Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management

Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management

Researcher at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).

Key Points

The ARCI, Hyderabad is an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST). It has developed an in-house PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW) for Disaster Management.

ARCI is planning to set up a PEMFC system at Tamil Nadu State Emergency Operation Centre (TN SEOC) as a disaster management measure.

In general, Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) backed with a 10 kW system along with fuel cell stack, air moving subsystems, power control devices and control and monitoring system is being planned as a natural disaster management measure.

About Fuel Cell

Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.

A fuel cell consists of two electrodes—a negative electrode (or anode) and a positive electrode (or cathode)—sandwiched around an electrolyte.

The only product is water in fuel cells, it is non polluting. Fuel cells have efficiency of 70%. As compared to thermal plants.

Fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material handling and stationary, portable, and emergency backup power.

Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to generate power using a chemical reaction rather than combustion, producing only water and heat as byproducts.

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells has been developed by ARCI in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW).

The in-house PEMFC system has operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems.

It has been observed that when an Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) would be backed with 10 kW system along with fuel cell stack, air moving sub systems, power control devices and control and monitoring system will perform as a natural disaster management measure.

This system backing EOC is expected to provide immediate support during the Golden Hour of the disaster.

The Fuel cell systems provides sustainable electricity using hydrogen gas without the need of grid power as required by conventional battery backup systems.