Fuel Cells on Aerospace FUELL CELLS ON AEROSPACE
Abstract: The fuel cell, which has a high power density and a pollution free characteristic, is anticipated to be one of the future main-energy sources for terrestrial and automotive application. This advanced technology is also expected to be applied to future space and aerospace systems which include reusable launch vehicles, the space station, the lunar base, base, etc. etc. becaus becausee of its high high perfor performan mance ce capabi capabilit lity. y. The aerosp aerospace ace divisi division on has conducted research on the fuel cell(especially the proton exchange membrane fuel cell) R&D for space and aerospace system application during the past 5 years. A 5KW fuel cell stack was developed and evaluated last year and now the special features of the advanced fuel cell system for space and aerospace use are being evaluated
Fuel cells are a proven power source for manned spacecraft where they generate
electrical power from stored hydrogen and oxygen that are carried in cryogenic liquid form. The world’s petroleum production is about to pass its peak, so a world wide development effort is being directed into adapting these high efficiency fuel cells into powering automobiles, buses and trucks. Fuel cells are more efficient than the secondary batteries used. First Alkali fuel cells cells are used in aircrafts, but now a days fuel cells using using Proton
Exchange
Membrane
are
used.
A fuel cell can theoretically, deliver 500 kilowatt-hours per kilogram of hydrogen plus oxygen. Today’s best lithium batteries can deliver around 120 kWh per kilogram. Fuel cells can convert fuel to electric power with an efficiency of over 80%. Even a diesel engine cannot do better than 40% at it’s optimum speed and load. In the past, fuel cells contained a platinum catalyst that is very costly. Now a nickel-tin catalyst which works was discovered. As a result, fuel cells can be a possible substitute for batter batteries ies in spacec spacecraf raft. t. The differ different ent power power requir requireme ements nts in an aircra aircraft ft & the application
of
fuel
cells
on
aerospace
are
discussed
in
this
paper.
The fuel cell will find applications that lie beyond the reach of the internal combustion engine. Once low cost manufacturing is feasible, this power source will transform the world and bring great wealth potential to those who invest in this technology. It is said that the fuel cell is as revolutionary in transforming our technology as the microprocessor has been. Once fuel cell technology has matured and is in common use, our quality of life will improve and environmental degradation caused by burning fossil fuels will be decreased. It is generally known that the maturing process of the fuel cell will not be as rapid as that of microelectronics.
There are a proven power source for manned spacecraft where they generate from stored hydrogen and oxygen that are carried in cryogenic liquid form. The world’s petroleum production is about to pass its peak, so a world wide development effort is being directed into adapting these high efficiency fuel cells into powering automobiles, buses and trucks. Fuel cells are more efficient than the secondary batteries used. First Alkali fuel cells are used in aircrafts, but now a days fuel cells using Proton Exchange Membrane are used. A fuel cell can theoretically, deliver 500 kilowatt-hours per kilogram of hydrogen plus oxygen. Today’s best lithium batteries can deliver around 120 kWh per kilogram. Fuel cells can convert fuel with an efficiency of over 80%. Even a diesel engine cannot do better than 40% at it’s optimum speed and load. In the past, fuel cells contained a platinum catalyst that is very costly. Now a nickel-tin catalyst which works was discovered. As a result, fuel cells can be a possible substitute for batteries in spacecraft. The different power requirements in an aircraft & the application of fuel cells on aerospace are discussed in this paper. The fuel cell will find applications that lie beyond the reach of the internal combustion engine. Once low cost manufacturing is feasible, this power source will transform the world and bring great wealth potential to those who invest in this technology. It is said that the fuel cell is as revolutionary in transforming our technology as the microprocessor has been. Once has matured and is in common use, our quality of life will improve and environmental degradation caused by burning fossil fuels will be decreased. It is generally known that the maturing process of the fuel cell will not be as rapid as that of microelectronics.
Aims And Scope The IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine publishes articles and tutorials concerned with the various aspects of systems for space, air, ocean, or ground environments as well as news and information of interest to IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society members and practitioners in the fields of interest of the Society. Many of our readers are concerned with the practice of systems engineering. The boundaries of acceptable subject matter has been intentionally left flexible so that the Magazine can follow the research activities, technology applications and future trends to better meet the needs of the members of the Society. Our goal is to inform the readers of technologies, state of the art, design trades, historical achievements, etc. so that they will gain insights into a field heretofore unknown to them, technology applications, and ! on current or historical achievements. We want to introduce technical specialties to readers in the hope that something in the articles will give them some insight for their own fields of endeavor. In doing so we span professional interests in the organization, design, development, integration and operation of systems, including complex systems and systems-of-systems. For more technically complex papers authors should consider submitting to the IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems.
Fuel cells are a proven power source for manned spacecraft where they generate electrical power from stored hydrogen and oxygen that are carried in cryogenic liquid form. The world?s petroleum production is about to pass its peak, so a world wide development effort is being directed into adapting these high efficiency fuel cells into powering automobiles, buses and trucks. Fuel cells are more efficient than the secondary batteries used. First Alkali fuel cells are used in aircrafts, but now a days fuel cells using Proton Exchange Membrane are used. A fuel cell can theoretically, deliver 500 kilowatt-hours per kilogram of hydrogen plus oxygen. Today?s best lithium batteries can deliver around 120 kWh per kilogram. Fuel cells can convert fuel to electric power with an efficiency of over 80%. Even a diesel engine cannot do better than 40% at it?s optimum speed and load. In the past, fuel cells contained a platinum catalyst that is very costly. Now a nickeltin catalyst which works was discovered. As a result, fuel cells can be a possible substitute for batteries in spacecraft. The different power requirements in an aircraft & the application of fuel cells on aerospace are discussed in this paper. The fuel cell will find applications that lie beyond the reach of the internal combustion engine. Once low cost manufacturing is feasible, this power source will transform the world and bring great wealth potential to those who invest in this technology. It is said that the fuel cell is as revolutionary in transforming our technology as the
microprocessor has been. Once fuel cell technology has matured and is in common use, our quality of life will improve and environmental degradation caused by burning fossil fuels will be decreased. It is generally known that the maturing process of the fuel cell will not be as rapid as that of microelectronics.
