Solid Acid Fuel Cell

A solid acid fuel cell, or SAFC, is an electrochemical power generator that uses a solid acid material as its electrolyte, functioning similarly to proton exchange membrane and solid oxide fuel cells by converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity while producing only water as waste. SAFCs operate at mid range temperatures of roughly 200 to 300 degrees Celsius, using electrolytes based on oxyanion groups such as sulfate or phosphate bonded by hydrogen and balanced by large cations; caesium dihydrogen phosphate is regarded as the best performing solid acid material. Current systems draw hydrogen from sources including industrial propane and diesel. Compared with conventional polymer electrolyte membranes, solid acid fuel cells need no hydration to conduct, tolerate fuel impurities and can use cheaper non platinum catalysts, which has drawn interest for remote applications such as oil and gas operations seeking to reduce methane emissions.