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The aviation industry is increasing leading to a harmful environmental impact. APU is liable for 20% of airport ground-based emissions, 50% of aircraft maintenance costs and more than 5% of the daily fuel consumption [1]. Aware of this growing problem and its consequences, research should be conducted targeting new, non-polluting energy sources capable of meeting or even exceeding the aircraft's electrical needs. With this in mind, the main goal of this article was to analyze the feasibility of implementing a HT-PEMFC system as a more sustainable alternative for the gas turbine APU in an Airbus A320. The fuel used was methane which requires a fuel processor to convert it into hydrogen before entering the fuel cell. The maximum output work of this methane-supplied system is estimated at 250 kW. Therefore, a fuel processor and a fuel cell mathematical models were required. The two models along with the thermodynamic analysis were performed in MATLAB. The aims of this project were to evaluate fuel processing of methane and its conversion into electric energy through a fuel cell; to perform the thermodynamic analysis of HT-PEMFC APU based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics; and estimate the total weight, emissions and fuel consumption of the HT- PEMFC APU. The results of this research were very encouraging, as it shows that the breakeven weight of the HT-PEMFC, for a mass increment of 854 kg, was compensated by a fuel efficiency of ~2.7 times the conventional APU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A utility scale energy storage plant can be used on the North American (NA) grid for the storage of solar (PV) electricity and/or to provide ancillary services. To help bankers and their engineers determine whether hydrogen (H2) energy storage is ready for prime time2, this paper presents a H2 storage plant (HSP) levelized cost of storage (LCOS) financial algorithm for a model HSP. The LCOS algorithm is based on engineering economics and financial accounting principles. The algorithm only uses S. I. energy units for both the HSP's kinetic (electricity) energy and its potential energy (H2). It converts US$ values into € values. The paper discusses HSP technology focusing on the three phases of all HSP; charging the HSP by using a H2 electrolyzer (HE) to produce H2, storage of the PV electricity as H2 in a "H2 "Tank", and discharging the PV electricity from the HSP by using the stored H2 as the fuel for a fuel cell (FC) to regenerate the PV electricity. The LCOS algorithm uses "project accounting" to compute a separate "LCOS" for each HSP phase. The LCOS algorithm is presented in the paper's Excel HSP LCOS Financial Algorithm Workbook. Based on the paper's LCOS algorithm and on the HSP specifications (specs, metrics) complied for a base case "data set" for the model HSP, H2 energy storage is not yet ready for commercial development on the North American grid. Low round trip HSP efficiency (n) and a high HSP CapEx do not allow a HSP to operate commercially on the North American grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the importance of hydrogen as one of the main energy vectors of renewable energies, and especially for offshore generation. This paper contains the process of generating offshore renewable energy which includes wind, tidal and wave turbines. The steps needed to produce hydrogen are described with the use of electrolyzes and fuel cells. Furthermore, hydrogen is presented as the main potential of storing surplus energy and as the major fuel for road vehicles, marines transports and aerospace industries. This work presents potential of using the unemployed Oil & Gas platform for conversion of renewable power to generate hydrogen on offshore stations. The data analysis is presented to assess the efficiency of on-site conversion station. Losses and efficiency of power electronics used from generating electricity to gas and reverse back to electricity via the use of fuel cells is given and the process is explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the automobile industry, the development of new energy vehicles has become the consensus of all automobile enterprises. On one side, energy crisis, environmental pollution and national strategic security have become prominent problems in social development. On the other side, new technologies such as energy, electronics, control and Internet are deeply integrated with automobile manufacturing. Therefore, the development of multi-energy, high efficient and environmental new energy vehicles has become the focus of the development of the automobile industry. In the long term, the pure electric drive technology including pure electric and fuel cell will be the ideal technology direction for the future of new energy vehicles. In the short term, the gas-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid will be an important transition route at the moment. Based on the definition, classification and characteristics of new energy vehicles, this paper will make a brief introduction of the existing problems in the development of new energy vehicles by comparing the development status of new energy vehicles at home and abroad, and make a prediction of the future development trend of new energy vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nickel-modified boron-doped diamond (Ni-BDD) electrode was prepared to produce an electrical energy in a fuel cell. The electrode was prepared by electrodeposition from 1 mM Ni(NO3)2 in 0.1 M acetate buffer solution followed by repeated cycling in KOH. This electrode was then utilized to electrocatalyze the oxidation of urea in urine to produce electrical energy in a fuel cell. The use of Ni-BDD is expected to increase the activity of the fuel cell system. The catalytic performance was investigated by direct urea/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fuel cell. The result showed that a comparable potential of around 0.41 V could be achieved for one hour at room temperature when using Ni-BDD and Ni as the working electrode with a mixture of 0.01 mol L-1 KOH and 0.33 mol L-1 urea was used as the anolyte and a mixture of 2 mol L-1 H2SO4 and 2 mol L-1 H2O2 as the catholyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are efficient energy systems, which convert hydrogen and oxygen from air into clean water and generate combined heat and electric energy. Despite PEMFCs economically produce environmentally friendly energy however their main disadvantage is their expensive manufacturing cost since they use precious metal like platinum as catalyst for both anode and cathode electrodes. Graphene and graphene oxide could function more efficiently than the platinum catalyst. Graphene and graphene oxide are well known with their high electric conductivity, Graphene Oxide could potentially take the place of platinum as the main catalyst used in PEMFCs. Moreover, the cost of graphene oxide is comparatively much cheaper than platinum and therefore it holds great promise to enhance the commercialization and market share of PEMFCs as cost effective power source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper it is proposed a Hybrid Power Source (HPS), based on Renewable Energy Sources (RES), and a Fuel Cell (FC) system as backup energy source, which uses an optimal control strategy for the fueling rates of the FC (hydrogen and air) based on the load following (LF) control. The RESs power profile is given by the Photovoltaic (PV) panels and Wind Turbine (WT). Hydrogen and air needed to sustain the load are achieved through optimal control of the current realized in the LF control loop, the value of the current will control the hydrogen or the air flow rate. This control will be made by a FuelFr respectively AirFr regulator. Two configurations were studied. In the first HPS configuration, the air flow is controlled by AirFr regulator, the regulator being controlled by the LF controller. In the second configuration the hydrogen flow is controlled by the FuelFr regulator, the regulator being also controlled by the controller LF. The performance for these HPS configurations are compared for variable load profile with RES power, based on the following indicators: fuel consumption efficiency (Fueleff) and total fuel consumption (FuelT) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]