FACILITIES
This page is always under construction with the aim to present the latest developments made in this center. Return here regularly to see what happened lately. Here are some photos taken to show the first experimental items the researchers started to work with.
5kW hydrogen/air Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
This is a 5kW hydrogen/air Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell purchased from the IST group. Plug Power manufactured this fuel cell. Its output voltage is in the order of 50 VDC. It is capable of a delivering a current flow of 100A. Operation time of 2 hours is reached running at full load on 0.74 kg of hydrogen. The PEMFC stack is noticeable as the black covered device in the middle of the housing. This unit will become fully operational during the second semester 2004 to assist the researchers with practical measurements.
Regenerative PEM fuel cell system
This is the regenerative PEM fuel cell system. It consists out of five sub-systems.
The first is the solar panel,
Then the PEM fuel cell that works in reverse as a water electrolysis unit,
A storage device where the hydrogen and oxygen is stored in two separate containers.
The fourth is a PEM fuel cell that makes use of these stored gasses to generate an electro flow.
The firth device is the load that consumes the power generated by the fuel cell.
More will follow as research into field has just started.
Zinc Air Cell
The device in this picture is known as a Zinc/Air fuel cell. It is a cross breed between a battery and a fuel cell. It consists of a cathode, the blue and black portion, and an anode, the white portion. A single Zinc/Air fuel cell is under test. A current flow of 8 Amp was obtained at a cell voltage of 1 volt. The cell can be recharged after it has run flat. There are still a few problems with this type of cell. Currently solutions to these problems are being researched.
A part view of the laboratory. Fuel cell tests and construction site
