Chapter 10

1. Find the output voltage and theoretical conversion efficiency of an oxygen/hydrogen

fuel cell operating at 298 K. Pure oxygen is supplied at 1 atm, and all other products
and reactants are at 1 atm.
This follows Example 10.1 except that the partial pressure of oxygen is 1.0 rather than 0.21 (air). All
thermodynamic properties are from Table 10.1.
T := 298 K kJ := 1000 J

G o kJ kg mole mole
E go = Ego := 229000 Ego = 1.187 V
n Fc kg mole 2 mole 7
9.65 10 C

pCc p Dd
Rg T Rg T p1H 2O
Eg = E o
ln = Eg
o
ln
n Fc p Aa p Bb n Fc p1H 2 pO1/22
g

8.314 kJ kg mole kg mole 1

ln
1
Eg := 1.187 V 298 K
kg mole K 2 kg mole 7 1 1 1.00.5
9.65 10 C
Eg = 1.187 V

G
The efficiency is defined as max = with G provided by Eq. (10-20). G is for the
H o
hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell at 298 K is

p1H pO1 / 2
G = G o + Rg T ln 21 2
p
H 2O

dG := 229000
kJ
kg mole
+ 8.314
kJ
kg mole K
(
298 K ln 1.0
0.5 )
5 kJ
dG = 2.29 10
kg mole

G 227,100 kJ / kg mole
max = = =
H o
242,000 kJ / kg mole
2.29
max := max = 0.946
2.42
 o
The efficiency in the above expression is based on the product being water vapor when H is
the lower heating value, LHV. If the efficiency is based on the product being liquid water, then the
higher heating value, HHV, is needed. The relationship between the two is

HHV = LHV + H fg = 242,000 kJ / kg mole + 44,010 kJ / kg mole

where Hfg is the heat of vaporization per kg-mole of water. The efficiency based on the HHV is

G
=
H o

2.29
:= = 0.801
2.8601
2. Determine the effect of cell operating temperature on the fuel cell of Exercise 1.
Present and discuss the appropriate results.

This follows Example 10.2 except that the partial pressure of oxygen is 1.0 rather than 0.21 (air). All
thermodynamic properties are from Table 10.1. The solution follows Problem 1 except that a range of
temperatures is used.
Fuel cell at different operating temperatures

298 2.42 2.29

400 2.43 5 kJ 2.24 5 kJ
T := 500 K dHo := 2.44 10 dGo := 2.19 10
kg mole kg mole
1000 2.46 1.93

2000 2.52 1.35

1.187

E := dGo
kg mole

mole 1.161
2 mole 7 E = 1.135 V
9.65 10 C
1

0.699

8.314 kJ kg mole kg mole

ln
1
Eg := E T 1.187
kg mole K 2 kg mole 7 0.5 1.161
9.65 10 C 1.0
Eg = 1.135 V
1

0.699
 2.29 10
5

5
dG := dGo + 8.314
kJ
kg mole K
( 0.5
T ln 1.0 ) 2.24 10
dG = 2.19 5 kJ
10 kg mole
5
0.946 1.93 10

1.35 10
5

LHV :=
dG 0.922
dHo LHV = 0.898
0.785

0.536
0.801

dG 0.78
HHV := HHV = 0.76
kJ
dHo + 44010 0.665
kg mole
0.456
3. Contrast the results of Problems 1 and 2 with pure oxygen with Examples 10.1 and
10.2 with oxygen from air.
The results for pure oxygen (partial pressure of 1) are plotted in the following figure.

1.2

1.1
E g, V
1 LHV
0.9

0.8

0.7
HHV
0.6

0.5

0.4
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000

Cell Operating Temperature, K

The results for air (partial pressure of 0.21) are reproduced from Figure 10.4.

1.2

1.1
E g, V
1 LHV
0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6 HHV

0.5

0.4
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000

Cel l Operat ing Temperature, K

As might be expected the results are similar, but the oxygen exhibits somewhat improved
efficiencies as the operating temperature increases.
4. A fuel cell produces 100 kW. If the fuel cell is run 8760 hr/yr and the cost of
electricity is $0.035/kWh and $10/kW demand charge per month, how much is
the electrical power from the fuel cell worth per year?

The value of the electricity is composed of an energy change (per kWh) for each kWh
produced and a demand charge for every kW avoided each of the monthly billiing periods.
month := 1

0.035 kW 10 4
value := 100 kW 8760 hr + 100 12 month value = 4.266 10
kW hr month kW

Hence, this fuel cell would produce $42,660 per year is avoided electricty costs.
5. If the electrical efficiency of the fuel cell in Problem 4 is 60 percent and the
maintenance cost is $0.005/kWh, what is the price of natural gas (in $/106 Btu) that
would make fuel cell electricity cheaper than grid-based electricity.

kWh := kW hr

5
Eproduced := 100 kW 8760 hr Eproduced = 8.76 10 kWh

BTU 9
Energy := Eproduced 3412 Energy = 2.989 10 BTU
kWh

:= 0.60

Energy 9 Fuel energy required

Energy required := Energy required = 4.982 10 BTU
to produce the kWh

0.005 3
Costmaint := Eproduced Costmaint = 4.38 10 Maintenance cost
kWh

6 3
MCF := 10 BTU Gasreq := Energy required Gasreq = 4.982 10 MCF

Saving := 42660 From Problem 4

Saving Costmaint 1
UnitCost := UnitCost = 7.684
Gasreq MCF

Thus, if gas is below $7.684/MCF the fuel cell will save utility costs.