Fuel Cogeneration Project Based on Fuel Cell
Project carried out in December 2000 by C. Martz, C. Stefani and J. Vilquin. This is a small techno-economic comparison of low power cogeneration based on a fuel cell.
Introduction: General Information on Fuel Cells (PAC)
A fuel cell is a generator that directly converts the internal energy of a fuel into electrical energy, using a controlled electrochemical process (instead of a thermal reaction of combustion, the mechanical work of which is then converted into electricity generating significant mechanical and thermal losses). The expected theoretical yields are very high, and the by-products very little polluting. What makes heat pumps make them a very probable alternative to the heat engine (gasoline, diesel), for most of its applications.
It brings into play, without mixing them, a fuel (hydrogen, methanol, carbon monoxide, etc.) and an oxidizer (generally oxygen taken from the air). Depending on the power required, it is made up of a greater or lesser number of elementary cell assemblies, which include a cathode chamber (supplied with oxidizer) and an anode chamber (supplied with fuel), separated by two electrodes (which channel electrons), and an intermediate electrolyte, solid or liquid depending on the type of battery….
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