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HYDROGEN Energy Storage

PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGIES • Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one
time for use at a later time.

• A device that stores energy is sometimes called an

accumulator or battery.

• Energy comes in multiple forms including radiation,

chemical, gravitational potential, electrical potential,
electricity, elevated temperature, latent heat and kinetic.

Energy Storage
Renewable Energy and
Energy Storage
• Energy storage involves converting energy from forms that
• Intermittent Sources
are difficult to store to more conveniently or economically
• Stationary and Mobile requirements
storable forms.
• AC and DC systems
• Bulk energy storage is currently dominated by hydroelectric • Capacity of Storage
dams, both conventional as well as pumped. – Large, Small, short time, long time
• Some technologies provide short-term energy storage, • Cost of storage
while others can endure for much longer. – Device and running

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Energy Storage Technologies Introduction to Batteries

• Batteries consist of two or more voltaic cells that
are connected in series to provide a steady dc
voltage at the battery’s output terminals.

• The voltage is produced by a chemical reaction

inside the cell. Electrodes are immersed in an
electrolyte, which forces the electric charge to
separate in the form of ions and free electrons.

The Voltaic Cell

The Voltaic Cell
(converts chemical energy into electric energy)
– A voltaic cell consists of two different metal electrodes
that are immersed in an electrolyte (an acid or a base). • Motion of electrons in
ionic bonding can be used
– The chemical reaction resulting from the immersion to generate an electric
produces a separation of charges.
current
– The current capacity increases with large electrode sizes. • A device constructed to do
just this is called a voltaic
– The negative terminal is considered the anode of the cell cell, or cell for short
because it forms positive ions in the electrolyte. The
opposite terminal of the cell is its cathode.

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Introduction to Batteries What is fuel cell?

A Fuel cell is a electrochemical device that converts chemical energy
• Cells and batteries are available in a wide variety of types. into electrical energy

• Every fuel cell has two electrodes, one positive and one
negative, called, respectively, the cathode and anode. The
reactions that produce electricity take place at the
electrodes
• In all types of fuel cell, hydrogen is used as fuel and can be
obtained from any source of hydrocarbon.
• The fuel cell transform hydrogen and oxygen into electric
power, emitting water as their only waste product.
Typical dry cells and batteries. These primary types cannot be recharged.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Fuel Cell Electro-Chemistry

• Every fuel cell also has an electrolyte, which carries

electrically charged particles from one electrode to the
other, and a catalyst, which speeds the reactions at the 2H+1 + O-2 H2O + Energy
electrodes.
• A single fuel cell generates a tiny amount of direct current In a rocket we convert all the energy to heat
(DC) electricity. energy
• A converter is used to produce AC current
But the fundamental chemical process is electrical, so we could
• In practice, many fuel cells are usually assembled into a
convert the energy into 1.2 volts of electrical energy
stack. Cell or stack, the principles are the same.
• In 1932, Francis Bacon developed the first successful 2H+1 + O-2 H2O + 1.2 volts of electrical energy
FC. He used hydrogen, oxygen, an alkaline electrolyte,
and nickel electrodes.

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Fuel Cell Basics: What is a Fuel Cell?

A fuel cell configuration

• Electrochemical energy conversion device A fuel cell consists of two

– directly converts chemical energy to electrical energy (+) (-)
electrodes namely an anode
– fuel can be H2 or hydrocarbon (e.g. methanol)
and a cathode and sandwiched
around an electrolyte.
O2 H2O
An electrolyte is a substance,
Fuel cell solid or liquid, capable of
conducting oving ions from one
H2 Electricity
electrode to other.
Anode Cathode
Electrolyte
H2+½ O2  H2O
• The “combustion” reaction is split into two electrochemical half
reactions

Oxidation and Reduction Reactions Oxidation and Reduction Reactions

• We are interested in a class of reactions that involve electron transfer at the
• In an electrochemical device (such as a fuel cell or battery), the electrochemical
atomic scale. These are called “Redox” reactions
half reactions take place at electrodes.

• The overall chemical reaction is broken up into two electrochemical half • The electrode is conductive, i.e. it needs to conduct charge.
reactions
Anode: the electrode where oxidation takes place
Oxidation: Electrons are lost from a species
Cathode: the electrode where reduction takes place
H2  2 H+ + 2 e-
examples
Zn  Zn2+ + 2 e-

Reduction: Electrons are gained by a species

½ O2 + 2 H+ + 2 e-  H2O
examples
2 e- + Cu2+  Cu

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Principle, construction and working of H2-O2 fuel cell

Working
Principle: The Fuel gas (hydrogen rich) is passed towards the anode where the
Electrons
The fuel is oxidized on (e-) following oxidation reaction occurs:
the anode and oxidant reduced
on the cathode. One species of H2 (g) = 2H+ + 2e-
ions are transported from one
Cations The liberated electrons from hydrogen in anode side do not migrate
electrode to the other through (+ve) through electrolyte.
the electrolyte to combine
there with their counterparts, Anions (-ve)
Oxidant Therefore, they passes through the external circuit where work is
while electrons travel through Fuel
performed, then finally goes into the cathode.
the external circuit producing Electrolyte
the electrical current. Fuel Oxidant On the other hand, the positive hydrogen ions (H+) migrate across
Permeable Permeable
the electrolyte towards the cathode.
Anode Cathode

Working of Fuel Cell Working of Fuel Cell

At the cathode side the hydrogen atom reacts with oxygen gas
(from air) and electrons to form water as byproduct according to:

The overall cell reaction is

fuel + oxidant product + Heat

H2 + 1/2 O2 +2e - H2O + Heat

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Parts of a Fuel Cell

• Anode
– Negative post of the fuel cell.
– Conducts the electrons that are freed from the hydrogen molecules so that they
can be used in an external circuit.
– Etched channels disperse hydrogen gas over the surface of catalyst.
• Cathode
– Positive post of the fuel cell
– Etched channels distribute oxygen to the surface of the catalyst.
– Conducts electrons back from the external circuit to the catalyst
– Recombine with the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water.
• Electrolyte
– Proton exchange membrane.
– Specially treated material, only conducts positively charged ions.
– Membrane blocks electrons.
• Catalyst
– Special material that facilitates reaction of oxygen and hydrogen
– Usually platinum powder very thinly coated onto carbon paper or cloth.
– Rough & porous maximizes surface area exposed to hydrogen or oxygen
– The platinum-coated side of the catalyst faces the PEM.
Fuel Cell Operation
• Pressurized hydrogen gas (H2) enters cell on anode side.
• Gas is forced through catalyst by pressure.
– When H2 molecule comes contacts platinum catalyst, it splits into two
H+ ions and two electrons (e-).
• Electrons are conducted through the anode
– Make their way through the external circuit (doing useful work such as
turning a motor) and return to the cathode side of the fuel cell.
• On the cathode side, oxygen gas (O2) is forced through the
catalyst
– Forms two oxygen atoms, each with a strong negative charge.
– Negative charge attracts the two H+ ions through the membrane,
– Combine with an oxygen atom and two electrons from the external
circuit to form a water molecule (H2O).

Working of Fuel Cell Electrical power production by fuel cell

The liberated electrons from the hydrogen are responsible for the
production of electricity.
The water is produced by the combination of hydrogen, oxygen and
liberated electrons and is sent out from the cell.
The DC current produced by fuel cell is later converted into AC current
using an inverter for practical application. Hydrogen
Oxygen

The voltage developed in a single fuel cell various from 0.7 to 1.4 volt.
More power can be obtained by arranging the individual fuel cell as a
stack. In this case, each single cell is sandwiched with one another by
a interconnect.
Therefore, electricity power ranging from 1 kW to 200 kW can be
obtained for domestic as well as industrial application. Rotating shaft connected to generator for electricity production

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Volts will add by stacking the batteries
• 1 Volt is now 100 Volts!
100 Volts at 500 amps = 50,000 Watts of electricity!
Now we can power a car
Advantages of Fuel Cells
•Zero Emissions: a fuel cell vehicle only emits water
vapour. Therefore, no air pollution occurs.
• High efficiency: Fuel cells convert chemical energy
directly into electricity without the combustion
process. As a result, Fuel cells can achieve high
efficiencies in energy conversion.
• High power density: A high power density allows fuel
cells to be relatively compact source of electric power,
beneficial in application with space constraints.
• Quiet operation: Fuel cells can be used in residential or
built-up areas where the noise pollution can be
avoided.
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What a real stack looks like
• Shown here is a Honda fuel cell stack for a vehicle
• These types of cells are 50,000 to 100,000 Watts!
• Shockingly powerful!!!!
Disadvantages of Fuel Cells
– CO2 discharged with methanol reform
– Little more efficient than alternatives
– Technology currently expensive
• Many design issues still in progress
– Hydrogen often created using “dirty” energy (e.g.,
coal)
– Pure hydrogen is difficult to handle
• Refilling stations, storage tanks, …
– It is difficult to manufacture and stores a high pure
hydrogen
– It is very expense as compared to battery
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Types of fuel cells

There are different types of fuel cells, differentiated by the type of

electrolyte separating the hydrogen from the oxygen. The types of fuel
cells are:
1) Alkaline fuel cells (AFC)
2) Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC)
3) Molten carbonate fuel cell (MFFC)
4) Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC)
5) Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC)
6) Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)