Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com treatment approach [1,2]. Biofuel cells can be divided into two main categories: enzymatic fuel cells (EFC) and microbial fuel cells (MFC). In both, oxidation of a given “fuel” occurs at the anode combined with a reduction of final electron acceptor at the cathode [3] . The potential difference between the two electrodes is the driving force of the ...

This paper presents an overview of the synthesis, chemical and electrochemical properties, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications of new proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membranes based on hydrocarbon polymers. Due to their chemical stability, high degree of proton conductivity, and remarkable mechanical properties, per ̄uorinated polymer electrolytes such as Na®on, Aciplex, Flemion...

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells typically consist of stacks of membrane electrode assemblies sandwiched between bipolar plates, effectively combining the individual cells in series to achieve the desired voltage levels. Elastomeric gaskets are commonly used between each cell to insure that the reactant gases are isolated; any failure of a fuel cell gasket can cause the reactants to mix, whi...

High temperature polymer fuel cells operating at 100 to 200C require simple fuel processing and produce high quality heat that can integrate well with domestic heating systems. Because the transportation of hydrogen is challenging, an alternative option is to reform natural gas on site. This article presents the development of a dynamic model and the comparison with experimental data from a hig...

Excessive vibration of nuclear reactor components, such as the heat exchanger or the fuel assembly should be avoided as these can compromise the lifetime of these components and potentially lead to safety hazards. This issue is particularly relevant to new reactor designs that use liquid metal coolants. However, identifying adequate sensors or techniques that can be successfully applied to reco...

During the last years, the aviation sector has been looking into alternatives to kerosene from crude oil, to combat climate change by reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to ensure security of supply at affordable prices. The efforts are also a reaction to commitments and policy packages. Currently, a wide range of possible fuel candidates and fuel blends are discussed in the triple ...

During short term engine operation, renewable fuels derived from vegetable oils, are capable of providing good engine performance. In more extended operations, some of the same fuels can cause degradation of engine performance, excessive carbon and lacquer deposits and actual damage to the engine. Moreover, temperatures in the area of the injector tip due to advanced diesel injection systems ma...

Fundamental research into how microbes generate electricity within microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has far outweighed the practical application and large scale development of microbial energy harvesting devices. MFCs are considered alternatives to standard commercial polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology because the fuel supply does not need to be purified, ambient operating tempe...

Fuel cell power plants with an integrated fuel processing system for hydrogen generation are an attractive option for stationary, distributed power generation. We consider a PEM fuel cell power plant with CPO based fuel processor for generating hydrogen from natural gas. During load transients, the temperatures at various points of the fuel processor need to controlled tightly so that the catal...

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical devices that enable the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiencies under high operating temperatures. The concept of multi-stage electrochemical oxidation using SOFCs has been proposed and studied over the past several decades for further improving the electrical efficiency. However, the improvement is limited by fuel dilutio...