• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.43 no.12 s.295
• /
• pp.751-757
• /
• 2006

Recently, a new type of solid oxide fuel cells has been developed employing extremely thin oxide electrolyte. These fuel cells are expected to operate at significantly reduced temperature compared to conventional solid oxide fuel cells. Accordingly, they may resolve the stability and material selection issues of high temperature fuel cells. Furthermore, they may eliminate the limitations of polymer membrane fuel cells whose operation temperature is under $100^{\circ}C$. In this paper, we review the electrolytes for intermediate temperature operation. Then, we discuss the current development of thin film solid oxide fuel cells that possibly operated at low temperatures.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.299-310
• /
• 2009

Fuel cells are expected to be promising future power sources in both aspects of thermal efficiency and environmental friendliness. Accordingly, worldwide research and development efforts have been enormously increasing recently in various applications such as power plants, transportation and portable power sources. Among others, high temperature fuel cells, such as solid oxide fuel cells and molten carbonate fuel cells, are suitable for electric power plants. Moreover, their high operating temperature is quite appropriate to construct further advanced integrated systems. This paper reviews recent literatures on research and development of integrated power generation systems based on high temperature fuel cells. Research and development efforts are summarized in the area of fuel cell/ gas turbine hybrid systems, application of carbon capture technology to fuel cell systems, integration of coal gasification with fuel cells, and the use of alternative fuels.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.375-376
• /
• 2012

• New & Renewable Energy
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.5-14
• /
• 2008

The target for the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions, as specified in the Kyoto Protocol, can only be achieved by an extended use of renewable fuels and the increasing of the energy efficiency. The energy generation from waste gases with a reasonable content of methane like biogas can significantly contribute to reach this target. A further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is possible by increasing the electrical efficiency using progressive technologies. Fuel cells can be highly energy conversion devices. Utilizing biogas as the fuel for fuel cell systems offers an option that is technically feasible, potentially economically attractive and greenhouse gas neutral. High temperature fuel cells that are able to operate with carbon monoxide in the feed are well suited to these applications. Furthermore, because they do not require noble metal catalysts, the cost of high-temperature fuel cells has the greatest potential to become competitive in the near future compared to other types of fuel cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of IIIuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers Conference
• /
• 1991.10a
• /
• pp.59-63
• /
• 1991

Fuel cells power generating system converts the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. The merits of fuel cells power generating system are pollution free and high energy conversion efficiency. Fuel cells power generating system includes the DC/AC converter. DC source obtained from stack is converted to the constant AC voltage or current by the inverter. In this paper, the power conditioner for the fuel cells power generating system are discribed. Some experiments are performed, for the power conversion system. The results show that the implimented experimental system may be applied to the practical fuel cells power generating system.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.133-144
• /
• 2001

Power electronics plays an important role in providing an interface between fuel cells and loads. Furthermore, power electronic converters ensure that the power is reliably and efficiently delivered to the load in the required DC or AC form. In this paper, major types of fuel cells are presented. Basic structures, operating principles, and different applications of fuel cells are described. In addition, current status and future trends in the areas of power electronics for fuel cells are described. In addition, current statue and future trends in the areas of power electronics for fuel cell applications are explained. A review of fuel cell power electronic system topologies and basic requirements are given as well.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2011.05a
• /
• pp.99-99
• /
• 2011

Fuel cell systems are a completely different form of electricity source that has been used so far and is an aggregation of multiple technologies with multidisciplinary features that can be operated safely only when gas and electrical safety are being considered. Since fuel cells generate through electrochemical reactions there are difficulties in ensuring electricity safety, power quality assessment, effective control and reliability standards for system faults using conventional inspection techniques and even though they are necessary as a primary means for reduction of CO2 owing to the Climate Convention, electrical safety assessment and measures are required for the prevention of faults in residential facilities. Although small-scaled distributed power supplies can be utilized as important means of peak control and energy management measures, research is required for observing the effects on the system and the development of inspection technology to ensure stable operation, and the electrical safety of residential fuel cell systems need to be assessed and the problems derived for establishing electrical safety standards. From the year 2002, Japan has established laws on technical safety standards and development and rules on the product specifications and standards for the industrialization of hydrogen fuel cells. Also, a lot of effort have been made for the commercialization of fuel cells by building one-stop certification services. Internationally, the IEC TC 105 has established international standards based on fuel cells. In order to protect the national interest, the country should be able to respond accordingly meet global standards. In fact, in Korea, to comply with the international trend, Korea Energy Management Corporation is establishing a certified agenda for fuel cells and Korean Agency for Technology and Standards is enacting technical standards for fuel cells. The current terms of fuel cells are that research has been focused more on the quality and performance of manufactured products rather than stable power operation and maintenance over time. In this paper, by considering the household fuel cell as a power device, the safety standards of the fuel cell system for a reliable operation with the existing power system is being proposed.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 1991.07a
• /
• pp.500-503
• /
• 1991

Fuel cells power generating system converts the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. The merits of fuel cells power generating system are pollution free and high energy conversion efficiency. Fuel cells power generating system includes the DC/AC converter. DC source obtained from stack is converted to the constant AC voltage or current by the inverter. In this paper, the power control techniques for the fuel cells power generating system are described.

• Solar Energy
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.23-32
• /
• 1998

Fuel cells supply electric power and heat at work, and their exhaust gas is comparatively clear. So they are in the limelight as one of the co-generation systems which behave friendly with the environment. Fuel cells discharge both steam and hot water. Accordingly, if we combine absorption heat pump driven by waste heat with fuel cells, we can construct an advanced energy conserving system. The purpose of this study is the objective for evaluating the possibilities of effectively utilizing waste heat of fuel cells as a heat source for the single and double effect absorption systems. Simulation studies on single and double effect absorption have been performed for water/lithium-bromide pair. The effectiveness of introducing a waste heat source of fuel cells is demonstrated. The result of this study showed that total efficiency was about 85% at rated operation and about 75% at 75% load operation. Absorption cycle moved to more strong concentration when fuel cell operated at 75% load.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.123-127
• /
• 2016

Methanol fuel cells having advantages of relatively favorable reaction kinetics and higher energy density have attracted increasing interests as best alternative to hydrogen fuel cell because of H2 production, storage and distribution issues. While there have been extensive research works on developing key components such as electrocatalysts as well as their physicochemical properties in practical formic acid fuel cells, there have also been urgent requests for investigating which fuel sources will be more suitable for direct liquid fuel cells in future. In this mini-review, we highlight the overall interest and outlook of formic acid fuel cells in terms of electrocatalysts, fuel supply and crossover, water management, fuel cell efficiency and system integration in comparison with methanol fuel cells.