Foredrag torsdag den 18. september 2003 kl. 19.00

Torsdag den 18 september 2003 kl 19.00 holder Steen Yde-Andersen, IRD Fuel Cells A/S foredrag om PEM (Proton Exchange Membran) brændselsceller. Mødet holdes på DTU, bygning 101, mødelokale 1 (umiddelbart over Polyteknisk Boghandel).

IRD Fuel Cells A/S er en udviklingsvirksomhed der bl.a. har fremstillet en el/varme generator baseret på PEM brændselsceller. Steen Yde-Andersen vil på mødet fortælle om udviklingsarbejdet og fremtidsmuligheder.

Danish micro Combined Heat and Power generator based on PEM Fuel Cells

Steen Yde-Andersen, IRD Fuel Cells A/S, Svendborg.

ird@fuel-cell.dk. http://www.ird.dk/

IRD Fuel Cells A/S has recently completed a micro-CHP generator based on PEM fuel cells. The micro-CHP unit is designed to operate in parallel with the existing power grid. The power is sized for an average heat use in a North European single-family house (2 kWAC & 3 kWth). The micro-CHP unit is based on a 2.5 kW IRD PEM fuel cell stack with bipolar graphite plates and IRD MEAs. The stack together with air supply, humidifier, heat exchanger, grid connected inverted and control system have been integrated into a 59x63x167 cm standard size cabinet. The CHP unit can be fuelled with hydrogen and reformed natural gas. The unit is operated automatically based on a control and safety system where all cell voltages in the PEM stack are monitored continuously. An electric efficiency of approx. 40% and similar for the heat have been obtained during tests of the CHP unit. The use of fuel cells to generate heat and electricity to single households is only one of a wide future applications of fuel cells. The fuel cell technology is modular and the power output therefore scalable, reflected in the widespread variety of applications, ranging from micro-FCs for mobile telephones to FC systems for cars & busses as well as in de- and centralised power stations. However, the market for FC systems is yet virtually non-existent. The time for market take-off now depends on the availability of reliable and affordable systems. Manufacturing costs far exceed the prices of competitive products and will fall significantly only when the supply of components and the manufacturing process have been industrialised. The medium to long-term target of EU in FP6 is to reduce the cost of PEM fuel cell systems with a magnitude of 100 times to 100 €/kW for stationary applications having a lifetime of>30,000 hours.