TekStak fuel cells now available! |
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The first research grade fuel cell available at an affordable price. Ideal for education, fuel cell integration, fuel cell research, and fuel cell systems development. |
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What is a TekStak Hydrogen Fuel Cell?One type of fuel cell which represents the cutting edge of technology is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. These fuel cells utilize hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate DC electricity. As a part of the hydrogen economy, PEM fuel cells will be one of the technologies that will help satisfy the world's appetite for electrical energy. Another type of fuel cell also uses the same type of membrane but rather than being fed with hydrogen gas, it is fed a mixture of alcohol and water with the alcohol typically methanol. These fuel cells operate directly on the Methanol and are therefore called Direct Methanol Fuel Cells or DMFC. The TekStak fuel cell represents the state-of-the-art in PEM technology with components made by the leading providers in the fuel cell industry. Designed for large scale production, the TekStak is the most affordable fuel cell systems available for general purchase. These fuel cells are available as either hydrogen-air or direct methanol. By purchasing a second set of membranes, a single stack can be assembled to operate on either hydrogen gas or methanol. |
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Just like a battery, each cell in the fuel cell stack increases the total output voltage of the device. As more current (I) is drawn from the fuel cell, the output voltage (V) of the cells decreases so while the current is increasing, the output voltage is decreasing according to a characteristic IV curve seen to the right . The amount of current which a fuel cell is able to deliver is a function of the size of the active area of each cell. The TekStak has an active area of ten square centimeters. At a current density of 0.15 amps per cm2, the TekStak can deliver 1.5 amps of current. From the 5-cell IV curve seen to the right, if a fan is used to increase cathode air flow, we can expect the output voltage to be a little more than 2.4 Volts for a power output of 3.6 Watts. |
TekStaks are available as kits or fully assembled fuel cell stacks and with either 1, 5, or 10 cells. Component packs to add additional cells are also readily available. By changing the bipolar plates and the MEA (membrane and electrode assembly) the stack can be reconfigured to operate in four modes:
The fuel cell stack can be disassembled, reassembled, and replacement components are available! |
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