Final Decision on Fuel Cells

At this point in our research we have selected proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC's) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC's) as the primary cells we would like to examine. They are among the most heavily researched and developed designs across the world and will provide the most room for in-depth analysis.

Based upon our research, we have written the following summary of PEMFC's:

Summary

A PEMFC contains a cation-exchange membrane that operates at a temperature of approximately 80°C (Bruijn, The current status of fuel cell technology for mobile and stationary applications 2005). Since PEMFC’s have a high power density (0.35-0.7 W cm^-2) and a quick, cold start is possible at temperatures below 0°C, they are the preferred fuel cells for transportation. More than 90% of all fuel cell vehicles on the road today are equipped with a PEMFC (Cropper, Geiger and Jollie 2004).