ChemE 445 - Fuel Cell Engineering

Course Description

Credits: 3.  Introduction to electrochemical fuel cells for use in transportation and stationary power applications. Topics covered include types of fuel cells, single cell operation, stack engineering, overall system design, and safety, with emphasis on proton exchange membrane and solid oxide fuel cells.

Designation

Prerequisites

Textbook

Course Objectives

To introduce students to electrochemical fuel cells and examine the engineering of proton exchange membrane fuel cells from the standpoints of single cells, stacks, systems, and safety.

1. Overview of Electrochemical Energy Conversion: definitions, thermodynamics, half-cell and overall reactions, potentials, efficiencies, overpotentials, polarization curves, types of fuel cells  (7 lectures)
2. Fuels for Fuel Cells: fuel reactions and properties, reforming, water gas shift reaction, process integration (3 lectures)
3. Fuel Cell Process Design: systems overview, operating and design variables, flow diagrams, Rankine cycle, Brayton cycle, Combined Rankine-Brayton cycle, solid oxide/gas turbine combined cycle, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (4 lectures)
4. Along the Electrode Models: fuel utilization, envelope of polarization curves, mass and energy balance on solid oxide fuel cell, multiple reactions in fuel cells, temperature profiles, mass balance on proton exchange membrane fuel cells (5 lectures)
5. Stack Design and Systems Integration: overview, stack geometry, materials, flow field plate design, pressure drop, heat transfer, mass transfer, flow field plate models, real stack performance (3 lectures)
6. Safety: hydrogen, oxygen, fuel cell inerting (1 lecture)

Engineering
Design content
Chemistry content

(a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.

(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.

(c) The graduate should have an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

(d) An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.

(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

(h)  The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.

(i)  A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.

(j)    A knowledge of contemporary issues related to safety and the environment.