ARCI develops Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC).

PEMFC, in its entireness, have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperature with applications in decentralised power generation systems. Through intense R&D efforts in the area of fuel cell technologies, ARCI at its Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, Chennai, has developed in-house PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW) and demonstrated the same in stationary (1-20 kW) and transport applications (1,3,5 kW).

Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) backed by 10 kW system along with fuel cell stack (providing sustainable electricity using hydrogen gas without the need of grid power), air moving sub systems, power control devices, and control and monitoring system, is being planned as a natural disaster management measure, according to a PIB release.

Natural disasters are consequences of calamities like earthquake, landslide, cyclone, flood, tsunami, and so on that affects human activities. Tamil Nadu is generally affected by five to six cyclones every year of which two to three are severe. There has been a paradigm shift in the focus of Disaster Management, from response-centric (rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction) to laying greater emphasis on the other elements of disaster management cycle (prevention, mitigation, and preparedness) as a means to avert the impact of future emergencies.The Government of Tamil Nadu places equal importance on both the approaches and is keen to develop a robust disaster management system.

ARCI is now planning to set up a PEMFC system up to 10 kW capacity at Tamil Nadu State Emergency Operation Centre (TN SEOC) to operate the systems like early warning systems, VHF set, IP phone, BSNL Ethernet, and office equipment like scanner, computers, printers, phone, FAX, and normal requirements like lighting and fan.