Encontro de Energia no Meio Rural

Abstract

ETT, Gerhard, JANOLIO, Gilberto, ETT, Volkmar et al. Geração de energia elétrica distribuida a partir de célula a combustível.. In: ENCONTRO DE ENERGIA NO MEIO RURAL, 4., 2002, Campinas. Proceedings online... Available from: <http://www.proceedings.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=MSC0000000022002000200007&lng=en&nrm=abn>. Acess on: 31 Oct. 2024.

Brazil's energy shortage, both past and of the near future, has forced the development of alternative energy sources. The environmental impact now is an essential issue, for economic and legislative reason as well as for pubic image. Fossil hydrocarbons - petroleum - still bear the largest part of the world's energy supply. Being a non-renewable resource, it is expect that in, perhaps, 50 year prices will be prohibitive for the production of electrical energy. Hydrogen will certainly represent an important position in our energy matrix. It can be produced from any type of water by biological or other processes and will produce nothing, but pure water. Hydrogen can also be produced from bio- or natural gas, methanol, ethanol, or LPG. Fuel cells are electrochemical equipment, not subject to the efficiency limitations of normal thermal engines (Carnot cycle). Proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells can transform about 50 to 60% of contained chemical energy directly into electrical energy; the rest is heat, which can be used in many well-known ways. Temporary storage of hydrogen in the form of metal hydrides, traditional high pressure cylinders or other, allows to cover hours of peak demand, without wind or light. Fuel cells are a valuable complement, not substitute, to hydroelectric power plants and other generating systems.

Keywords : Célula a Combustível; Energia distribuída; Energia limpa; hidrogênio; etanol e álcool.