APC 400kW1MW User Manual download pdf (Page 12)

The improvements to the PEMFCs included the fuel cell being more “powerful, lighter,

safer, simpler to operate, and more reliable” [8, para 7]. Also, the improved PEMFC was

expected to last longer, perform better, and cost less than the AFCs. They also produced water

so pure that it could be used as drinking water for the spacecraft crews [8, para 7].

The oil embargos of 1973 and 1979 in the US encouraged fuel cell research for

commercial and residential building applications [7, para 8]. However, to this day, NASA’s

Glenn Research Center continues to research PEMFCs, SOFCs, and regenerative fuel cells for

new flight capabilities [8, para 7].

In more recent history, stationary fuel cells have been applied to commercial buildings.

According to the database at www.fuelcells.org, fuel cells were first applied to commercial

buildings in the 1980s with installations across the globe. The database records state that

several of these first installations were to test the life of fuel cell stacks and efficiency [9].

2.2 Types of Fuel Cells & How They Work

The basic concept of a fuel cell is that it converts chemical energy into electricity and

thermal energy. The fuel cell is similar to a battery in that it too has a pair of electrodes and an

electrolyte. However, the fuel cell never needs to be recharged because the reactant consumed

during the electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell is continuously replenished [10, pp. 1808-

1809]. Unlike a battery, the cathode and anode are constantly supplied with air and fuel,

respectively [11, p. 45].

Although there are several types of fuel cells, they all have the same basic components.

These are the fuel processor, fuel cell stack, air management, water management, thermal

management, and power conditioning subsystems [10, p. 1812]. These components are shown

in schematic format in Figure 2-1.

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APC 400kW1MW User Manual Page 12