RECOVERY OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS (PGMs) FROM SCRAPPED FUEL CELLS - Research Paper Example

Fuel cell technologies are the most appealing options to oil reliability. Fuel cell releases no pollutants and in reality give off pure water as a result. Although engineers are focusing on creating hydrogen from sources such as natural gas for the short-haul, the hydrogen program has strategies to concentrate on renewable, ecologically harmless means of producing hydrogen in the future. Highly dependable power is fundamental to many enterprises as well as residential societies. The United States loses $29 billion years from computer glitches because of power blackouts.

Information centers, banks, hospitals amid others all depend on persistent power that is available nearly 100 percent. Many Fuel Cells operate on hydrogen and all will persist to produce electricity as long as oil is supplied. Nevertheless, the source of the hydrogen does not matter in many fuel cells. Since fuel cells do require to be connected to the electrical cabal, they are a variety of disseminated production that permits to shift away from depending on high voltage central power production, which is susceptible to attacks and natural calamities (Sorensen 22-45).

A fuel cell functioning on unpolluted hydrogen releases zero emissions at the source. Various fixed fuel cells use organic gas or hydrocarbons as hydrogen feedstock. Nevertheless, these usages generate far lesser emissions than traditional power stations. Founded on computed information, a fixed fuel cell power plant produces little less than one scrap of populace per kilowatt-hours of energy generated. Traditional ignition producing technologies generated twenty-pounds of emissions for the same measure of energy.

Pollutants from fuel cells are so minimum that various regions of the U.S. have given exception fuel cells from air permitting regulations. Fuels cells have a long-standing reputation that their minimize noise pollution. Because fuel cells do not depend on ignition and very few moving components, they are incredibly silent. The only sound they make reaches approximately 60 decibels, the volume of an archetypal conversation. Because noise emissions are all but eradicated, fuel cells can be located at home or out-of-doors without being interfering.

Furthermore, fuel cell electric vehicles are the slightest of all cars kinds that use fuel directly, releasing zero pollutants during usage. On the other hand, fuel cells could be utilized as supplementary power units to power air conditioners accessories. Since fuel cells produce electricity electrochemically, and do not combust fuel, they are essentially more productive than ignition techniques. Fuel cell method currently accomplishes 40-50% fuel-to-energy productivity utilizing hydrocarbons fuels such as s natural gas.

When a fuel cell is positioned adjacent the point of electricity utilization, like in some fixed applications, the waste heat cab be tapped for coproduction (Srinivasan, 13-46). A fuel cell is an electrochemical machine that mixes oxygen and hydrogen to generate electricity. Usually, water and heat are its by-product. In its simplest nature, a solitary fuel comprises of two electrodes, including an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte among them. Hydrogen on the other hand chemically reacts with a catalyst at the anode.

It is through this chemical reaction that a patron passes through the electrolyte, whereas the electron moves via a circuit, generating a