A case study on High-Temperature Fuel Cells for Hybrid electric Ship Propulsion

In recent years, fuel cells have been considered more and more attractive devices for generating electric power from green fuels. On the other hand, their applications are still limited by technical issues, which are mainly related to hydrogen availability and storage. In the case of an onboard application for ships, hydrogen use is subjected to further restrictions and proper regulation is still under development. In this context, high-temperature fuel cells represent an interesting solution, since they can be equipped with reformers that convert liquid fuels into hydrogen, overcoming all the difficulties associated with its presence onboard. In this paper, a 5-kW high-temperature fuel cell system powered by methanol is analyzed for its possible application as a main propulsion power source for a small boat. An energy storage system is also considered in order to improve the overall system response. Preliminary results of fuel cell parameters at various operating points and during different working conditions have been obtained by means of a laboratory set-up. The obtained results have been also used to evaluate a preliminary system design.