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ES-470 FA 2026
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Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Sources
2051 Sidney Lu Mech Engr Bldg
T.R. 15:30 ~ 16:50 (80 min)
The role of hydrogen as a global energy source, its production by nuclear, fossil, and renewable energy sources; hydrogen handling and safety; transportation and storage methods, including high-pressure, cryogenic, metal hydrides, and chemical hydrides; the basic science and technology of fuel cells, including electrochemical processes and fuel cell thermodynamics; low- and high-temperature fuel cells; and applications such as portable electronics, automotive vehicles, distributed and back-up power, and space power.
Prerequisite: CHEM 102, MATH 285, and PHYS 212.
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Required Textbook
By Ryan P. O'Hayre, Suk-Won Cha, Whitney Colella
Wiley, 3rd edition (2016)
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By Andrew Dicks, David James
Wiley, 3rd edition (2018)
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Focus
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Science-oriented (Fundamental Principles)
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Engineering-oriented (Systems & Applications)
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Approach
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Bottom-up approach to 'Physical Foundations' (Electrochemistry, Thermodynamics, Kinetics)
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Top-down approach to 'Operational Systems' (Stack configuration, BoP, Fuel processing, Integration)
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Mathematical Level
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Focused on deriving equations for fundamental principle proofs
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Focused on engineering parameter calculations and performance optimization
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Key Content
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"What happens inside the fuel cell?"
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"How to actually operate and manage a fuel cell system?"
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Your web connection must be under the 'illinois.net' internet service to download both textbooks. Otherwise, refer to the instructions for using the VPN.
Unit Converter v.1.1.
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Metal Hydride Thermodynamic Cycle Diagram
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Two midterm exams will be administered with Zoom proctoring
You may bring and use one sheet of your own notes (“cheat sheet”) during the exam. The sheet may be double-sided.
Each student will take the exam individually from their own location, using Canvas for the exam itself and Zoom (on a smartphone) for proctoring.
Students must be in a private space with no one else present.
Any form of communication or consultation with others during the exam is strictly prohibited.
1st exam Oct. 1 (Thu), 3:30 PM ~ 4:50 PM, range of lecture 1 - 6
2nd exam Dec. 1 (Tue), 3:30 PM ~ 4:50 PM, range of lecture 7 - 13
* This schedule also applies to online students.
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Presentation topic should be related to fuel cells and/or the hydrogen economy.
Teams and team members will be assigned by random draw in Oct. 6 (Tue)
(1) Due - noon, Nov. 3 (Tue). Late registration will result in a 10% of demerit in the final team score.
(2) Elect team leader
(3) Team leaders are requested to ensure all team members agree on the presentation topic and collaboratively draft a 300-word abstract.
(4) Once completed, the team leader should submit the finalized title and abstract to the instructor via email.
Presentation submission due : untill the prior day noon of your presentation
20 min of presentation + 5 min of discussion
Dec. 3 (Thu), 3:30 PM ~ 4:50 PM ----- Team A, B, C
Dec. 8 (Tue), 3:30 PM ~ 4:50 PM ----- Team D, E
7:00 PM ~ 7:20 PM ----- Team ONL
* There will be no additional final exam.
Example; Design your own Fuel Cell
system ;
(1) Field of its application
and engineering requirements
(2) Selection of Fuel, oxidizer
- background of selection and logistics
(3) Electro-chemical reaction
(4) Description of design and structure
(5) Characteristic features compared to other types of power generation or storage
(6) Expected benefit to use the selected system
(7) Conclusion
Team A :
Team B :
Team C : Regenerative fuel cell applications to lunar bases
Government and commercial space industries are looking to the moon to establish the first off-Earth human settlements. Establishing moon bases involves many challenges, not the least of which is power. Regenerative fuel cells (RFCs) are an ideal solution for moon bases. RFCs utilize hydrogen and oxygen gas to produce power and water and can use electrolysis to return that water back to hydrogen and oxygen in a closed loop.
The moon experiences roughly day and night cycles of roughly two weeks. When in the sunlight, solar panels can be used to power the moon base and electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. These gasses can be stored until the night cycle, where solar panels are no longer effective. During the night cycle, the forward fuel cell reaction provides power to the base.
Because of the high cost of transporting materials into space, minimizing the mass of additional hardware and fuels transported from Earth is important. NASA currently uses cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen as its primary propellant in the Artemis program, so the charging and storage hardware will already be present in the rocket. Additionally, there is lots of ice on the surface of the moon in permanently shadowed craters. One of the goals of the Artemis program is to locate and identify the available water. Once this ice can be harvested, the RFCs can use the water to feed the closed loop system, generating hydrogen and oxygen gas.
The reversibility of the RFC also enables the generation of critical resources for other applications. When lunar ice is abundant, excess water can be used to form hydrogen and oxygen gas for spacecraft to leave the lunar surface, either back to Earth or out to Mars. If an arriving spacecraft brings excess hydrogen and oxygen gas, or there is an abundance in storage, drinkable water can be produced for those living on the surface.
Lunar thermal extremes and long nights pose challenges for RFC operation. This study explores stack sizing, electrolyzer operating conditions, and reactant storage design to reduce heating and auxiliary power demands, improve round-trip efficiency, and minimize system mass.
Team D :
Team E :
Team ONL :
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