Fuel Cells

[CyberJaya]

Hi there. I was wondering if people couuld leave some info about the Fuel Cell industry in Malaysia (in particular) and abroad. It seems that before long we'll have a fuel cell engine car. Hopefully proton will develop one too. I'd like to know about where Fuel cell development is in Malaysia? Education and training to get into the industry? Please post your findings from the internet in this thread. Thanks

[CyberJaya]

Kementerian Tenaga, Komunikasi Dan Multimedia Malaysia
www.ktkm.gov.my
Fuel Cells




Introduction

Fuel cells have emerged as one of the most promising technologies for the power source of the future. The fuel cell as an electrochemical device that converts energy into electricity and heat without combustion. In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.

Fuel cells can promote energy diversity and a transition to renewable energy sources. Hydrogen, the most abundant element on Earth, can be used directly. Fuel cells can also utilise fuel containing hydrogen, including methanol, ethanol, natural gas and even gasoline or diesel fuel, but requires a "fuel reformer" that extracts the hydrogen.

Application for Fuel Cells

Residential
Fule cells are ideal for power generation, either connected to the elctric grid to provide supplemental power and backup assurance for critical areas, or installed as a grid-independant generator for on-site service on areas that are inaccessable by power lines. Since fuel cells operate silently, they reduce noise pollution as well as air pollution and the waste heat from a fuel cell can be used to provide hot water for a home.

Transport
All major automotive manufacturers have fuel cell vehicle either in development or in testing stage - Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen etc. It is estimated that fuel call vehicles will be commercialised by 2005. However there are significant technical barriers such as hydrogen storage, fuel structure, cost/affordability, reliability/durability and air/water/thermal management.

Portable Power
Fuel cell will chage the telecommuting world, powering cellular phones, laptops for hours longer than batteries. Other applications for micro fuel cells include pagers, video recorders, portable power tools and low power remote devices such as hearing aids, smoke detectors, burglars alarms, and meter readers.

Landfills/Wastewater Treatment
Fuel cells currently operate at landfills and wastewater treatment plants across the world proving themselves as valid technology for reducing emissions and generating power from the methane gas they produce. Toshiba has installed fuel cells that run on waste gases and plans to expand efforts to sell fuel cell systems that run on gas sewage sludge. Using fuel cells to recover energy from landfill and other waste gases is proving to be a viable method and is potentially one of the cleanest and most cost-effective energy conversion technologies.

Advantage of Fuel Cells

Environmental Benefits
Fuel cells are considered an excellent alternative energy resource from the environmental point of view. fuel cells are quiet and produce negligible emissions of pollutants.

Efficiency
Different types of fuel cells have varied effeciencies, ranging from 40% to 60%. Alkaline fuel cells can even achieve power generating efficiencies of up to 70%.

Fuel Availability
The primary fuel source for the fuel cell is hydrogen which can be obtained from natural gas, coal gas, methanol and other fuels containing hydrocarbons.

Why Government Should Support Fuel Cell Development?

Fuel cells can provide major environmental, energy and economic benefits; and
Development and optimisation of energy technologies has always been a partnership between government and the private sector.

[CyberJaya]

What kind of training would be required to become a fuel cell engineer?

[Randomphantom]

=.=
my guess would be... chemical engineering?

[day_dreamer]

yeah, either chemical engineering or electronic engineering.

[Thirdshifter]

united tech corp. in Connecticut is working on exactly that. According to a guy who works there, this is how he put it.. "it's a long long way to go"

[iQing]

Chemical Engineers in Malaysia?
I don't think there are many of them now... many cheE work in international companies or oversea, just like my brother.

So good ChemE are quite "rare" in Malaysia

[caramel_nut]

Material science and engineering will be good if you want to learn more about fuel cell.

[iQing]

how bout answer.com ?