Fuel Cell Systems Explained, Third Edition

About the Book

Since publication of the first edition of Fuel Cell Systems Explained, three compelling drivers have supported the continuing development of fuel cell technology. These are: the need to maintain energy security in an energy-hungry world, the desire to move towards zero-emission vehicles and power plants, and the mitigation of climate change by lowering of CO₂ emissions. New fuel cell materials, enhanced stack performance and increased lifetimes are leading to the emergence of the first truly commercial systems in applications that range from fork-lift trucks to power sources for mobile phone towers. Leading vehicle manufacturers have embraced the use of electric drive-trains and now see hydrogen fuel cells complementing advanced battery technology in zero-emission vehicles. After many decades of laboratory development, a global but fragile fuel cell industry is bringing the first commercial products to market.

This thoroughly revised edition includes several new sections devoted to, for example, fuel cell characterisation, improved materials for low-temperature hydrogen and liquid-fuelled systems, and real-world technology implementation.

Assuming no prior knowledge of fuel cell technology, the third edition comprehensively brings together all of the key topics encompassed in this diverse field. Practitioners, researchers and students in electrical, power, chemical and automotive engineering will continue to benefit from this essential guide to the principles, design and implementation of fuel cell systems.

About the Author :
Andrew Dicks graduated from Loughborough University in 1980 with a PhD in heterogeneous catalysis. During a career in the UK gas industry, he contributed to the development of coal gasification, catalytic gas processes and high temperature fuel cell systems which was recognized in 1991 when he was awarded the HE Jones (London) Medal by the Institution of Gas Engineers. He has collaborated in fuel cell research with industrial and academic partners throughout Australasia, Europe, North America Japan and India. In 2002 he took up a Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Queensland, becoming Director of the CSIRO National Hydrogen Materials Alliance in 2006. His publication record includes several book chapters, over 60 peer reviewed research articles and is named as inventor on over 15 patents. He has been engaged by governments in Canada, Japan, Sweden and the UK to review their funded fuel cell and energy research programs. David Rand was educated as an electrochemist at the University of Cambridge, from which he received the degrees of BA, MA, PhD and ScD. He moved to Australia and joined CSIRO in July 1969 to develop enhanced electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells. In 1977 he established CSIRO's Battery Research Group and remained its leader until 2003. He was CSIRO s scientific advisor on hydrogen and renewable energy until his retirement in December 2008 and is now a CSIRO Honorary Research Fellow. David Rand has received several international awards for his research including the Faraday Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the UNESCO Gaston Plante Medal of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the CSIRO Chairman s Medal, and the Australian Centenary Medal. In 2013 he became a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to science and technological developments in the area of energy storage, particularly rechargeable batteries.

Review :
Ever since its initial publication, Fuel Cell Systems Explained has been one of the most approachable books on the subject. Well-written and concise, the third edition maintains that tradition. The scientific and technical sections are clear and logical, and lead the reader carefully through the complexities of fuel cell materials and operating conditions, from basic principles to specific fuel cell types. This is all prefaced by a history of the sector. While this latter may seem tangential to those seeking electrochemical equations, in fact it is both interesting and useful, for example in helping me understand some of the technology development decisions that have been made over the years. It is also interesting to discover that one of the very first applications was of a fuel cell developed by Bacon and trialled in a forklift, perhaps not coincidentally one of the most successful sectors today, and that fuel cells were viewed as superior to batteries as far back as the Gemini space missions; a technology supremacy discussion which is just as live today. - David Hart, Director, E4tech and lead author of the annual Fuel Cell Industry Review

The Third Edition of Fuel Cell Systems Explained is an updated version of a book that has always been essential reading for everyone entering into the fuel cell sector, be they student or industrial practitioner. This edition introduces the basic principles of thermodynamics and electrochemical kinetics pertinent to the understanding of fuel cell operation, and determining fuel cell efficiency and voltage losses. But the heart of the book are the six chapters detailing each of the principal fuel cell technologies; proton-exchange membrane fuel cells; alkaline fuel cells; direct liquid fuel cells; phosphoric acid fuel cells; molten carbonate fuel cells and solid oxide fuel cells. There are also useful chapters covering different fuels and fuel processing options, hydrogen storage and a short discussion of balance-of-plant. I am delighted to say that it is a book that I will continue to recommend highly as a first read to all those who join my own research group to work on this exciting technology. - Professor Nigel Brandon OBE FREng, Imperial College London, UK