Page 23 - Introduction to Transfer Phenomena in PEM Fuel Cells

12 Introduction to Transfer Phenomena in PEM Fuel Cells
1.1.4.2. Disadvantages
There are also six disadvantages:
– not present in the natural state;
– its lightness implies that its energy density is less favorable for storage
3
and transport in gaseous form compared to natural gas (10.8 MJ/m vs.
3
39.8 MJ/m for methane);
– flammability and detonation limit with air wider than for natural gas
(4.1% – 72.5 vol. % and 5.1% – 13.5 vol. % for methane);
– minimum energy to be supplied to ignite it (10 times lower than that of
conventional hydrocarbons);

– flame almost invisible;
– low public support.

1.2. Types of fuel cell

The development of the hydrogen industry is largely based on fuel cell
technology. Its principle is not new, since it was discovered in 1839 by
William R. Grove, who invented the first fuel cell. At the time, this English
lawyer, an amateur researcher in electrochemistry, found that by
recombining hydrogen and oxygen, it is possible to simultaneously create
water, heat and electricity, and this is how the fuel cell was born.

In 1953, the engineer Francis T. Bacon realized the first industrial
prototype of notable power (approximately 6 kW) [NGU 10]. Only NASA
exploited this technology in the 1960s to provide electricity to some of its
vessels such as Gemini and Apollo. Although the principle of the fuel cell
seems simple, its implementation is complex and expensive, which hitherto
prohibited its dissemination to the general public. Today, progress has been
made and the potential applications are numerous, from the supercondensile
fuel cell that produces only a few watts needed to power a mobile phone, to
the battery capable of producing 1 MW to provide electricity to a building.
The battery can also be used for embedded applications in the transport
sector; there is now a whole range of fuel cells. The operating principle is
always the same, but different technologies are in development [CEA 18].
Fuel cells will be one of the essential elements of the future hydrogen
economy; they have the capacity to meet all our energy needs while offering
high efficiency and very low-pollution technology.