In the past 20 years, both the United States and Japan have attached great importance to the development of fuel cells. R&D investment is large, with quick results and quick results.
The United States is the country with the fastest development of fuel cells. By 1990, there are 23 fuel cell units in operation, with a total installed capacity of 1 1 10,000 kilowatts. The technical focus of developing fuel cells in the United States is to improve fuel utilization, reduce the production cost and power generation cost of fuel cells, and pay attention to multi-channel technology development.
At the beginning of 1990, Bell Laboratories successfully developed a microchip fuel cell, which can directly convert the mixed gas (gas) as fuel into electric energy, and each kilogram of gas can generate 1 kW. This fuel cell consists of a breathable alumina film with a thickness of less than 500 billionth of a meter sandwiched between two thin platinum sheets. Its advantages are light weight, low cost and convenient charging, and only the airbag needs to be replaced. It can replace the batteries and portable generators currently used. Westinghouse has built a 1500 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell power station, and is now building a new 7500 kW power station. The United States has also successfully developed a 3 kW solid fuel cell and is developing a 25 kW solid battery.
The U.S. Department of Energy has recently developed a ceramic fuel cell, in which liquid or gas fuel is placed in two corrugated ceramic sheets, so that the fuel can directly react with oxidant to obtain electric energy, so there is no need for the fuel tank required by general fuel cells. Compared with other fuel cells, it releases twice the power and the power generation efficiency reaches 55% ~ 60%.
The development of fuel cells in Japan is also relatively early. From 196 1 year, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. of Japan began to develop, and by 1972, it made 10 kW alkaline battery, and 1973 switched to the development of phosphoric acid battery, which also developed rapidly. In the early 1980s, Japan included the development of fuel cells in the "Moonlight Plan", and began to promote fuel cell power generation in some areas from 1986. 1991may 12, Tokyo electric power company of Japan successfully built the world's largest phosphoric acid fuel cell power generation device with an output power of 1. 1 10,000 kilowatts. The power generation efficiency is 4 1%. The fuel cell is water-cooled by phosphoric acid and belongs to the first generation product. It is estimated that this kind of fuel cell stack can meet the power demand of at least 5000 civil houses after it enters the practical stage. Therefore, some people regard it as the first step of fuel cell commercialization, which has high development value.
1989 this 200 kw power station has been built in Japan, and 4500 kw power station is under construction.
The second generation fuel cell is molten carbonate fuel cell, which has also entered the industrial test stage. Japan has achieved success at the level of 30 kilowatts. The third generation fuel cell is a solid electrolyte fuel cell, which has been successfully tested in Japan, at the level of 1 kW. 199 1 At the end of the year, Japan Electric Power Company and City Gas Company formed a phosphoric acid fuel cell power generation technology research cooperative in Osaka. It is planned to build 5000 kW and 1000 kW fuel cells before the end of 19 1. 1992, Japan and the United States decided to unite.
The Japanese government has been implementing a long-term plan to promote fuel cells, which will be widely used in commercial areas, hospitals, stadiums and other departments in the early 1990 s; In the middle and late 1990s, it was popularized in industrial enterprises; At the beginning of the 20th century, it reached 13% of the national total power generation, making fuel cells an important new energy source in the future. At present, a 5000 kW fuel cell power station is under construction, which can run continuously for 8000 hours, with power efficiency of 40% and mixed thermal efficiency of 80%. It is estimated that in 2005, there will be 6.5438+million kilowatts of fuel cells widely used in various fields in Japan.
In the early 1990s, Japan also began to develop ultra-miniature "biofuel cells". Its principle is the same as that of a battery using hydrogen as fuel, but it uses glucose in human blood as the main fuel. Its main purpose is to provide power for artificial pancreatic organs and bury them in patients. The highest voltage it can generate is estimated to be 1. 1 volt, and the current intensity is 0. 1 amp.
Experts predict that with the further breakthrough of fuel cell power generation technology, as a new power supply system, it may replace thermal power generation to form a powerful fuel cell power generation network and become an important secondary energy source by the middle of 2 1 century.