台湾质子交换膜燃料电池的研发

PEM fuel cell R&D in Taiwan

燃料电池由于直接将化学能转换成电能,能源转换效率高于一般传统能源技术,同时由于环保无污染的特色,所以也几乎不需任何后处理。简单介绍了6种不同类型的燃料电池,虽然到目前为止燃料电池仍未能完全大量商业化应用,不过质子交换膜燃料电池近期商业化潜力相当大,而2002年6月台湾燃料电池伙伴联盟正式成立,主要目的即为提倡燃料电池技术应用。针对质子交换膜燃料电池的研发工作已展开,主要集中在系统的开发与应用,并已成功开发出千瓦级纯氢定置型发电系统。虽然燃料电池具有许多优于传统能源技术的特点,但是诸如氢气供应、价格等许多商业化的障碍仍然有待克服;长期而言,再生能源与燃料电池结合可能在能源供应方面扮演相当重要的角色。

Fuel cells,which convert chemical e nergy directly into electrical energy,offer much better fuel utilization efficiency than most co nventional technologies.They are a lso environmentally friendlier than their conventional counterparts an d there is practically no need for post treatment at the point of electricity generation and usage.Six types of fu el cell are introduced and their majo r differences are briefly discussed in this article.Although none at thi s stage has realized the full potential of commercialization,the proton exchange membrane fuel cell holds th e most promising potential in the near future.As such,Taiwan Fuel Cells Partnership has been launched in June 2002to promote the uptake of t he technology.R&D programs on the proton exchange membrane fuel cells have also started,with a special focus on system development and applications.Despite of the app arent advantages over the conventio nal,thermal -based technologies,major hurdles still stand in the face of fuel cells,e.g.the supply of hydr ogen and the cost of the tech-nology.Nevertheless,a hybrid system of combining renewable energy and fuel cell technology may prove to be one of the large -scale solutions f or supply in the long run.