Regenerative Fuel Cells for Energy Storage

April 2011 1

Regenerative Fuel Cells for Energy Storage

April 2011Corky Mittelsteadt

April 2011 2

Outline

1. Regenerative Fuel Cells at Giner2. Regenerative Systems for Energy Storage

1. Economics2. Electrolyzer Optimization3. Fuel Cell Optimization 4. What to do with O2? 5. High Pressure Electrolysis vs. External Pumping

3. The Three Questions

April 2011 3

RFC System Challenges

Existing state of the art regenerative fuel cell systems require two separate stacks and significant auxiliary support hardware

Regenerative Fuel Cell System at NASA Glenn Research Center (above)Regenerative Fuel Cell System for High-Altitude Airships at Giner (left)

Lines to Gas Storage

User Interface

Water PistonsOWP-531 & HWP-331

ElectrolyzerEM-210

O2 StorageOST-531

H2 StorageHST-321

Fuel CellFC-601

DemineralizersDM-204, 205

Oxygen High Pressure Sep.

HPS-501

Hydrogen High Pressure Sep.

HPS-301

April 2011 4

Fuel Cell vs. Electrolyzer: Stack Comparison

Fuel Cell Stack

Membrane

Catalyst

Bipolar Plates

End Plates

Electrolyzer Cell Stack

Membrane

Catalyst

Bipolar Plates

End Plates

Never on at the Same Time

Combine Them

April 2011 5

Issues Motivating WaMM Development

– Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell:• Could save volume/weight of extra stack, however, water

management becomes difficult. – Fuel Cell Mode:

• Almost impossible to avoid liquid water flooding the cathode in pressurized systems operating at low stoich.

• Systems must operate at lower pressure/high recirculation rates to remove water.

– Complicated in low gravity– Parasitic Efficiency Loss

– Electrolyzer Mode:• The same features required in a fuel cell to evacuate product water

will also stop feed water from reaching the electrode during electrolysis

– Solution: keep water in the vapor phase

April 2011 6

Single Cell Operation

p++H2O

Electrolyzer:

MEA

WaMMVacuum

Feed H2

Feed O2

Anode

Cathode

Vapor H2OVapor H2OLiquid H2O

Product H2

Product O2Anode

Cathode

Fuel Cell:

April 2011 7

System Implications• Vapor fed electrolyzer produces >99.9% dry product gases: no liquid gas phase separators

required• Electrolyzer feed water can be static feed for further system simplification: no liquid

recirculation pumps required• Fuel cell feed gases can be static feed: no gas recirculation pumps required• Fuel cell is humidified in situ by product water: no external humidifiers required• Because water permeable plate is relatively insusceptible to impurities in feed water, water

purity constraints can be relaxed: no deionization beds required

Traditional RFC System WaMM-Based URFC System

H2Tank

O2Tank

H2OTank

Piston

Vacuum PumpH2

Tank

O2Tank

H2OTank

Deionizer

O2 Phase Separator

H2 Phase Separator

Recirculation Pump

ElectrolyzerFuel Cell

Recirculation Pumps

O2Separator

H2Separator

O2 Humidifier

H2 Humidifier

URFC

April 2011 8

URFC: Electrolyzer Performance

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

2

2.1

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

mA/cm2

V

60C80CN117 Liquid Feed 80C95C

Performance is comparable to a standard N117 electrolyzer at moderate currents

April 2011 9

URFC: Fuel Cell Testing

0.40.50.60.70.80.9

11.1

0 200 400 600 800 1000

mA/cm2

V

Discreet 2.0 stoich fuel 100% RH fuel cellDead-ended Fuel Cell with 50% RH central chamberGen 2 Regenerative System

April 2011 10

Single Cycle

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

14:48:30 14:49:00 14:49:30 14:50:00 14:50:30

Time (hh:mm:ss)

Vol

tage

Fast Mode Cycling: 200 mA/cm2 URFC

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

14:45 14:50 14:55

Time (hh:mm)

Vol

tage

URFC: Mode Cycling

•Because system is vapor based, it can change modes very quickly•Turn around time around 5 seconds

April 2011 11

Outline




April 2011 12

Cost of Electrolysis is Becoming Competitive

Table 1COSTS OF HYDROGEN FROM PEM

ELECTROLYSISBased on US Department of Energy’s H2A Model

Item Cost $/kg

Capital Cost $0.79

Fixed O&M $0.49

Power Cost ($0.039/kWh) $1.95

Other Variable Costs (utilities etc.) $0.01

High Pressure Storage (pumps and tanks) $1.80

Total Cost $5.04

Miles travelled kg H2/gallon of gasoline 50/30

Total Cost in gallons of gasoline equivalent

$3.02

April 2011 13

Regenerative Systems Can Make Renewables More Competitive…But Efficiency is Extremely Important

100 MW Installed Wind, 33 MW Electrolyzer, 22,500 kg Storage, 25 MW Fuel Cell Windmill Only

Windmill with 50%Efficient

RegenerativeSystem

Windmill with 40%Efficient

Regenerative System

Windmill Cost ($1000/kW 20 Year Amortization at 5%) $ 8,024 $ 8,024 $ 8,024

Annual Storage H2 Cost (20 Year Amortization) $ - $ 181 $ 181

Annual Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell System Cost ($500 kW electrolyzer, $500/kW fuel cell) (20 Year Amortization)

$ - $ 2,648 $ 2,648

Annual Operating, Maintenance, Refurbishment$1.5 MM $ 2,000 $ 2,705 $ 2,705

Annual Off-Peak Power Yield (GW)- 307 205 205

Annual On-Demand Power Yield (50% Efficiency)- 0 50.6 40.5

Annual Value of “Off-Peak” Power @ 3.0¢/kWh $ 10,731 $ 7,190 $ 7,190

Annual Value of “Peak” Power @ 15¢/kWh $ - $ 7,588 $ 6,071

Annual Profit $ 707 $ 1,220 $ (297)

Follows analysis by Dunn and Shimko 2010 DOE Merit Review

April 2011 14

…Don’t Just Take our Word for it…

Kevin Harrison 2010 DOE Merit Review, http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review10/pd031_harrison_2010_o_web.pdf

April 2011 15

By Increasing Efficiency and Lowering Part Counts Electrolysis Cost has Been Dramatically Lowered

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Num

ber o

f Par

ts

EP1 (2006) EP2 (2008) EP3 (2011) EP4 (2014)

Part Count Required to Generate 10 Nm3 H2/hr

April 2011 16

Outline


1. Economics2. Electrolyzer Optimization3. Fuel Cell Optimization 4. What to do with O2?5. High Pressure Electrolysis vs. External Pumping


April 2011 17

Optimizing Performance For Electrolyzers

Similar to fuel cells, the majority of efficiency losses are due to slow oxygen kinetics and membrane resistance

For cell operating at 1000 psi and 80°C with Nafion 117

April 2011 18

Improvements in Lowering Permeability can Greatly Improve Operating Efficiency

Using Current PFSA’s Thick Membranes is Required for High Pressure Operation

Operation at 80°C and 1000 psi

1100 EW Ionomer

4042444648505254565860

050

010

0015

0020

0025

0030

00

Current Density mA/cm2

Effi

cien

cy k

Wh/

kg H

2

2 mil 5 mil10 mil 20 mil

2x Cond/Perm Improvement

4042444648505254565860

050

010

0015

0020

0025

0030

00


Effi

cien

cy k

Wh/

kg H

2


5 x Cond/Perm Improvement

4042444648505254565860

050

010

0015

0020

0025

0030

00


Effi

cien

cy k

Wh/

kg H

2


April 2011 19

Membranes and Catalysts that can Tolerate High Temperatures Can Greatly Improve Efficiency

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

0 1000 2000 3000Current Density mA/cm2

Vol

tage

30°C 60°C 80°C 100°C

45

50

55

60

0 1000 2000 3000Current Density mA/cm2

Ener

gy R

equi

rem

ent

kWh/

kg H

2

30°C 60°C 80°C 100°C

April 2011 20

Outline




April 2011 21

Due to Crossover, Fuel Cells Generally do not Benefit From “Nerstian Boost” of High Pressure

Effect of Pressure on Cell Efficiency

10

15

20

25

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200


kWh/

kg H

2

20psia 50psia 100psia 200psia

H2/O2 80°C

April 2011 22

Outline




April 2011 23

If Operating on Air, Fuel Cells Need a Thin Membrane

With current PFSA membranes it is not possible to operate high pressure electrolysis with a thin membrane

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

0 500 1000Current Density mA/cm2

kWhr

/kg

Hyd

roge

n

0.5 mils

1 mils

2 mils

5 mils10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

0 500 1000Current Density mA/cm2

kWhr

/kg

Hyd

roge

n

0.5 mils

1 mils

2 mils

5 mils

90°CAnode/Cathode: 20/20 psia1.1/2.0 Stoich100/20% Inlet RH

April 2011 24

With Focus on Efficiency it is Difficult to Operate with Air

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.901.00

1.10

0 200 400 600 800 1000Current Density (mA/cm2)

Sing

le C

ell V

olta

ge Pt Black H2/O2

H2 /O2 Pt on C

H2 /Ai r P t on C

Further improvements in catalysts still needed. 3M and Argonne catalysts look promising.

April 2011 25

Outline




April 2011 26

Increasing Electrolyzer Pressure Leads to System Simplification but not Necessarily Lower Cost

23 ba

r; & 10

.75kA

/m²

23 ba

r; & 21

.5kA/

m²

23 ba

r; & 32

.25kA

/m²

23 ba

r; & 43

kA/m

²

23 ba

r; & 53

.75kA

/m²

23 ba

r; & 64

.5kA/

m²

23 ba

r; & 75

.25kA

/m²

23 ba

r; & 86

kA/m

²

138 b

ar; &

10.75

kA/m

²

138 b

ar; &

21.5k

A/m²

138 b

ar; &

32.25

kA/m

²

138 b

ar; &

43kA

/m²

138 b

ar; &

53.75

kA/m

²

345 b

ar; &

10.75

kA/m

²

345 b

ar; &

21.5k

A/m²

45 ba

r; & 32

.25kA

/m²

345 b

ar; &

43kA

/m²

$0.02

$0.03$0.04$0.05$0.06$0.07

$3.00

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

$7.00

$8.00

$9.00

$10.00

$11.00

cost

of hy

drog

en ($

/kg)

electrolyzer outlet pressure & current density

$/kWh

$/kg

H2

300 PSI2000 PSI 5000 PSI

Current Density A/cm2

Complete Cost of Generating H2 for Storage at 5000 psi as a Function of Electrolyzer Operating Parameters

April 2011 27

Outline




April 2011 28

The Three Questions

1. Is this technology feasible for cost effective storage of renewable electricity? – Dependent on scale and duty cycle.

• Fuel cell and electrolyzer duty cycle need to be closely matched • For air operating it is difficult to match fuel cell and electrolyzer membranes

2. What are the materials and systems barriers to developing this technology? – Membranes with lower gas permeability– Lower Cost Catalysts

3. What are the manufacturing issues that need to be addressed to be cost effective?– Continuing to lower part count and component cost

Efficiency is still key for cost competitiveness.

Documents

Regenerative Fuel Cells for Energy Storage