical Equipment. .........................................................................................6
2.2.2 Flammable Gas. ................................................................................................6
3 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7
4 DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 8
4.1.1 Fuel Cell. ..........................................................................................................8
4.1.2 Control Unit ......................................................................................................8
4.1.3 Services, Installation, Commissioning, and Maintenance .......................................8
5 OPERATION .............................................................................................................. 9
5.1 Starting the stack. .............................................................................................. 9
5.2 Stopping the stack. ............................................................................................ 9
6 EXPERIMENTS ........................................................................................................ 10
6.1 Cell Characteristic. ........................................................................................... 10
6.2 Fan Assisted Cell Characteristic....................................................................... 10
6.3 Load Following Test. ........................................................................................ 10
7 TYPICAL CALCULATIONS. ...................................................................................... 12
7.1 Current Efficiency. ............................................................................................ 12
7.2 Voltage Efficiency............................................................................................. 12
7.3 Thermal Efficiency............................................................................................ 12

1 RECEIPT AND UNPACKING

Irrespective of who has arranged the carriage and insurance of the goods, the carriers and insurers
require that claims for loss of damage are submitted within a specified period after receipt of the
goods. This period is often as short as 72 hours. It is important therefore for the customer to carry
out the following procedure as soon as the equipment is received.
On receipt, the goods should be signed for “unexamined”.
Immediately unpack and check the equipment against the dispatch checklist / packing lists
enclosed with the equipment.
Advise the carrier within 72 hours of receipt, of any damaged or missing items, holding them
responsible for the damage or loss. A copy of this advice document must also be sent to Cussons
Technology Ltd.
If you have arranged insurance you must advise your insurers of the damage/loss enclosing a
copy of the advice document that you have submitted to the carrier.
If Cussons Technology Ltd. arranged insurance, you must advise the local agent at the address
indicated on the original Insurance Certificate in your possession. A copy of this advice
document must also be sent to Cussons Technology Ltd.
You should retain all evidence of loss or damage. Claims for loss or damage cannot be
entertained if the above procedures are not adhered to.

2 HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
2.1 Manufacturers Liability.

Cussons Technology Ltd. hereby draws the attention of all users of its equipment to the UK.
Health and Safety at Work Act, or of any similar provisions relating to health and safety of
people at work in other countries and territories, which refer to the liability of manufacturers or
suppliers of equipment.
Under the U.K. Act manufacturers or suppliers of equipment cannot be liable for the consequence
of its use unless it is installed, maintained and operated strictly in accordance with the
instructions published by the manufacturers or suppliers. This same limit of liability is hereby
assumed by Cussons Technology Ltd. to be valid in all countries or territories.
Therefore Cussons Technology Ltd will not be liable for any consequence of failure to heed
warnings and precautions, improper installation or maintenance, improper use or incorrect
operation of equipment, unless specifically authorised in writing by the Company in advance of
their implementation, will invalidate equipment warranty and absolve Cussons Technology Ltd
from liability.
Cussons Technology Ltd. recognises the need for equipment to be safe to operate and to be fit for
the purpose for which it is designed. The Company pays considerable attention to these aspects
and designs and manufacturers equipment to the highest safety standards with highly visible
quality assurance.
Where applicable Cussons products incorporate the CE Mark indicating that the product
conforms to relevant EU “New Approach” Directives. Compliance with these requirements can
only be assured when the equipment has been properly installed and maintained within the
intended environment. It is particularly important that all guards, covers, doors and other
protective or screening devices are correctly fitted whilst products are operated. Typically
Cussons products are designed for operation in applications designated under the directives as an
“industrial environment”. Users intending to install or operate equipment in other environments
should seek specific advice concerning additional or alternative measures that should be
considered.
Any customers requiring further advice on safety aspects concerning installation, and use of
Cussons equipment should write to the company at the following address giving full details of the
equipment, it’s serial number and the exact details of their enquiry:
Cussons Technology Ltd

102 Great Clowes Street,
Manchester, M7 1RH, U.K.
Telephone +44 (0)161 833 0036

Facsimile +44 (0)161 834 4688
Email: sales@cussons.co.uk

2.2 Safety.
Before proceeding to install, commission or operate this equipment you are directed to read the
following safety notes. The notes are intended to help you to be aware of potential hazards and
thereby avoid accidents. Where appropriate, further information and recommendations are
incorporated in the main body of this manual. In all cases the requirements of relevant local
health and safety regulations should be complied with.
2.2.1 Electrical Equipment.
Installation and maintenance should only be carried out by a competent engineer in
accordance with local regulations and the following notes.
a) Installation.
Ensure that the equipment is situated on a suitable workbench and the room has adequate
ventilation.
The system is totally self-contained and requires no external electrical supply to
function.
b) Maintenance.
Always isolate the equipment from the gas supply when the equipment is not in use.
The equipment should be periodically inspected and tested to ensure continued safety.
2.2.2 Flammable Gas.

This equipment requires Hydrogen as a fuel for the Cell. Hydrogen is an odourless,
colourless, flammable gas, which is lighter than air and in sufficient quantity can
become an explosive mixture. Care should be taken to ensure there are no leaks or build
up of gas when the product is running or has been stored for any period of time.

3 INTRODUCTION
The modern fuel cell stems from a discovery in 1839 by Sir William Grove and was an accident,
which happened during an electrolysis experiment.
When he disconnected the battery and shorted the electrodes together he noticed a current
flowing in the opposite direction, consuming the Hydrogen and Oxygen that he had just
generated. He called this his ‘gas battery’. The first model consisted of Platinum electrodes
placed in test tubes of Hydrogen and Oxygen immersed in a bath of dilute Sulphuric acid. In 1842
he connected a number of gas batteries together to form a ‘Gas Chain’ which he used to power an
electrolyser to split water into Hydrogen and Oxygen however due to instabilities and corrosion
of the electrodes the fuel cell was not practical. As a result there was little research or
development for many years.
Significant work on the fuel cell began again in the 1930’s by Francis Bacon, a chemical engineer
at Cambridge. In the 1950’s he successfully produced the first practical fuel cell, it comprised of
an alkaline electrolyte and sintered nickel electrodes which were much less expensive than
platinum.
Fuel cells are a very flexible source of power that have the potential to dominate transport and
local power generation during the 21st century, yet many students will have no direct experience
of using them. Cussons P9040 provides a working fuel cell system capable of investigating the
performance of a fuel cell.
Fuel cells work much like batteries, in both batteries and fuel cells two electrodes are separated
by an electrolyte. Whereas a battery contains all the required substances for the electrochemical
reaction to take place for a limited period of time, the fuel cell is able to supply electricity as long
as a supply of fuel is readily available.

4 DESCRIPTION
4.1 Introduction
Cussons P9040 Fuel Cell Demonstration unit comprises a fuel cell stack mounted on top of a
control unit, which is bench mounting. The unit requires no electrical supply, just a hydrogen
supply of approx. 2 psi @ 160 cc/min. this can be either from a conventional bottle of hydrogen,
an electrolyser with suitable output or Cussons P9041, Metal Hydride storage bottle.
4.1.1 Fuel Cell.

The fuel cell is an air-breathing device, which uses the oxygen available in air and
therefore only requires a supply of hydrogen to operate. It comprises 14 cells connected
to form a stack to give an output of 12w at 7.8 V DC. The unit is self-humidifying and
requires no special gas conditioning.
4.1.2 Control Unit

The Control unit houses all the instrumentation to conduct experiments on the fuel cell.
It is totally self-contained and as it generates its own power, requires no electricity
supply. On top of the control unit next to the fuel cell is a solenoid valve, which enables
the unit to function in a load following mode where the consumption of hydrogen is
proportional to the power being used. On the right hand side of the control unit is a
hydrogen flow meter with integral flow control valve.
The instrumentation consists of
i) Voltmeter to display cell output voltage.
ii) Ammeter to display output current.
iii) Pyrometer, switchable to show inlet and outlet air temperatures.
iv) Rheostat to perform load test on fuel cell.
v) Selector switch to select test being performed.
vi) Sockets for data output and battery charging for optional equipment (P9042).
4.1.3 Services, Installation, Commissioning, and Maintenance

The equipment requires a supply of industrial grade Hydrogen at 2 psi and a maximum
flow rate of 160 cc/min.
It should be installed on a level surface in a room, which has adequate ventilation.
Commissioning requires the connection to a suitable hydrogen supply, checking there
are no leaks and operating the unit as described in section 5.
Maintenance requires periodically checking pipe work for leaks and ensuring the cell is
kept clean and free from blockages.

5 OPERATION
5.1 Starting the stack.

Ensure the terminals are tightened
Using the bottle provided, spray a small quantity of distilled water through the air holes
on top of the fuel cell. (Any water droplets should be blown through from the top).
Remove the pipe on the outlet of the stack and pass hydrogen at 2 psi 100 cc/min for 2 -3
seconds.
Select the cell characteristic on the selector switch.
Set the hydrogen flow for approx 75 cc/min and adjust the rheostat to give 0.5 – 0.8A on
the ammeter. Run at this condition for 8 – 10 minutes.
Adjust the flow to 140 cc/min
Replace the pipe on the cell outlet.
The system is now running.
5.2 Stopping the stack.

Select the cell characteristic position on the selector switch.
Increase the load to maximum.
Shut off the hydrogen flow.
Turn the selector to off once the volts have reached zero.
Isolate the hydrogen supply.
Cover the stack to retain any humidity, this will ensure better start up and performance.

6 EXPERIMENTS
6.1 Cell Characteristic.

Once the cell is running as described in section 5, allow it to warm up for 5 – 10 minutes
before testing the cell characteristic.
Remove the outlet pipe from the cell and set the pressure to 1.5 – 2 psi and the flow rate
to 160 cc/min. Replace the pipe.
Set the load to minimum, (turn the control knob fully anticlockwise).
Turn the selector switch to off for a few seconds and record the open circuit voltage.
Turn the selector switch back to cell characteristic and record the voltage current and
Hydrogen flow, repeat for a number of different values of load.
Plot a graph on the same axes current against voltage and current against power, this will
show the cell characteristic. Also plot Hydrogen consumption against power.
A typical graph of the current against voltage and against power is shown below in figure 1.
Cell Characteristic
16
14
12
10
W
8
V
6
0
21
35
65
06
58
22
56
11
61
03
49
01
58
99
49
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
7
1
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
1.
1.
1.
1.
Am ps
Figure 1 Typical Cell Characteristic.
6.2 Fan Assisted Cell Characteristic.

Repeat the above test but this time the fan will force air across the cell causing more air (and
hence more Oxygen) to be available thus giving higher power output.
6.3 Load Following Test.

There are many applications where a fuel cell would experience changes in the load during
operation. In some cases speed of response to the load change can be important. For example fuel

cells used in cars would ideally need to provide similar accelerating and decelerating to a
conventional engine. Changing the load demand on the fuel cell can simulate this.
With the system running and the solenoid connected the consumption of hydrogen will
follow the load on the fuel cell.
Set the load to maximum and note the hydrogen flow.
Quickly change the load to minimum and note the time taken for the hydrogen flow to
reduce to a steady reading.
Repeat the test but start with the load set to minimum and increase it to maximum.
See if the time is the same or if it settles quicker on an increasing load or a decreasing
load.
Repeat this experiment with half and three quarter loads, and plot the effect of load on rate of
response.

7 TYPICAL CALCULATIONS.
7.1 Current Efficiency.
As there is a Hydrogen flowmeter on the unit it is possible to calculate the current efficiency of
the cell. Stabilise the cell output at a fixed current.
From Faradays Law
1gram mol of reactant produces nF Coulombs.
Where n is the number of electrons transferred in the reaction and F is the Faraday number (or
96,500 Coulombs).
For a Hydrogen fuel cell n=2, and since 1 gram mol Hydrogen at Standard Temperature and
Pressure (STP) occupies a volume of 22.4 litres, then 22.4 litres H2 at STP = 2 * 96,500
coulombs.
Thus from the volume of hydrogen consumed per cell per second it is possible to calculate the
theoretical current.
CurrentObserved
CurrentEfficiency (%) = *100
TheoreticalCurrent
7.2 Voltage Efficiency

The formula governing the theoretical open circuit voltage of a fuel cell is
DG = -nFE
where DG is the free energy of the overall cell reaction
In the case of the Hydrogen – Oxygen cell
H2 + ½O2 H2O liquid (DG = -56.69 Kcal/g mol)
Taking J (mechanical equivalent of heat) = 4.185 and per stack E=1.23V

As the unit is a 10 cell stack this equates to E=12.3V
The voltage efficiency n of the cell is calculated from the terminal voltage V.
V
nv= *100%
12.3
7.3 Thermal Efficiency
Similarly it is possible to calculate the Thermal Efficiency of the Fuel Cell.
The calorific value of Hydrogen is 68,300 calories per gram mol and 1 joule = 0.239 calories.
MeasuredWatts
Hence Overall Efficiency (Thermal)%= * 100
TheoreticalWatts


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P9040 – Cussons Technology – Fuel Cell Demonstrator Page 1 of 12

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

1 RECEIPT AND UNPACKING

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

2 HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

2.1 Manufacturers Liability.

Cussons Technology Ltd

Telephone +44 (0)161 833 0036

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

2.2.2 Flammable Gas.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

4.1.1 Fuel Cell.

4.1.2 Control Unit

4.1.3 Services, Installation, Commissioning, and Maintenance

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

5.1 Starting the stack.

5.2 Stopping the stack.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

6.1 Cell Characteristic.

Figure 1 Typical Cell Characteristic.

6.2 Fan Assisted Cell Characteristic.

6.3 Load Following Test.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

7.2 Voltage Efficiency

where DG is the free energy of the overall cell reaction

In the case of the Hydrogen – Oxygen cell

H2 + ½O2 H2O liquid (DG = -56.69 Kcal/g mol)

Taking J (mechanical equivalent of heat) = 4.185 and per stack E=1.23V

cussons 102, Great Clowes Street. Manchester M7 1RH. U.K.

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