Integration of hydrogen fuel cell technology to undergraduate education in EET programs

Abstract

The depleting fossil fuel resources and increasing air pollution are leading to the research and development of alternate energy generation. Hydrogen fuel cells are one of the most promising alternate energy supplies. The Hampden Fuel Cell Technology Trainer H-FCTT-1 allows students to create a grid independent power supply that uses only hydrogen as its fuel. The system introduces students to the fuel cell power supply technology as an environmentally friendly method of generating power directly from a hydrogen reaction. This paper describes the integration of the H-FCTT-1 hydrogen fuel cell trainer in the undergraduate class titled "Introduction to Circuits" in the Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) program at the University of Northern Iowa. The learning objectives are to run three experiments and determine: (1) the voltage-current and power-current characteristics, (2) voltage, current, and overall efficiency of the system, (3) maximum power versus optimum efficiency. Students applied the skills acquired in the "Introduction to Circuits" to run the H-FCTT1 trainer and differentiate between electronic and electrical loads. In addition, they are introduced to an alternative energy source that converts chemical energy into the electricity directly. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.