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Prof. Mario L. Ferrari: Sustainable Energy Mod.1: Fuel Cells & Distributed Generation Systems
Prof. Mario L. Ferrari: Sustainable Energy Mod.1: Fuel Cells & Distributed Generation Systems
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Sustainable Energy
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Mod.1: Fuel Cells & Distributed
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Generation Systems
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Dr. Ing. Mario L. Ferrari
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Thermochemical Power Group (TPG) - DiMSET – University of Genoa, Italy
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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Lesson II: fuel cells (electrochemistry)
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• A general cell reaction
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• The standard state Gibbs free energy change
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G°i: partial molar Gibbs free energy for species i at temperature T
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• Enthalpy and entropy calculation (perfect gases)
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H°i, S°i, a,b,c: from tables i
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• The following equations
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• The Gibbs free energy change can be expressed
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∆G°: Gibbs free energy change of reaction at 1 atm and temperature T
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fi: fugacity of species i (fugacity is an effective pressure which replaces the true
mechanical pressure in accurate chemical equilibrium calculations – it is related to
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the tendency of a fluid to expand at isothermal condition)
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• Combining with the initial equation
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Ε° is calculated from -∆G°/nF at the cell temperature (T) i
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• General form of Nernst equation
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Fuel cells generally operate at pressures low enough (perfect
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gases): fugacity can be approximated by the partial pressure
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• Electrochemical reactions in fuel cells
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•The cell potential increases with an increase in the partial pressure (concentration)
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of reactants and a decrease in the partial pressure of products
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•For example, for the hydrogen reaction, the ideal cell potential at a given
temperature can be increased by operating at higher reactant pressures
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• Fuel cell reactions and Nernst voltage
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•E° at 298 K for H2+1/2*O2: 1.229 V (liquid water product) or 1.18 V (steam
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product)
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•The difference is Gibbs free energy change of vaporization
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• H2/O2 FC ideal potential function of temperature
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• H2/O2 ideal potential for different cells (and T)
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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•The open circuit voltage of a fuel cell is also strongly influenced by the reactant
concentrations.
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•The maximum ideal potential occurs when the reactants at the anode and cathode
are pure.
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•In an air-fed system or if the feed to the anode is other than pure dry hydrogen,
the cell potential will be reduced.
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•Reduced open circuit voltage affects the operation of the entire cell.
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A simple reaction pathway analysis explains why direct oxidation of CO and CH4 is
rarely the major reaction pathway under most fuel cell operating conditions (usually
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internal reforming):
•The driving force for anodic oxidation of CO and CH4 is lower than that for the
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oxidation of hydrogen.
•The kinetics of hydrogen oxidation on the anode are significantly faster than
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that of CO or CH4 oxidation.
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•Mass-transfer of CO, CH4, and even more so of higher hydrocarbons, to the three-
phase boundary and through the porous anode is more than ten times slower than that
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of hydrogen.
Nevertheless, direct oxidation can be important under certain conditions, such as at
the entrance of a cell
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
Energy balance
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•The energy balance around the fuel cell is based on the energy absorbing/releasing
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processes (e.g., power produced, reactions, heat loss) that occur in the cell.
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Enthalpy flow of the reactants entering the cell =
Enthalpy flow of the products leaving the cell +
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Heat from physical and chemical processes within the cell +
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DC energy output from the cell +
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Heat loss from the cell to its surroundings
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•A typical energy balance determines the cell exit temperature knowing the reactant
composition, the feed stream temperatures, H2 and O2 utilization, the expected power
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produced, and a percent heat loss.
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[n(H2 ) + 4 ⋅ n(CH4 ) + n(CO)]FC _ in − [n(H 2 ) + 4 ⋅ n(CH4 ) + n(CO)]FC _ out
Fuel utilization factor: U f =
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[n(H2 ) + 4 ⋅ n(CH4 ) + n(CO)]FC _ in
•Uf is related to current and fuel mass flow rate
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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•Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy. In the ideal case
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of a fuel cell the change in Gibbs free energy (∆G) of the reaction is available as
useful electric energy at the temperature of the conversion. ∆H is the change in
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enthalpy between the product and feed streams
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∆G is the electric work
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•Example for a pure H2/O2 fuel cell:
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At 298 K: ∆H = 285.8 kJ/mol e ∆G = 237.1 kJ/mol
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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•The efficiency of an actual fuel cell is often expressed in terms of the ratio of the
operating cell voltage to the ideal cell voltage. For a hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell:
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At 298 K and 1 atm: Εideal = 1.229 V
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•Since the fuel is typically not completely converted, the voltage efficiency must be
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multiplied by the fuel utilization.
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Typical SOFC. Operating
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conditions: 800°C, 50% initial
hydrogen concentration.
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A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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The actual cell potential is decreased from its ideal potential because of several types
of irreversible losses (often they ate referred to as polarization, overpotential or
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overvoltage)
• Types of losses
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•Activation-related losses. These come from the activation energy of the
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electrochemical reactions at the electrodes. These losses depend on the reactions, the
electro-catalyst material and microstructure, reactant activities, and weakly on
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current density.
•Ohmic losses. Ohmic losses are caused by ionic resistance in the electrolyte and
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electrodes, electronic resistance in the electrodes, current collectors and
interconnects, and contact resistances. These losses are proportional to the current
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density, depend on materials selection, stack geometry and temperature.
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•Mass-transport-related losses (or concentration-related losses). These come
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from finite mass transport limitation rates of the reactants and depend strongly on the
current density, reactant activity, and electrode structure.
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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•Activation and concentration polarization data presented are generally only valid for
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that particular cell and operating geometry.
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•A mathematical model will generally be required to interpret activation and
concentration polarization data and translate it into data useful for stack engineers.
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•Detailed reactant concentration information (including utilization) is essential for
interpretation of activation and concentration polarization data.
•Several cell data presented and published are taken at finite utilization.
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• Activation losses
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•Activation losses are caused by sluggish electrode kinetics. There is a close
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similarity between electrochemical and chemical reactions in that both involve an
activation energy that must be overcome by the reacting species (a sort of energetic
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barrier).
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•If Note: A voltage drop is expressed with η
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Tafel equation
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•The usual form of Tafel equation is:
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With:
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and
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Processes contributing to activation losses: absorption of reactants, transfer of
electrons, desorption of products, and the nature of the electrode surface
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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resistance to flow of electrons through the electrodes.
•The dominant ohmic losses through the electrolyte are reduced by decreasing the
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electrode separation and enhancing the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte.
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•The ohmic resistance normalized by the active cell area is the Area Specific
Resistance (ASR). ASR has the units Ωcm2.
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•The ASR is a function of the cell design, material choice, manufacturing technique,
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and, because material properties change with temperature, operating conditions.
•Ohmic resistance may be determined through impedance spectroscopy.
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•Based on the detailed cell geometry, the length of both the ionic and electronic
current paths and cross-sectional area for current conduction can be measured.
•Contact resistance is calculated from R (the difference).
A.A. 2011-2012
Lesson II
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• Mass-transport-related (concentration) losses
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•Reactant is consumed at the electrode and finite mass transport rates limit the supply
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of fresh reactant and the evacuation of products.
•A concentration gradient is formed which drives the mass transport process.
•While at low current densities and high bulk reactant concentrations mass-transport
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losses are not significant, under practical conditions (high current densities, low fuel
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and air concentrations), they often contribute significantly to loss of cell potential.
Fick’s first law of diffusion
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•D: diffusion coefficient
•CB, CS: bulk and surface concentration
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Limiting current (maximum rate at which a reactant can be supplied)
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Combining the equations:
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Nernst equation at zero and ≠0 current
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• Cumulative effects of losses
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•Combined effect of losses (activation+concentration) is called polarization.
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•The effect of polarization is to shift the potential of the electrode (Eelectrode) to a
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new value (Velectrode)
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•Real cell voltage.
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Losses can be minimised by modification on fuel
cell design (electrode, electrolyte, geometry) i
A.A. 2011-2012