FUEL CELLS

AS AN
ALTERNATIVE
FUEL

1. Siddh Sadiwla

2. Aneesh Kumar

3. Himanhsu Raj Sahib Bhat

4. Rudransh Sakalle
BACKGROUND

– In 1839 a judge from Wales, William Grove

developed the first ever fuel cell known to
mankind.
– Then later in 1842 he developed the world’s first
hydrogen fuel cell
– The first hydrogen fuel cell produced electric
energy by combining hydrogen and oxygen
– It was named The Gas Voltaic Battery.
– Fuel cell analysis Associate in production has
sparked a lot of interest in recent years due to its
potential as a cost-effective method for converting
chemical energy from hydrogen-rich compounds to
electrical energy for a variety of applications.
INTRODUCTION

– A fuel cell is an electrochemical device, similar to a battery.

– A fuel cell is made up of two electrodes:
1. An anode (negative electrode)
2. Cathode (positive electrode)
3. Anode and Cathode are divided by a liquid or solid
electrolyte.
– The electrodes are typically permeable that distribute hydrogen
or other substances as well as oxygen.
– Hydrogen atoms are found in most fuel cells.
– Their electrons are separated at the anode, where they join the
cell, producing both direct current electricity and positively
charged hydrogen ions.
– Fuel cells are rechargeable and have excellent safety record.
Literature Survey

– Each Fuel Cell has an electrolyte that carries charged particles from one electrode to the other. Each Cell also has a
catalyst, which speeds up the reactions that occur at both the electrodes. While all fuel cells generally operate under
similar principles, there are so many different types of Fuel Cells
– Mainly the Fuel Cells are:-
1. Alkaline fuel cells (AFC) - these were the earliest fuel cells to be made and used. They’ve been used in huge international projects by
NASA such as in the Apollo and space shuttle programs to power the spacecraft’s electric systems.
2. Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) - used for stationary power such as in hotels and hospitals in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
3. Molten carbohydrate fuel cells (MCFC) - operate at high temperatures due to the use of molten carbohydrate, built in the U.S. and
Japan.
4. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) - operate at extremely high temperatures allowing them to tolerate impure fuels, have a simple design.
5. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) – The most popular type of fuel cell due to its wide applications and variable use at both small
and large scale. It uses a thin plastic film as an electrolyte which outputs a powerful current of electricity irrespective of its size. Most
PEM fuel cells use hydrogen as fuel cells
6. Direct-ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) - Uses ethanol as a fuel source
7. Direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC) - Uses methanol as a fuel source
8. Microbial fuel cells - Uses microorganisms to produce electricity
Literature Survey
ADVANTAGES
– High Thermodynamic Efficiency, which ranges from 40%
to 60% in real life and not just in the theoretical
calculations.
– Produce Heat as a byproduct side by side with the
Electricity Production. This means that they have a use as
Heat Generators as well, thus providing both electricity
and heat for domestic and large industrial scale uses.
– The Power Produced has a Wide Range of 50W to
100MW. The output can be further lowered in the case of
Microbial fuel cells
– Environment Friendly. This new mode of alternative fuel is
very Environmental Friendly as the pollution emissions are
almost negligible when using H2 (hydrogen).
DISADVANTAGES
– Due to their reactions to produce electricity
suffer through durability issues, having less
stability and lifetime.
– The Challenges faced in Producing,
Transporting and Storing the Hydrogen which
happens to be Highly Flammable hence has to
be handled with intense care.
– The Raw Materials and Elements used in Fuel
Cells are either rare or noble elements that
happen to have High Prices hence increases
the Production Costs of these Fuel Cells
CURRENT TRENDS

– Fuel cell systems are being actively researched associate degreed developed with government resource in several
countries in a short-term effort to achieve an economical and clean energy system that may profit the worldwide
surroundings. The primary generation of such systems, the PAFC, is currently being sold-out. The power-generating
talents of the second-generation MCFC are currently being tested. The third-generation SOFC includes a hollow sort,
that is that the furthest on and a flat-plate sort that has been tested for power generation capabilities. The PEFC is
anticipated to before long become sensible for moveable usage, like for cars.

 PAFC : oxygen acid electric cell

 MCFC : Melted Carbonate electric cell
 SOFC : Solid chemical compound electric cell
 PEFC: chemical compound solution Fuel cell.

– Fuel cells have Great advantages over typical combustion-based technologies presently utilized in several power
plants and cars. They turn out a lot of smaller quantities of greenhouse gases and none of the air pollutants that make
air pollution and cause health issues. If pure chemical element is employed as a fuel, fuel cells emit solely heat and
water as a by-product. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells also are way more energy economical than ancient combustion
technologies.
 Here are some currently trending uses of
hydrogen fuel cell in daily life:-

1. In Buses: - Hydrogen power is being considered for other public transportation

applications, including hydrogen fuel cell buses. 
2. In personal vehicles: - Nine of the major auto manufacturers are developing
hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEVs) for personal use.
3. Backup power generation: - At a local level, stationary fuel cells are used as part
of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, where continuous uptime is
critical. Both hospitals and data centers are increasingly looking to hydrogen to
meet their uninterruptible power supply needs.
4. Mobile power generation: - Hydrogen offers versatile options for mobile power
generation. In fact, some of the earliest hydrogen fuel cells were developed by
NASA to provide electricity for rockets and shuttles in space.
5. In Boats and Submarines: - Hydrogen fuel cells have found their way into a
number of marine applications. Some boats even use onboard solar panels and
wind turbines to generate their own hydrogen for a fuel cell system.
6. Hydrogen fuel cells offer an alternative to nuclear power with long range, silent
cruising, and low exhaust heat.
FUTURE SCOPE OF FUEL CELLS

– In the future, fuel cells might power our cars,

with chemical
element exchange the fossil fuel that's employed
in most vehicles these
days. Several vehicle makers are actively researching
and developing transportation cell technologies.
– Fuel cells will power nearly any moveable device or
machine that uses batteries. It is not like a typical
battery, that eventually goes dead, a fuel
cell continues to supply energy as long as fuel
and chemical agents are provided. Laptop, computers,
cellular phones, video recorders, and hearing
aids might be hopped-up by moveable fuel cells.

– Hydrogen gas is named fuel of future.

CONCLUSION

– Within a decade, fuel cells may be a significant and necessary source of energy.
– They have a lot of potential as building blocks for large and small stationary
power plants, as well as a source of energy for automobiles and other small
devices.
– Only water and heat are generated by the operation of pure hydrogen fuel cells
hence is one of the cleanest source of energy.
– Their size and form factor are both adaptable and versatile.
Acknowledgement

– It is exceptional thanks to our educator (Rohit Kumar Singh Sir) as well as all
chemistry faculty who gave us the brilliant chance to express our knowledge
through this project(FUEL CELL AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL), which additionally
help us to do a lots of research in a proper manner. Despite, we came to know
about such countless new things so it's grateful to them.
References

– https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/fuel-cell-technology
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell
– https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/fuel-cells#:~:text=
In%20the%20future%2C%20fuel%20cells,used%20in%20most%20vehicles%20
today.&text=If%20pure%20hydrogen%20is%20used,efficient%20than%20tradi
tional%20combustion%20technologies
– https://www.energy.gov/public-services/vehicles/hydrogen-fuel-cells
– https://livingclean.com/the-uses-of-fuel-cells/