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Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Energy And Related Nanotechnologies - Types, Applications, New Developments, Industry Structure And Global MarketsInnovative Research and Products (iRAP), Inc. - 6/1/2009 - 773 Pages - ID: IRAP2404428
Abstract | Table
of Contents
A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.
Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant, which must be replenished, whereas batteries store electrical energy chemically in a closed system. Additionally, while the electrodes within a battery react and change as a battery is charged or discharged, a fuel cell's electrodes are catalytic and relatively stable.
Many combinations of fuel and oxidant are possible. A hydrogen cell uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons such as gasoline, diesel, propane, butane, natural gas, and methanol, alcohols, hydrogen peroxide and others.
Fuel cells provide portable power, as do batteries, and may be lighter, smaller and more powerful than the batteries they compete against. Fuel cells are envisioned as a replacement for the internal combustion engine in vehicles. A fuel cell vehicle can usually go twice the distance of an internal combustion engine powered vehicle using the same amount of fuel. Fuel cells also compete against traditional forms of providing power to the electric grid, such as electricity from coal and natural gas power plants as well as solar and hydro power. Fuel cells create electricity at efficiencies of 50%-60%. When a fuel cell captures its excess heat for use, the system is known as a fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) system, and these have achieved efficiencies in the range of 80%-85%. Traditional forms of power struggle to reach efficiencies of more than 40%. When pure hydrogen is used as a fuel source, the only by-product of the electrochemical conversion is water vapor. When hydrocarbon fuels are reformed to create hydrogen for a fuel cell, the resulting CO2 emissions are lower than traditional forms of power because of the fuel cell’s greater efficiency.
Despite their advantages, fuel cells have failed to achieve significant shares of the markets in which they compete. That has been due to their high costs and questionable durability. A fuel cell providing power to a home, business, or industrial concern must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and operate reliably for ten years, or 40,000 hours, to be competitive against the power grid. A fuel cell engine for a vehicle must operate reliability for 5,000 hours to compete against the internal combustion engines. Nanotechnology is providing fuel cell manufacturers with the technology needed to make fuel cells more durable and cost competitive with traditional power sources.
Over the past few years, fuel cells have demonstrated increased reliability and lower costs thanks to the incorporation of nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are also increasingly used in the production, purification and storage of hydrogen for use with fuel cells. For the first time, manufacturers have stated their intentions to begin manufacturing tens of thousands of fuel cell systems per year per manufacturer in 2009, 2010 and beyond, with the promise of moving to hundreds of thousands of units by 2015. Prior to 2009, individual manufacturers were producing less than 4,000 units a year at the most.
Fuel cells and hydrogen energy compete in markets that are collectively worth more than a trillion dollars annually
STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
This study focuses on fuel cell systems, hydrogen energy producers and enabling nanotechnology. The study provides market data about the size and growth of application segments, industry trends, new developments, including a detailed patent analysis, and company profiles. Another goal of this report is to provide a detailed and comprehensive multi-client study of the market in North America, Europe, Japan, China, India, Korea and the rest of the world for fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology, and potential growth opportunities in the future.
The objectives include a thorough coverage of the underlying economic issues driving the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industries, as well as assessments of improved fuel cell materials that are being developed. Another important objective is to provide realistic market data and forecasts for fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology. This study provides the most thorough and up-to-date assessment that can be found anywhere on this subject. The study also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of market developments in fuel cell systems and hydrogen energy use all over the world. This, in turn, contributes to the determination of what kind of strategic response companies may adopt in order to compete in this dynamic market.
The goal of the study was to determine the current and future financial and technological state of the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industries and the influence of related nanotechnologies. One of the objectives was to determine how many organizations in each nation were involved in what type of fuel cells or hydrogen energy technology. The study provides a review of the activities of more than 3,800 organizations developing fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
Fuel cells fueled by hydrogen are a breakthrough technology that can replace traditional power sources such as batteries and the electric power grid as well as the internal combustion engine. . In addition to offering performance advantages over existing technologies, fuel cells are typically smaller and use much less fuel that competing technologies. Governments across the world are providing more than $4 billion dollars in research funding annually to further fuel cell and hydrogen energy development. Hydrogen is seen as a replacement fuel for hydrocarbon fuels based on oil and natural gas production, and it is expected to become the power source of the future, doing for distributed power production what the personal computer did for distributed computing, allowing users to free themselves from mainframe computers. As such, fuel cells are expected to become as ubiquitous as batteries.
Because they are seen as a key future power source, fuel cell manufacturing is expected to create millions of jobs worldwide over the next ten years, and governments are competing to secure these jobs for their people. While the U.S. leads the world in fuel cell manufacturing, Japan is developing significant fuel cell manufacturing capability.
Fuel cell systems and hydrogen energy are truly disruptive technologies that can enable significant reductions in fuel costs and CO2 and other pollutant emissions. Japanese users of fuel cell combined heat and power systems are experiencing a 15% reduction in energy costs, even when the cost of leasing a fuel cell is factored into the equation. Fuel cells have also proven to be more economical than lead acid batteries in critical uninterruptible power applications, such as for wireless telecom stations and data centers. Fuel cells are also more economical than batteries used to power materials handling vehicles, an application that is seeing growth rates in excess of 100% annually.
Fuel cells are also emerging from a period of demonstrations where they have operated reliably for 5 to 10 years with decreased use of expensive materials such as platinum, proving that they are ready to seriously compete against traditional forms of power.
With this background of enabling nanotechnologies, improved fuel cell durability and lower costs, and increased fuel cell manufacturing with associated increases in hydrogen production, iRAP felt a need to conduct a detailed study including current and emerging technologies, new developments and market opportunities. The report identifies and evaluates fuel cell systems and hydrogen production technologies which show potential growth and their associated nanotechnology.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY
While fuel cells are expected to become a common method of producing electricity over the next 50 years, their ascent into the market place is just beginning. The industry is highly fragmented, and many of the technological improvements are occurring in university and government laboratories which often are spun-out into new start-up businesses. The start-up companies seek venture financing or partnerships with established well-financed corporations in order to advance their technologies and manufacturing capabilities. The study gathers, for the first time, a comprehensive review of worldwide efforts to advance fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies, especially with regard to enabling nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, by examining the efforts of more than 3,800 organizations.
Going forward, fuel cells and hydrogen energy and enabling nanotechnology and material will provide the fuel cell market with higher power, greater durability and reliability as well as lower cost, while maintaining the fuel saving and associated cost benefits along with lower pollution and the possibility of augmenting income through the use of carbon off-set credits.
This study also provides the most complete accounting of fuel cell and hydrogen enegy growth in North America, Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world currently available in a multi-client format. The markets have also been estimated according to the type of fuel cell chemistry used, such as proton exchange fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and other types of fuel cells. It also examines the markets for fuel cells and hydrogen energy in portable power, stationary and vehicle applications. Further, it provides insights into the nanotechnologies and nanomaterials used in fuel cell fabrication and hydrogen production. The study also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of market developments in the emerging markets for fuel cells ranging from less than one watt to multiple megawatts.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
“Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Energy and Related Nanotechnology” examines proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), their state of development, their costs, the markets for the fuel cells and the markets for nanotechnologies for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
This study also focuses on direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), their state of development, their costs, the markets for the fuel cells, nanotechnologies for this type of fuel cell and the market for nanotechnologies for direct methanol fuel cells.
This report details solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), their state of development, their costs, the markets for the fuel cells and for nanotechnologies for solid oxide fuel cells. Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), their manufacturers and the state of the art of those technologies, as well as their markets, are also studied in detail.
Also examined are hydrogen production, purification and storage technologies associated with fuel cells, the state of development, the costs, and the markets by hydrogen production and storage. The report also examines nanotechnology for hydrogen production and storage as well as the market for nanotechnology for hydrogen production and storage.
The materials, manufacturing methods and machinery used in producing nano-materials for fuel cells as well as hydrogen production and storage are reported on in great detail, as well as their application to each of the various fuel cell chemistries.
Tables ordered by nation offer a brief look at the activities of each of the 3,800 organizations in the report. The activities of all major industrial nations are reviewed.
The report also looks at the production, availability and costs of key raw materials for each of the fuel cell chemistries. Profiles of more than 800 of the 3,800 companies and organizations are offered in a companion directory entitled “Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Energy and Related Nanotechnology Directory.”
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