Abstract
Science has shown that there are two sustainable alternatives to providing energy needs: renewable energy resources and fuel cells-hydrogen-based energy, which will play a complementary role in securing global energy resources. By promoting the use of hydrogen-based energy technologies, as clean energy technologies for stationary applications, at the level of local communities, industrial and commercial communities, research topics in this field will help the practical development of sustainable and clean energy systems. This chapter provides an overview of fuel cells highlighting aspects related to fuel cell short history, the main components and operating principles of fuel cells, the main constructive fuel cell types, and the main ways of powering stationary applications through the hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
TopGeneral Aspects
Fuel cells are now increasingly being researched, believing that they are revolutionizing the ways energy is produced. They use hydrogen as fuel, while ensuring the possibility of generating clean electricity, with the protection and even improvement of environmental parameters.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Fuel Cell: An electric cell, which, unlike accumulator cells, can be continuously supplied with fuel, so that the electrical power at the output of this electric cell can be maintained indefinitely. Therefore, the fuel cell converts hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels directly into electricity and heat through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen.
Power Plant: An electric utility generating station.
Stationary Application: Means any application of a Fuel Cell System in which such Fuel Cell System is designed to be attached to a fixed site, being land, a building or other immobile structure for extended use at that site, and includes stationary electrical power systems which are transportable for temporary site power supply.
Fuel Cell Polarization Curve: Is the most important feature to be analyzed to determine the overall performance, this feature being determinant in diagnosing, developing and improving certain aspects related to sizing and control both at the cell level and at the equipment level in the case of fuel cells, at the same time from this polarization curve results the character of irreversibility of certain forms of energy in the case of fuel cells.
CHP With Fuel Cell in the Residential Buildings Sector: PEMFC is currently used in Combined Heat and Power for small practical applications such as the residential building sector.
Electrochemical Conversion: Consists in the direct transformation into electrical energy of the chemical energy stored in various active materials. This type of conversion is called direct due to the fact that no other intermediate form is interposed between the initial and the final form of energy.
Back-Up Power: Is defined as any device that provides instantaneous, uninterruptible power. The term UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is an often used term.