Fuel Cells Can Be Used As Backup Power Supply In Future

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Fuel Cells Can Be Used As Backup Power Supply

The traditional fossil fuel energy sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal which satisfy most of the world’s energy needs today are being consumed rapidly. Also, their combustion by-products are driving global issues such as the greenhouse effect and pollution which are posing a significant risk for our climate and ultimately for the whole life of our world. Renewable energy sources (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, etc.) are drawing more awareness as alternative energy. Among the renewable energy sources, photovoltaic (PV) energy has been widely employed in low power applications. It is also the most favorable prospect for research and development for large-scale users as the vision of low-cost PV devices evolves into a reality.

Photovoltaic generators which instantly convert solar radiation into electricity include a lot of important advantages such as being eternal and pollution-free, quiet, with no rotating components, and with size-independent electric conversion efficiency. Due to the innocuous environmental effect of PV generators, they are returning electricity generated by other polluting practices and are even more famous for electricity generators where none was known before. With the increasing penetration of solar photovoltaic devices, different anti-pollution apparatuses can be used by solar PV power; for example, water purification by electrochemical processing or stopping desert development by PV water pumping with tree implantation.

From an operational point of perspective, a PV power generation undergoes large variations in its output capacity due to erratic weather conditions. Those sensations may generate functional problems at the power station, such as extreme frequency deviations. In many areas of the world, the unstable nature of solar radiation means that morally PV power generators for off-grid applications must be extensive and thus expensive. One approach to overcome this difficulty is to integrate the photovoltaic plant with different power sources such as diesel, fuel cell (FC), or battery backup.

The diesel backup generator for PV power is able to provide a constant 24-hour. However, it has a number of important disadvantages such as noise and exhaust gas pollution. In addition, reasonably reliable diesel backup generators are known only for the power range above about 5kW, which is too high for a considerable number of applications. In the middle and small power range, this technology cannot be utilized in an effective way.

The fuel cell beak-up power supply is a very appealing option to be employed with an intermittent power generation source like PV power because the fuel cell power system is described by many attractive features such as efficiency, quick load-response, modular exhibition, and fuel flexibility. Its feasibility in coordination with a PV system has been successfully recognized for both grid-connected & stand-alone power applications. Due to the quick-responding capacity of the fuel cell power system, a photovoltaic-fuel cell (PVFC) hybrid approach may be able to solve the photovoltaic’s inherent problem of irregular power generation.

Unlike a storage battery, which also means an attractive backup option, such as fast reaction, modular construction, and flexibility, the fuel cell power can deliver electricity for unlimited time to sustain the PV power generator. Thus, a steady supply of high-quality power developed from the PVFC hybrid system is feasible day and night. The environmental effects of fuel cell power generation are fairly small in distinction to other fossil fuel power sources. Since chemical reactions inside the fuel cell stack are performed by catalysts, it needs a low sulfur-content fuel.

Low-emission parts of the fuel cell power system may let some utilities offset the costs of establishing additional emission control equipment. Moreover, their high-efficiency developments in low fossil fuel CO₂ emissions, which will assist in decreasing the rate of global warming. Thus, the fuel cell power system has a significant potential for being coordinated with the PV generator to grind out the photovoltaic power fluctuations.

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Chetan Shidling

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