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2011-05-05

1

Fuel Cell and its Application on Electric Aircraft
Syaiful Shah bin Kaja Mohideen
syaifulshah@yahoo
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Today these fuel cells are being
experimented in aircraft
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I
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Mostly are still under experiment
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The Fuel Cell is
electrochemical cell that works on the same principle as
normal batteries, where it converts electrochemical energy
from a fuel into electrical energy
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TYPE OF FUEL CELL

Fuel cells are classified by their electrolyte material
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5
Watts) to as large as a small power plant for an industrial
facility or a small town (10 Megawatts)
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Alkaline fuel cells (AFC)

II
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Fuel cells produce Direct Current
(DC) electricity without the conventional combustion reaction
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WHY FUEL CELL?

Fuel cells make much more efficient use of fuels than other
distributed generation technologies such as reciprocating
engines and gas turbines, and generate virtually no pollution
or greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrogen oxide (NOx),
sulfur oxide (SOx), and dramatically reduced carbon dioxide
(CO2)
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This "green" technology has become increasingly popular
with facilities looking to implement an environmentallyfriendly electric power generation system without sacrificing
efficiency, availability and performance
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Alkaline
fuel cells use an electrolyte that is an aqueous (water-based)
solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) retained in a porous
stabilized matrix
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Water formed at the anode migrates back to the
cathode to regenerate hydroxyl ions
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Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC)
Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC) were the first fuel cells
to be commercialized
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The charge carrier in this type of fuel cell is the
hydrogen ion (H+, proton)
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The protons migrate through the electrolyte and
combine with the oxygen, usually from air, at the cathode to
form water
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[6]

2
D
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Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC)

The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is currently the highesttemperature fuel cell in development and can be operated over
a wide temperature range from 600ºC–1000ºC allowing a
number of fuels to be used
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The charge
carrier in the SOFC is the oxygen ion (O2-)
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The oxygen ions are
conducted through the electrolyte and combine with hydrogen
at the anode, releasing four electrons
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Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC)
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) are in the class of
high-temperature fuel cells
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These cells use an electrolyte composed
of a molten mixture of carbonate salts
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To melt the
carbonate salts and achieve high ion mobility through the
electrolyte, MCFCs operate at high temperatures (650ºC)
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PEM fuel cells use a solid polymer
membrane (a thin plastic film) as the electrolyte
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Compared to other types of fuel
cells, PEMFCs generate more power for a given volume or
weight of fuel cell
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[9]
F
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However, the liquid methanol (CH3OH) is oxidized in the
presence of water at the anode generating CO2, hydrogen ions
and the electrons that travel through the external circuit as the
electric output of the fuel cell
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[10]
G
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Fuel cells
generating electricity, heat, and water from hydrogen and
oxygen would be used throughout the economy, powering
factories, vehicles, and houses
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Currently, there is a project led by NASA to develop an
efficient and lightweight regenerative fuel cell system for use
on board an airplane called the Helios that can fly at altitudes
near 100,000 feet
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The goal is to incorporate both
photovoltaic solar cells and a regenerative fuel cell on board
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Such a system would then be capable
of flights lasting many days
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Zinc-Air Fuel Cells (ZAFC)

The electrolyte for a ZAFC is a ceramic solid that employs
the hydroxyl ion, OH-, as the charge carrier
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The anode is composed of zinc and is
supplied with hydrogen or even hydrocarbons
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At the cathode, the oxygen reacts with
hydrogen to form hydroxyl ions and water
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It does not require water saturation as does
the polymer membrane of the PEMFC and therefore, cannot
dry out, eliminating the need to carefully monitor and control
anode and cathode moisture levels
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Due to the consumption of the zinc anode, this component
requires replacing at intervals
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THE CONSTRUCTION OF FUEL CELL

A fuel cell is made up of an electrolyte member sandwiched
between fuel and oxidant electrodes
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The oxidant is typically plain air
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These electrons meet the hydrogen and push charged ions
across the electrolyte
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This
electrochemical process requires very few moving parts,
typically limited to air blowers and fuel/water pumps
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Fuel cells are fast replacing

2011-05-05

4

reciprocating engines and gas turbines as the most
environmentally-friendly sources of on-site power
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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FUEL CELL
A
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As a result, a fuel cell is not governed by
thermodynamic laws, such as the Carnot efficiency associated
with heat engines, currently used for power generation
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High power density: A high power density allows fuel cells
to be relatively compact source of electric power, beneficial in
application with space constraints
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Quiet operation: Fuel cells, due to their nature of operation,
are extremely quiet in operation
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[14]
B
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Prototype fuel cells last only 1/5th as long as
would be needed to make fuel cells cost-effective
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[15]

motor with airframe); Advanced Technology Products, a U
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company (motor, batteries, flight testing)
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Airbus A320 fuel cell demonstrator

This ex Nikki A320 is used by Airbus and the DLR for fuel
cell research
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During the tests, the
hydrogen and oxygen based fuel cell system generated up to
20 Kilo Watts (kW) of electrical power
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The fuel cell
system powered the aircraft's electric motor pump and the
back-up hydraulic circuit and also operated the aircraft's
ailerons
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During the flight test, the fuel cells produced
around 10 litres of pure water
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Antares DLR-H2

VII
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Boeing-FCD Project

The FCD (Fuel Cell Demonstrator) is a project led by Boeing
that uses a Diamond Super Dimona HK-36 motor glider as a
test bed for a fuel cell powered light airplane research project
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Boeing's partners in the project are Intelligent Energy of
Britain (fuel-cell); Diamond Aircraft of Austria (Airframe);
Spanish Sener (control system); Spanish Aerlyper (integrate

The world's first piloted aircraft capable of taking to the air
using only power from fuel cells took off in Germany
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The airplane powered by
fuel cells was commissioned by the German Aerospace Centre
(DLR) with the goal of developing fuel cells for a reliable onboard power supply for wide-body airliners
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CONCLUSION

The world needs to change to environmentally-friendly power
sources like fuel cell in order to save the environment from
getting polluted
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Soon Fuel cell will be part of our daily life usage
just like normal batteries are today
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I
would also like to thank Sir Zulhilmy bin Sahwee who has
teach me and guide me in completing this journal

REFERENCES
[1] Yuneec's International (Electric Aviation) retrieved date
May 2011 http://yuneeccouk
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securepod
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html
[2] Fuel Cell energy (Technology) retrieved date May 2011
http://www
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com/technology
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fuelcellenergy
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php
[4] FC TEC fuel cell basic (type of fuel cell) retrieved date May
2011
http://www
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com/fctec_types
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fctec
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asp
[6] FC TEC fuel cell basic Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC)
retrieved date May 2011
http://www
...
com/fctec_types_pafc
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fctec
...
asp
[8] FC TEC fuel cell basic Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) date
retrieved May 2011
http://www
...
com/fctec_types_sofc
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fctec
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asp
[10] FC TEC fuel cell basic Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC)
retrieved date May 2011
http://www
...
com/fctec_types_dmfc
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fctec
...
asp
[12] FC TEC fuel cell basic Zinc-Air Fuel Cells (ZAFCs) retrieved
date May 2011
http://www
...
com/fctec_types_zafc
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fctec
...
asp
[14] Fuel cell advantages/disadvantages online notes of the
University of strathclyde retrieved date May 2011
http://www
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strath
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uk/EandE/Web_sites/0001/fuel_cells/Fuel%20cell%20advantages
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columbia
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html
[16] Boeing-FCD Project retrieved date May 2011

REAL DIV LIFESTYLES
Managing Joint Venture Partner
http://realdiv
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officelive
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aspx
[17] Airbus A320 fuel cell demonstrator retrieved date May 2011
http://www
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com/airspace/media/apgphoto/airbusa320-fuel-cell-demonstrator-29713
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ecofriend

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