FAQ
Fuel Cell
Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat and emit only pure water. Because hydrogen fuel cells have zero noise and no moving parts they create no sound or vibration both on board and in marine ecosystems.
Multi-Megawatt (MW) Fuel cells are currently being used to generate power in stationary applications with >1MW systems being used in port marine environments for over a decade. In maritime shipping applications, fuel cells have been used in seagoing vessels, including passenger vessels and submarines, for over 30 years. Source: Zestas
FAQs
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What is a Battery Management System (BMS)?
What is a Battery Management System (BMS)?
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What is a fuel cell stack?
What is a fuel cell stack?
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How do fuel cells work on a ship?
How do fuel cells work on a ship?
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What are the risks from fuel cell systems and how are these mitigated?
What are the risks from fuel cell systems and how are these mitigated?
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What safety standards exist for fuel cells?
What safety standards exist for fuel cells?
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What are the benefits of PEM fuel cells?
What are the benefits of PEM fuel cells?
What are the risks from fuel cell systems and how are these mitigated?
Degradation of materials
In the graph below, the variation of voltage with current is shown for a typical PEM stack. A fuel cell always follows the imposed load.
Stack Voltage vs Stack Current – Image courtesy of Nedstack Fuel Cell Technology BV
To follow this load, adequate hydrogen and oxygen must be present. If reactants are lacking, the fuel cell consumes materials of the electrodes, such as carbon, and damages itself.
Prevention is ensured by assuring the availability of hydrogen and air must before a load is applied. Cell voltage monitoring is installed to prevent damage when the load settings are too high. A group of stacks will stop automatically when the cell voltage on any stack in that group drops below a threshold value. (From Nedstack Fuel Cell Technology BV)
Constructing fuel cells with durable materials reduces risk of degradation and increases life span. For example, PowerCell’s unit cells consist of compact and lightweight metallic bipolar plates combined with durable and highly efficient membrane electrode assemblies. (From PowerCell Sweden AB)
Overheating
The PEM fuel cell stacks manufactured by Nedstack operate at temperatures around 65ºC. Excess heat generated during power generation is transferred by a cooling medium. This is pure water with an electric conductivity below 5 µS/cm. The water needs to maintain a low conductivity to prevent short circuit currents between individual cells. The demineralized water efficiently carries the generated heat. (From Nedstack Fuel Cell Technology BV)
