Fuel Cell Products for Sustainable Transportation and Stationary Power Generation: Review on Market Perspective

The present day energy supply scenario is unsustainable and the transition towards a more environmentally friendly energy supply system of the future is inevitable. Hydrogen is a potential fuel that is capable of assisting with this transition. Certain technological advancements and design challenges associated with hydrogen generation and fuel cell technologies are discussed in this review. The commercialization of hydrogen-based technologies is closely associated with the development of the fuel cell industry. The evolution of fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell-based stationary power generation products in the market are discussed. Furthermore, the opportunities and threats associated with the market diffusion of these products, certain policy implications, and roadmaps of major economies associated with this hydrogen transition are discussed in this review

Experimental study of temperature distribution effect on proton exchange membrane fuel cell using multi-pass serpentine channels

The uniform temperature distribution is one of the key features to consider in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) to increase performance and minimize the local hot spot formation on the membrane for longer membrane life. This work experimentally investigates the performance and temperature distribution on a 70 cm2 PEMFC with 1, 3, and 6-pass serpentine flow channels. The experimental results revealed that the 3-pass serpentine configuration showed better performance with peak a power density of 0.279 W/cm2, and the corresponding values obtained in 1 and 6-pass configurations are 0.246 and 0.228 W/cm2, respectively. To establish the temperature distribution, 20 thermocouples were provided in cathode plate and the temperature at different locations is mapped. The maximum cell temperature in 3-pass serpentine is limited to 69.76 °C due to enhanced reactant distribution and temperature uniformity. However, in 1 and 6-pass serpentine, the higher cell temperature is reported due to low temperature uniformity compared to the 3-pass serpentine design

Scaled up on direct methanol fuel cell under different operating conditions

A direct methanol fuel cell with an active area of 100 cm2 was tested experimentally under a variety of operating situations to determine its overall performance. Different operational parameters, such as anode flow rate (1–5 ml/min), cathode reactant (Air/Oxygen) and cathode flow rate (100–2000 ml/min) are the most influencing parameter, and the performance output of each parameter are compared. In addition, different cathode flow channels, such as serpentine and sinuous, are used to improve reactant supply, and their performance is compared with one another. Using sinuous flow field at the cathode and 3 ml/min of methanol and 500 ml/min of oxygen, the maximum power density of 24 mW/cm2 has been achieved

Study of novel flow channels influence on the performance of direct methanol fuel cell

The existing flow channels like parallel and gird channels have been modified for better fuel distribution in order to boost the performance of direct methanol fuel cell. The main objective of the work is to achieve minimized pressure drop in the flow channel, uniform distribution of methanol, reduced water accumulation, and better oxygen supply. A 3D mathematical model with serpentine channel is simulated for the cell temperature of 80 °C, 0.5 M methanol concentration. The study resulted in 40 mW/cm2 of power density and 190 mA/cm2 of current density at the operating voltage of 0.25 V. Further, the numerical study is carried out for modified flow channels to discuss their merits and demerits on anode and cathode side. The anode serpentine channel is unmatched by the modified zigzag and pin channels by ensuring the better methanol distribution under the ribs and increased the fuel consumption. But the cathode serpentine channel is lacking in water management. The modified channels at anode offered reduced pressure drop, still uniform reactant distribution is found impossible. The modified channels at cathode outperform the serpentine channel by reducing the effect of water accumulation, and uniform oxygen supply. So the serpentine channel is retained for methanol supply, and modified channel is chosen for cathode reactant supply. In comparison to cell with only serpentine channel, the serpentine anode channel combined with cathode zigzag and pin channel enhanced power density by 17.8% and 10.2% respectively. The results revealed that the zigzag and pin channel are very effective in mitigating water accumulation and ensuring better oxygen supply at the cathode