SPE hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells for rigorous naval applications

The sheet metal design approach currently used in production SPE water electrolyzers for nuclear submarines has been converted into SPE fuel cells for rigorous naval applications. A review of the capabilities of the naval SPE water electrolyzer is provided. This includes lifetime testing, severe environmental testing and accumulated experience of the naval SPE water electrolyzer system. A comparison of the sheet metal SPE fuel cell is made with the sheet metal SPE electrolyzer. Similarities and differences are identified. A comparison of sheet metal hardware with carbon/graphite type hardware is also provided. The performance of the SPE fuel cell is presented. This includes voltage/current relationships for various applications. Weight and volume projections for complete systems are provided for several mission scenarios.<>