DEVELOPMENT OF FUEL CELL

Fuel cells are a source of electric power using hydrogen and methanol as fuel and oxygen as oxidant produce water. The concept is very simple: to change the electrochemical energy into electrical energy. This concept was first invented by Sir William Grove in 1839. The rationale Grove is the reverse process of electrolysis. He discovered an idea to split water into oxygen and hydrogen by using electric power and generate the return force by combining the two gases. He uses sulfuric acid and platinum as a generator.

Cells created by Grove named gas voltaic battery. The cell consists of two rod electrodes (anode and cathode) are different, and between the two electrode rods are connected by a series of conductive electrons. Grove cell produces a voltage of 1,8 volts and the current 12 Amphere.

Then, scientists Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer has tried discovery Grove on a practical tool, with its findings to be named a fuel cell. In 1932, Francis T. Balcon has been researching the financing of the fuel cell through the cell and finally they tried to commercial it. In 1959, in collaboration with a company Balcon garden equipment from Milwaukee to make a wheel. In addition, in early 1950 Pennsylvania General Electric formed an SBA program for the purpose of moving the generator. The scientists General Electric (GE) at the time tried to use air as the source of oxygen. In 1965, the SBA as a reserve power source to the spaceship Gemini 5. Since then, Francis Balcon cooperating with Pratt and Whitney (P&W) to make the SBA program space as a source of power (Hall & Kerr 2003).

Throughout the 1970s, the technology SBA increasingly popular among industrial users of electric power so that the SBA is applied to devices other industries. In 1973 and 1979, Blocking oil has prevailed and the United States (USA) seeking a new alternative to generate power that is not dependent on petroleum importing. Some unions and organizations have begun a study commercial SBA (Tsuchiya & Kobayashi, 2004).

Studies undertaken to understand the optimum material resources and lower the price of this technology. Throughout the 1980s, the technology from the initial SBA tested for usability principles and manufacture of automobiles. In 1993, Ballard has produced and marketed vehicles using fuel cells fire.

In terms of marketing, Johnson Matthey reports that this type of technology is quite suitable for the automobile sector as well as other purposes. In addition, the EG&G Services (2004) also reported that the SBA has the power of a high enough power. Therefore, the United States formed a new automobile association program (USCAR) to develop SBA automobile technology and hydrogen infrastructure reserve as a refueling point hydrogen flame. In addition, several international magazines such as Parade Magazine, Business fuel cell Meet Big Business, Tansportation SAE 200 is also planned that the SBA as an energy alternative to burning energy.

This fact can be accepted by virtually all countries in the world because every gallon of fossil flame used in the combustion energy will generate 20 lb CO₂ polluting the state. For example, the United States produces 10,700 lb CO₂ and pollute the air with a quarter of the air density.

With these developments, many countries in the world do the investigation and development of the SBA. In the early 2000s, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) combine to produce SBA. In 2005, SMEs have been doing prototypes motosikal that use SBA. Until now, this has been known 6 fuel cells that are differentiated based on the electrolyte used and the operating conditions (temperature and pressure) cells. The sixth of these cells is: Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), Alkaline Fuel Cell (AFC), Molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), Posphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC), Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC).

Institutions that have developed and sell fuel cell including the International Fuel Cell, Avista Labs, Energy Partners, H Power, Energy Research Corporation, Allied Signal (US), Ballard (Canada), Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Fuji Electric (Japan), DeNora (Italy), Rolls-Royce (UK), Siemens (Germany), Ceramic Fuel Cell (Australia), and Siemens-Westinghouse (Germany-US).

Hydrogen as a fuel is a material that is non-toxic, colorless, and when it is burned with the air will react and produce only water. A source of hydrogen is widely available in nature as a material that can be renewable for example biomass, water, industrial waste (steel and soda), waste city gas, vegetable oil besides petroleum fractions such as (gasoline, naphtha, methanol, ethanol, natural gas, etc.). Hydrogen is a chemical element that brings energy. Hydrogen can be marketed in the form of a liquid or a gas. In addition to fuel boilers and steam turbines, hydrogen can normally be used for the fuel cell as a power plant, because it can generate an electrical efficiency of up to 40%-60%. The application of hydrogen energy, among others:

- As the fuel in the fuel cell.

- As a material for the chemical industry.

- As fuel boiler and steam turbine.

Hydrogen fuel cells are one of the tools that change the energy-producing electrochemical energy directly into electrical energy. Results of electrochemical reaction is water, in contrast to conventional engines produce exhaust gases that are toxic such as (CO_2, CO, SO_X, NO_X, VOM) and other gases are very harmful to the environment. Besides, the fuel cell produces high power efficiency compared to conventional machines because there is no friction loss shaft.