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Build
Your Own Fuel Cells
by
Phillip Hurley
The
technology of the future is here today - and now
available to the non-engineer! The e-book*
Build Your Own Fuel Cells
contains complete, easy to understand illustrated
instructions for building several types of proton
exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells - and, printable
templates for 6 PEM fuel cell types, including
convection fuel cells and oxygen-hydrogen fuel cells,
in both single slice and stacks.
Low
tech/high quality
Two
different low-tech fuel cell construction methods are
covered: one requires a bandsaw and drill press, and
the other only a few hand tools. Anyone with minimum
skills and tools will be able to produce high quality
fuel cells from readily obtainable materials - links
and contact info for materials suppliers are in the
e-book.
Except
for printable templates, our e-books
are designed to be read on a computer screen. This
e-book permits printing, and prints with a light
watermark copyright statement.
Electrolyzers
and MEAs
Build
Your Own Fuel Cells includes a detailed
discussion about building a lab electrolyzer to
generate hydrogen to run fuel cells - and templates
for the electrolyzer. Also covered is setting up a
PV solar panel to power the electrolyzer, and
experimental low-tech methods for producing membrane
electrode assemblies (MEAs - the heart of the fuel
cell).
Build
Your Own Fuel Cells is 274 e-book
pages and contains extensive illustrations, 39
printable templates, and 4 Quicktime animations.
*NOTE*
The
material in this e-book is for
educational and informational purposes only. The
projects discussed are not suitable for children
without knowledgeable adult supervision.
ONLY
$12.95 to download!
Table
of Contents with sections, chapters and text subheads
Introduction
A
short history of the fuel cell
Grove's
"gas battery"
Fuel cells today
What
exactly is a fuel cell?
Fuels
for fuel cells
Many
sources of hydrogen
Fuel delivery packages
Hydrogen from fossil fuels
Hydrogen from water
Technology of the future
Global impact
Storing hydrogen
What is a fuel?
Water is a fuel
Who bears the real costs?
Skeletons in the closet
The hydrogen-water economy is coming!
Water based hydrogen production
Electrolyzers
Solar, wind and hydro power for electrolyzers
Photo-electrolysis
Photo-biological
Types
of Fuel Cells
Operating
temperatures
Regenerative fuel cells
Systems
& Components Overview
Photovoltaic
fuel cell systems
Fuel
cells vs. batteries
Components of a PV fuel cell system
Wind or small hydro power
Add-ins for the system
Fuel cell configurations
Matching the PV panels to your needs
Powering the electrolyzer
Building an electrolyzer
Compressing the hydrogen
More resources
Building a PV panel for your electrolyzer
Figuring PV panel costs
Wiring the system
Support and use components
Housing the system
Control valve
PEM
fuel cell components
MEA
basics
Purchasing MEAs and components
Surplus fuel cells
Building
the K18 Hard Graphite
Convection Single Slice Fuel Cell
K18
Fuel Cell - Tool list
K18
Fuel Cell - Materials list
About
the materials
Buying
membrane electrode assemblies and components
Mounting the membrane electrode assembly
Rubber gaskets and spacers
Keep the components clean
Working with graphite
Obtaining graphite
End plates
Miscellaneous parts
Fuel cell jazz
Simple
tools do the job
Wet
and dry bandsaw
Drill press
Setting up for fuel cells
Preparing
the graphite
Buy
graphite pieces that fit your saw
Setting the water flow
Slabbing the graphite
Begin to cut
Fences
Ripping gauges
Plan the cuts carefully
Cut extra pieces
Err on the thicker side
Cut the plate to size
Sanding
Sanding surface and technique
Cleaning the bandsaw
Using the templates
Drilling the holes
Routing the vertical flow fields
Routing the serpentine flow fields
Routing the serpentine flow fields
Preparing
the other parts
End
plates
Gas gaskets and spacers
Mylar surrounds for the MEA (membrane electrode
assembly)
Handling the MEA (membrane electrode assembly)
Assemble the MEA in the Mylar surround
Electrode plate materials
Cutting the electrodes
Gas entry ports
Fasteners
Assembling
the K18 fuel cell
Testing
fuel cells
Building
an electrolyzer
Buying an electrolyzer
Hook up the hydrogen
Precautions
Turn on the hydrogen
Meter readings
Test for continuity within the cell
Troubleshooting – no reading
Convection process
Electrolyzers
How
electrolyzers work
Electrolytes
Applying electricity
Types of electrolyzers
The tank electrolyzer
Home-built electrolyzers
The electrolyte
Preparing the electrolyte
Safety precautions
Building
the P38 electrolyzer
Tools
needed
Materials needed
Purpose of the P38
Use at your own risk
Electrode separators
A transparent electrolyzer
Nickel electrodes
Preparing the parts for assembly
Bottom cap
Height gauge
Maintaining the electrolyte level
Increasing amperage to the electrolyzer
Sealing the electrolyzer
Silicone cement vs. epoxy
Preparing screws and nuts
Epoxy the pipe to the bottom cap
Dry the seals and test
Aligning the top and bottom caps
Wiring it up
Filling the electrolyzer
Connecting to power
Scrubber
Vinegar
Building a scrubber
Inside tube length
Transparent scrubbers
Making
an electrolyte
Tools
needed
The filter bucket
The drip bucket
Add ashes and water
Wait 3 days to a week
Collect the KOH solution
Building
the L78 Soft Graphite
Convection Single Slice Fuel Cell
Tool
and materials list
Tools
Materials needed
Really
simple tools do the job
Stick
technology
Make it on your kitchen table
Print out the templates
Endplate/current collectors
Mark the end plates
Cut and drill the end plates
Soft graphite
Practice with the material
Cutting the soft graphite
Working with soft graphite
Drilling holes in soft graphite
Mark the flow fields
Making the flow field grooves
Soft graphite is forgiving
Easy construction and high performance
Aligning the holes
The hose connectors
Prepare the fasteners
Prepare the MEA
Assemble the fuel cell
Designing
Fuel Cells
Ideas
for designing fuel cells
Fuel
cell geometry
Buckyballs
Ceramics in fuel cells
Wooden fuel cells
Carbonizing other materials
Other natural materials for inspiration
"Biomimicry" for fuel cells
Collect supplier catalogs
Learn from the materials
Thinner and lighter designs
Use easy to obtain materials and tools
End plate materials
Plastics in fuel cells
General materials considerations
Convection vs. oxygen-hydrogen
Planning for maintenance
Banded fuel cells
Gas port plate
Stack design considerations - hardware
Longevity
Operating environment
In summary
Building
stacks
Bipolar
plates
Plate thickness and groove depth
Gas feed in the gasket
Stack templates
Convection stack configuration
Oxygen-hydrogen stack configuration
Plan for easy disassembly
Larger stacks need gas pressure
Gas flow regulator
Additions to optimize performance
Gasket thickness affects performance
Experimental
Methods for Making MEAs
(Membrane Electrode Assemblies)
About
membrane electrode assemblies
MEA
components
Applying the catalyst to the substrate
1. Sputter diffusion
2. A Benjamin Franklin technique
Resources for the experimenter
3. Electrochemical deposition
4. Electroless deposition
5. Mechanical Deposition
Powdering platinum
Carbon nano-tubes
Carbon and platinum mixtures
6. Electrostatic dispersion
7. Simple mixing
8. Photochemical
Platinum black
Application techniques
Brewster's reaction
Other methods to get platinum black
MEA
- Tool list
MEA
- Materials list
Loading
the catalyst - an experimental method
Making
percent solutions
MEA components
The substrate and catalyst
Construction overview
Planning to load the catalyst
Carbon cloth substrate
Cutting the cloth
Weighing the chemicals
Safety precautions
The work area
Safelight conditions
Timing and storage
Making the solution
Handling AFO
Procedure summary
Preparing the platinum solution
Water bath
Making the platinum solution
Use a brush with no metal
Coating the carbon cloth
Make a test paper
Dry the fabric pieces
Expose to UV
Washing out the ferrous salts
Other washing methods
Preparing
the proton exchange membrane (PEM)
Membrane
thickness
Handling the membrane
Membrane preparation
Bathing the membrane
Keep a steady temperature
Safety precautions
Keeping the membrane immersed
The first two baths
Fishing for the invisible membrane
The third bath
Last three baths
Pressing plates
Coat plate with powdered graphite
Lay out the MEA layers
Add the top plate carefully
Clamp the sandwich
Cook the sandwich
Increase the pressure
Further
experiments
Lower
the loading
Increase the loading
Matching gaskets to MEAs
What to expect from your MEA
Testing fuel cells
Basic test equipment
Resources
Links
Books
Supplier
contact information
MSDS
Templates
How
to use the templates
K18
single slice convection
P38 Electrolyzer
L78 single slice convection
K18 single slice oxygen hydrogen
L78 single slice oxygen hydrogen
K18 convection stack
K18 oxygen hydrogen stack
Surround gasket with feed tunnels
Build
a Solar Hydrogen
Fuel Cell System
by
Phillip Hurley
Learn
how to construct and operate the components of a solar
hydrogen fuel cell system: the fuel cell stack, the
electrolyzer to generate hydrogen fuel, simple
hydrogen storage, and solar panels designed
specifically to run electrolyzers for hydrogen
production. Complete, clear, illustrated instructions
to build all the major components make it easy for the
non-engineer to understand and work with this
important new technology.
Featured
are the author's innovative and practical designs for
efficient solar powered hydrogen production including:
ESPMs
(Electrolyzer Specific Photovoltaic Modules) — 40
watt solar panels designed specifically to run
electrolyzers efficiently; a
40-80 watt electrolyzer for intermittant power from
renewable energy sources such as solar and wind;
and, a 6-12 watt planar hydrogen fuel cell stack to
generate electricity.
Any
of these components can be ganged or racked, or scaled
up in size for higher output. You'll also learn how to
set up an entire gas processing system, and where to
find parts and materials — everything you need for
an experimental stationary unit that will give you a
solid base for building and operating systems for
larger power needs. There are even schematics for
adapting conventional solar panels (BSPMs - Battery
Specific Photovoltaic Modules) for efficient hydrogen
production, and setting up hybrid (battery and fuel
cell) PV systems.
Build
a Solar Hydrogen Fuel Cell System is 249 e-book*
pages with over 135 color photos and illustrations, as
well as 5 printable templates for a planar fuel cell
stack.
*NOTE*
If
you have never constructed a fuel cell before, we
recommend you first study Build
Your Own Fuel Cells by the same author, before
you attempt to build the planar fuel cell stack
discussed in this e-book.
*NOTE*
The
material in this e-book* is for
educational and informational purposes only. The
projects discussed are not suitable for children
without knowledgeable adult supervision.
ONLY
$16.95 to download!
Build
a Solar Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Caution
and Disclaimer
Preface
Photovoltaic
Fuel Cell Systems
The
beginnings of solar hydrogen technology
Primary
components
Gas
processing and storage
Renewable
energy sources and hybrid generating systems
Solar
hydrogen versus solar battery systems
Time
limits for battery storage
Hybrid
energy storage systems
Solar
Panels
Types
of solar cells
Electrical
characteristics of solar cells
Elements
of photovoltaic panel construction
Task
specific photovoltaic modules
Basic
components to build a solar panel
Designing
the ESPM
Putting
the cells into the frame
Attaching
the power take off box
Placing
the cover
Finish
wiring the panel
Designing
and setting up your system
Reducing
circuit loss
Grounding
Diodes
Switches
Data
loggers
Fuses,
connectors and cables
Positioning
solar panels
Solar
trackers
Mounting
PV panels
Final
design considerations
Electrolyzer
Solid
electrolyte PEM vs. alkaline
Electrolyzer
basics
Porous
alloy electrodes
Prepared
surface flat plate electrodes
Mesh
electrodes
Electrode
spacing
The
electrolyte
Potassium
hydroxide (KOH) solution strength
Safety
Water
for the electrolyzer
Solar
water distillation
The
P41 electrolyzer
Design
for renewable energy power sources
Making
intermittent power efficient
Electrode
materials
Thermal
flywheel
Supercapacitors
Micro
and macro electrode surface considerations
Raney
metal surfaces
Electrode
shape
Hydrostatic
pressure
Building
the P41 Electrolyzer
Tool
list
Materials
list
Building
the P41
Electrolyzer
tank
Positive
electrode assembly ports
Gas
exit port cap preparation
Separator
preparation
Positive
electrode assembly preparation
Washers
Slip
out the screw and the mesh cylinder
The
installed positive electrode connectors
Negative
electrode assembly preparation
Preparing
the bottom cap
Installing
electrolyte entry head/negative electrode assembly
Installing
gas port exit cylinder head and gas separator
Hydrostatic
testing
Power
supply connections
Testing
the electrolyzer with KOH
Setting
up the electrolyzer
Electrolyte
reservoir
Set
up the exit port tubes
Connect
to the power source
Fill
the electrolyzer
As
you like it
Quick
comparisons
BSPMs
and electrolyzers
Series
connected electrolyzers
Setting
up electrolyzer banks
Parallel
connected electrolyzers
Stand
alone configuration
Large
electrolyzers vs. small electrolyzer banks
Designing
your own electrolyzers
Electrolyzer
performance testing
Collect
performance data for RE power sources
Testing
equipment
Measuring
gas output
Gas
production formulas
Gas
Processing System
Hydrogen
history and characteristics
Hydrogen
safety
Grounding
Hydrogen
proof seals
Restrict
access to the hydrogen area
Make
electrical devices hydrogen safe
Hydrogen
compared to other fuels
Hydrogen
in the presence of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen
and safety
Generated
or ambient oxygen?
Moisture
and fuel cells
Removing
contaminants
Scrubbers
and diffusers
Filters
and coalescers
Recombiners
Check
valves and regulators
Environment
of operation
System
longevity
Gas
processing system
Gas
scrubber
Vinegar
and distilled water
Experiment
with different designs
Making
bubblers
Tool
list
Materials
list for 2 bubblers
Other
parts for gas processing system
Making
a bubbler
Assembly
Connecting
the valves and tubing
Mounting
the system
Component
configuration
Additions
to the system
Gas
detection system
Catalytic
recombiners
Safety
considerations for recombiners
Building
a recombiner
Purging
option
Pressure
gauges, indicators, and switches
Component
upgrading
Gas
storage
Liquid
phase storage
Hydride
storage
Metal
organic frameworks
Low
tech alternatives
Double
drum storage
Floating
tank storage
Calculating
tank capacity
Adding
pressure
Safe
storage
Setup
and check the system
Planar
Fuel Cell Stack
Fuel
cell basics
Types
of fuel cells
PEM
fuel cell configurations
Planar
fuel cell stacks
Build
the L79 planar fuel cell stack
Tool
list
Materials
list
Constructing
the L79
Selecting
the materials for the electrode/gas flow field
Preparing
the electrodes for template transfer
Transferring
the templates
Etching
the board
Remove
the resist
Routing
the flow fields
Using
a drill press or milling machine
Setting
up for milling
Controlling
the depth
Smooth
the edges and clean the plates
Materials
for plating the circuit
Brush
plating
Plating
kits
Tinning
the series edge connectors
Preparing
the tab connects
Making
the electrode gasket
Making
the surrounds
Inserting
the membranes
Attach
the gas supply gasket
Preparing
the end plate
Aligning
the plates
Soldering
the series connections and power takeoff tabs
Preparing
the pressure braces
Installing
the gas port connectors
Final
Assembly
Prepare
the stack for testing
Purging
the stack
Testing
the fuel cell stack
Trouble
shooting
Fuel
cell power supplies
Output
configurations
Running
the stacks
Resources
Templates
for the Planar Fuel Cell Stack
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