Test Facility for Determining the Seasonal Performance of Residential Fuel Cell Systems

Published

June 1, 2003

Author(s)

Mark W. Davis, Arthur H. Fanney

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has designed andconstructed a test facility for determining the seasonal performance of residential fuel cell systems. Widespread commercialization of residential fuel cell systems could struggle without a consumer-oriented performance rating to guide consumers in their economic decisions. NIST's history of developing test procedures and rating methodologies for residential appliances will aid in the development of a similar test procedure and rating methodology for the seasonal performance of residential fuel cells.The test facility for residential fuel cell systems is capable of accurately measuring all energy flows into and out of the system, such as the fuel supply, electrical power output, thermal power output, and auxiliary electrical supply. Additionally, the environmental and electrical load conditions can be controlled to typical values seen in a residential application, and the electrical output of the fuel cell system can beconnected to the grid or completely isolated from it. Fuel cell systems rated up to 6 kW of output power can be tested.A battery of tests will map the performance of residential fuel cell systems over a range of ambient temperatures, relative humidities, and load conditions. A small set of tests that provides a representative measure of the seasonal performance of the fuel cell system will be selected, and the results from those tests will be used to calculate a performance metric thatconsumers can easily use to compute the approximate economic savings associated with installing that residential fuel cell system. This paper will describe the proposed test procedure, rating methodology, and the testfacility that was constructed for their development.

Proceedings Title

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003, Conference and Trade Show | | Proceedings of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003 | NIST|

Conference Dates

June 9-11, 2003

Conference Location

BC, CA

Conference Title

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

fuel cell, hydrogen, residential, test procedure

Citation

Davis, M. and Fanney, A. (2003), Test Facility for Determining the Seasonal Performance of Residential Fuel Cell Systems, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003, Conference and Trade Show | | Proceedings of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003 | NIST|, BC, CA, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860921 (Accessed April 18, 2024)