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In-Depth Information
fuel cells competitive with heat engines. Currently
energy is produced from fuel cells at a cost of
US$500-10 000 kW
-1
, however it is predicted that
this cost will reduce as follows: from $2000 to
$100 kW
-1
for AFC, from $500 to $30 kW
-1
for SPFC,
from $3000 to $1000 kW
-1
for PAFC, from $5000 to
$600 kW
-1
for MCFC and from $10 000 to $600 kW
-1
for SOFC [4]. Large-scale power generation must
be competitive with conventional power generation
at approximately $1500 kW
-1
and transport power
must be competitive with an internal combustion
engine at approximately $50 kW
-1
. However, these
comparisons are made using current crude oil prices,
which may rise in future due to political reasons
or as the cost of extraction of dwindling reserves
increases.
Fig. 20.
8
Photograph of fuel cell unit used within the US
Space Shuttle. (Courtesy of International Fuel Cells Inc.)
Political factors
high risks and large financial investments necessary
have discouraged many commercial companies from
developing fuel cell technology. Hence, investment
into fuel cell technology from government sources
has been critical to prove the feasibility of fuel
cell systems. Only in the last few years have proto-
types of fuel cell systems been available from com-
mercial companies. The first decade of the 21st
century will see fuel cell systems available on a
commercial basis. The first applications to appear are
likely to be in market niches that can exploit the
technical advantages of fuel cells together with lower
price restrictions. Such conditions exist in markets
for stationary power sources with no access to
central-grid-supplied electricity, public transport
within environmentally sensitive city centre areas
and to replace expensive batteries for mobile com-
puting and telecommunications.
Global energy policy is affected by a myriad of po-
litical issues, such as the possible introduction of a
carbon tax, and fuel cells can offer attractive options
to governments. For example, the State of California
in the USA has passed the tightest emissions legisla-
tion in the world, even though obtaining planning
approval for new power-based projects is a very
expensive and long process. Fuel cells have been
considered as zero-emission power devices and are
exempt from certain stages of the planning process.
This exemption may be a significant cost advantage
in itself over conventional power generation in
California. Over the long term, fuel cells may provide
a means of using fuels from biomass sources from
politically sensitive regions of the world as an alter-
native to petroleum fuel sources.
General fuel cell commercialisation
4.2 Transport applications
The history of fuel cell development has been typi-
fied by the push of the new technology into appli-
cation areas that are price insensitive. In the case of
space exploration, fuel cells were able to provide the
most attractive and reliable method of power gen-
eration. The fuel cell system used within the US
Space Shuttle is shown in Fig. 20.8. To enter a main-
stream commercial market with fuel cells will
require taking technical and financial risks. A 'tech-
nical push' rather than a 'market pull' technology
environment has been the case for fuel cells and the
Fuel cells for transport applications are available
already within demonstration vehicles. To be com-
petitive with conventional petrol/diesel/electric
power units, mass production will be needed to bring
down the price of a fuel cell. A Daimler Benz/
General Motors/Toyota consortium is aiming for a
fully commercial fuel cell vehicle by 2003. Major
investments in fuel cell technology have been made
by vehicle automobile manufacturers. A major issue
to consider is the nature of the fuel. The use of pure
hydrogen will give a true zero-emission vehicle but
