Alternative transportation fuels have been represented as enablers to reduce toxic emissions in comparison to those generated by conventional fuels. At the same time, tighter emission standards and significant innovation in catalyst formulations and engine controls has led to dramatic improvements in the low emission performance and robustness of gasoline and diesel engine systems. This has reduced the environmental differential between optimized conventional and alternative fuel vehicle systems. However, many technical challenges remain to make the conventionally-fueled internal combustion engine a nearly zero emission system having the efficiency necessary to make the vehicle commercially viable.
Alternative fuels cover a wide spectrum of potential environmental benefits, ranging from incremental toxic and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission improvements (reformulated gasoline, alcohols, etc.) to significant toxic and CO2 emission improvements (natural gas, etc.). Hydrogen has the potential to be a nearly emission free internal combustion engine fuel (including CO2 if it comes from a non-fossil source).
The automotive industry has made very significant progress in reducing automotive emissions. This has resulted in some added cost and complexity of engine management systems, yet those costs are offset by other advantages of computer controls: increased power density, fuel efficiency, drivability, reliability and real-time diagnostics.
Future initiatives to require zero emission vehicles appear to be taking us into a new regulatory paradigm where asymptotically smaller environmental benefits come at a very large incremental cost. Yet, even an “ultra low emission” certified vehicle can emit high emissions in limited extreme ambient and operating conditions or with failed or degraded components.
One approach to addressing the issue of emissions is the employment of fuel cells, particularly solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), in an automobile. A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that generates electricity and heat by electrochemically combining a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or a hydrocarbon, and an oxidant, such as air or oxygen, across an ion-conducting electrolyte. The fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. A fuel cell generally consists of two electrodes positioned on opposite sides of an electrolyte. The oxidant passes over the oxygen electrode (cathode) while the fuel passes over the fuel electrode (anode), generating electricity, water, and heat.
The fuel gas for the cell can be derived from conventional liquid fuels, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, methanol, or ethanol. The device, which converts the liquid fuel to a gaseous fuel suitable for use in a fuel cell, is known as a reformer.
The long term successful operation of a fuel cell depends primarily on maintaining structural and chemical stability of fuel cell components during steady state conditions, as well as transient operating conditions such as cold startups and emergency shut downs. The support systems are required to store and control the fuel, compress and control the oxidant and provide thermal energy management.