Nasa fuel cell technology to power Al Gore's new London headquarters

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Nasa fuel cell technology to power Al Gore's new London headquarters

Damian Carrington
theguardian.com, Monday 14 October 2013 15.22 BST

Fuel cell technology used to power Nasa's space shuttle will provide light and heat for Al Gore's new London headquarters. The fuel cell, which converts gas into heat and electricity without producing carbon emissions, has been installed in a major crown estate development in Regent Street in the capital.

"The fuel cell is a real flag in the sand, demonstrating what is possible in terms of energy efficiency and carbon reduction," said the crown estate's head of development, Alastair Smart. The cost of the new system, the first of its kind to be installed in the UK, has not been revealed but Smart said: "It offers a commercially viable and sustainable source of energy. One of the main reasons for this is that the infrastructure lasts for 20 years, a lot longer than traditional systems."

Climate campaigner and former vice-president Gore said the £400m Quadrant 3 redevelopment showed a "sophisticated commitment to sustainability". The headquarters of his sustainable investment company, Generation Investment Management, will be sited in the new buildings.

The cell was developed by US company FuelCell Energy. It will emit 38% less carbon dioxide than using electricity from the grid and heat from gas-fired boilers, according to the crown estate, which says 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be saved per year. Unlike fossil-fuel-burning power plants, the fuel cell produces power with virtually no nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SOx) or particulate matter (PM) pollution.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/14/nasa-fuel-cell-technology-al-gore-london

[Demeter]

1. what did they threaten him with, that he's left the country?

[madokie]

2. What makes you think he left the country?

[oldhippie]

10. he has a new HQ in London .....

... maybe?

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. What a crappy article - "without producing carbon emissions" and "38% less carbon dioxide"

They can't both be true. And there's no reason to think the first is true - it would be close to perpetual motion to use gas (ie methane) as a fuel without carbon emissions. But that's what the writer has put - and what a sub-editor has picked up for the misleading sub-headline.

[madokie]

4. Heres a link explaining

http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/why-fuelcell-energy/how-do-fuel-cells-work/

virtually no co2 exits the unit.


How do Fuel Cells Work?
Fuel cells produce energy electrochemically — without combusting the fuel

DFC-schematic_smFuel cells cleanly and efficiently convert chemical energy from hydrogen-rich fuels into electrical power and usable high quality heat in an electrochemical process that is virtually absent of pollutants.

Similar to a battery, a fuel cell is comprised of many individual cells that are grouped together to form a fuel cell stack. Each individual cell contains an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte layer. When a hydrogen-rich fuel such as clean natural gas or renewable biogas enters the fuel cell stack, it reacts electrochemically with oxygen (i.e. ambient air) to produce electric current, heat and water. While a typical battery has a fixed supply of energy, fuel cells continuously generate electricity as long as fuel is supplied.

FuelCell Energy’s Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants are based on carbonate fuel cell technology. The carbonate fuel cell derives its name from its electrolyte, which consists of potassium and lithium carbonates. To produce electricity, carbonate fuel cells generate hydrogen directly from a fuel source, such as natural gas or renewable biogas, in a process referred to as internal reforming. This internal reforming process, which has been patented by FuelCell Energy, is a distinct competitive advantage of carbonate fuel cells because it allows readily available fuels to be used.
DFC3000-with-break-away

Typical multi-megawatt DFC® power plant comprised of two fuel cell modules (green). One of four fuel cell stacks within each of the modules is visible in the cutaway. The incoming fuel is processed by the mechanical balance of plant (gray). The electrical output is processed by the electrical balance of plant (blue).



As illustrated in the diagram on this page, fuel is supplied to the fuel cell stack where methane (CH4) from the fuel is internally reformed to create hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Spent fuel exits the anode and is consumed to supply oxygen (O2) and CO2to the cathode. Heat and water vapor (H2O) exit the cathode. The resulting electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell anode and cathode produce direct current (DC) power, which is then converted to alternating current (AC) power by the electrical balance of plant. The cathode exhaust supplies heat to warm the incoming fuel and externally to the customer for facility heating and cooling or for making steam.

Because there is no combusting of fuel, virtually no harmful emissions are generated by the fuel cells. This results in power production that is almost entirely absent of nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SOx) or particulate matter (PM).

The fuel cell power plant is composed of the fuel cell stack or, for multi-megawatt power plants, a fuel cell module that contains multiple stacks as illustrated in this graphic that shows one of four fuel cell stacks in the module [modules are green]. The incoming fuel is processed by the mechanical balance of plant [MBOP is grey]. The electrical output is processed by the electrical balance of plant [EBOP is blue].

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. That carbon dioxide that goes to the cathode - where do you think it goes?

What there are virtually no emissions of is "nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SOx) or particulate matter (PM)". That CO2 can't just build up inside it forever. And if it did, then the reduction would be 99% or 100%, not 38%.

[madokie]

6. it combines with hydrogen and leaves as water

It explains it in the article what happens

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Ummm ... no. That still leaves carbon unaccounted for.

It appears that this fuel cell produces *less* CO2 for the same amount of energy as competing technologies. But if you're burning natural gas -- that is, methane, CH4 -- that carbon has to end up somewhere. As well as the article describes it (that is to say, clear as mud) the CO2 is released as exhaust.

The only alternative would be to recover solid carbon, and I see no mention of that.

ETA to add:

Spent fuel exits the anode and is consumed to supply oxygen (O2) and CO2 to the cathode. Heat and water vapor (H2O) exit the cathode.

Which really explains nothing; what exactly is "spent fuel", and how can it supply oxygen ?? How does supplying CO2 to the cathode accomplish anything ? This smells of obfuscation.

[madokie]

8. They're really not burning natural gas though

How do Fuel Cells Work?
Fuel cells produce energy electrochemically — without combusting the fuel

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Not combusting means they're not burning it in a flame. It's still reacting with O2 ...

... and that carbon STILL has to end up somewhere. As I said before -- it may be producing less CO2 (for the amount of energy obtained, i.e. it's more efficient) than direct combustion technology, but it's still producing CO2.

[oldhippie]

11. Whenever a hydrocarbon fuel is reformed to produce H2, ......

... there is going to be CO or CO2 produced. The carbon has to go somewhere.

A few years ago I worked on the development of a fuel cell for auxiliary power for armored vehicles. We went to Direct Methanol Fuel Cell rather than a reformer/PEM configuration because we would rather have CO2 as its exhaust rather than the toxic CO from the reformer.

We ended up with an early version of this, which was further developed into a commercial product:

http://www.sfc-defense.com/sites/default/files/130806_product_flyer_emilycube_en_final.pdf

But you are correct, there is going to be carbon-something coming out of a hydrocarbon fuel based system.

[quadrature]

12. London has a CHP, combined heat and electric-power system

London has a power station that sends out
steam, for heat, chilled water for AC,
and electricity...
which is likely just as
efficient as the fuel cell described here.