Development and tests of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) for stationary generation

Fuel cells are devices that continually convert chemical energy directly into electric and thermal energy due to the constant feed of a fuel. The chemical reaction resulting from the operation generates, besides energy, heat and water. With the major advancements in the materials area, fuel cell technology, associated to the increasing demand for low environmental impact, has become very promising in the world energy scenario. This technology represents, in the mid-term, an alternative for internal combustion engines (mobile units), for mid-sized energy generators (100 kW), and even for plants with a few MW of capacity (stationary units). This paper presents the results achieved by a project carried out by Electrocell, the University of Sao Paulo, and AKS Eletropaulo aimed at developing and testing a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) of up to 50 kW, with an output of 220/127 V/sub AC/ for stationary generation.