This thesis concerns biogas-operated fuel cells. Fuel cell technology may contribute to more efficient energy use, reduce emissions and also perhaps revolutionize current energy systems. The technology is, however, still immature and has not yet been implemented as dominant in any application or niche market. Research and development is currently being carried out to investigate whether fuel cells can live up to their full potential and to further advance the technology. The research of thesis contributes by exploring the potential of using fuel cells as energy converters of biogas to electricity. The work includes results from four different experimental test facilities and concerns experiments performed at cell, stack and fuel cell system levels. The studies on cell and stack level have focused on the influence of CO, CO2 and air bleed on the current distribution during transient operation. The dynamic response has been evaluated on a single cell, a segmented cell and at stack level. Two fuel cell systems, a 4 kW PEFC system and a 5 kW SOFC system have been operated on upgraded biogas. A significant outcome is that the possibility of operating both PEFCs and SOFCs on biogas has been established. No interruptions or rapid performance loss could be associated with the upgraded biogas during operation. From the studies at cell and stack level, it is clear that CO causes significant changes in the current distribution in a PEFC; air bleed may recover the uneven current distribution and also the drop in cell voltage due to CO and CO2 poisoning. The recovery of cell performance during air bleed occurs evenly over the electrode surface even when the O2 partial pressure is far too low to fully recover the CO poisoning. The O2 supplied to the anode reacts on the anode catalyst and no O2 was measured at the cell outlet for air bleed levels up to 5 %. Reformed biogas and other gases with high CO2 content are thus, from dilution and CO-poisoning perspectives, suitable for PEFC systems. The present work has enhanced our understanding of biogas-operated fuel cells and will serve as basis for future studies. / QC20100708

With growing awareness of global warming and fear of political instability caused by oil depletion, the need for a society with a sustainable energy system has been brought to the fore. A promising technology often mentioned as a key component in such a system is the fuel cell technology, i.e. the energy conversion technology in focus in this thesis. The hopes and expectations on fuel cells are high and sometimes unrealistically positive. However, as an emerging technology, much remains to be proven and the proper use of the technology in terms of suitable applications, integration with society and extent of use is still under debate. This thesis is a contribution to the debate, presenting results from two fuel cell demonstration projects, looking into the introduction of fuel cells on the market, discussing the prospects and concerns for the near-term future and commenting on the potential use in a future sustainable energy system. Bringing fuel cells to reality implies finding near-term niche applications and markets where fuel cell systems may be competitive. In a sense fuel cells are already a reality as they have been demonstrated in various applications world-wide. However, in many of the envisioned applications fuel cells are far from being competitive and sometimes also the environmental benefit of using fuel cells in a given application may be questioned. Bringing reality to fuel cells implies emphasising the need for realistic expectations and pointing out that the first markets have to be based on the currently available technology and not the visions of what fuel cells could be in the future. The results from the demonstration projects show that further development and research on especially the durability for fuel cell systems is crucial and a general recommendation is to design the systems for high reliability and durability rather than striving towards higher energy efficiencies. When reliability and durability are achieved fuel cell systems may be introduced in niche markets where the added values presented by the technology compensate for the initial high cost. / QC 20100909 / Energy Systems Programme / Clean Urban Transport for Europe / GlashusEtt

La lumière du soleil est un bon candidat comme source propre et abondante d'énergie renouvelable. Cette source d'énergie écocompatible peut être exploitée pour répondre aux besoins croissants en énergie du monde. Plusieurs générations de cellules photovoltaïques ont été utilisées pour convertir directement la lumière solaire en énergie électrique. La troisième génération de type multijonction des cellules photovoltaïques est caractérisée par un niveau d'efficacité plus élevé que celui de tous les autres types de cellules photovoltaïques. Des dispositifs optiques, tels que des concentrateurs optiques, des séparateurs optiques et des dispositifs optiques réalisant simultanément la séparation du spectre et la concentration du faisceau ont été utilisés dans des systèmes de cellules solaires. Récemment, les Eléments Optiques Diffractifs (EOD) font l'objet d'un intérêt soutenu en vue de leur utilisation dans la conception de systèmes optiques appliqués aux cellules photovoltaïques. Cette thèse est consacrée à la conception d'un EOD qui peut réaliser simultanément la séparation du spectre et la concentration du faisceau pour des cellules photovoltaïques de type multijonction latéral ou similaire. Les EOD qui ont été conçus ont une structure sous-longueur d'onde et fonctionnent en espace lointain pour implanter la double fonction séparation du spectre et concentration du faisceau. Pour cette raison, des outils de simulation ont été développés pour simuler le comportement du champ magnétique à l'intérieur de l'EOD à structure sous-longueur d'onde. De plus, un propagateur hybride rigoureux a aussi été développé, il est basé sur les deux théories de la diffraction, à savoir la théorie scalaire et la théorie rigoureuse. La méthode FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) ou méthode de différences finies dans le domaine temporel a été utilisée pour modéliser la propagation du champ magnétique en champ proche c'est-à-dire à l'intérieur et autour de l'EOD. La méthode ASM (Angular Spectrum Method) ou méthode à spectre angulaire a été utilisée pour modéliser de façon rigoureuse la propagation libre en champ lointain. Deux EOD différents ont été développés permettant d'implanter les fonctions souhaitées (séparation du spectre et concentration du faisceau) ; il s'agit d'une part d'un composant diffractif intitulé G-Fresnel (Grating and Fresnel lens) qui combine un réseau avec une lentille de Fresnel et d'autre part d'une lentille hors-axe. Les composants proposés réalisent la séparation du spectre en deux bandes pour une plage visible-proche infrarouge du spectre solaire. Ces deux bandes peuvent être absorbées et converties en énergie électrique par deux cellules photovoltaïques différentes et disposées latéralement par rapport à l'axe du système. Ces dispositifs permettent d'obtenir un faible facteur de concentration et une efficacité de diffraction théorique d'environ 70 % pour les deux bandes séparées. Grâce à une distance de focalisation faible, ces composants peuvent être intégrés dans des systèmes compacts de cellules solaires. La validation expérimentale du prototype fabriqué montre une bonne correspondance entre les performances expérimentales et le modèle théorique / Sunlight represents a good candidate for an abundant and clean source of renewable energy. This environmentally friendly energy source can be exploited to provide an answer to the increasing requirement of energy from the world. Several generations of photovoltaic cells have been successively used to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy. Third generation multijunction PV cells are characterized by the highest level of efficiency between all types of PV cells. Optical devices have been used in solar cell systems such as optical concentrators, optical splitters, and hybrid optical devices that achieve Spectrum Splitting and Beam Concentration (SSBC) simultaneously. Recently, diffractive optical elements (DOE’s) have attracted more attention for their smart use it in the design of optical devices for PV cells applications.This thesis was allocated to design a DOE that can achieve the SSBC functions for the benefit of the lateral multijunction PV cells or similar. The desired design DOE's have a subwavelength structure and operate in the far field to implement the target functions (i.e. SSBC). Therefore, some modelling tools have been developed which can be used to simulate the electromagnetic field behavior inside a specific DOE structure, in the range of subwavelength features. Furthermore, a rigorous hybrid propagator is developed that is based on both major diffraction theories (i.e. rigorous and scalar diffraction theory). The FDTD method was used to model the propagation of the electromagnetic field in the near field, i.e. inside and around a DOE, and the ASM method was used to model rigorously propagation in the free space far field.The proposed device required to implement the intended functions is based on two different DOE’s components; a G-Fresnel (i.e. Grating and Fresnel lens), and an off-axis lens. The proposed devices achieve the spectrum splitting for a Vis-NIR range of the solar spectrum into two bands. These two bands can be absorbed and converted into electrical energy by two different PV cells, which are laterally arranged. These devices are able to implement a low concentration factor of “concentrator PV cell systems”. These devices also allow achieving theoretically around 70 % of optical diffraction efficiency for the both separated bands. The impact distance is very small for the devices proposed, which allows the possibility to integrate these devices into compact solar cell systems. The experimental validation of the fabricated prototype appears to provide a good matching of the experimental performance with the theoretical model.

Die zweite Chemnitzer Brennstoffzellenkonferenz wurde vom Innovationscluster HZwo und dem Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU durchgeführt. Ausgewählte Fachbeiträge und Präsentationen werden in Form eines Tagungsbandes veröffentlicht. / The second fuel cell conference was initiated by the innovation cluster HZwo and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology. Selected lectures and presentations are published in the conference proceedings.

Fuel cell systems are becoming more commonplace as a power generation method and are being researched, developed, and explored for commercial use, including portable fuel cells that appear in laptops, phones, and of course, chargers. This thesis examines a model constructed on inspiration from the myFC PowerTrekk, a portable fuel cell charger, using COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element analysis software. As an educational tool and in the form of zero-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional models, an investigation was completed into the geometric construction, air conditions and compositions, and product materials with a best case scenario completed that summarizes the results identified. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that polyoximetylen and high-density polyethylene were considered as possible materials for the majority of the product, though a more thorough investigation is needed. Air flow of above 10 m/s, air water vapour mass fraction below 50% and initial temperature between 308K and 298K was considered in this best scenario. Suggestions on future expansions to this project are also given in the conclusion.