29-07-2011, 12:05 PM
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ABSTRACT:
Depleting fossil fuel reserves and increasing vehicular emission have forced the attention of various petroleum industries to find and alternate fuel that will power the vehicle in future based on the present day internal design as the deposits of crude oil is expected to last for another 50 years at the minimum utilization level .the proposed fuel should suitably replace the existing fuel and at the same time it should be renewable Hydrogen is one such fuel that has been proposed for the purpose which was suitable for spark ignition engines .hydrogen combines the properties of higher calorific value ,higher velocity of flame propagation ,non toxicity as well as lowest possible emission levels that do not affect the balance of the water of the hydrosphere.
More over the by product of combustion are devoid of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide which is the major advantage of vehicles powered by fuel cell vehicles.
Fuel cell vehicles represent one of the emerging technologies of the innovation age. An efficient, combustion less, virtually pollution free, free power source capable of being sited down town urban areas or in remote regions, that runs almost silently, and has few moving parts but these vehicles are more reality than dreams. Fuel cells are one of the cleanest and most efficient technologies for generating electricity. In the quest of environment friendly energy generation researchers have come up with comparatively much safer fuels. It is truly a green technology. Fuel cell is the practical, feasible and marketable solution to the energy crisis. The technology is extremely intersecting to people in all walks of life because it offers a mean of making power more efficiently and without pollution.
World automakers seem to believe that low emissions, high efficiency fuel cell will eventually deliver the power and the performance that users expect. Despite difficult technical and market challenges to over come, the latest crop of fuel cell powered concept car appears to exhibit many basic feature required for the success of this concept.
Fuel cell or ZEV’S as they are called are vehicles to look up for as future vehicles. The topic on fuel cell vehicles deals with all the issues and signs related to fuel cell vehicles and their future that is sometimes questioned. However the answers to these questions have been successfully dealt with in the following sub-topics:
INTRODUCTION:-
Another type of Zero-Emission Vehicle is the fuel cell powered vehicle. When the fuel cells are fueled with pure hydrogen, they are considered to be zero emission vehicles. Fuel cells have been used on spacecraft for many years to power electric equipment. These are fueled with liquid hydrogen from the spacecraft's rocket fuel tanks.
What Is a Fuel Cell?
A fuel cell produces electricity directly from the reaction between hydrogen (derived from a hydrogen-containing fuel or produced from the electrolysis of water) and oxygen from the air. Like an internal combustion engine in a conventional car, it turns fuel into power by causing it to release energy. In an internal combustion engine, the fuel burns in tiny explosions that push the pistons up and down. When the fuel burns, it is being oxidized. In a fuel cell, the fuel is also oxidized, but the resulting energy takes the form of electricity .
The Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell is the focus of vehicle-power research. The following are the major different types fuel cells:
• Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM -- sometimes also called "polymer electrolyte membrane") - Considered the leading fuel cell type for passenger car application; operates at relatively low temperatures and has a high power density.
• Phosphoric Acid - The most commercially developed fuel cell; generates electricity at more than 40 percent efficiency.
• Molten Carbonate - Promises high fuel-to-electricity efficiencies and the ability to utilize coal-based fuels.
• Solid Oxide - Can reach 60 percent power-generating efficiencies and be employed for large, high powered applications such as industrial generating stations.
