Rotary Fuel Cell

摘要

As the demand for power increases so do the economical, political, environmental and cultural costs of continued use of conventional hydro carbons for power generation. The escalation of these costs fuels the need to develop new alternatives. Fuel cells facilitate electrochemical reactions that yield electrical current and water as products. Electricity is generated inside the cell by oxidizing the fuel. As reactants (i.e. hydrogen and oxygen) flow into the cell, electrical current and water flow out of the cell. Fuel cells may be operated continuously if the flow of reactants is maintained. However, one of the biggest limitations is that fuel cells tend to flood because the water cannot be expelled from the membrane at a sufficient rate to maintain a continuous reaction. A novel concept, a Rotary Fuel Cell (RFC), is proposed which may significantly improve efficiency by reducing flooding and increasing ionic conduction in hydrophilic tubular fuel cells. For this study, the torque generated by a wind turbine is used to induce a centrifugal force on the fuel cell to minimize flooding. A wind turbine, fuel cell hybrid system is designed, constructed, and tested in a wind tunnel. Results are presented which support the continued development of this novel, hybrid, alternative energy system.