Energy Efficiency Made Simple Vol IV

hile fuel cell technology is not new, it is being increasingly

recognised in the global alternative energy industry for

its many, compelling advantages. Significant strides have

been made in the past decade to develop the technology into a usable,

viable source of clean-burning energy generation, but there is still

much work to be done.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is in its early stages and economies

of scale have not yet been fully developed. There are also certain

related challenges to be overcome. Commercialising the technology

is in a pilot phase and the question is exactly how to upscale the pilot

projects in order to create a fully viable solution.

First project:

Innovation in rural schools

One of the projects involves the use of hydrogen fuel cells at three

rural schools in the Cofimvaba region of the Eastern Cape. This forms

part of the TECH4RED (Technology for Rural Education and Develop-

ment) project, which was initiated by the Department of Science and

Technology (DST) in 2012. The Cofimvaba fuel cell project, launched in

July 2015, has been the result of a powerful Private-Public Partnership

(PPP), which aims to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in

remote, rural schools through science, technology and innovation.

In advancing the cause for hydrogen fuel cell technology through

the Cofimvaba project, Air Products South Africa partnered with Anglo

American Platinum, which sponsored three platinum-based fuel cell

systems, and Clean Energy Investments, a South African company co-

owned by the DST and Anglo American Platinum, which commissioned

the fuel cells. The fuel cells are now successfully providing back-up

power to the schools, specifically for the recharging of tablets that

have been supplied to learners and teachers in the region.

This project will go a long way towards our understanding of how

hydrogen fuel cell technology can work in a practical way, within the

South African context. At this stage, it is only viable as an alternative

source of back-up power, supplementing existing infrastructure, but

it will enable the learners to have access to the internet 24/7, which

is critical in the current power crisis.

Fuel cells were first used commercially by NASA (the National Aero-

nautics and Space Administration) in the early 1960s to generate power

for probes, satellites and space capsules, and are now mainly used

for back-up power in certain industries, such as telecommunications,

and for powering fuel cell vehicles.

Ease and simplicity for the end-user

Fuel cells are devices that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electric-

ity, providing an emission-free alternative to conventional electricity.

Offering ease and simplicity for the end-user, fuel cells are extremely

effective and low-maintenance: while batteries have a limited lifespan,

fuel cells produce electricity on an ongoing basis, without having to

be recharged. As long as there is a continual supply of hydrogen, the

electrochemical conversion takes place simply and effortlessly, with

only heat and water as by-products.

A hydrogen fuel cell comprises Membrane Electrode Assemblies

(MEAs), placed between two flow field plates, and produces an

electric circuit with an efficiency of between 40 and 60%. The MEA

has an anode and a cathode, coated on one side with a catalyst layer

(platinum) and separated by a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM).

Hydrogen gas and ambient air are injected into channels in the flow

field plates, which then direct the hydrogen to pass over the anode,

and oxygen (from the ambient air) to pass over the cathode. When

the hydrogen reacts with the catalyst layer, it separates into protons

(H2 ions) and electrons. The H2 protons which migrate through the

PEM combine with the oxygen, forming pure water and heat. The free

electrons produce a useable electric current at the anode,

These fuel cells generate 0,7 volts, and 50 cells are configured in

a combination of series and parallel connections, to provide the spec-

ified regulated voltage/amperage output required. For the Cofimvaba

project, the fuel cell engine output is 5 kW. The system components

are managed and controlled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).

The PLC also monitors the power demand and can initiate anywhere

between a partial to full output of energy from the fuel cell engine

almost instantaneously, to meet the required set points. Each hydrogen

cylinder, provided for the project, contains enough hydrogen gas to

provide 10 kW of power for the fuel cell engine.

‘Fuelling the future’ – Developing the

hydrogen fuel cell market in South Africa

P Venn, Air Products South Africa

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is ‘green’, emission-free, non-

intrusive and virtually maintenance-free. Using the most abundant

element in the universe, this technology is proving to be an

effective source of back-up power in certain industries, and in

remote areas. Two pilot projects are being run by the company

the author represents, to ascertain just how this technology can

indeed help to ‘fuel the future’.

Fuel cells are ‘green’ technology, which

makes them relevant in a rural school

environment as well as in a wider industrial

context, which is increasingly focused on

reducing carbon emissions.

A variety of new technologies will become key ingredients of the future

energy mix – including fuel cell technology. Pilot sites are being

established and we need to watch these developments as they unfold.

In this way we will appreciate the value and opportunity that this

technology offers. What better site than a school?

ENERGY EFFICIENCY MADE SIMPLE 2015