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ABSTRACT
The development of Fuel Cells would greatly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) and harmful gases (e.g. nitrogen oxides). In addition, their high yields in electricity (45 to 50%) and in cogeneration of electricity + heat (90 to 95%) would make it possible to considerably reduce the import of fossil fuels.
This article aims to recall the principle of fuel cells based on the thermodynamics and kinetics of the electrochemical reactions involved and to discuss the energy yields according to the different fuels involved: hydrogen, natural gas, hydrocarbons, methanol, biomass, ammonia, etc. As examples, Low Temperature Fuel Cells using protonic or anionic membranes will be presented as well as the direct methanol oxidation fuel cell.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Claude LAMY: Professor Emeritus, Charles Gerhardt Institute (ICGM), CNRS, University of Montpellier - Member of France Hydrogène, France
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Michel CASSIR: Professor Emeritus, Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), France
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Daniel HISSEL: Professor, Université de Franche-Comté, Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), FEMTO-ST, CNRS - Deputy Director Fédération nationale hydrogène du CNRS
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Gilles TAILLADES: Professor, Director of the Energy Department, Charles Gerhardt Institute (ICGM), CNRS, University of Montpellier, France
INTRODUCTION
Since their invention in 1839, the prospects for commercial development of fuel cells have never been better, thanks to research efforts, strategic choices by major industrial groups and automakers, and a rapidly changing environmental, societal and political context.
The general principle of fuel cells is first recalled by evaluating the thermodynamic and kinetic quantities of the electrochemical reactions involved (oxidation of fuel at the anode, reduction of oxygen at the cathode) over a wide temperature range (25°C to 1,000°C), in order to introduce cells operating at low and high temperatures. Low-temperature batteries (hydrogen/oxygen membrane batteries and direct methanol oxidation batteries) are then described in detail.
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) have now reached a significant level of technological maturity, enabling them to move beyond simple demonstrations to real industrial production, and to be marketed in a wide range of fields: stationary power generation (buildings and power plants, emergency power supplies, generators for events), land mobility (bicycles, light vehicles, trucks, buses, trains), river and sea navigation, aerospace applications (aircraft, drones, launchers, satellites). They are compact in terms of specific power (> 3 kW · kg –1 and > 3 kW · L –1 ), with good prospects for cost reduction and long service lives.
The other batteries (AFC, PAFC, MCFC, SOFC, PCFC), described in the 3 associated articles, also have a number of advantages for similar applications, while Direct Methanol Oxidation Batteries (DMFC) are aimed primarily at portable applications.
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KEYWORDS
reactions kinetics | fuel cell | thermodynamic | hydrogen | exergy efficiency | cogeneration | biomass | ammonia | Polymer membrane fuel cells | Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
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