Man-portable Power Generation Based on Fuel-cell Systems

Micro-fabricated fuel cell systems are a potential consumer product with the promise to outperform batteries for man-portable power generation in terms of the achievable energy density. A great variety of potential devices are being considered in various research institutions and thus there is a need for a systematic product design methodology, including comparison of alternatives and examination of the influence of technological parameters. The design of these product/process hybrids is inherently different from macro-scale process design because of the differing design specifications, objectives and constraints, as well as the relative importance of the underlying physico-chemical phenomena. The influence of heat losses is such that flowsheet design and layout need to be considered simultaneously. We have developed a methodology for the comparison of alternatives; we consider a variety of fuel/chemical choices, including hydrocarbons, methanol, ammonia and hydrides, as well as options for oxygen supply; fuel cells types considered are Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, hydrogen operated Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells, Direct Methanol Fuel Cells, Proton Ceramic Fuel Cells and Single Chamber Fuel Cells. In this paper we present our methodology and a case study, showing the effect of layout options and fuel combinations. Copyright c ©. A. Mitsos and P. I. Barton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.