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Fuel Cells: 21st Century Electricity
http://www.sina.com.cn 2002/03/29 08:32  《英语学习》

  By Molly Spencer

  郑洪 译 申雨平 校

  The 21st century leading energy source may very well depend on the development of a technology that was first discovered in 1839. Indeed, many experts believe that the future of electricity generation will not come from further refinement of solar, wind, coal or nuclear energy, but from fuel cells. Among the various types of fuel cells, the ceramic or solid oxide fuel cell promises to achieve the greatest efficiency of conversion of fossil fuels such as gas and coal to electricity while producing only very low levels of pollutants. To this end, a consortium comprising five leading organisations has established Ceramic Fuels Ltd, initially to expand fuel cell research and development and secondly, to bring the technology to commercial application.

  Ceramic fuel cells are electrochemical devices that directly convert fuels such as gasified coal or natural gas into electricity without the limitation of the Carnot cycle (an ideal thermodynamic cycle in which heat is taken onto a working fluid at a constant upper temperature and rejected at a constant lower temperature). In many respects, fuel cells work like batteries. As long as they are constantly supplied with fuel and oxidant, fuel cells can continuously produce power, removing the need for recharging.

  Fuel cells offer several advantages over traditional thermal power plants. The major difference between these two power generators is that the chemical energy of the fuel cell is converted directly to electrical power without intermediate conversion first to heat. The efficiency of a coal-fired thermal plant is typically in the range of 30%-35%. In a combined cycle gas turbine system running on natural gas, the maximum efficiency is in the range 45%-50%. Many experts believe high temperature fuel cells could reach efficiencies of 80%-85%. Ceramic fuel cells thus offer a more efficient and less polluting alternative to current power generation technologies.By-products from fuel cells are high quality heat, carbon dioxide and steam. The temperature of the exhaust gases is well above 500℃, meaning that solid oxide fuel cells are very attractive for electricity and heat generation as, in addition to supplying electricity, the leftover amounts of heat created during the process could be used to produce heat for industries, provide hot water supplies or warm buildings.

  Fuel cell technology is not new. In fact, the principles of fuel cell operation were first reported by British scientist Sir William Grove in 1839. His prototype used dilute sulphuric acid and operated at room temperature. Ceramic fuel cells developed much later, with the first one operating at 1000℃in 1937.Ceramic fuel cells offer many advantages over other energy systems:

  ·they have the potential to produce electricity efficiently from several fuel sources

  ·they can generate large amounts of electricity

  ·they are relatively quick to install

  Fuel cell research and development is extremely competitive worldwide, with the USA, Japan and some European countries leading the charge to commercialise this promising technology. For instance, a Dutch-Belgian company has developed a fuel cell for a Volkswagen van and is also working on a larger unit to power a bus. Additionally, a German company is working on a fuel cell for the European space shuttle program and for submarines, while a Canadian company is evaluating a fuel cell to be used in small buses.

  Recent reports point to promising large international markets for ceramic fuel cells. Prospects for fuel cells in South East Asian markets appear good. Several countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and The Philippines, are expected to demonstrate high rates of growth in demand for power, an encouraging situation for those countries quick enough to develop and commercialise fuel cell technology.

  Energy is a vital component of a technology-based society, and the growing need for electricity generation by the most efficient method will ensure a promising future for ceramic fuel cell technology. The Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd initiative represents a major collaborative venture between public and private sectors. It is envisaged that this venture will go a long way towards achieving a greater efficiency of energy use worldwide.

燃料电池:21世纪的电能

  一项首次出现于1839年的技术的发展状况在很大程度上决定了21世纪的主要能源。很多专家认为未来的电能不会来自改良后的太阳能、风能、煤炭或核能,而将来自燃料电池。在各种各样的燃料电池中,陶瓷电池或固体氧化物燃料电池能最有效地将天然气、煤炭及其它化石燃料转化为电能,而只产生很少的污染物。为此,由五家主要机构组成的联合企业成立了陶瓷燃料有限公司,一方面进行燃料电池的研究开发,另一方面将此技术投入商业应用。

  陶瓷燃料电池是一种电气化学装置,能直接将煤气、天然气等燃料直接转化为电能而不会受到卡诺循环(一种理想的热力循环,热量在恒定高温下转化成工作流体,在恒定低温下被释放)的限制。燃料电池的工作原理同普通电池有很多相同之处。只要能够不断地获得燃料和氧化剂,就能连续产生电能而无需再充电。

  与传统的热电厂相比,燃料电池有种种优势。主要的区别在于,燃料电池的化学能量能直接转化成电能而不需要先转化成热能。烧煤的热电厂的效率通常在30%到50%之间,使用天然气的联合循环燃气轮机系统最大效率在45%到50%之间,而很多专家认为高温燃料电池的效率可达到80%至85%。因此,陶瓷燃料电池效率高,污染少,可替代目前的发电技术。

  燃料电池生成的副产品都是高热质的热量、二氧化碳和蒸汽。这些废气温度均大大超过500度,这就意味着固体氧化物燃料电池对发电和制热业极具吸引力,因为除了提供电能外,发电过程中产生的残余热量可以为各个行业提供热能,供应热水,为建筑物供暖。

  燃料电池并非新技术。实际上,燃料电池的工作原理是英国科学家威廉·格罗夫爵士于1839年首先提出的。他当时的做法用的是稀释的硫酸,而且是在室温下进行操作。陶瓷燃料电池的研制要晚得多,第一只出现在1937年,在1000度高温下工作。

  与其他能源系统相比,陶瓷燃料电池有很多优势:

  ·有高效利用多种燃料发电的潜力

  ·发电量大

  ·安装起来相对快捷

  世界范围内研究开发燃料电池的竞争异常激烈,率先将这项前景广阔的技术商业化的是美国、日本和一些欧洲国家。例如,一家荷兰-比利时合资公司已经开发出供大众牌旅行汽车使用的燃料电池,而且他们还在研制一种更大的装置来为公共汽车提供动力。此外,一家德国公司正在为欧洲航天飞机计划和潜水艇研制燃料电池,另有一家加拿大公司正在进行考察,准备将燃料电池用于小型公共汽车。

  最近一些报告显示,陶瓷燃料电池拥有潜在的巨大国际市场。东南亚燃料电池市场也呈现出良好的态势。预计包括印尼、泰国和菲律宾在内的一些国家对电力的需求也会有很大的增长,这对那些能及时开发燃料电池技术并将其商业化的国家来说是一个鼓舞人心的形势。

  能源对于以科技为基础的社会来说是不可或缺的组成部分,而且由于人们越来越需要用最经济的方法获得电能,因此陶瓷燃料电池的未来必定一片光明。陶瓷燃料有限公司的创立是公私合作的重要尝试,将对全球范围内更高效地利用能源作出重要贡献。




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