Power generation from solar energy based on PEM fuel cell

Project Information

SOLARPEMFC

Grant agreement ID: 39198

Project closed

Start date 4 June 2007

End date 3 June 2009

Funded under

• Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006

Total cost No data

EU contribution € 229 327,00

Coordinated by

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
United Kingdom

Objective

The process is based on PEM fuel cell with specific catalysts and assisted by solar thermal energy to dissociate 2-propanol/acetone chemicals (a new coupling) at about 90ºC into hydrogen to feed it in the fuel cell to generate power. Dr. Chaurasia has don e preliminary work on it in Japan and so far experimentally obtained power density 0.259mW/cm2. This demonstrated feasibility and validated the concept of solar power generation based on fuel cell system. The purpose of this project is to improve the power density and efficiency for delivering usable power from the new solar thermal PEM fuel cell system.

The specific objectives are as follows:
1. To design and test a new solar thermal system based on PEM fuel cell for power generation from solar radiation.
2. Study on PEM fuel cell in conjunction with solar thermal power assisted 2-propanol/acetone/hydrogen chemical reactions with specific catalysts and develop optimum configurations to maximize power density.
3. Study of solar thermal 2-propanol dehydrogenation reactor to serve as generator of hydrogen for fuel cell.
4. Study of different components in fabrication of PEM fuel cells for their performance.
5. Design of prototype of solar thermal fuel cell and its testing for power generation from solar thermal energy.

Dr. Chaurasia will use advanced chemical engineering techniques under the supervision of Prof. Kendall to develop specific types of catalysts, which increase the performance of the PEM fuel cells and 2-propanol reactor. The required specific catalysts (pure/composite) are to be synthesized for optimum catalytic configurations to maximize power density that will enable design of a practical solar thermal fuel cell to harvest chemical energy in addition to heat output. Dr. Chaurasia has a strong background on solar thermal engineering (34 years research experience) and will be able to bring together solar thermal and fuel cell technologies.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › thermodynamic engineering
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › renewable energy › solar energy › solar thermal
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › fuel cells
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › energy conversion
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › energy and fuels › renewable energy › solar energy › photovoltaic

Keywords

• 2-propanol solar reactor
• PEM fuel cell
• acetone hydrogenation
• catalysis
• new coupling of chemical reactions
• power generation
• solar thermal energy
• thermally regenerative fuel cell

Programme(s)

• FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006

Topic(s)

• MOBILITY-2.3 - Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowships (IIF)

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-MOBILITY-7
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Edgbaston ; BIRMINGHAM ; United Kingdom
• Total cost: No data