Fuel Cell Applications

Fuel cells can produce pollutionless power at high efficiencies using a variety of biomass and hydrocarbon fuel stocks. Because of these compelling advantages, fuel cells promise to be the successor to the age of combustion. We are actively researching applications of fuel cell technology.

Combined Heat and Power for Buildings Using Fuel Cell Cars

As an alternative to the internal combustion engine, fuel cells offer the potential for providing transportation services with zero or near-zero pollutant emissions, with large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and with reduced energy insecurity as a result of being able to use a wide range of feedstocks for fuel as alternatives to oil from politically unstable regions. If the fuel cell comes to replace the internal combustion engine in transportation applications, it could radically transform not just transportation, but stationary power generation as well -- if houses and workplaces were "plugged into" fuel cell cars when the cars were not being driven.

We have studied the feasibility of cogenerating electricity and heat for residential and commercial buildings using proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cells in cars. The performance of fuel cell car cogeneration systems in residences and workplaces in New Jersey and Texas were investigated using hourly simulation models. Results indicate that energy and capital savings of about $2,000 per home docking station and between $2,000 and $8,000 per workplace docking station could be applied to the cost of the docking stations. This suggests that the concept of fuel cell car cogeneration is plausible and merits consideration as an innovative element in the portfolio of options for the distributed utility of the future.

Schematic design of a hospital thermal energy system, showing two fuel cell car docking stations and two air handling units.

Simulated hourly electrical and thermal demand and fuel cell output at a hospital during a typical January day.

The Feasibility of Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell Cogeneration in Industry

A PC25C phosphoric acid fuel cell cogeneration system was designed for an industrial facility and an economic analysis was performed. The US DOE Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) database was examined to determine what industry considers a good investment for energy saving measures. Finally, the results of the cogeneration analysis and database investigation were used to project the conditions in which the PC25C might be accepted by industry.

Analysis of IAC database revealed that energy conservation recommendations with simple paybacks as high as five years have a 40% implementation rate; however, using current prices the simple payback of the PC25C fuel cell exceeds the likely lifetime of the machine. One drawback of the PC25C for industrial cogeneration is that the temperature of heat delivered is not sufficient to produce steam, which severely limits its usefulness in many industrial settings. The cost effectiveness of the system is highly dependent on energy prices. A five year simple payback can be achieved if the cost of electricity is $0.10/kWh or greater, or if the cost of the fuel cell decreases from about $3,500/kW to $950/kW. On the other hand, increasing prices of natural gas make the PC25C less economically attractive. For current publications and information contact Kelly Kissock at the University of Dayton.

Fuel cell simple payback versus the cost of electricity, with other costs held constant.

Publications of fuel cell applications include:

Kissock, J.K., 1998, "Combined Heat and Power for Fuel Cell Cars", Proceedings the ASME International Solar Energy Conference, Albuquerque, NM, June.

Phelps, S. and Kissock, J.K., 1997. "A Feasibility Study of Fuel Cell Cogeneration in Industry", National Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, TX.