Catalysis in Fuel Cells (PEMC, SOFC)
Energy is the basis of economic development, there is no modern civilization without the development of the energy industry. Humans have been conducting efforts to improve the high efficiency use of energy resources. There has been a number of revolutiona
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Catalysis in Fuel Cells (PEMC, SOFC)
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Introduction
Energy is the basis of economic development, there is no modern civilization without the development of the energy industry. Humans have been conducting efforts to improve the high efficiency use of energy resources. There has been a number of revolutionary changes in the way to use energy during the history, from the original steam engine to internal combustion engines. Fuel cells are energy devices which transfer chemical energy stored in the fuel and oxidant directly into electrical energy. When fuel cells are continuously supplied fuel and oxidant, electricity can be made constantly. According to the different electrolytes, fuel cells can be divided into several types, such as alkaline fuel cell (AFC), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), etc. Fuel cells can supply electrical power in centralized or individual ways have advantages of high efficiency of energy conversion, clean, no pollution, low noise, modular structure (Pauniaho et al. 2014). Fuel cells are a significant technology for households and commercial buildings, plus, they are supplemental or auxiliary power to support cars, trucks and aircraft systems. Besides, fuel cells are the power for personal and commercial transportation of new power generation closely tailored to meet growth in power consumption. These applications will be used in a large number of industries worldwide. A large power plant such as thermal power plant can obtain high efficiency. However, giant units of the power plant are affected by various limitations, so customers can achieve power from an electrical grid in which the power plant makes concentrated power. The big unit’s inflexible generation cannot adapt to the family’s needs; besides, the grid sometimes goes to the peak or downturn with the user’s electrical load change. In order to adapt to the change of electrical load, a water pumped-storage plant has been built for emergency, but it will reduce the benefit of the grid. The traditional coal-fired power plant’s burning energy consumes nearly 70% in boilers and steam turbine generators, and a great © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 S. Bagheri, Catalysis for Green Energy and Technology, Green Energy and Technology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43104-8_3
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Catalysis in Fuel Cells (PEMC, SOFC)
deal of hazardous substances is emitted out. However, fuel cells transfer chemical energy into electrical energy, without burning and rotating components. Theoretically energy conversion closes to 100%. The actual power generation efficiency can reach 40–60%, energy can be transferred directly into enterprises, hotels, families. The comprehensive energy efficiency can reach 80%, and the devices are very flexible (An et al. 2007). Fuel cells are called the fourth electricity power generation after water, nuclear power generation devices. People from the international energy area forecast that the fuel cell is the m
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