Wind energy storage technologies - Wind Power Generation and Wind Turbine Design - page 693

Table 2: FC types [1].

Operating
temperature
(°C)

Power
output
(kW)

Effi ciency
(%) Fuel cell Electrolyte Catalyst Applications Additional notes

Alkaline
fuel cell
(AFC)

Potassium
hydroxide

Platinum 70 150-200 0.3-12 Widely used in the

space industry
(NASA)

Water produced by
cell is drinkable. Can
be easily poisoned by
carbon dioxide (CO 2 )

Polymer electrolyte
membrane or proton
exchange membrane
(PEM)

Solid organic
polymer

Platinum 45 80 50-250 Portable applications

such as cars

Cell is sensitive to
impurities so hydrogen
used must be of
good quality

Phosphoric acid fuel
cell (PAFC)

Phosphoric
acid

Platinum 40 150-200 200 Large stationary

generation. Also
co-generation
(increases
effi ciency to 85%)

Can use impure
hydrogen such as
hydrogen from
fossil fuels

Molten carbonate
fuel cell (MCFC)

Potassium,
sodium or
lithium
carbonate

Variety of
non-precious
metals

60 650 10-2000 Co-generation

(increases effi ciency
to 85%)

High operating
temperature and
corrosive electrolyte
result in short
cell lifetime

Solid oxide fuel Solid Variety of 60 1000 100 Utility applications. High temperature