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The Principle And Development History of Fuel Cells
Release time:
2025-06-27
The principle of fuel cell power generation is similar to that of galvanic batteries or secondary batteries, in which hydroxide reaction and oxygen reduction reaction occur on both sides of the electrolyte separator, and electrons work through the external circuit, and the reaction product is water. However, unlike galvanic batteries, the reactants in a fuel cell are not stored in the battery in advance, but are introduced into the fuel gas and oxidation gas during the reaction and the product is discharged. Therefore, the fuel cell is not an energy storage device but a conversion device, and its electrodes and electrolytes are not directly involved in the reaction. Fuel cell power generation requires a relatively complex system, in addition to the fuel cell stack, including fuel supply subsystem, oxidizer supply subsystem, water and heat management subsystem and electrical management and control subsystem, etc., its main system components include air compressor, humidifier, hydrogen circulation pump, high-pressure hydrogen bottle, etc., these subsystems and fuel cell stack (or module) constitute a fuel cell power generation system.
Fuel cell technology has evolved for more than a century since the concept of fuel cells was first proposed in the 19th century. In the early days, fuel cells were mainly used in the military field, and with the advancement of technology and the enhancement of environmental awareness, fuel cells have gradually entered the civilian field. Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the transformation of the global energy structure and the strengthening of environmental protection policies, fuel cells have become more and more widely used in automobiles, aviation, electric power and other fields. At present, there are five main types of fuel cells: alkaline fuel cells (AFCs), phosphate fuel cells (PAFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Among them, PEMFC has the advantages of high energy conversion rate, fast start-up speed, and long life, and is the main type of current fuel cell vehicle application. An alkaline fuel cell (AFC) is an early type of fuel cell in which the electrolyte is a strong alkaline solution, such as KOH. The power generation efficiency of AFC can reach more than 40%, but its disadvantage is that the operating temperature is high, and it needs to be kept at about 180°C. In addition, AFC has a low fuel utilization rate and requires regular electrolyte replacement.
With the enhancement of environmental awareness and the continuous development of new energy technology, fuel cells, as an ideal energy conversion device, have more and more application prospects. In the future, it is necessary to continuously strengthen investment in technology research and development and industrialization, improve energy conversion efficiency, reduce costs, improve stability, and expand application fields to make breakthroughs in order to achieve large-scale and widespread application of fuel cells.
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