Fuel Cells and Hydrolysis

Posted on August 11, 2014
Posted By: Kimberly Klemm

 

There are several possibilities for furthering the efficiency and energy output of fuel cell systems that could be incorporated into the processes used for fuel cell energy production. Below are three areas for exploration in this relatively new arena:

  • 1. In hydrolysis a covalent bond is formed between the oxygen of the water molecule and the carbon atom. The carbon-oxygen bond breaks and hydrogen atoms become detached from the water molecule. In a fuel cell, hydrogen is fed into the proton exchange membrane and oxygen is used as a catalyst. The by-product of the fuel cell is H2O (water). If the by-product H2O from a fuel cell was used in a hydrolysis reaction, it could be used to produce more hydrogen to sustain the fuel cell. This would take a carbon based physical catalyst for the hydrolysis that would last until the physical substance no longer contained hydrogen. A substance that reabsorbed some of the hydrogen could theoretically sustain a fuel cell indefinitely.

  • 2. Fuel cell energy byproduct water can also be converted to run hydrostatic pumping mechanisms, furthering the energy output of the system incorporating fuel cell production. By-product water does not have to be copious to feed this sort of pump. Hydrostatic pumps are positive-displacement mechanisms which means that the amount of liquid delivered for each pumping cycle is constant and there is not substantial release of waste liquid from the process. A small quantity and velocity of liquid can be used to produce and sustain energy output from the pumping mechanism, as it is a closed system.

  • 3. Fuel cell insulation has been, at this time minimally explored. Fuel cell thermal conductivities were measured in the study by Preben J. S. Vie and Signe Kjelstrup, presented in 2003 in “Thermal conductivities from temperature profile in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell”. This study suggests that fuel cells could be insulated at four points: a.) the wall of the diffusion layer on the anode side and cathode side, (two points) b.) the anode catalyst surface and c.) the membrane.  When determining the best way to reduce thermal output from fuel cell utilization, all four touch-points are possible areas for insulation that could be considered separately instead of questioning an insular decision for the entire fuel cell.

At a time when renewable and sustainable energy is a growing concern in our economies and ecosystems, fuel cells are holding out promising returns. Fuel cells are clean, efficient, and easier to sustain than traditional energy conversion systems. While the Energy community begins to explore the uses and benefits of fuel cell technology, it is necessarily a good idea to look toward the future of improved and possible developments ahead.  The questions arising are not about using fuel cell technology now that it is available. Instead, most inquiries are related to practical implementation and useful applications. The ideas above are areas of exploration that could benefit both end-users and producers with serious results for a fuel cell future already on its way today.

 

Resources:

1.http://hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/TechZone/HydraulicPumpsM/Article/False/6401/TechZone-HydraulicPumpsM 

2. http://americanhistory.si.edu/fuelcells/basics.htm 

3. “Thermal conductivities from temperature profiles in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell” ( Vie, Preben J. S. and Kjelstrup, Signe; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; October 21, 2003)

 

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