FUEL CELL POWER SYSTEM - SCI & TECH
News: ISRO’s
Fuel Cell flight tested in PSLV C58
What's in the news?
● ISRO
has successfully tested a 100 W class Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
based Power System (FCPS) in its orbital platform, POEM3, launched onboard
PSLV-C58 on January 1, 2024.
Key takeaways:
● The
objective of the experiment was to assess
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cell operation in space and to collect
data to facilitate the design of systems for future missions.
● During
the short duration test onboard POEM, 180 W power was generated from Hydrogen
and Oxygen gases stored onboard in high pressure vessels.
● It
provided a wealth of data on performance of various static and dynamic systems
that formed part of the power system and the physics at play.
Fuel Cell:
● A
fuel cell is a device that generates
electricity by a chemical reaction.
● Fuel
cells can be used in a wide range of applications, providing power for
applications across multiple sectors, including transportation,
industrial/commercial/residential buildings, and long-term energy storage for
the grid in reversible systems.
Working:
● A
fuel cell consists of two electrodes
- a negative electrode (or anode)
and a positive electrode (or cathode).
● Both
electrodes must be immersed in and separated by an electrolyte, which may be a
liquid or a solid but must, in either case, conduct ions between the electrodes
in order to complete the chemistry of the system.
● A
fuel, such as hydrogen, is supplied to the anode, where it is oxidised,
producing hydrogen ions and electrons.
● An
oxidizer, such as oxygen, is supplied to the cathode, where the hydrogen ions
from the anode absorb electrons from the latter and react with the oxygen to
produce water.
● The
difference between the respective energy levels at the electrodes
(electromotive force) is the voltage per unit cell.
● The
amount of electric current available to the external circuit depends on the
chemical activity and amount of the substances supplied as fuel.
● A
single fuel cell generates a tiny amount of direct-current (DC) electricity. In
practice, many fuel cells are usually assembled into a stack.
Advantages of Fuel Cells:
● Fuel
cells have lower or zero emissions
compared to combustion engines. Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water, addressing
critical climate challenges as there are no carbon dioxide emissions.
● There
are also no air pollutants that
create smog and cause health problems during the operation of a fuel cell.
● They
can operate at higher efficiencies
than combustion engines.
● A
fuel cell resembles a battery in many respects, but it can supply electrical
energy over a much longer period of time.
● Fuel
cell is an ideal power source for the
Space Station as it provides both power and pure water.