The potential of direct hydrocarbon fuel cells for improving energy efficiency

In 1839, W.R.Grove described the world´s first fuel cell. It was a hydrogen fuel cell. However the possibility of using hydrocarbon fuels such as coal, wood, and other combustibles was being discussed within a few years. Since then interest in developing fuel cells has gone through several cycles. For example, there was a short period in the 1960´s when large sums of money were spent on hydrocarbon fuel cells. However it was work on hydrogen fuel cells performed by F.T. Bacon in the United Kingdom from the 1930´s to the 1960´s that provided the incentive for US space program to begin using alkaline fuel cells made by General Electric in the Apollo space craft. That was followed by the use of General Electric polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells in Gemini space craft. In 1986 one of the developers at the Ballard organization (D.S. Watkins) in Canada found that an experimental membrane made by Dow Chemical caused the power from a PEM fuel cell to increase by a factor of four. That technological achievement was the beginning of a serious global interest in PEM fuel cells that has persisted for the past 20 years. In contrast, direct hydrocarbon fuel cells (DHFC) have received little attention. In this presentation, DHFC developments since the 1960´s are described and an overview of the merits of DHFC technology is given. The emphasis is on improving energy efficiencies to decrease green house gas emissions.