How to calculation of oxygen utilization in fuel cell?

 To calculate the oxygen utilization in a fuel cell, you need to know the efficiency of the fuel cell and the amount of oxygen supplied to the fuel cell. Here are the steps to calculate the oxygen utilization:

1. Determine the power output of the fuel cell: The power output of the fuel cell is the amount of electrical energy produced by the fuel cell over a given period of time. It is typically measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).

2. Calculate the efficiency of the fuel cell: The efficiency of the fuel cell is the ratio of the electrical energy produced by the fuel cell to the chemical energy of the hydrogen and oxygen fuel consumed by the fuel cell. It is typically expressed as a percentage.

3. Calculate the amount of oxygen supplied: To calculate the amount of oxygen supplied to the fuel cell, you need to know the stoichiometric ratio of oxygen to hydrogen in the fuel cell reaction. The stoichiometric ratio is the ratio of the number of oxygen molecules to the number of hydrogen molecules required for complete combustion. For example, in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, the stoichiometric ratio is typically 2:1, which means that two molecules of oxygen are required for every one molecule of hydrogen.

   The amount of oxygen supplied can be calculated using the following formula:

   Oxygen supplied (kg) = Hydrogen consumed (kg) x Stoichiometric ratio x Molecular weight of oxygen / Molecular weight of hydrogen

   where the molecular weight of oxygen is 32 g/mol and the molecular weight of hydrogen is 2 g/mol.

   For example, if a fuel cell consumes 0.083 kg of hydrogen per hour, the oxygen supplied would be:

   Oxygen supplied = 0.083 kg x 2 x (32 g/mol) / (2 g/mol) = 2.656 kg

4. Calculate the oxygen utilization: To calculate the oxygen utilization, you need to use the following formula:

   Oxygen utilization = Hydrogen consumed (kg) x Stoichiometric ratio / Oxygen supplied (kg)

   For example, if a fuel cell consumes 0.083 kg of hydrogen per hour and the oxygen supplied is 2.656 kg, the oxygen utilization would be:

   Oxygen utilization = 0.083 kg x 2 / 2.656 kg = 0.0625 or 6.25%

   Therefore, the fuel cell would utilize 6.25% of the supplied oxygen to produce 5 kW of electrical energy.