BACKGROUND

A multidisciplinary team at Ohio University (chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering) is proposed to demonstrate and study the feasibility of using an ammonia power engine (ammonia electrolytic cell in combination with a proton exchange membrane) for vehicle applications. The overall objective of the project is to use the ammonia power engine to power a golf-size car to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology.
Our preliminary calculations indicate that the AEC can be adapted with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) to power a vehicle (ammonia power engine, APE). The figure below shows a schematic representation of the different operating modes that can be used to do this. According to the calculations based on the thermodynamics the AEC can operate by stealing some electrical energy from the PEM fuel cell (see Fig. b), and the PEM will still have some electrical energy left to power the car.

Operating modes to power the vehicle using the APE. (a) A battery can be used to start the car. (b) Once the fuel cell reaches the operating potential the system is disconnected from the battery and the car is power by the APE.

PEOPLE

Investigators

Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Graduate Students