Fuel Cells
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2009) | Viewed by 310761
Special Issue Information
Summary
Fuel cells allow the direct conversion of chemically stored energy into electrical energy by means of electrochemical oxidation of gaseous, liquid or solid chemical substances. Depending on the type of electrolyte being used, we distinguish between Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFC), Phoshoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC), Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). The preferred fuel for fuel cells is hydrogen. But since this is not a natural resource, hydrogen has to be produced either externally or internally, i.e. outside or inside the fuel cells. The latter case leads to the very attractive concept of direct fuel cells, which are able to convert hydrocarbons into hydrogen, e.g. via internal reforming. The special issue covers current trends and future developments of fuel cell technology, including both chemical as well as electrical engineering aspects.
Keywords
- AFC
- PAFC
- PEMFC
- MCFC
- SOFC
- hydrogen
- electrochemical energy conversion