Research progress of different fuel cells

Abstract

The rising global energy needs and increasing emphasis on environmental protection have directed attention toward sustainable energy solutions characterized by renewability, high energy density, and minimal carbon emissions. These requirements can be fully met by fuel cells, which can transfer the energy contained in the fuel in the form of electricity. The reson for this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of fuel cell technology, which will examine the operational principles, technical attributes, and current applications of proton exchange membrane cells, alkaline cells, and direct alcohol fuel cells. Protons exchange membrane fuel cells are widely utilized in the market due to their modularity, high energy density, efficient energy conversion, and significant power density, as per our analysis. Their dependence on costly precious metal catalysts and vulnerability to platinum carbon monoxide poisoning are significant drawbacks. Conversely, both alkaline batteries and direct alcohol fuel cells are exploring non-platinum catalysts, but their corrosive operational environments necessitate highly durable materials. In this article, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells are also discussed.