An assessment of the energetic flows in a commercial PEM fuel-cell system

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2010-12, Vol.51 (12), p.2467-2472
• Main Authors: Jovan, Vladimir, Perne, Matija, Petrovčič, Janko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Assessments; Cogeneration; Cogeneration system; Combined power plants and total energy systems; Design engineering; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Direct power generation; Dwellings; Electric efficiency; Electric power generation; Electric power plants; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Energetic flows; Energy; Energy use; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Fuels; Hydrogen; Non classical power plants; PEM fuel cells
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2010.04.014

Some primary issues have not yet been fully investigated on the way towards the commercialization of fuel-cell-based systems (FCS), e.g., their actual efficiency, reliability, safety, degradation, maintainability, etc. This article deals with an estimation of the real energetic flows and the corresponding electrical efficiency of a commercial proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell hydrogen-fed generator set (PEMFCS). The fuel-cell power system considered here is planned to be the source of both electrical and thermal energy in a mobile dwelling container unit with in-built fuel-cell-based cogeneration system, and for the design of a cogeneration unit the actual amount of disposable energy from the PEMFC unit should be estimated. The assessment of the actual energetic flows, the disposable energy and the consequent electrical efficiency of the case-study PEMFCS is carried out using commercial technical data for the PEMFCS.