What is the difference between the various types of PEM fuel cells?
The differences in PEM fuel cells stem from how the hydrogen needed for the reaction is obtained. The hydrogen used in reformed hydrogen systems is obtained from methanol or a hydrocarbon such as methane or propane. The reason it is called reformed hydrogen is that the methanol or hydrocarbon is processed in a device known as a reformer to produce the hydrogen just upstream of the fuel cell. In a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system, methanol is converted directly to hydrogen without the use of a reformer. Where are fuel cells used? Fuel cells have many applications today, and the list is growing fast. There are three basic market segments that fuel cells satisfy: • portable/battery substitution (laptops) • transportation (automobiles and buses) • distributed power. What is DuPont’s experience in fuel cells? From research to commercial product releases, DuPont has over 30 years of experience in fuel cell system development. We leverage high-level expertise in polymer chemistry, mate
