Fundamentals of Fuel Cells

3 units

This course is intended for the graduate and senior undergraduate Mechanical Engineering/ Materials Science/Chemical Engineering students interested in obtaining a fundamental background in fuel cell systems. Several types of fuel cells will be discussed, and the fundamental thermodynamics, kinetics of electrochemistry processes, and charge and mass transfer of fuel cells will be introduced. The primary focus will be placed on low temperature fuel cells based on polymer based electrolytes. The design, operation, performance, and reliability/durability of fuel cell systems will be discussed in detail. Specific interests to mechanical engineers, including water management and thermal management, will be a main focus of this course. Furthermore, the state of art research and development of fuel cell technologies may be presented through reading assignments from current literature.