Micro fuel cells for portable applications
Over the years, the emergence of portable electronic devices such as laptops, MP3 players and mobile phones has resulted in a rapid growth in demand for portable power sources with enhanced performance. Such power sources need to have sufficient power output while being as small and lightweight as possible, like a conventional battery. Micro fuel cells have shown great promise over the years for portable power applications, powering a variety of small-scale electronics. The micro fuel cell market is made up of two main categories which are portable electronics and military devices. In this specialisation module, the various types of micro fuel cells are presented, and it will be shown how they are quickly becoming a viable alternative to conventional Li-ion batteries. This module includes the following units
- Introduction to micro fuel cells introduces the basics of this technology comparing their performance to conventional batteries that exist on the market
- Micro fuel cell components introduces the various stack designs for the different micro fuel cell types
- Micro fuel cell processes and system design gives an overview of the common system layouts found in some micro fuel cells
- Safety & maintenance outlines safety aspects and the possible alarm and fault conditions that can be encountered during operation of micro fuel cell systems
After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Understand micro fuel cell fundamentals
- Know the different types of micro fuel cells
- Know the different fuels used by micro fuel cells
- Identify the various applications of micro fuel cells
- Be familiar with the micro fuel cell stack design
- Know the safety aspects of stack manufacture and installation
- Conduct maintenance, diagnostics and failure analysis on a micro fuel cell system
The qualification obtained is “Certificate of Knowledge in Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology for Technicians: Micro fuel cells”.
