Study, design, and development program for a phosphoric acid fuel cell and waste hydrogen utilization. Final technical report, June 1, 1976-May 31,1978

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6389217

Kaufman, A

The effort was divided into the following four main areas: study program for the utilization of industrial waste hydrogen in fuel cells (Task I); design of a waste hydrogen utilization facility in a fuel cell application (Task II); design and development of phosphoric acid fuel cell stacks (Task III); and study and survey of materials and processes for carbon bipolar plates (Task IV). In the Task I effort 32 industries were identified as sources of by-product hydrogen in a subcontract study by Radian Corporation. The hydrogen-containing streams were also quantified and characterized. Nine selected industries were subsequently analyzed by Englehard to determine economic feasibility for fuel cell application. The results generally provide incentive for fuel cell retrofit in plants currently using the streams for heating value. The Task II effort provided a proposed fuel cell and related system design for utilization of a wasted hydrogen stream at an Engelhard Industries plant in Newark, New Jersey. In the proposed design the dc power output from the fuel cell is matched to the requirements of electrolytic silver-refining cells in the same plant. In the stack design and development effort of Task III, liquid-cooling was successfully applied in 12-cell stacks and in a nominal 5-KW stack. Average hydrogen-air cell performance in the 5-KW stack was lower than that obtained in prior 12-cell stacks, apparently due to lower quality bipolar plates. The bipolar plate study of Task IV identified certain formulations that warrant further investigation. These included both resin bonded graphite types and all-carbon types. Economic constraints were found to bear heavily on process feasibility for some formulations.

• Research Organization: Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals Corp., Edison, NJ (USA). Research and Development Dept.
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF01240
• OSTI ID: 6389217
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/01240-T1; SAN-1240-1; ON: DE81029339
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Microfiche only, copy does not permit paper copy reproduction
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
08 HYDROGEN
ACID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
DESIGN
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HYDROGEN
RECOVERY
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
AIR
BY-PRODUCTS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ECONOMICS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
PHOSPHORIC ACID
WASTE PROCESSING
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLUIDS
FUEL CELLS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MANAGEMENT
NONMETALS
PROCESSING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
300501* - Fuel Cells- Design & Development
080400 - Hydrogen- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
080100 - Hydrogen- Production