{"id":4256,"date":"2018-09-24T08:30:12","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T12:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plugpower.local\/?p=4256"},"modified":"2020-09-04T22:35:28","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T22:35:28","slug":"its-not-magic-its-a-by-product-of-plug-powers-fuel-cells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/its-not-magic-its-a-by-product-of-plug-powers-fuel-cells\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s not magic; it\u2019s a by-product of Plug Power\u2019s fuel cells!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIf there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.\u201d \u00a0Loren Eiseley*<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When Plug Power usually talks about our fuel cell products, we discuss the productivity, reliability, and efficiency gains seen by customers who use our clean power products for their automotive jackpot party casino slots fleets, material handling, and backup power needs. We talk about sustainability in terms of emissions reduction and cleaner facilities, which no longer use batteries that need to be swapped and charged, combustion engines, or diesel generators that pollute the air. \u00a0We don\u2019t normally talk jackpot party casino free coins about fuel cell water. But water is a by-product of all of Plug Power\u2019s fuel cells \u2013 and all proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells regardless of manufacturer. It turns out that, whether we talk about it or not, water has an important place in our customers\u2019 operations now \u2013 jackpot party casino game and can be used for much more with a little innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where does the water come from?<\/span> \u00a0The basic science behind fuel cell water production is in the special PEM membrane inside each fuel cell. \u00a0Hydrogen enters one side, oxygen from the air around us from the other. They interact jackpot party casino with the membrane, which extracts electricity from the hydrogen electrons, sending the protons across the membrane to meet up with the oxygen, forming clean, deionized water,<\/span> as seen in this video<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That water has to go somewhere. \u00a0A portion of it is used by the fuel cell to ensure an optimum state of hydration, allowing it to function as efficiently as possible. \u00a0In our air-cooled stacks, used in series 3 material handling fuel cells (GenDrive) and all of our stationary power products (GenSure), the water produced is almost completely consumed. \u00a0The remainder is exhausted as a very small amount of water vapor.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our GenDrive fuel cells for class 1 & 2 material handling vehicles as well as our motive ProGen fuel cells, all of which are liquid-cooled, the excess water is collected each time the fuel cell visits the hydrogen fill station. \u00a0From there, it becomes available to be used at the customer facility or handled as waste water.<\/span><\/p>\n

How much water is that?<\/span> \u00a0<\/span>It averages out at 0.75 liters of water per kilowatt-hour of runtime for our forklift fuel cells. \u00a0For a fleet using 55 Class 1 forktrucks for 175 kWh per week, that\u2019s just short of 2,000 gallons of water each week. \u00a0\u00a0For an operation using 19 Class 2 forklifts for 78 kWh per week, that\u2019s about 300 gallons of water each week. Most facilities use a mix of equipment, with the percentages designed to their individual needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWater is the foundation of our economies, communities, ecosystems, and quality of life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

What can the water be used for?<\/span> \u00a0<\/span>A number of Plug Power customers understand the value of fuel cell water and already use it within their own facilities for some impressive functions. \u00a0Others have begun to envision what they could do in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n