Status of solid polymer fuel cell power plant development at International Fuel Cells Corporation

A static solid polymer fuel cell power plant concept which eliminates power-consuming ancillary components and the system inefficiencies they cause is described. This concept has been successfully demonstrated in a complete breadboard power plant. The solid polymer fuel cell is based on an electrolyte which is a solid sheet of activated fluoropolymer. This nonaqueous electrolyte together with the cell's low operating temperature results in product water being produced as a pure liquid. This characteristic, provides a basis for simplified power plant designs. Work that is currently underway to develop the stack for a static power plant with a rating in 10's of kilowatts is described.<
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