Lecture

Fuel Cell: Thermodynamics

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Description

This lecture by the instructor covers the principles of fuel cells, focusing on the thermodynamics involved in the conversion of hydrogen into electricity. The lecture explains the operation of a fuel cell, detailing the reactions at the anode and cathode, as well as the overall reaction. It discusses the variables affecting the reaction, such as standard enthalpy, entropy, and free enthalpy. The concept of reversible and irreversible cases in fuel cells is also explored, highlighting the impact on entropy and heat exchange with the environment. The conclusion summarizes the key points discussed throughout the lecture.

In MOOC

Thermodynamics I

Professor J.-Ph. Ansermet from EPFL and his collaborator Dr. Sylvain Bréchet have brought together all the fundamental principles of thermodynamics in four lessons. The second part of the MOOC illustrates the thermodynamic approach through a series of applications presented by specialists from various partner institutions in the RESCIF network. The aim of the course is to help students understand and apply the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics. Following a presentation of the first and second princi

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Thermodynamics: Statistical mechanics

Energy engineering

Fuel power: Hydrogen fuel

Related concepts (32)

Enthalpy

Enthalpy ˈɛnθəlpi, a property of a thermodynamic system, is the sum of the system's internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume. It is a state function used in many measurements in chemical, biological, and physical systems at a constant pressure, which is conveniently provided by the large ambient atmosphere. The pressure–volume term expresses the work required to establish the system's physical dimensions, i.e. to make room for it by displacing its surroundings.

Entropy

Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics, where it was first recognized, to the microscopic description of nature in statistical physics, and to the principles of information theory.

Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of thermodynamics which convey a quantitative description using measurable macroscopic physical quantities, but may be explained in terms of microscopic constituents by statistical mechanics.

Standard enthalpy of reaction

The standard enthalpy of reaction (denoted ) for a chemical reaction is the difference between total reactant and total product molar enthalpies, calculated for substances in their standard states. This can in turn be used to predict the total chemical bond energy liberated or bound during reaction, as long as the enthalpy of mixing is also accounted for. For a generic chemical reaction the standard enthalpy of reaction is related to the standard enthalpy of formation values of the reactants and products by the following equation: In this equation, and are the stoichiometric coefficients of each product and reactant.

Laws of thermodynamics

The laws of thermodynamics are a set of scientific laws which define a group of physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, that characterize thermodynamic systems in thermodynamic equilibrium. The laws also use various parameters for thermodynamic processes, such as thermodynamic work and heat, and establish relationships between them. They state empirical facts that form a basis of precluding the possibility of certain phenomena, such as perpetual motion.

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