This type of fuel cell is typically used for stationary power generation but some pafcs have been used to power large vehicles such as city buses.
Pafc fuel cell diagram.
Hence the net fuel cell reaction produces water as follows.
The gas diffusion electrodes are composed of a porous substrate carbon or cloth facing the gas feed and a reactive catalyst layer consisting of platinized fine carbon powder facing.
Based on a phosphoric acid fuel cell pafc system.
Most fuel cell systems that were sold before 2001 for the stationary power generation application used pafc technology.
Afc uses platinum electrode catalysts.
Cell structure the pafc itself consists of a pair of porous electrodes the fuel electrode and air electrode formed from mainly carbon material between which is placed an electrolyte.
One of the major differences between the systems is that the pafc system has a separate reformer.
It is one of the most mature cell types and the first to be used commercially.
The pafc is considered the first generation of modern fuel cells.
Purecell fuel cell system stationary fuel cell history 2009 400 kw model 400 1968 4 kw pafc 290 mm from doe for pafc main focus areas.
It operates at a higher temperature than polymer exchange membrane fuel cells so it has a longer warm up time.
Phosphoric acid fuel cell pafc the phosphoric acid fuel cell has potential for use in small stationary power generation systems.
H2 1 2 o2 h2o 4 figure 1.
5 purecell fuel cell system alternate electrolyte property desired pafc operating temperature c 150 250 150 250 ionic conductivity mho cm 0 65 0 65 vapor pressure atm 0 4 5 x 10 7 175 c o 2 solubility mol cm3 high 1 x 10 7 175 c transference number 0 0 11 anion poisoning none phosphate poisons catalyst electrochemical stability no decomposition products.
This makes it unsuitable for use in cars.
Principle of operation of phosphoric acid fuel cells pafcs 2.
Hydrogen is produced by diverting some of the reformed syngas to a hydrogen separator allowing the production of additional hydrogen via oversizing the reformer relative to the fuel cell.
Durability chp reference.
Fetc perspective on the doe stationary power fuel cell program rita a.
Phosphoric acid fuel cells pafcs consist of an anode and a cathode made of a finely dispersed platinum catalyst on carbon and a silicon carbide structure that holds the phosphoric acid electrolyte.