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Fuel Cells
 What is a Fuel Cell and How Does Work
In its simplest form, a fuel cell is an energy conversion device that electrochemically converts fuels into electricity and heat with water as a waste product. In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen is oxidised, using oxygen from the air, to produce electricity and hot water. A fuel cell:
- Is silent;
- Has no moving parts;
- Converts fuels directly into electricity with significantly higher efficiencies than traditional conversions.
Fuel cells are categorised as either low or high temperature. Low temperature fuel cells use hydrogen or methanol as fuels. High temperature fuel cells generally use hydrocarbons (natural gas, biogas, propane and even diesel) and are generally suited to continuous operation.
Image Courtesy of UTC Power
Hydrocarbons fuels can be reformed to supply hydrogen either onboard a vehicle or at a hydrogen production site. It is also possible to generate hydrogen from renewable energy (including wind, solar, wave and tidal) via electrolysis.
Fuel Cells in the Outer Hebrides
Fuel cells are scaleable and can be used in wide variety of applications, from cars to mobile phones, as boiler replacements or power stations. Most of the major car manufacturers have fuel cell vehicle programs and there are a number of fleet vehicles (buses, forklifts) in operation around the world today. Fuel cells are being trialled for residential boiler replacement using existing natural gas supplies and fuel cells for backup power and large stationary power applications already provide a strong commercial case.
The advantages for the Outer Hebrides include:
- Fuel diversity (hydrogen, natural gas, methane, anaerobic digester gas
- The ability to use locally produced renewable/sustainable fuels
- Hydrogen generated from renewables (wind, solar, tidal, wave)
- Fuels from waste (anaerobic digester gas, biogas, methane)
- Reduced reliance on imported fuels and electricity
- Onsite generation of electricity, heat, fuel and cooling
- Improved environmental credentials
- Very quiet
- Very low vibrations
- Odourless emissions
- Zero or lower emissions
Potential Fuel Cell Applications
- Stationary
- Micro Combined Heat and Power
- Residential boiler replacement
- Large Combined Heat and Power
- Leisure facilities (swimming pools)
- Offices
- Ports
- Residential communities (accommodation blocks, housing estates)
- Large Combined Heat and Cooling
- Primary power
- Cleaner quiet electricity for large moored marine vessels
- Factories (baseload power)
- Backup power
- Wireless broadband networks
- Telecommunication backup power
- Utility switch stations
- Emergency power (medical facilities)
- Transport
- Cars
- Buses
- Commercial Vehicles
- Forklifts
- Constructions vehicles
- Delivery trucks
- Maintenance vehicles
- Agricultural Vehicles
- Marine Vessels
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