[LINK] Ceramic Fuel Cells

[Paul Brooks]

On 6/06/2011 11:02 AM, David Lochrin wrote:
> On Monday 6 June 2011 09:18, Paul Brooks wrote:
>
>> As I understand it, the unit runs pretty much constantly converting 
>> gas to electricity. Excess power over the instantaneous demand of 
>> the household can be exported to the grid, or wasted - presumably 
>> the rate of gas input to the fuel-cell can be dialled back to reduce 
>> gas usage if there isn't any benefit from the excess power generated.
>>
>> The water heating is a byproduct of the electricity generation - 
>> might as well use the rise in temperature of the fuel cell to heat 
>> the water directly, than waste the heat and then use electricity to 
>> drive an element to heat the water.
> Yes, that's what I suspect.  But constantly running the fuel cell would heat an awful lot of hot water, and there are really good, well proven, long-lasting designs for solar heating of hot water which don't use any fossil fuel at all.

Perhaps here in Australia, with large single-family-dwellings with large roof areas
that often have a north-facing aspect, and lots of sunshine.

Solar is less attractive/available in apartment buildings, and in high-latitude
european countries with little sun, especially during winter.

Even in Sydney I've certainly lived in a ground-floor flat in a 5-story block,
surrounded by other 5 story blocks, where there was precious little solar available to
even dry clothes, let alone heat water. A dishwasher-sized electricity generator, that
heated water for free, would have been really attractive. Quite apart from that,
indoor solutions like this can't be eaten by cockatoos
(http://envirotalk.com.au/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t8350.html)

There is a reason CFU has a lot more traction in Germany and the UK than in Aus at
this stage.

Paul.