A fuel cell stack will not operate stand-alone, but needs to be integrated into a fuel cell system. In the fuel cell system different auxiliary components such as compressors, pumps, sensors, valves, electrical components and control unit provide the fuel cell stack with a necessary supply of hydrogen, air and coolant. The control unit enables safe and reliable operation of the complete fuel cell system. Operation of the fuel cell system in the targeted application will require additional peripheral components i.e. power electronics, inverters, batteries, fuel tanks, radiators, ventilation and cabinet.
The fuel cell stack is the heart of a fuel cell power system. It generates electricity in the form of direct current (DC) from electrochemical reactions that take place in the fuel cell. A single fuel cell produces less than 1 V, which is insufficient for most applications. Therefore, individual fuel cells are typically combined in series into a fuel cell stack. A typical fuel cell stack may consist of hundreds of fuel cells. The amount of power produced by a fuel cell depends upon several factors, such as fuel cell type, cell size, the temperature at which it operates, and the pressure of the gases supplied to the cell. Learn more about the parts of a fuel cell.
Fuel cells have several benefits over conventional combustion-based technologies currently used in many power plants and vehicles. Fuel cells can operate at higher efficiencies than combustion engines and can convert the chemical energy in the fuel directly to electrical energy with efficiencies capable of exceeding 60%. Fuel cells have lower or zero emissions compared to combustion engines. Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water, addressing critical climate challenges as there are no carbon dioxide emissions. There also are no air pollutants that create smog and cause health problems at the point of operation. Fuel cells are quiet during operation as they have few moving parts.
Post time: Mar-21-2022