Fuel Cell Systems

How much power a fuel cell produces depends on its type, size, operating temperature, and the pressure at which the gases are supplied. Even so, a single fuel cell produces enough power for only the smallest applications. For other purposes, hundreds of individual fuel cells are typically combined in series into a fuel cell stack.

The fuel-cell stack is just one part of a fuel cell system. Most fuel-cell systems have three or four components:

• The fuel processor converts fuel into a useable form and filters out impurities.
• The fuel-cell stack generates electricity in the form of direct current (DC) from chemical reactions.
• An inverter converts the stack’s direct current (DC) to the alternating current (AC) required by most appliances.
• Heat recovery system (typically used in high-temperature stationary fuel-cell systems) uses waste heat to produce steam, hot water or electricity.

In addition, most fuel-cell systems include components and subsystems to control humidity, temperature, pressure, and wastewater.